CHAPTER IV.
SUNKEN TREASURE.
It was about ten o'clock in the evening when Ed Butler arrived at hissister's house.
The location we may as well state was up in the Bronx, beyond PortMorris docks--we do not care to be more definite.
It was back of a little strip of water front which as yet remainedunimproved.
Entering the house after a few words with Mrs. Pow Chow, who seemeddisposed to shield her husband from blame, charging that Ed "struck himfirst," and so on, the three found themselves seated in the kitchen.
Pow lit a cigarette, and, turning to his wife, asked:
"Well, Ethel, shall I tell Eddie what we want of him to-night?"
"You can do as you like," replied the girl, "but if it was me I wouldn'ttell him a blessed thing. I'd just make him do it, that's all."
"Do what?" demanded Ed, whose temper was rising under the contemptuousway in which the girl seemed disposed to treat him. "You will find thatit won't be so easy to make me do what I don't want to, I guess."
"Sure," said Pow. "Now don't be so soon, Ethel. Eddie's a good boy. He'sa kind of brother of mine, too."
"Not on your life!" cried Ed. "Ethel is no sister of mine."
"I could slap your face for you, you sassy little brat!" cried the girl,springing up. "How dare you talk like that? I guess I have a right tomarry who I like. I'm of age, anyhow."
"Sit down!" cried the Chinaman. "Sit down and hold your tongue."
Then they began scrapping, Ethel resenting this kind of talk.
Ed thought it a good chance to try to pull out.
While they were in the midst of it he jumped up and made a bolt for thedoor, but Pow Chow was too quick for him.
The Chinaman got him by the neck in the hall and dragged him back,jamming him down into a chair.
"Now, now, now, Eddie!" he cried. "Don't make it any harder for me thanyou have to. I want to be good to you, but this is the limit. Be good,and you won't regret it--that's right. Say, Ethel, there's no use in usquarreling. According to your own account you and Eddie never could pulltogether. Go on upstairs and leave him to me."
Somewhat to Ed's surprise the girl flounced out of the room without aword.
Pow Chow lit another cigarette and offered the package to Ed.
"No, I don't want to be drugged again," growled Ed.
"You need have no fear. I only made them give you that cigar to keep youquiet. It was just opium. A little of it hurts nobody. I want to be afriend to you, Ed. Now let me tell you that it was all a surprise to mewhen I found who it was those two fellows had captured last night, butwhen I saw you it occurred to me that you being such, a bully swimmerand diver, that you were just the fellow I wanted--see?"
Wily Pow Chow!
He had touched Ed on his weak point, interesting him at once.
For Ed had a record for swimming, and particularly for diving.
It was his hobby and his pride.
Of course, he at once began to wonder in what direction his talents inthis line were to be displayed.
"Use me how?" he asked.
"You remember those papers?" pursued Pow Chow.
"What Ethel stole from my father?"
"Yes."
"I know they were papers father found when the carpenters were alteringover our kitchen a few weeks ago, that's about all."
"Not all, Ed. You knew that Mr. Butler expected to make money out ofthem?"
"I heard him say so--yes."
"But you don't know how, nor what it was all about?"
"No."
"Nor am I going to tell you, for now that you have brought the Bradys inon the business, they being Secret Service men, it might get you intotrouble."
"A lot you care about me."
"More than you think, perhaps. I will tell you this, they referred tomoney which has been hidden under water long ago. I know the place. Itis close by here, Ed. Remember when your father went to New York afterfinding the papers?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, he located the place then, or pretty near it, but not being aswimmer, he could do nothing, so he came home to think it over. He toldyour mother, and she told Ethel, and Ethel told me, but what none of usknew was just where this money was hidden; that the old man, wise guythat he is, kept to himself, but he wasn't wise enough not to write itdown, and that's what he did. He put that paper along with the rest.Ethel got the whole bunch before she came away. I have them now."
"And the money you stole from my mother!" cried Ed bitterly.
"Yes," was the cool reply. "We thought we might as well make a cleansweep. But to get back to business. I don't know how to swim. As ithappens, I don't know anyone who does. My people are not much given toswimming and diving, so when fortune threw you in my way I at oncethought that I might as well use you. All in the family, you know. Willyou be sensible and help? or will you be ugly and force me to make youtrouble? I hired this house so as to be near the spot. I am prepared toact to-night. If you'll help me out, it's halves between us. What do yousay?"
"How can I say anything when I know so little? How much money is there?"
"Sixty thousand dollars."
"And who does it belong to?"
"Uncle Sam!"
"The Government?"
"Yes."
"Who hid it?"
"Oh, well, since you insist upon knowing, it was hidden by a pensionagent who used to live in that house of yours up at Albany years ago. Herobbed the Government. His wife was sick and dying; that's what made himsneak back to Albany. She died. He must have gone crazy, for he wroteout an account of where he had hidden the money. This he hid in thehouse, and then shot himself. Your father, who works in the pensionoffice, as you know, knew all about the business. It happened ten yearsago. Five years ago he hired the same house. When he was clearing outthings in the kitchen to get ready for the carpenters, he came acrossthe papers. That's the whole story, Ed. He would have swiped the moneyhimself if he had been able to get it. Now it's my turn."
