"I feel that Charley is right," Walter declared, "but we've got only one chance to prove it. Get to work, get some money and hire a Greek detective to look into the matter for us. The first question is, what can we do to earn money?"
They were engaged in a fruitless discussion on this point when Mr. Driver entered. He heard their discussion with sympathetic interest.
"There is no work around here," he declared. "The Greeks work cheaper than an American can. It's hard for an American to earn a bare living here. I understand from what you say that you do not want to be separated. I might find work for one of you, but I couldn't for all. There is only one suggestion I can make in such a case."
"Please give it to us," Walter requested.
"WELL," said Mr. Driver, "there is a large fish-house at Clearwater, twenty miles below here. You probably could get a job fishing for it. You could all work together then. It is hard, dirty work but there is pretty good money in it if a man works hard."
"I believe we will try it," Charley said. "Of course we will have to talk it over before we decide, but there does not seem to be anything else we can do."
"Very well," said Mr. Driver, "I'll give you a letter to the fish boss, I know him personally. And you'll need a little money to pay your fares there. You can return it when you get to earning."
The chums thanked the kind-hearted storekeeper for his advice and assistance and adjourned to the sidewalk where they discussed the matter earnestly. It did not take them long to decide to follow Mr. Driver's suggestion. They bid good-bye to the sponger captain, who decided to remain in Tarpon and try to get service on one of Mr. Williams' schooners, and, accepting the loan of ten dollars, which Mr. Driver pressed upon them, they boarded the first train going South and soon landed in the little town of Clearwater. And there, we must leave them for the present.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired. The original text had no table of contents. One was created to aid the reader. Chapter I is untitled.
Page 3, "tatooed" changed to "tattooed" (tattooed arms and rolling)
Page 10, two lines were transposed. The original read:
shouted, as the smiling Greek shrugged his shoul- up with the money by to-morrow night I'll close up ders. "You know what I say. If you don't come this place and have you prosecuted for obtaining