CHAPTER V.
A MYSTERY.
Huddled together on the shore, the boys began to talk it over. Rattleton did not remember seeing Bart after the second appearance of the black schooner, while Diamond was sure Hodge had been with them till they were near the mouth of the cove. All wondered why they had not seen him when he plunged overboard.
“Perhaps he felt that he had a better show to get ashore if he swam for it than he had if he remained in the boat,” suggested Browning.
“Hodge was not a fool,” said Frank, a bit sharply. “He knew he had no show at all if he left the boat.”
“Then why did he leave it?”
“That the rest of us might have a better show. He thought the boat would keep afloat longer.”
“Do you think that?”
“It seems that way.”
They talked it over and over, wringing the water from their clothes. Despite the fact that four of them had escaped, all felt that a frightful calamity had occurred. At one time it had seemed there was not one chance in a hundred for any of them to escape, but, now they were ashore, the horror of the loss of a single man made them sick at heart.
“I’ll never own another boat!” declared Rattleton. “I’ve had enough of it.”
A light flashed out on the cove. It was on board the vessel that they had run against.
Then they spoke of her.
“Do you know,” said Diamond, “I believe I can name that vessel.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Harry.
“Sure.”
“Name her.”
“Pirate.”
“What?”
Harry and Bruce uttered the exclamation together. Both were startled.
Frank Merriwell said nothing. Had he been asked to name the vessel, he would have said the same thing.
“How can that be?” asked Harry. “We thought it was thePiratethat came so near running us down on the sound.”
“Perhaps it was.”
“Impossible! She could not be here.”
“Why not?” asked Frank. “We ran into this cove, and theSportwas disabled at that.”
“But thePirateis a big vessel.”
“Not so very large.”
“Why should she run in here?”
“There is some mystery about her. Like Diamond, I think that is the black schooner. She had time to run in here and drop anchor ahead of us, and that’s what she did. We know no vessel was here when we left the cove this afternoon. She must have come in since then.”
“Say, fellows,” grunted Browning.
“Say it.”
“I don’t believe her name is a misnomer. It strikes me she is a genuine old pirate. If not, why is she running around in this way and taking such chances of being piled high and dry on these islands? She came into this cove to hide.”
“The days of pirates are past,” said Jack.
“Don’t care,” growled Bruce. “Capt. Horn is a piratechief, or he’s the ghost of one, and his old schooner is a phantom, like theFlying Dutchman.”
“She’s a pretty solid phantom,” said Frank. “We struck against her and scraped her side.”
“If that is thePirate.”
“Hark!”
The boys listened, and the wind brought to their ears sounds that interested them.
“They are lowering a boat out there,” said Frank. “Surely they are at some unlawful business, or they would not work in the dark and fail to display a single light.”
A few moments later the boys heard the sound of oars clanking in rowlocks.
“Coming!”
Rattleton uttered the exclamation.
“Sounds like it!” agreed Diamond.
Browning grunted.
Merriwell was silent.
The wind was right for them to hear any sound that might come from the direction of the unknown vessel, but when it rose to a wild shriek nothing but its howling could be distinguished. When it fell, each of the four boys distinguished the sound of oars.
Somehow there seemed something mysterious about the movement of the boat. Each of the listening lads felt the mystery, although they could not have told why.
Harry’s teeth chattered. He was cold, and he was nervous. The events of the night had quite unmanned him.
Clug-clank, clug-clank, clug-clank.
More than a single set of oars were being used. Frank felt sure of that, for his keen ear distinguished something in the sound that settled the point in his mind.
The boat was coming straight toward the point where the boys were crouching on the shore.
“Pier is near here,” thought Frank. “They’re going to run in there and get in the lee of it. But why are they coming ashore in this confounded storm?”
In the teeth of the wind a fine sleet was carried. It was too cold for a genuine storm of rain, and the sleet fell like some particles of ice.
No wonder Harry’s teeth chattered together.
“Keep still, boys,” warned Frank. “We’ll get a look at those fellows.”
“Huah!” grunted Browning. “Don’t know how you are going to get a look at anybody in this darkness.”
“They are bringing some kind of a light.”
“Can’t see it.”
“They’ve got it just the same.”
“What makes you think so?”
“Saw a gleam of it when they were getting into the boat.”
“Yes; but it may have been left on the vessel.”
“No; I’m sure I caught a flicker after the boat started.”
“Well, what sort of a light is it if we can’t see it now?”
“Dark lantern.”