"I don't believe it."
"Never mind whether you do or not. Will you help me get that money, Ed?That's the point."
Ed had been doing a lot of thinking.
If he refused he could see nothing ahead for himself but trouble.
There was nothing to hope from Ethel.
He believed Pow Chow bad enough to kill him, and he was not at all surethat Ethel would not urge him on.
On the other hand, he was sure the Chinaman could not swim, and he feltthat if he could once get the money there was nothing to hinder him fromswimming away with it.
The boy's reasoning, right or wrong, brought him around to thedetermination to make the attempt.
That Pow Chow had any intention of giving up one dollar in his clutchesEd did not for an instant believe.
"All right," he said. "I'll go you, Pow. I only hope you mean to playfair with me."
Pow assured him in the most solemn manner that he meant nothing else.
He seemed greatly pleased at Ed's ready assent.
Ethel was called and told.
She had recovered her good humor by this time and she made herself veryagreeable.
A supper was spread and they all sat down to it.
Pow Chow was very curious to know how Mr. Butler ever came to take upwith the Bradys.
Ed could not answer this, however.
He had been told nothing about the Bradys till his father, being takensick, ordered him to go to New York and meet them.
Inwardly he was wondering what his father's real intentions were.
As for his mother, Ed knew her too well to imagine for a moment thatUncle Sam would ever have seen any of the stolen money if she could gether hands on it.
It is a sad thing for a boy to have no confidence in his mother, butsuch was Ed Butler's case.
Ed now asked to see the paper, which his father had drawn up, but thewily Chinaman refused to exhibit it.
"I've been over the ground. I'll point out the place. That
will be allyou need," he said.
"And when do we go?" asked Ed.
"We will make it midnight," replied Pow Chow.
"Hark!" whispered Ethel suddenly. "It seems to me that I hear someoneoutside the window."
Pow, with a muttered exclamation, started to rise.
"Sit down, clumsy," breathed Ethel. "Let me see."
She slipped out into the hall and opened the back door suddenly.
Instantly the sound of skurrying feet was heard.
"Pow! Eddie! Quick!" cried the girl.
They were right behind her, but too late to see any one.
There was no fence around the yard. Beyond was a vacant lot overgrownwith bushes.
"Two Chinks!" cried Ethel. "I saw them dive in among the bushes there."
Pow was furious.
Drawing his revolver, he ran out, but Ethel called him back, and hecame.
"You have been talking, sir!" she cried. "That's what it means. You havebeen shooting off your mouth to your Chinese friends about thisbusiness. That's what, and it is a shame now that we have got Eddie tohelp us, and everything is so nicely arranged!"
Pow swore he had not, but Ed did not believe him.
The Chinaman seemed very nervous after that, and he kept on the watchfor some time, but nothing more was seen or heard of the intruders.
Midnight came at last.
After the alarm all conversation was held in whispers.
Ed suggested that they get on the job.
Ethel was for postponing everything, but Pow was for going ahead, and hehad his way.
About half-past twelve, after a careful look around, Ed and the Chinamanstarted out.
Ethel wanted to go along, but her husband sat down upon it.
Pow ordered her to lock the doors and windows and keep close till theirreturn.
He seemed very nervous as they walked on down a narrow lane which tookthem to the shore.
Here there was a stretch of rocks against which the water came.
Beyond was a ruinous pier, at the head of which was the foundation of alarge building apparently destroyed by fire a long time before.
The neighborhood was lonely enough at all times, and now it appeared tobe utterly deserted save for themselves.
"If it wasn't for that scare we had, I should feel sure that we weregoing straight to success," growled the Chinaman. "I only wish I couldhave seen those fellows for myself. I can't imagine who they could havebeen."
"Mebbe they were the same ones who brought me up here," suggested Ed.
Pow, however, did not think so.
They went down on the pier.
The tide was up and the night dark.
"Now then, what am I to do?" demanded Ed.
"It is like this," said Pow. "The paper written by the pension agentsays that he put the money in a water-tight tin case, tied a heavy stoneto it, and sunk it alongside the seventh pile from the end of the pierwhere the water is about fifteen feet deep at high tide. Is it that now,I wonder?"
Ed did not know.
Having been brought up in Albany, tides were a mystery to him.
"I can only try it," he said, "and I may as well go about it now."
He began to undress.
"Look about well when you get into the water," said Pow. "Those fellowsmight be hiding under the pier."
Ed assented.
Stripped in a minute, he stood looking down into the water.
"Why don't you go ahead? What are you hanging back for?" the Chinamandemanded.
"A fellow hates to dive where he doesn't know the depth, especially atnight," replied Ed.
"Oh, go ahead! I only wish I could dive. I wouldn't hesitate."
"Well, here goes!" cried Ed, and throwing out his hands he dove off thepier.