ut her ashore at San Matteo. If we don't get rid of her pretty soon
he will be bringing the whole pack down on us."

"Him!" muttered the dwarf, "leave Jim to me. But he thinks more of the
gold."

"Why didn't you at least get the papers from him?"

"Carambo!" hissed the dwarf. "Why didn't I? I had the bag and those
clumsy gringoes were chasing one another in the dark, when the
professor, maledictions upon him, came in my way. Who would have
looked for him there?"

"And he picked you up and spanked you like a bad little boy," said
Broome, maliciously.

"Curses on him!" howled the dwarf. "But I--I, Manuel de Gorgiza," he
struck himself on the chest, "will have my revenge on them all. But I
fooled them. I swam under the water, and while they waited for me to
come up I am under the dock, and I laugh at them all for the fools that
they are. They think that I am down at the bottom of the bay, but I will
have them yet."

"It is time we were getting under way," said the captain, rising. "You
will have to postpone your revenge until we come back."

Going on deck, the captain gave orders to start and in a short time the
Sea Eagle was on her course out through the Golden Gate.

"I wonder if they will follow us," mused the captain.

It need only to be recalled that the Sea Eagle on leaving the harbor
headed north, and when the captain was satisfied that he was not
followed the ship's course was altered.

"The little Mexican was right. Them boys are looking for the gold," the
captain decided, rubbing his gorilla-like hands together with
satisfaction.

The next day, however, when the Sea Eagle had entered San Matteo Bay and
Captain Broome discovered the Storm King, he almost exploded with wrath.
But the dwarf, who had been standing on the afterdeck, and with a
spy-glass watching the other boat, had seen the boys go on shore. His
crafty mind had even then conceived a plan of revenge worthy of the arch
fiend himself.

Having devised his scheme, the dwarf went at once to Captain Broome, who
was on the forward deck directing the stowing away of the stuff that
was being transferred from the lugger to the Sea Eagle.

The captain listened attentively as the Mexican unfolded his plan. When
the dwarf had concluded, Broome removed his hat and bowed graciously.
His only comment was: "I take off my hat to you."

CHAPTER XII.

TREACHERY.

The Senor had passed an anxious day. He had at first thought of going on
board t