CHAPTER VII. A PARLEY.

For the rest of the night the quest was kept up. It was morning before anything worthy of note was discovered.

Then Frank in the pilot-house flashing the light into the far depths gave a sudden start.

The object which met his gaze was certainly one well worthy of attention and interest.

He saw several forms groping about at the base of a small reef. He knew at once from their shape that they were not marine animals.

“On my word!” he cried, “here’s a go!”

In a moment Clifford and Hartley were by his side.

“What is it?” cried the latter.

“Look!”

Frank pointed to the distant objects. A startled exclamation burst from the lips of both men.

“Well I’m beat!” gasped Clifford; “they are human beings.”

“Divers!” exclaimed Hartley.

“Nothing more nor less,” said Frank. “It is quite likely that the Aurelian is just overhead.”

“That is the whole story!” cried Clifford. “They are looking for the Donna Veneta.”

Frank put on more speed.

“Well,” he said shortly, “let us run down and interview them!”

“Correct,” said Clifford. “We will ask a bit of an explanation.”

The divers were apparently astonished at the sudden radiance of the searchlight. They stood in a group waiting for developments.

As the submarine boat came rushing down they seemed 28alarmed, but Frank showed himself at the pilot-house windows, and made conciliatory gestures.

The submarine boat came to a halt not ten yards from the divers. No sign of the Donna Veneta’s wreck was visible anywhere.

“Get on a diving suit, Barney!” cried Frank. “Go out and ask them what they are doing here.”

“All roight, sor!”

Barney hastened to obey orders. But before he could leave the boat, the divers gave the signal and were pulled up rapidly to the surface.

Frank instantly reversed the tank lever. The Dolphin began to rise.

“Where are you going, Frank?” asked Clifford in surprise.

“To the surface!”

“What for?”

“I want to see whether these men are from the Aurelian or not.”

“Good!”

The Dolphin sprung up out of the deep sea. All was daylight and the sun was well up toward the meridian.

A vessel lay to not one hundred yards distant. There were a group of men leaning over her rail and apparently hauling up something on lines.

These, of course, were the divers. A moment later they were pulled safely over the rail.

Frank instantly sailed nearer the Aurelian, for she it was, and made signals.

In response a man appeared in the shrouds. He was at once recognized. It was Gilbert Parker.

“There is the old chap himself!” cried Cecil.

“Let us see what he has to say,” said Frank, as he stepped out on the deck.

It was but a moment’s work to answer the hail of Parker. The latter’s words were pitched in a snarling key.

“What do you want?”

“We want to have a talk with you!” cried Frank. “Come over in a small boat. You will be safe.”

“I have no business that I wish to transact with you.”

“Ah, but it may be to your interest to talk with us,” returned Frank. “You had better grant us an interview.”

A snarling, unintelligible reply came back. Then a boat put out from the Aurelian’s side and was rowed swiftly alongside the Dolphin.

Gilbert Parker and a dark-browed man stood in the bow. They stepped out on the Dolphin’s deck.

“Captain Warren,” said Parker, with a peculiar smile, 29as he exchanged salutes and introduced his companion, “he is the present sailing master of the Aurelian.”

Then he turned abruptly to Frank and said:

“What are you doing here?”

Frank gazed keenly at the old rascal for a moment, and then replied with deliberation:

“We are in search of the sunken galleon Donna Veneta. What are you here for?”

Parker’s gaze shifted, but he managed to make reply:

“We are here for the same purpose.”

“Do you think your course has been an honorable one?” asked Frank cuttingly.

“To the victor belongs the spoils!” was the evasive but bold reply.

“How did you know where to look for the galleon?”

“Did I not see the diagram?”

“Did you not steal it?”

“Do you mean to insult me?” snapped Parker, angrily.

“I mean to speak plainly and truthfully to you,” said Frank firmly; “the diagram disappeared that very night that it was shown to you!”

