CHAPTER XVIII.
WHAT MR. BLOWITZ WANTED
The boys found Mr. Carson Blowitz in the little courtyard of the pavilion, calmly sipping some cold chocolate.
“Ah, you are right on time, I see,” he remarked, as pleasantly as he could. “That’s what I like, boys. It shows your American spirit. Bright, hustling lads, all of you. Just the kind I have been looking for.”
“Did you want to see us on business?” asked Jerry, for he did not care for the man’s too obvious flattery.
“Yes, I did, but first let me order some chocolate for you. It is a hot day and you’ll feel better after it. I never talk business unless I am eating, or drinking something like chocolate or lemonade. It calms the nerves.”
Jerry was about to refuse, as he wanted to get the interview over with as soon as possible, but he looked at Bob, and that youth showed an evident desire to have some refreshment.
“Well, we’ll take a little,” Jerry said.
“I thought so. Here!” and he clapped his hands to summon the waitress, who soon returned with some cups of cold chocolate.
“Now to business,” went on Mr. Blowitz, after a pause. “Did I understand you to say you had hired that large motor boat?”
“We have; for several weeks,” answered Jerry, who, by consent of Ned and Bob, had been elected spokesman.
“And do you think it could go to sea—say for a couple of weeks?”
“Yes, I think so. But did you think of hiring her from us? Because if you did I don’t believe we can consider it, as we have no authority to let any one but ourselves run it.”
“Oh, no, I was not thinking of running it,” declared Mr. Blowitz. “I wouldn’t know how if I wanted to. But I was thinking I might engage the motor boat and you with it, as a crew, to go on a cruise for me.”
“A cruise?”
“Yes, out on the Pacific, but not too far from shore, say not more than twenty miles.”
“What for?” asked Jerry.
“To search for that derelict—the brig Rockhaven!”
“The Rockhaven!” exclaimed Ned and Bob together.
“Yes, as I told you it has a valuable cargo aboard, and, in addition a supply of gold, in money, and some important papers.”
“Do you think we could find her?” asked Ned.
“I think so,” answered Mr. Blowitz. “I made some particular inquiries of the captain of the fishing smack, whom I saw to-day, and I got her longitude and latitude, as near as he could give it to me. Of course it would be a rather hard search, and might consume considerable time, but I would be willing to pay for that. What I want to know is, if you boys would care to go out in that boat, the Ripper, and search for the derelict? If you find her I will pay you prize money.”
“If we found her, and she was quite a way out to sea, how would we get her in?” asked Jerry.
“You could tow her, unless there was a bad storm. That motor boat is very powerful.”
“Then there isn’t anyone on board now?” asked Bob.
“Not a living soul,” answered the man. “It’s queer how they came to desert her, but I guess the captain and crew got scared and went off in a hurry, without making a proper investigation. The brig is a small one, and if she hit on a rock, or was in a collision, it would not take much to knock her out.
“Now here is my proposition. You are to take the Ripper, get her in good shape for the cruise, and start out. The sooner the better. I will pay all expenses, such as for provisions and supplies. If you return with the brig I will pay you two thousand dollars. If you don’t succeed in finding her, after say a two weeks’ search, you are to return, and I will pay you five hundred dollars, and all expenses. What do you say?”
“That sounds good to me,” replied Bob.
“Suppose we got the vessel, made fast to her, and started to tow her in and had to abandon her because of a storm?” asked Jerry.
“Well, of course that might happen, though it’s not likely, for we seldom have bad storms an this coast this time of year. Still if you couldn’t bring the derelict in, you couldn’t that’s all. But if you found her, you could get the papers and gold, and if you had to abandon her, you could go back after the storm was over. I think you boys could do what I want, and, as I say, I’m willing to pay well. I’d go with you, of course. What do you say?”
Mr. Blowitz seemed quite anxious. In fact he was so anxious that Jerry was suspicious.
