ou see. While the diving is
going on, we can run up-country shooting."

"Who put you wise to the gold mine, dad?" inquired Bob curiously.

"Old Jerry Smith--a man who has spent all his life out there. He's going
to sail with us. Now hush up for a minute, both of you. From Honolulu we
go direct to the Malay coast, cutting in through the Philippines without
stopping. On the way back we can do all the visiting we want to.

"There's the plan, boys. We'd like to have you go along, Mart, to take
care of our wireless. Salary, forty a month and all found. Of course
you'd mess with us, at the officers' mess, and you boys could have great
old times. How about it? I believe you are free to go, Mart?"

"Plenty free, sir," nodded Mart. "I've had no one to worry over me since
mother died, two years ago. Only--it's an awful big thing for a fellow
to make up his mind to, right off the bat like this. These here Malay
States--aren't they pretty wild and woolly! I've got a notion that's
where the pirates come from--"

The financier broke into a laugh.

"Not to-day, Judson! Why, in Tringanu they make some of the best steel
in the world--the natives, I mean. That's where those curly krisses and
Malay daggers come from. But the piracy is all over. Tringanu isn't
exactly civilized, I'll admit, but it's under British protection, like
all the rest of the Malay States.

"This place where we're going, Kuala Besut, is inside these islands
here, and Jerry Smith says that we can go right up the river in the
yacht. Also, he says, it will be easy to take trips into the jungle with
some of the native chiefs, and bag a tiger or so."

"Who's this Jerry Smith?" asked Mart.

"He's an old-timer--been beating around the Pacific most of his life.
They say he used to be a pirate and blackbirder and that he can tell
strange yarns if he will--but that's all talk. He's just a quiet,
white-haired old man. I've found from other sources that there'll be no
trouble getting a concession on the place--if there's any gold there.
Now that's all I know about the thing. It's up to you, Mart!"

"Well," grinned the gray-eyed boy, glancing at his friend, "you needn't
worry about me. If you really mean it, I'd--I'd pay you to take me
along, sir!"

"Not much," laughed the captain. "It's the other way around, Mart. Well,
we sail Monday morning. Old Jerry is getting a crew for us and he'll
come aboard Sunday night with the men. You'd better quit work at the
shop to-n