Page:Off For Hawaii.djvu/208

190 "Where is he now?"

"At Hilo—or else on his way to the Cave of Pearls."

"And who is Joe Koloa?"

"A half-witted Kanaka."

"What has he to do with the treasure?"

"I can't say. I have been looking for him, but so far we have not met," returned Oliver.

For fully a minute Ramon Delverez glared at my chum, then he turned away. "Bah, Captain Marcale, how easily they can tell falsehoods. But you will tame them, eh?"

"Yes, I will tame them," came from one of the newcomers. "Are you ready?"

Ramon Delverez nodded. Immediately Captain Marcale spoke to his companions, who were, as I learned later, sailors under him. They carried bandages, and at once fell upon Oliver and me and gagged us so tightly that we could scarcely breathe.

A long, earnest talk in Spanish followed, and I saw Ramon Delverez hand Captain Marcale several bank bills. Then the captain pointed at Dan and shook his head. In the meantime Lola was consulted, and he motioned toward Dan and nodded. Evidently Captain Marcale wanted nothing to do with the suffering youth, and the Kanaka was to take charge of him.

It was now nearly midnight, and Captain