“I wonder why he doesn’t hire some larger boat, or a small steam tug to go for that derelict?” thought Jerry. “He could get men, who are regularly engaged in the business of saving vessels, to go out for that price. Why should he prefer us, when we have had no experience in that line, and hardly know him? There is something back of all this, that he is not telling us. I wonder what we had better do?”
“Well?” asked Mr. Blowitz, as none of the boys spoke. Ned and Bob were waiting for Jerry to reply and the latter was turning it over in his mind, seeking to find a reason for the strange request.
“When would we have to start?” asked Jerry, at last.
“I’d like you to go to-morrow, or the day after, at the farthest. It would not take long to provision the boat for the cruise.”
“Will you put your offer in writing?” asked Jerry.
“In writing—why, isn’t my word good? Well, of course—Oh, I see—you think I am a stranger here and might—Oh, well, I have no objection to drawing up an agreement. Perhaps that will be the best way.”
Mr. Blowitz looked a little annoyed that Jerry should have suggested such a thing, but he quickly covered his confusion by speaking rapidly.
“I’ll draw up a paper right away,” he said, taking a fountain pen from his pocket. “I’ll have the waitress get me some blanks, and you can have them witnessed before a notary public, if you wish.”
“There’s no hurry,” said Jerry. “Suppose you draw up the papers, and we can meet you here to-morrow to talk things over further. I think we should take a little time to consider this. It is rather a queer proposition—”
“Oh, of course, I don’t want to hurry you into it,” declared Mr. Blowitz, in rather a nervous manner. “Of course I could get some other boat and a regular crew, but I saw you boys, and I took a liking to you. I thought you might like to earn some money and, if you have good luck, it oughtn’t to be hard work.”
“Oh, we’d like the money all right enough,” interposed Bob.
“We’ll think it over,” put in Jerry quickly, for he was afraid Ned or Bob might say something that would commit them. “We’ll meet you here to-morrow at ten o’clock and you can have the papers with you.”
“All right,” agreed the man, and Jerry thought he seemed disappointed that the matter was not settled at once. “Don’t forget now,” he urged them, as they left the pavilion, Mr. Blowitz remaining there to drink more chocolate.
“Why didn’t you agree to it, Jerry?” asked Bob, when they were outside. “That would be a swell cruise. Just the thing! And think of getting two thousand dollars!”
“That’s just it,” replied Jerry. “We want time to think it over, and I guess we had better tell Mr. Seabury. Boys, I believe there is something wrong back of all this, and we don’t want to run into danger.”
“Danger!” exclaimed Ned. “Do you think there is danger?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to be on the safe side. I don’t like Mr. Blowitz, but he may be all right. If we find he is, and Mr. Seabury advises it, we’ll go on that cruise, and try to find the derelict. I asked him to make out the papers so we could have a chance to consider it.”
“Well, maybe you’re right,” admitted Ned. “But I do hope it’s all right. It would be great, to take a voyage on the Pacific in the Ripper.”
The boys hurried back to the bungalow, intending to tell Mr. Seabury the result of their talk with Mr. Blowitz before mentioning it to the girls.
“Father has gone out,” said Rose. “He has gone to dine with a friend, and he’ll not be back until late to-night. We’ll have supper together, and go for a trip on the bay. It’s going to be a nice moonlight night.”
“The very thing!” exclaimed Ned. “But we must see to the Ripper. She’s on the rocks yet.”
“That’s so,” exclaimed Jerry. “I nearly forgot about her. Bob and I will get her and take her to the dock. She must be afloat by now.”
“It’s almost supper-time,” said Nellie, “hurry back.”
“Oh—it’s near supper-time, is it?” asked Bob, with a woe-begone look on his face. “I—er—”
“Come on, Ned,” called Jerry. “Bob’s afraid he’ll get left on the eating proposition. You come with me.”
Ned and Jerry rowed out to the motor boat. They found her floated, and riding easily, and, after towing her to the dock, they returned to the house. Partaking of a hasty supper the young folks, leaving Ponto and the servant in the bungalow, went down to the beach, and started for a moonlight ride in the Ripper.