CHAPTER XXIXTHE EXPLOSION
Twenty-four hours later found the Rover boys once more on board theFirefly. Extra water and provisions had been procured and Captain Corning was accompanied by Fred Barker, the new diver, a middle-aged and rather silent man but one who was said to understand his business thoroughly.
Before leaving Progreso the boys had received another message from home congratulating them on what had been accomplished by them. Sam Rover sent word that he would at once communicate with the Mexican authorities and send two first-class men down to Yucatan to see what could be done toward locating such of the securities as were still missing.
“They’ll probably get Ditini and Ronombo to talk when they put the screws on those rascals,” said Jack, after this message came in. “Maybe the bandits placed the other stuff in hiding, thinking to let it remain there until this whole affair blew over.”
So far the boys had talked of little else but thecapture of the bandits and what this might lead to. But now, when they once more trod the deck of theFirefly, their thoughts again reverted to the hunt for the lostMargarita.
“We’ll steam at once for the spot where that demijohn was found and where Olesen and Amend threw overboard the floating yellow flags,” said Captain Corning.
It took the best part of the day to reach the vicinity the master of theFireflyhad in mind. Then over an hour was lost before one of the tiny flags was located. It was pulled on board with care and they found the flag set in a piece of flat cork under which was a long fishline, at the end of which a small weight was attached, this intended to anchor it at the bottom of the Gulf.
Several drags were put overboard and they worked until nightfall in that vicinity trying to bring up something else of value.
But their efforts proved useless. Nothing was brought up but some seaweed and other marine plants, which the diver stated were quite numerous in that vicinity.
“Didn’t even find another demijohn!” exclaimed Andy ruefully. “Tough luck!”
“What did you expect, Andy?” demanded Fred. “Did you think we were going to hit theMargaritafirst clap?”
The next day the search was renewed with vigor, and Barker made two trips under the waters of the Gulf. He took with him the most powerful searchlight of which theFireflyboasted.
“Nothing doing here,” he announced. “There isn’t a bit of wreckage in sight.”
It must be confessed that the boys, as well as the captain, were rather disheartened by the diver’s announcement and it was with heavy hearts that the search was continued the next day and the morning following. Then the mate announced that another storm was coming.
The blow reached them less than an hour later and the Rover boys noticed that Captain Corning was more than ordinarily interested as the storm increased in violence.
“It’s just the kind of a storm that Henry Swall told me they had when theMargaritawas wrecked and abandoned,” said the master of theFireflyto the others. “I’m going to let the boat drift for a while and see where the storm takes us. That may give us some idea of what actually did happen to theMargarita.”
A little while later the blow was on them in earnest, and with engines stopped the steam yacht drifted rapidly southeastward, heading for a part of the coast containing many indentations where there were rocks and sandbars, all backed up by aheavy tropical growth of trees, bushes and vines.
“We’re getting toward shallow water now,” announced Mr. Brooks a little later. “We’ll have to be careful that we don’t get on a sandbar or on the rocks.”
The bottom at this point shelved gradually and now they were in water not over ten or twelve feet deep. The spot was noted with care by the captain, and then theFirefly’sengines were started once more and they headed out into the Gulf in the teeth of the storm.
“Do you think that was the spot to which theMargaritadrifted after she was abandoned?” questioned Jack eagerly.
“Well, doesn’t it look plausible?” was the captain’s counter question.
“I’ll say so—that is, if the wind was blowing then as it’s blowing now.”
The storm lasted until after midnight, but when day broke the sun came out as clear as ever and the Gulf was once more, comparatively calm.
They ran southward with care, taking many soundings so that they might not hit the rocks or run up on a sandbar. Thus they managed to reach a point not over a hundred yards from the shore and here anchored.
“We’ll have to take to the gasoline launch,” announced the captain, and this was done. Mr.Brooks was left in charge of theFirefly, much to his disgust, and the captain and the four boys, along with the diver and Jake Patnak, set off.
The remainder of the day was spent in moving in and out of innumerable coves. As they did this, all of the party kept their eyes open for some sign of the abandoned vessel. Once or twice they sighted some old wreckage, but this stuff proved of no value.
“Looks as if there was nothing to it, after all,” sighed Fred, as they went back to theFireflyto spend the night. “Gee, I sure will be disappointed if we don’t find something!”
The next morning they went out again, taking their lunch with them. The tank was filled with gasoline, and they told Mr. Brooks they would probably not be back before night.
The whole morning was spent in a search as useless as that of the day before. Then, tired out and more than warm, they sat down in the shade of some trees on the shore and there ate their midday meal, washing it down with the water they had brought along.
The land formation at this point was exceedingly irregular, and, having eaten and rested, Jack and Randy strolled off around the shore of a cove which, they presently discovered, opened into another cove.
The boys had moved along the shore of the second cove for a short distance when both of them set up a shout.
“There is something!”
“It’s the wreck of a vessel!”
The shouts attracted the attention of the others and all came hurrying forward to learn what the cries meant. For answer, Jack and Randy pointed across the cove. Here there was a small sandbar and numerous trees and bushes, and half hidden by the latter rested a dismantled yacht almost ready to fall to pieces.
