There was no mistaking the savory dish Roy set before them for anything but stew, even though it had been made of canned meat, and the tired boys ate until even the counting of silver seemed very much like a hardship.
A short siesta seemed absolutely necessary after such a hearty meal, and not until an hour had passed was the work of stowing away the treasure resumed.
Then all three assisted in the counting, and when the task had been completed they knew Ned’s find amounted to exactly twenty eight hundred Mexican dollars.
“The pile looked as if it was much larger,” Vance said in a tone of disappointment as the last piece was placed in one of the pillow-case bags.
“Considering the fact that it was got without very much labor, I don’t think there is any reason to kick,” Roy replied with a laugh. “To hear you one would fancy you thought you were an injured individual because the money wasn’t counted, placed in bags bearing your monogram, and tagged in proper shape.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong,” Vance said gravely. “I’m willing to do the counting and stowing away, but I don’t like to make such a mistake. I figured that there couldn’t be less than $6,000 in the lot.”
“Well, now that you have been undeceived, what do you propose to do about it?”
“Turn in as soon as we hide this stuff somewhere.”
The question of where the money should be concealed was not easily settled.
Ned proposed that it be stored with the goods in the cook-tent, but neither Vance nor Roy would agree to anything of the kind.
Although there was not a living being on the island except themselves, it did not seem safe to leave so much wealth lying around loose, and Vance actually appeared afraid some portion of it might be spirited away.
He suggested that the bags be placed under the mattresses, and this plan was tried, but only to be rejected, for although it is pleasant to have a great many dollars, it is not comfortable to lie on them, and the possession of the treasure promised to deprive the boys of no little amount of sleep.
It was nearly ten o’clock when the matter was finally settled by depositing the silver in a tool chest which had been brought ashore from the yacht, and then the castaways were able to gain the necessary rest.