“Miss Milly,” Weeks assured her, without paying any attention to the words of his companion, “we shall have the pleasure of taking you and your brave young friend ashore with us—after we settle a little business here.”
“Well, I’m glad ter hear you gittin’ down ter business,” declared Leroyd, with satisfaction. “Come, now, skin out of here, you fellers,” he added, addressing the two men at the companionway. “We’ll come up or call for you when we want ye.”
The men departed and the sailor turned again to his partner.
“Hurry!” he exclaimed eagerly. “Where’s the place you said they were hid? It’s somewhere in the cabin here, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then send the gal on deck, too, and let’s rummage.”
“We won’t be rude enough to do that,” said Weeks, with another smirk at Milly. “We will just request the young lady not to speak of what she sees us do.”
“I don’t care. Anything, so long’s we get ’em and get out o’ here. Suppose—”
“Never mind supposing any longer. Let me see, now,” and Weeks walked slowly to the upper end of the cabin and counted off three panels from the companionway on the port side.
Quickly his long finger touched the surface of the panel, pressing here and there and rattling the loose board, and finally the panel dropped down, disclosing the secret cupboard—empty!