done
any actual wrong.
Reaching the upper hallway, Dick looked at the dingy numbers on the
still more dingy doors. Eighteen proved to be at the rear, where it was
so dark he could scarcely see.
As the youth approached the door he heard a murmur of voices in the
room beyond. He listened, and made out Cuffer speaking, and then he
recognized the voice of Shelley.
"And so I dusted out before I had a chance to get any money from
Sobber," Cuffer was saying.
"Well, did the Rovers catch the young fellow?" questioned Shelley.
"That I don't know. If he didn't know enough to run away he is a fool."
"You say one of the Rovers followed you from the train?"
"Yes, but I gave him the slip as soon as I reached the Bowery,"
answered Cuffer with a chuckle.
"Well, what are we to do next?" asked Shelley, after a pause.
"There is nothing to do but to wait until to-morrow, when Merrick
arrives."
"Have you any faith in this treasure hunt of his?"
"I have so long as he pays the bills. I wouldn't put a cent of my own
money in it."
"Has he got enough money to see the thing through?"
"So he says. He met the captain of that tramp vessel somewhere and got
him interested in the hunt by promising him a share of the find. He
says as soon as he can get hold of a Spaniard who knows the exact
location of the island he'll set sail."
"And take the Spaniard along?"
"Of course. The Spaniard was one of the chaps who originally took the
treasure to the island."
"Well, where do we come in?"
"He wants us along because he is afraid the fellows on the vessel will
make a fight for the gold and jewels when they are found. Some of those
sailors are pretty bloodthirsty, you know. He says he is going to take
at least four strong men whom he can trust."
Dick listened with keen interest to this talk, which revealed a great
deal. Sid Merrick had made an arrangement to go on a voyage after the
treasure! How soon he would start there was no telling, but probably as
quickly as he could get ready. More than this, he expected to have with
him the Spaniard, Doranez, the fellow who had said he was going to
Spain to visit his relatives. More than likely Merrick and Doranez were
in league with each other and would do all in their power to keep the
treasure out of the hands of the rightful owners.
"If only Tom and Sam were here," thought Dick. "Or if only Tom has
captured Tad Sobber! This is getting lively, to say the least."
The men we
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