"I 'most wish we had let it be," continued the governor, who became frightened when he fully realized what he had done. "Let's hide it somewhere."
"What for?" demanded the skipper.
"Why, 'cause. We can't never use it all, an' s'pose we should be ketched."
"O, now, we are not going to be caught," replied Tom, impatiently. "The tugs will never come in here after us, for it is too near the village. Every body will think that we have kept on out to sea. Our prospects were never brighter than they are at this moment. I am just as certain that we shall see the island as I am that my clothes are wringing wet from my swim across the creek. We need a better outfit, and how are we going to get it with no funds in the treasury? We've got the money now, and we might as well use it. We have as much right to it as those robbers."
"That's what I say," said Atkins. "I am treasurer of the band, so I'll take charge of the cash. Just pass the valise over this way, governor."
"Now, you hold your breath till I give you the valise, won't you?" said the chief. "If you are treasurer, I'm governor, an' I won't ask nobody to help me take care of this money. I'll just hang on to it myself."
Atkins had been in excellent spirits during the last few minutes, but now he resumed his usual scowl, and looked as sullen and ugly as ever. His under-jaw dropped down, and his face lengthened out wonderfully. He had plans of his own that he was awaiting a favorable opportunity to carry into execution, and the governor's determination to hold fast to the money sadly interfered with them. He looked at Jack Spaniard, and Jack looked at him, and it was plain that neither of them were pleased with the arrangement.
"Aha!" exclaimed the governor, "I know what you fellers are winkin' an' blinkin about. Do you diskiver any thing green in this yere eye? I can see through a ladder as fur as any body."
"Why, what's the row, governor?" asked Jack Spaniard, innocently.
"There's something up—that's the row," replied Sam, "an' you know it as well as I do. You'd best walk turkey from this time on, you two fellers, or I'll be down on you when you aint lookin' fur it."
"I think this is a purty how-de-do," growled Atkins. "What's the use of havin' any treasurer, if the governor is goin' to take charge of the cash?"
"There aint no use at all in havin' one—not such a one as we've got. You've good cheek, Atkins. You tried to ruin the expedition by gettin' up a mutiny, an' now you're thinkin' how to steal this money from us, you an' Jack Spaniard are, an' yet you have the imperdence to ask me to let you take charge of it. Of all the things that have happened in the band since I got to be governor, this yere is the beat."
The two mutineers listened to this speech in amazement and alarm. It was all true, especially that portion of it which related to the plan they had in view for making off with the valise; but how did it come that the governor knew any thing about it? They were quite sure that neither of them had spoken a word to him or to any body else on the subject, and they were equally certain that no one had overheard any conversation between them. They opened their eyes, puffed out their cheeks, and looked at the governor and at each other as if they could not understand the matter.
"O, I knew you would deny it," said Sam, "but you needn't, 'cause I am sartin it's so. We've wasted time enough in jawin' now, an', as we've got to stay here all day, we might as well go to sleep. Xury, you can stand watch fur two hours. Keep your eyes on the schooner, an' call us if you hear any fuss."
The Crusoe men had resorted to the expedient of deserting their vessel in order to get rid of the robbers. It was a part of Atkins's plan. Sanders, when he awoke and discovered that his money was gone, would, of course, begin an immediate pursuit of the Crusoe band. He would not look for them in the vicinity of the vessel and on that side of the creek, but, believing that it would be their desire to get as far away with their plunder as the limits of the island would permit, he would most likely search the woods along the beach. The burglars could not go all over the island in one day's time, and there was little probability that they would discover the governor's hiding-place. He and his men would remain concealed in the bushes until dark, and then they would board their vessel and put out to sea, leaving the burglars, as they had intended to leave the Crusoe men—whistling for their money. Thus far the plan had worked smoothly, and the loyal members of the band were highly elated. The only question that troubled them was: Might not the robbers, suspecting the trick that had been played upon them, watch the vessel and capture them as they went on board? That was something that time only could determine.
Never before had the governor laid his head on a pillow worth so much money. It was not an easy one, but Sam had, of late, been accustomed to hard beds and hard pillows, and he slept soundly in spite of the new responsibilities resting upon him. The captain and Friday also soon forgot their troubles, but there was no sleep for the mutineers. They sat gazing sullenly at the governor and at Xury, who, if one might judge by his looks, had suddenly begun to sympathize with them in their rebellious mood. He appeared to be angry, and muttered something about being compelled to stand watch when he was so sleepy. He kept his eyes fastened upon the mutineers, who seemed to be rendered very uneasy by his scrutiny, and Jack Spaniard finally demanded:
"Did the governor tell you to watch us as well as the money?"
"Now, who told you that I was watching you?" asked Xury. "There aint no law in this band that hinders me from looking at you, is there? But you needn't be so short with me. I never done nothing to you that I know of."
