The Boy Aviators' Treasure Quest; Or, The Golden Galleon

sailor rushed out on to the deck prepared to sell his existence

ship was a huge, evil-looking bird of the kind called "Gallinazos" in South America. The carrion creature eyed the newcomer

o get me, do you?" shouted the indignant castaway, as

ot. Not if I ha

n bird soared slowly away toward the west

your feather are good strong flyers, but you've got to light somewhere. I judge from the fact tha

loons and other coins, and given the dead men a sea-burial by consigning them to the

on account of the peculiar shape of its propeller, which he could see through the crate that surrounded it when it was hoisted on board. He had asked the manufacturer's representativ

, it is specially designed for service in South American rivers of shallow draught where an ordinary propeller would soon g

rough any

sang in Bi

e Sargasso seaweed tangle in

waiting here for a horrible d

y sails and hoisting cargo, which was operated by a gasolene engine. Several cans of gasolene formed part of the engine's equipment. This solved the problem of fuel and for the rest-though Bill had never run a launch-the manufacturer's directions se

e, and the little vessel's gasolene receptacle filled and her lubricating devices furnished from the supply intended for oiling the "donkey engine" of t

the poop deck. Then, detaching his tackle from the mast, he swung the boom overside with his tackle attached to its outer end. The end of the tackle was once more made fast to the slings supporting the launch and Bill attached another rope to her which was then belayed around the mast, in order to prevent the little craft swinging out to the end of the boom as soon as he raised her a fe

d round his waist the captain's revolver which he had found in the cabin. These preparations concluded he was ready to cast off. His eye had taken in, during the brief period he had been in the Sargasso, that wh

may be the shortest way

, following to the letter the instructions set

steered his tiny craft from the si

craft toward the west-the direction in which the gall

and, leaning over the stern, clear it of the few weeds that clung to it with a boat-hook he had brought for the pu

his gratification, that the weed seemed to be thinning o

open, he was fain to lie down on the bottom of the launch and, with the engine shutoff, drift through the blackness till

Sargasso and was in

hrough the tumbling waters. But Bill soon saw that if she was to handle in such a sea he would have to reduce speed or risk getting swamped

d the sailor, as he sat in the stern of his cockle-shell, with only a

tle craft, was better adapted for lake

ar too great quantities to render the situation a pleasant one. So the day passed and it was not till the next morning, after an exhaus

officers

entral American Trading Company. As she raced through the water a great "Bone" of white spray was sent out from each side of her keen cutwater. A v

nly, to his joy, Bill saw her change her course and bear down for him. As she drew nearer, rolling

at lunati

-castaway," yelled back the drifter in the la

board the Yucatan-for that was the vessel's name-and the tiny launch, which had bee

of gold would be an object of suspicion and he had his own reasons for not wanting to tell how he had obtained it, so, before the ship's boat reached the launch the old mariner emp

d the old mariner, "what

velous thing I ever hea

nk it is TRUE?

both the boys, much impresse

em is to get to the g

could be fitted with aluminum pontoons, and, with a propeller device insta

do you think you could, lads?" exclaim

f it," was the

h gold there to make

, "but at least it is worth trying for. What do you sa

e way we'll follow all right," cried Bi

d it was agreed that the boys should start on their treasure quest immediat

d Billy, throwing up his hat and catching it agai

ment received

galloping horse and as he tore al

fire!