But, unless there is one, I
guess ten or fifteen thousand dollars will cover it."
"And Hardley said two millions!" exclaimed Ned. "Whew, what a
difference!"
"Do you think he was in on the change?" asked one of the
officers.
"No," replied Tom. "I guess it was like a good many of these
filibustering plots. Somebody put up good money to be used to
gain control of a country--perhaps for the country's good. But
somebody else made the substitution, and the patriots were left.
I don't believe Hardley knew this."
"Well, you'll get a little out of it, Tom," Ned remarked.
"Nothing worth while," was the answer. "But I'm not
disappointed; that is, very much. Of course I could use the
money, but I don't really need it. The trip has been a wonderful
experience, and I have learned something I didn't know before.
I'm sorry for you, though, Mr. Damon. You invested considerable
with Hardley, didn't you?"
"About twenty thousand dollars, Tom. It will be hard to lose
it, but I guess I can stand it."
Tom privately made up his mind to see that his old friend did
not suffer financially, for the gold discovered on the Pandora,
while it was far from the amount hoped for, would almost
reimburse Mr.
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