The two bullies passed him as quickly as they could, and had nothing to say, being evidently much astonished at seeing him on the yacht, but fearing to say anything lest they should betray themselves.

Passing Percival they came suddenly upon Jack, not having time to prepare for a meeting with him, and both of them flushed crimson.

“Oh, then it was you who found the boat afloat and brought it back?” Jack said carelessly.  “Very kind of you, I am sure.”

“What boat, what are you talking about?” growled Herring, turning redder than ever.  “I don’t know nothing about no boats.”

“No, I suppose not,” laughed Jack carelessly, and then going on to join Percival, who said: 

“Herring and Merritt are the fellows.”

“Yes, so I supposed.  They don’t know anything about it.  They never know anything about things that happen to me, and generally you cannot prove it on them.”

“We can’t now, but I am satisfied that they were in it just the same.”

“Well, we got out of it all right, so there is no need of accusing them.  The next time we go there we will be on the watch.”

“I suppose they saw the boat, and then came up to see what we were doing, saw the rope and knew we were down in the hole, and closed it upon us.”

“They might have drawn up the rope, but they don’t think of everything, fellows like that.”

“No, they do not, and that’s how you can catch them.”

Later Dick and Jack saw the captain and Dr. Wise in the cabin, and told about the wrecked schooner, as she probably was, and of the visit to the cabin under water, and the finding of the gold.

Dick exhibited the bag Jack had given him, and showed the letters found on the floor, the captain being able to read them.

“There were money and supplies shipped to the Mexican rebel leader,” he said, “and probably the vessel may have been chased, and put in among the islands of the Caribbean to get away, and was wrecked here.  There is quite a lot of money in this bag, about a thousand dollars, and if there are many of the bags and they are all as full as this, you will have a pretty good sum to dispose of.”

“The money belongs to Jack,” said Percival.  “He discovered the wreck and it should be his.  He needs the money, and I do not.”

“You worked with me,” put in Jack, “and if I have any of it you should have a share.  Does it belong to us, however?”

“Of course it does,” said Captain Storms.  “You found it and that’s the law of treasure trove.  It isn’t likely that the Mexican rebels or their agents will put in a claim for it, and it is yours all right.”

“But we have not got the rest of it,” said Jack, “and the hold might be flooded before we go there again.  It is a wonder that the water has kept out as long as it has.”

“The iron doors have done a lot to keep it out; they are probably watertight.  That cabin you were in was like a strong room, and maybe the skipper had it built that way a purpose.  You don’t know what sort of crew you may get when you are on a lay of this sort, and I guess he wasn’t taking chances, having a lot of money on board.”