“It must be theMargarita!” exclaimed Fred joyfully.
“Come on, let’s get over there as fast as we can!” came from Andy.
On account of the rocks and the thick jungle it would have been almost impossible to walk around the shore of the inner cove; so all rushed back to where the launch had been left and in a minute more they were on their way to the abandoned vessel.
“It’s theMargarita, all right enough!” shouted Fred, as they approached. “There’s the name as plain as can be!”
“Yes, it’s theMargarita,” answered Captain Corning, and the tone of his voice was full of hope, yet his face showed keen anxiety.
“Looks as if somebody had been here ahead of us,” was Jack’s comment. “She looks as if she’d been stripped of everything of value.”
“Oh, Jack, don’t say that!” cried Fred, in dismay.
“Well, look for yourself. There isn’t a bit of brasswork or an anchor or a chain left anywhere.”
Telling the diver and Jake Patnak to remain on board the launch, Captain Corning led the way on board the abandoned yacht followed by the four Rovers. The yacht lay partly on her side so that walking on the deck was difficult.
“Be careful or you may break a leg or your neck,” cautioned the captain. “There’s a lot of rotten wood here, and you don’t want to fall through into the hold.”
As the boys advanced they grew more and more heavy hearted. They could easily see that the wreck of theMargaritahad been visited many times and that almost everything of value had been carried off. The deck was practically bare and so were the cabin and the forecastle. Here and there lay bits of broken glasses and dishes, as well as water-soaked and moldy pieces of clothing and sailcloth. Down in the engine room the lighter parts of the machinery had been carted away.
“Well, I guess this is the end of the treasurehunt,” remarked Captain Corning in a hopeless tone of voice.
“It certainly looks like it,” returned Randy dolefully.
“You don’t suppose Olesen was here?” questioned Andy.
“Oh, no,” answered the captain. “Whatever has been taken away was taken long ago. I don’t believe anybody has been around here for months.”
“Let’s take another look around,” said Jack.
This was done, the new search lasting the best part of two hours. In the dirt they found a few small trinkets, the value of which would probably amount to several dollars.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Jack, as they stood on the deck of the wreck, not knowing what to do next. “Wouldn’t it be just like that fellow, Miguel Torra, to secrete the treasure so that the others on board couldn’t get at it?”
“Well, we’ve looked into every place where the treasure might be put,” answered Captain Corning. “I even smashed in a part of that bulkhead in the bow and smashed down that pantry in the back of the cabin.”
“I’m not in favor of leaving this wreck until we’ve made positive that there’s nothing on board of value,” declared Jack. “You told me you hada box of dynamite aboard theFirefly, didn’t you?”
“Yes, lad, I did. I brought it along thinking we might have to blow the wreck up if the divers had trouble in getting into it.”
“Well, why not blow this wreck up? Then we’ll be sure that we haven’t missed anything,” went on the oldest Rover boy.
All agreed to this, and lost no time in getting back to theFirefly. Then the dynamite was transferred to the launch, along with the batteries and wires necessary for exploding the same.
Running with care, they presently returned to theMargaritaand then, with the aid of the diver, who had handled dynamite charges before, the sticks of explosive were placed in various parts of the wreck and the batteries and wires were placed in position.
“Now then, we’ll get behind the largest of these trees,” cautioned the captain, “for there’s no telling what that dynamite will do.”
The launch was run to a safe spot and all took positions where they thought they would be well protected from the blast. A minute later Captain Corning pressed the button to set off the explosion.
There was a rumble and a roar and for the next fifteen seconds the air was filled with sticks ofwood flying in all directions.The wreck was blown completely apartand even the rocks and trees in that immediate vicinity were split and crushed.
“Gee, talk about the Fourth of July!” cried Andy. “That was the biggest noise I ever heard!”
“If there are any folks living around here they’ll think it’s an earthquake or something like that,” added his twin.
Waiting to make certain that there would not be a second explosion, they moved forward with caution and soon stood close to the spot where theMargaritahad lain. Split timbers and bits of woodwork lay in all directions and many of the pieces floated on the surface of the cove.
But neither the boys nor the captain were interested in these pieces of woodwork. With eager eyes they scanned one section of wreckage after another. Then Randy set up a shout.
“Look here! What’s this?”
“An iron box!” came simultaneously from the others, and they rushed toward the object as speedily as their uncertain footing permitted.
“And here’s another box!” came from Jack.
“Look yonder!” yelled Captain Corning, in intense excitement. “Gold and silver dishes, as sure as you’re born!”
The master of theFireflywas right. There, amid the shattered wreckage, lay fully a score of elaborately engraved dishes and vases, a few of them silver and the others gold.
“That shows Torra hid his loot when he was aboard the yacht!” cried Jack. “And he hid it so well that up to the present time no one who has visited the wreck was able to locate it!”
They looked around further and in the end brought to light six iron boxes, as well as several other articles of gold and silver.
“Now to see what the boxes contain!” cried Jack.
The iron receptacles were much rusted. Each had two heavy padlocks, both of them locked.
“We’ll have to take them aboard theFireflybefore we can open them,” said Captain Corning. Then without delay the transfer of the boxes and the silver- and goldware was begun.