“Eh? Great Scott!”
All the boys, with the exception of Merry, gave a start. Why should the men in the boat carry a dark lantern?
Rattleton, Browning, Diamond, all three of them, flung the question at Frank.
“I don’t know,” confessed Merry; “but it is a part of the mystery.”
It added to the keen interest with which the boys awaited the approach of the boat.
Burglars carried dark lanterns. Crooks carried darklanterns. What sort of men were these? What sort of a night expedition were they making?
For the moment the mystery surrounding the fate of Bart Hodge was forgotten. The boys had no thoughts for anyone or anything but the approaching boat.
The sound of rowing became more and more distinct.
“Changed now—not coming straight here,” whispered Frank. “Going in at pier. I thought so.”
Rattleton’s imagination was at work; strange fancies flitted through his brain.
“What if they are kidnapers?” he thought. “What if they had stolen that girl? What if they were paid to put her out of the way? What if they have murdered her and are bringing her ashore to bury her under cover of darkness, where her body will never be found. What if——”
That was the limit. He did not dare carry the speculation any further. Already he was gasping for breath, overcome with the horror of the thought. The adventures of the night bore heavily upon him. For the first time in his life he felt like a coward. He was willing to keep still and let the men in the boat go their way and do their will, no matter what crime they had perpetrated.
Frank did not feel that way. His curiosity was fully awakened, and he was eager to solve the mystery.
“Come!”
He arose to a crouching posture and moved toward the pier, stumbling blindly over the rough ground.
Diamond was ready to follow anywhere Merriwell might lead, and he followed close at Frank’s heels.
Rattleton hesitated. It was not till Browning, with a groan, arose and started to follow the others that he seemed to awaken from the spell that had fallen upon him.
“Brace up!” he grated. “What ails you? Are you going to wilt now?”
He did brace up, but he followed along behind the others.
They did not go far before Merriwell brought them to a stand.
“They’re landing,” whispered Frank.
The rowing had stopped. They could hear a subdued murmur of hoarse voices.
The boat had come round under the lee of the pier, and the men were coming ashore.
As the boys stood there, they again caught a gleam of light—a moving ray, shot from a reflector. It was gone in a moment, but it had shown them several figures.
“Nearer!” palpitated Diamond, eagerly.
“Dangerous,” declared Frank. “Might shoot the light on us at any moment. Can’t tell what those men are doing.”
The others felt that Merriwell was right. It might be very dangerous to be discovered.
“Shall we follow them?” asked Browning, who had been awakened in a most unusual manner.
“Perhaps. Wait and see.”
The wind howled, the fine sleet beat upon them, the white tigers roared from the distant shore.
“Down!”
Merriwell hissed the word, sinking to the ground. The others followed his example.
“What’s the matter?” asked Jack, throbbing with excitement.
“Coming,” answered Frank, laconically.
This was true. The men had left the pier, and they were advancing toward the boys.
Again strange fancies flitted through Harry Rattleton’shead. Had they been discovered? Were those men coming to attack them? Were they destined to soon be engaged in a savage battle for life?
“If I ever get out of this scrape, I’ll let theJolly Sportrest where she is and keep off the sound in April,” he mentally vowed.
“Lay low!” hissed Frank.
They flattened themselves upon the ground, hearing footsteps close at hand. They looked up and saw dark figures passing. One, two, three, four of them.
“Don’t try any funny business with us, old man!” sounded a hoarse voice. “Take us straight to the spot!”
“If he tries ter fool Capt. Horn he’s as good as dead!” said another hoarse voice.
Then there was a muttering of harsh laughter, and the four men passed on into the darkness.
Frank sat up, and the others did likewise.
“This is interesting!” Merry softly exclaimed.
“Yes, very!” grunted Browning. “Give something to know what it means. Can you tell?”
“No,” confessed Frank. “All I could make out is that three of those fellows are making a fourth lead them somewhere.”
“Let’s follow,” suggested Diamond. “Let’s know what they are up to. What do you say, Merry?”
“Just what I’d like to do.”
“What’s the use——” began Rattleton. Then he checked himself, biting his tongue and thinking:
“Don’t be a fool! If you’re scared, don’t give it away. They may never know it.”
“Come ahead!”
Frank arose and took the lead. The others trailed out after him. He was following the sailors through thedarkness, and his companions were following him. Not one of them knew what the adventure might lead to; all of them realized that it might be very dangerous. They were sure the men ahead were desperate ruffians, but curiosity overcame every other emotion.