“Very substantial evidence of my guilt,” sneered Parker; “did any one see me take it?”

“It matters not whether any one saw you take it or not,” declared Frank, “the fact remains that you knew where to look for the sunken galleon, and you could not have done so without some means of guidance.”

Parker grinned impudently.

“Well,” he said, “have I not as good a right to the gold as you?”

“No,” replied Frank, “the gold belongs rightfully to Mr. Clifford, who discovered the records of its existence. You prove yourself a thief by your underhand methods in trying to get it.”

“You dare to call me a thief?” cried Parker hotly.

“You are worse than a thief! You are capable of any crime!”

Something in Frank’s steely eye held the villain at bay. He glared at him madly for some moments, and then said:

“I do not intend that anybody else shall recover that treasure. I have come down into these waters for it and I intend to find it. If you interfere with me I shall blow you into atoms. You may take the warning!”

“Really,” said Frank, with a smile. “You are quite a bully, Mr. Parker. Be sure of your strength before you venture to make threats. As for the Donna Veneta’s gold it is not a certainty that it can ever be found or recovered by either of us. However, if it is found we shall claim it by 30right of Mr. Clifford’s just claim, and you will not dare to deny it. Let this terminate the interview. Good-day!”

Frank turned on his heel and went into the cabin.

Parker stood a moment the personification of rage and hatred. Then he shook his fist at Frank’s retreating form, and hissed:

“We shall see! Gilbert Parker never fails. Beware!”

With which he turned and stepped into his own boat. He was rowed back to the Aurelian.

Frank, in the pilot-house, closed the doors, and then pressed the lever which caused the Dolphin to sink.

Down she settled rapidly until finally she rested upon the sandy bottom of the sea.

“Now,” he said, “we will proceed to search for the Donna Veneta.”

“If it is our good fortune to find the galleon’s gold, is there not danger that we may have trouble with Parker?” asked Clifford.

“I don’t see how he can trouble us!” said Frank. “We are out of his way and can keep so. If I were so inclined I could sink his ship now.”

“It would be a mercy!” declared Hartley. “I have no grudge against the ship. It is only the owner!”

“Wait!” said Frank decidedly. “You will see that his fate will yet overtake him. I have never seen it fail. Rascality is bound to meet its just reward!”

Preparations were made for renewing the search for the galleon.

As full two hundred years had elapsed since she had gone to the bottom, it was likely that she was buried somewhat in the sand.

This drifting for two centuries over her hull might indeed have completely covered her up.

The only way, therefore, to make sure of her discovery was to search for some part of her rigging or hull, which might yet project itself above the sand, or at least the finding of some object which might guide them as to her exact location.

To be sure this seemed somewhat like looking for a needle in a haystack, but yet the search was carried on.

Barney and Clifford were selected to accompany Frank. Pomp and Hartley were to manipulate the searchlight aboard the Dolphin.

And thus the quest, began.

Donning their diving suits, the three searchers left the Dolphin. They made their way over the sandy floor armed with spades.

It was a close and careful search which they proceeded to

31And after wandering some distance from the Dolphin, Frank made the first important discovery.

He saw an object wedged in a projecting spur of coral. He extricated and examined it.

It was the rusted hilt of a sword. But little was left of the ivory grip, but the steel and gold frame was intact.

In an instant Barney and Clifford were by his side.

They placed their helmets together and Clifford shouted:

“You have made a discovery of value, Frank.”

“Yes, I think I have,” replied the young inventor.

“Perhaps the ship is right under us at this moment?”

“I think it would be well to dig down a bit and see what is beneath us,” said Frank.

“Whurro! Here goes thin!” cried Barney, thrusting his spade into the sand. He turned up a spadeful.

Then his spade struck something solid. An object was brought to view. It was stationary.

“What is it?” asked Clifford.

Frank bent down and examined it. Then he arose and said:

“It is the stump of a ship’s mast. On my word, friends, I believe the galleon lies buried beneath us.”