That night Bob and Clip slept at Mr. Pearson's house, being treated as honored guests.
Little suspecting the reception awaiting them in St. Louis, Minton and Brown were laboriously guiding their stolen craft down the river. Not being accustomed to labor of any sort, they found the confinement irksome, but the prize for which they were striving was so large that they took it very good-humoredly. They whiled away the time by indulging in visions of future ease and prosperity, and in exchanging witticisms at the expense of Bob, the youthful owner of the boat.
"I wonder how the young captain is enjoying himself," said Minton, as he lay back, with one of the bins for a support, while puffing at a choice cigar.
"He is ready to tear his hair out, I presume," said Brown. "He's a conceited young popinjay, and deserves to have his pride taken down."
"You're right there, Brown. We shall make a tidy sum out of our venture."
"Yes; we can afford to retire for a time. Of course I shall want more than half."
"I don't see that," said Minton, quickly.
"Why, man, I've done all the headwork. What have you done to compare with me?"
"We are equal partners," said Minton, doggedly.
"That is where you are mistaken. I don't mind, though, giving you half of what we get for the girl."
"How shall we arrange to get anything? It is rather a ticklish business--"
"That's where the headwork comes in. I shall wait upon old Pearson, and tell him that I have a clew, and suspect I know who abducted the child. Then I'll work him up to a point where he'll shell out liberally."
"How can there be? Leave the thing to me and I'll arrange it. The fact is, Minton, you are a man of no ideas. If I depended on you, you wouldn't make a cent out of one of the neatest jobs I've ever been concerned in."
Minton was conscious that there was some truth in this, and it helped to reconcile him to the evident determination of his companion to appropriate the lion's share of the fruits of their questionable enterprises.
"I suppose Joe's all right?" he said, after a pause.
"Of course he is. What would he make by proving false to us?"
"Nothing, that I can see. Still, if he should do so, it might upset our plans. The boy could afford to pay him well for releasing him."