unable to do it alone and had to get the boys to aid him. Then all
three ran the wire around a brace and gradually hauled it aboard. At
the end was an iron chain, fastened into several loops, and also the
anchor to one of the rowboats.

CHAPTER XIX

TREASURE ISLE AT LAST

"So this is the work of that new deck hand, eh?" cried Captain
Barforth, grimly. "A fine piece of business to be in, I must say!"

"Let us see what is on the other side?" suggested Dick.

This was done, and they brought up another wire, to the end of which
were attached two small anchors and some pieces of scrap steel from the
tool room.

"He put those overboard for drag anchors," explained the master of the
steam yacht. "He did it to delay the _Rainbow_."

"Yes, and that was done so the _Josephine_ could get ahead of us,"
added Dick.

"In that case he must be in league with Sid Merrick," came from Sam.

"Perhaps he met Merrick at Nassau and was hired for this work," said
Dick.

"That is possible, Dick. I'll have the truth out of him, if I have to
put him in irons and on bread and water to do it," added Captain
Barforth.

He at once sent for Walt Wingate. The deck hand who went after the man
came back five minutes later to report that the fellow could not be
located.

"He must be found!" cried Captain Barforth. "He can't skulk out of
this!"

A search was instituted, in which all of the boys, Mr. Rover and Aleck
joined. But though the steam yacht was searched from stem to stern, the
missing deck hand was not located. Some of the men even went down into
the hold, but with no success.

"Do you think he jumped overboard?" asked Fred.

"He might, but it would be a foolish thing to do," answered the
captain. "We are at least ten miles from any island."

"He may have had a small boat," said Songbird.

"No, the small boats are all here. He is on this vessel, but where is
the question."

To stimulate them in their search, the captain offered a reward of ten
dollars to any one of his crew who should bring Wingate to light. But
this brought no success, and for a very good reason, as we shall learn
later.

How much the drags had hampered the progress of the _Rainbow_
there was no telling, but freed of them, the steam yacht made good
time. All of the machinery was carefully inspected, including the
propeller, to which some wire was found twisted. But this had thus far
done no damage and was easily pulled out.

"He is certainly i