"Aber ven id comes by der surface," spoke up Carl, with a good deal more wisdom than he generally showed, "meppy id vill be too lade to dodge drouple."
"If Miss Harris and Captain Sixty don't think we suspect anything underhand," answered Matt, "the advantage will be with us."
"Sure," averred Dick. "We can keep our own counsel and have a sharp eye to windward all the time."
"Oof Downsent vants us," continued Carl, "und oof dis ain'd vat he vants us for, den, py shinks, ve vas spoiling his blans vorse as ve vas by keeping on mit der poat."
"What's your idea, Dick?" asked Matt; "to keep on, or have the captain put us ashore and go back?"
"Our course is laid, matey," responded Dick, "so let's hang to it."
"There's no escaping Honduras after we once strike the gulf."
"Then we'll go to Honduras. It's a bally layout, any way you look at it, but the chances are that we're on the right tack."
"I don'd t'ink der girl iss fooling us, und dot's all aboudt id. I say mit Tick dot ve keep on like ve're going, mit our vedder eyes shkinned bot' vays for preakers. Oof ve ged to Honturas, und Downsent don'd show oop, den ve can send him some caplegrams und say vere ve vas, und vy. Yah, ve hat pedder keep on."
"That's my idea. I can't see what motive any one would have for playing double with us. What enemies have we in New Orleans? And, if we had any there, why should they go to the trouble of buying tickets for us on the _Santa Maria_ and sending us to Belize?"
"Right-o," agreed Dick. "We'll play a square game, and if any one tries to run afoul of us with anything different, why, we'll bring 'em up with a round turn. The outward trip to Honduras isn't costing us anything, anyhow."
Having arrived at this decision the boys left their stateroom and went down to their dinner.
The passenger business between New Orleans and Central America was not extensive, and there were no more than twenty people seated around the two tables in the dining room.
Matt and his friends found themselves at the captain's table, with Sixty and Miss Harris directly opposite. Miss Harris greeted them with one of her engaging smiles, and Sixty grinned and nodded his bullet-like head. But there was no talk across the board, although Carl was visibly eager for a little conversation with the girl.