“What’s on your mind, Madero?” laughed Jack.  “How are you?”

“I want first of all to tell you fellows how sorry I am I ever did anything to harm you.  I believed that you were some terrible creatures come down here to rob and pillage and torture the natives.  I had been told by Wyckoff that if you caught me alone you would not hesitate to kill me.  He made me believe I was doing something creditable when I attempted to destroy your boat.”

“Well, that’s all right, Madero.  We forgive you.”

“And I want to say that I came aboard your boat the other night to finish what Wyckoff and I both had failed to do earlier.  When you boys were so kind to me after my accident I hadn’t the heart to hurt you.  I returned to Wyckoff and refused to do any more.  He then had me taken back into the country and put into the chain gang where the negro criminals are worked on the public highways.”

“The brute,” exclaimed the boys almost in chorus.

“And when I made a trifling mistake,” went on Carlos, “the foreman had me stretched over a log and whipped like an animal.  My back has been bleeding badly and I hoped I might find you to help me again if you can bring yourselves to do it.  I don’t deserve it.”

“Sure, we’ll help you if we can,” stoutly maintained Harry.

“How did you happen to be away out here?” asked Jack.

“When I got away from the chain gang, I went to the shipyard and asked for you.  The foreman is furious.  He says you jumped your bill.  I found out that you had headed to the eastward and I at once concluded you had pursued the schooner.  Then I thought you’d be coming back, headed for Biloxi.  So I waited.”

The boys now tenderly removed the clothing from Madero’s bruised and bleeding back.  Cruelly had the lash torn the flesh.  Their first aid chest was speedily opened and soothing lotions and ointments applied.  Their work was skillfully and quickly done.

Madero’s gratitude knew no bounds.  He could scarcely restrain the tears as he tried to thank the boys for their kindness.

“Do you happen to know anything about what the gang did with our launch, the ’Spray’?” inquired Frank.  “I hope she’s not lost.”

“I think you’ll find her at Biloxi,” answered Carlos.  “They were going to take here there and hide her until this matter had blown over.  They might have repainted her and sold her under some other name after a while, but at present she’s there, I believe.”

“That’s good news,” declared Charley.  “I like that boat.”

“And you want to watch out,” Carlos added, “for a shrimping schooner of those fellows.  They have left Pascagoula already this morning and are headed for Biloxi Bay.  They are determined that you shall not, under any circumstances, beat them to the treasure.”

“So there is a treasure?” asked Jack.  “Do you think there is really a treasure hidden there, or is it all talk?”