uct the cost of the
trip, lay aside enough for Parmalee to make things right with him--he
may not want it, but we'll make him take it--and then divide what's
left into three equal shares?"

"Three!" Drew uttered the ejaculation, and the blood drummed in his
temples.

"That's right," assented Tyke placidly. "One for you, one for me, and
the third for Allen."

CHAPTER X

CAPRICIOUS FORTUNE

Drew experienced a thrill of delight. But he felt that he ought to
protest.

"I'm not putting up anything toward the expense," he said. "If things
go wrong, you'll lose heavily. I have nothing to lose and everything
to gain. It doesn't seem the square thing."

"Let us do the worrying about that," smiled the captain. "You've done
your fair share already toward this adventure. We'll all share and
share alike."

"You bet we will," chimed in Tyke. "There wouldn't be any cruise at
all if it hadn't been for you. Who suggested searching the box? Who
translated the paper and the map? You've been the head and front of
the whole thing from the beginning."

"But----" began Drew.

"'But,' nothing," interrupted Tyke. "Not another word. Remember I'm
your boss."

And Drew, glad enough for once in his life to be bossed, became silent.
But the walls of his air castle began to grow more solid.

"How long will it be before you can have the schooner ready to sail?"
Tyke inquired, turning to the captain.

"Oh, in a week or ten days if we are pressed," was the response. "It
won't take us more than that to get our supplies aboard and ship our
crew."

"The crew is an important matter," reflected Tyke. "It won't do to
pick up any riffraff that may come to hand. We want to git men that we
can trust. Sailors have a way of smelling out the meaning of any
cruise that is out of the usual order of things, an' if there's any
trouble-makers in the crew who git a hint that we're out for treasure,
they'll cause mischief."

"They won't get any hint, unless some of us talk in our sleep," replied
the captain. "I know where I can lay hands on quite a few of my old
crew, but I'll be so busy with other things that I'll have to leave the
picking of most of the men to Ditty."

"Ditty?" said Grimshaw inquiringly.

"He's my mate," explained the captain. "Cal Ditty. As smart a sailor
as one could ask for. But that about lets him out."

"Why! don't you like him?" asked Tyke quickly.

"No, I can't say I do," replied the captain