Part 11 (1/2)
”Money!” gasped Josh Owen, in evil delight. ”Look at the piles of it!
Hurry with _your_ younker, Dan. Maybe ye'll have the same luck.”
Almost in a twinkling, it seemed to the groaning captives, the rascally pair had the whole sum of eight hundred dollars in their greedy hands.
Now, what would going back to Dunhaven be like for these two hapless submarine boys?
Even though they returned, manfully, at the first chance, how would their story of having been robbed sound? What a thin, hollow mockery it would seem, backed only by their own word!
To the two chums it almost seemed as though death would be sweeter!
CHAPTER VII
WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT
”By the great sledge-hammer! Here's a whole bale of money!” gasped Dan Jaggers, after having emptied Hal's shoes.
Wholly unmindful of the one he had just robbed, Jaggers sat down on the ground, pa.s.sing the banknotes between his fingers.
”I found a small hay-mow of money where I looked, too,” observed Josh Owen, with intense satisfaction, though his manner was calmer.
”How much did _you_ get?” demanded Dan, instantly prepared to be suspicious that his rascally uncle had happened upon the lion's share.
Josh Owen thrust his findings deep down in a trousers pocket before he replied:
”No one will see our light 'way in here. Wait till I light the dark lantern. Then we can count up. But--don't you try to hide any on me, Dan!”
So keenly did the older man watch the younger one that the former burned his fingers twice in attempting to light the lantern. Yet at last the lantern was lighted, the wick turned up not too high, and then the older man invited:
”Sit down in front of me, Dan, sociable like, so I can keep track of yer hands.”
”D'ye think I'm the only one'll bear watching?” demanded Jaggers, hoa.r.s.ely. ”I ain't taken my eyes off that pocket o' your 'n. Now, pull out that money, an' be sure ye git it all out. Turn the pocket inside out. That's right. Now, you count your money, an' I'll watch. Then I'll count mine, an' you can watch, if ye wanter.”
Mutual confidence being thus established between the rogues, the counting proceeded. Josh found that he had just four hundred dollars in his ”findings.” Dan Jaggers's count proved that that young bully possessed an exactly equal sum.
”Then there ain't no need o' dividing,” declared Dan, thrusting his money into a trousers pocket and fumbling for a pin with which to close the top of the pocket. ”Now, I'll go back to the road, find the hoss, an' drive him most of the way into town. Then I'll turn the hoss loose, to do his home-findin' an' I'll keep on until I can buy something in bottles.”
”But ye ain't goin' t' take all that money with ye inter town?”
protested Josh Owen.
”Why not? It's mine,” declared Jaggers, with singular ideas of owners.h.i.+p.
”But I know ye, Dan Jaggers. If ye git inter Dunhaven with all that money ye won't be able to keep from showin' it. Then, if these boys ever git loose, an' do their talkin', folks will remember that ye showed such a lot o' cash on this night, an' the law'll have you caught in yer own steel trap. It'd help to put me in trouble, too. No, no, Danny.
Ye can take five dollars, but ye'll have t' leave the rest of the money with me.”
”An' then I'd find ye here when I came back, wouldn't I?” sneered Jaggers.
”Yes!” replied Josh Owen, stoutly, and doubtless meant it, for he was really fond of this rough, s.h.a.ggy young bully of a nephew of his.
”Don't ye see, Danny, it'd be foolish of me to light out with all the money? Then ye'd turn against me, an' help the constables to catch me.