Even Rose whispered to Bob that “he was not so bad, when you got acquainted with him.”

“Now I suppose you would like to hear the story of the abandoning of the brig Rockhaven,” said Mr. Blowitz, and the boys nodded.

“I hope no one was drowned,” exclaimed Olivia.

“Not as far as we know,” replied Mr. Blowitz.  “The whole affair is rather mysterious, and I am seeking information about the fate of the ship as much as anything else.”

“I would like to ask you one question,” said Professor Snodgrass, who had been more interested in the antics of a small bug, walking on the table, than he was in his chocolate.

“What is it?” inquired Mr. Blowitz.

“Did you, or any of your men notice whether, just before the ship sank, that all the rats on board deserted it?” asked the scientist.  “I have often heard that rats will desert a sinking ship, and I would like to know whether it is true.  If you made any observations to that effect I wish you would tell me about them, and I can put them into a book I am writing about rats and mice.”

“I thought you were writing about horned toads,” said Bob.

“So I am, but this is another book.  This will be in seventeen volumes, with colored plates.  I want to get all the information I can, about rats.”

“I’m sorry that I can’t help you,” replied Mr. Blowitz.  “In fact I know little about the abandoning of the brig, except what I heard.  I was not aboard, and I don’t know whether the rats left it or not.  All I know is that the vessel is lost, and with a fortune aboard.”

“A fortune aboard?” inquired Ned.

“Yes, worth about a quarter of a million.”

“Is it gold or diamonds?” asked Rose, who was very fond of jewelry and precious stones.

“Neither one, my dear young lady,” said Mr. Blowitz, with as happy a smile as he could assume.  “It is valuable merchandise.  Of course there was some money, and some valuable papers, but the main part of the cargo was costly merchandise.  I’ll tell you how it happened.  But first, let us have some more chocolate,” and he called to the Mexican girl waiter.

When the cups had been filled Mr. Blowitz resumed his story.

“I am interested in many enterprises,” he said, “and I and some other men went into a venture to ship some valuable goods to the Santa Barbara islands, which are not far off this coast.  I was the principal owner, having bought out my partner, and it looked as if I would make a large sum.

“The vessel sailed from San Francisco, and as the weather was fine, we looked for a quick trip.  I was attending to some of my other business affairs, having just arrived on this coast from Boston, when I received a telegram from the captain of the brig, telling me that she had been abandoned with everything on board.  Of course there must have been an accident.  Probably there was a collision, or fire on board, so that the brig was in a sinking condition.  At any rate the captain, and, I suppose the crew, also, left her.  That’s why I can’t tell whether they were all saved, though I assume so, as nothing was said about any one being lost.