"Only through keeping close track of my movements and I've felt for months that someone has been shadowing me. Sladek is a cool hand and without scruples but I know the only way he learned about Crazy John was through tracing me." "Then it looks like he may vote himself a hand in hunting for the treasure." "He may, but I think I'll be ready and capable of taking care of him when the time comes. Sladek is looked upon none too favorably in Central America while I believe I can still claim a lot of friends." "Were you really serious about taking me on the expedition?" asked Tim. "Dead serious," replied the globe trotter. "You're resourceful and that's exactly the type I need. Do you think you can arrange with your editor to get away for about three months?" "If there'll be some good stories in connection with the trip, he won't be likely to object." "I guess I can promise him plenty of stories and some of them may be real thrillers. We're going to make the trip in a submarine." Tim stared across the flames at Ford, wondering if he had heard correctly. CHAPTER ELEVEN Rescue from the Air In quick phrases and with vivid description Grenville Ford sketched for him his plan to search for the treasure in the Southern Queen. "Crazy John thinks the old ship went down in about two hundred feet of water; just ripped its bottom out on the reef, rolled off and dropped into a deep hole beside the reef. Diving conditions may be bad so I'm going to take a submarine. There will be a special diving compartment so the sub can be taken down to the bottom beside the Southern Queen and the divers can walk right out and hunt for the gold." "Where can you get a submarine?" asked Tim. "That's not difficult," smiled Ford. "The government had to decommission two big ones this summer on account of the last London naval treaty. I took an option on one of them and as soon as I can get to a telegraph office I'm going to buy it. As soon as it is refitted and I can get a trustworthy crew together I'll start for the coast of Yucatan." "Will one of those old government submarines be safe?" "The type being decommissioned is one of the finest ever built; sturdy, lots of room for a submarine, and capable of descending to about two hundred forty feet without too much danger. Oh, you'll get plenty of material for stories that should please your editor." They talked at length of plans for the trip, but finally fatigue closed their lips and they rolled into their blankets. They were up at dawn, breakfasted quickly, and started upstream for Auburn. "We're likely to have a little trouble with Sladek and his crowd before we get out of the valley," said Ford. "When he is unable to find Crazy John he'll start trailing me." "When we reach Auburn we'll be safe. The Jupiter is faster than Sladek's amphibian." "If he overtakes us before we reach the village, we'll be in for it."