"I hardly think so."
"Maybe they were afraid of the mad dogs," said Bob.
"I don't believe the dogs went mad until after the sailors left," was
Mr. De Vere's answer. "No, there is some strange secret connected with
the brig, and I'd like to solve it. But I must first find my papers
and the gold."
"Suppose the captain took them with him?" remarked Ned.
"He did not know about them. That is he did not know of what the
valuables consisted. The gold and papers were put in a safe, and only
Blowitz and myself had the combination. The safe was placed in the
captain's cabin, and he was instructed to deliver it, unopened, to a
certain man. When they deserted the ship in such a hurry I do not
believe they took the safe with them. It must be somewhere on board.
We'll search for it."
The cabin was rather large, and contained a number of lockers and
other places that might serve as a hiding place for the safe. The boys
and Mr. De Vere made a careful hunt. While they were in the midst of
it a sudden noise startled them.
"What was that?" asked Bob.
"The cabin door slid shut," answered Jerry, who had seen what
happened. "I'll open it."
"Here's the safe!" suddenly called Mr. De Vere, as he opened a small
locker, in an out-of-the-way corner. "Help me get it out, boys, and
we'll open it."
The closed door was forgotten, and the three lads, at their employer's
suggestion, fastened a rope about the safe and pulled it out. It
rolled on small wheels.
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