Tom was caressing his left ear rather hurriedly; Nicky, lips half open, suddenly recognized the sign of their secret call for a council, or for silence, and folded his arms.
Cliff took up the answer to Ortiga.
“Your brother,” he said, meaningly, “has a better use for us!”
Ortiga leaned back, scowling, looking sharply at the trio.
“Just what does that mean?” he demanded.
“You’ll see!” Cliff said. Ortiga pursued the inquiry but with Cliff the others remained stubbornly silent. They saw that Cliff’s plan, for some reason they did not yet grasp, was to puzzle the two men. Nicky, to get away from the subject, turned on the estate owner.
“How did you come to be on this boat?” he asked.
Mr. Coleson, smiling a little, answered readily. “Quite simple. You see, I have the maps!”
“How’d you get them?” Tom broke in.
“Equally simple, my lad. I was not far away when I observed your little difficulty with the voodoo woman, and being curious, half intending to interfere, I came closer, just beyond the heavy fringe of brush near the cabin. From there I overheard enough of your talk with Sam to become interested. I followed you three and since you held your supposedly secret meeting quite close to my own windows I overheard some more.”