"Didn't you help the governor capture us?"
"Yes, an' I would do it agin. You broke your promise by desertin' me an' the cap'n while we were in trouble, an' if you had been in my place you would have done just as I did. But this case is different."
Atkins and Jack Spaniard began to prick up their ears. The hint contained in the mate's last words, slight as it was, led them to believe that he also was becoming dissatisfied and was ready to join with them against the governor. But they were in no hurry to commit themselves.
"We don't understand you," said Jack Spaniard.
"No, I reckon not," replied the mate, with a laugh. "You an' Atkins were not layin' plans to steal this money, were you? I know you were, but I hain't got nothing to say ag'in it. If you will let me come in with you, mebbe the job can be done a good deal easier. The governor suspects you, an' you can't wink your eye without his knowin' all about it. But he thinks I am all right, an' I can get my hands on the money at any time. O, you need not be afraid to trust me," he added, earnestly, seeing that Atkins and his companion exchanged significant glances, and in various other ways indicated that they were suspicious of him. "I know that we are bound to be captured if we stay on board the Sweepstakes, an' I am goin' to desert her. But I don't want to go without any money, an', as I have as much right to the five thousand dollars as the governor has, I'm goin' to take it. I heard the cap'n say that we would stop at one of the Elizabeth Islands to take on a supply of water. If we do, I shall watch my chance, an' the first thing the governor knows I'll be missin', an' so will the money. If you want to go with me, all right; if you don't, you can stay behind an' be servants fur them two lazy officers. Them's my sentiments."
This was the beginning of a long conversation. Atkins and Jack Spaniard would have been glad of Xury's assistance, for they knew that they would be so closely watched that it would be an exceedingly difficult matter for them to secure possession of the valise, but the mate could pick it up at any time, and without exciting the governor's suspicions. They could not forget, however, that Xury had exhibited a great deal of zeal during the attack on their breastworks. He had always been loyal to the chief, and they were surprised to hear him talk of deserting, and afraid to trust him. But he seemed to be thoroughly in earnest, and Atkins finally acknowledged that he and Jack Spaniard had made up their minds to leave the band at the first good opportunity, and that they intended to take the money with them. They compelled Xury to make all sorts of promises that he would never betray them, and the latter, to show that he meant all he said, agreed to do the dangerous part of the work himself. They could remain in the back-ground, and, if he was detected, he would take all the blame and all the consequences upon himself.
By the time the details of their plan had been discussed Xury thought his two hours had nearly expired, and he aroused the governor with a request that he would appoint his relief. Tom Newcombe, much to his disgust, was the one selected. He grumbled loudly—as all the Crusoe men did when called upon to act contrary to their own wishes—but no one paid the least attention to him. The governor re-arranged his pillow, and was settling himself into a comfortable position to finish his nap, when an exclamation from Xury brought him to a sitting posture. The sound of hurrying footsteps and angry voices was heard on the deck of the schooner. Sanders had discovered that his money was gone. The Crusoe men crouched lower in the bushes, and listened intently to catch the words of the robbers' conversation. They heard all that was said, and blessed their lucky stars that there was a wide creek between them and the enraged men.
"Don't they take on, though!" whispered the governor. "I wouldn't be on board the Sweepstakes now fur nothing. We'd better do some good runnin' if they get after us, fur they're mad enough to use them revolvers."
At this moment the attention of the Crusoe men was drawn from the schooner by a sound that greatly increased their excitement—the measured dip of oars. They looked down the creek and saw the jolly-boat approaching.
Harry Green was greatly encouraged by the report Simmonds brought him concerning the state of affairs in the cove. The Crusoe men were surrounded, and, although he and his crew might not be able to capture them, protected as they were by the burglars' revolvers, they could at least keep them in the cove until the arrival of re-enforcements. He sent Simmonds back to the midshipman with a few orders, and after instructing the second lieutenant to have the jolly-boat called away, he ran down into his cabin and dashed off two short notes, containing, in a condensed form, the report he had just received from Richardson. When Packard, the third lieutenant, who was to go in charge of the boat, reported for orders, Harry commanded him to proceed toward the village, and give one of the notes into the hands of the captain of the first tug met. If he met none of the tugs, he was to go on to Newport and find Mr. Newcombe, or Mr. Henry, if either of them were there, and after that report to Captain Steele, and give him the second note. The young officer was not at all pleased with his orders. He would have been much better satisfied if Harry had sent him ashore to take command of the storming party. He was afraid that if he left the yacht he would not see her again until the pursuit of the pirates was ended. Captain Steele might tell him to remain at the academy; or, if the principal sent out re-enforcements, he might be ordered to take command of his company (Packard was captain of company C), and that was something he did not want to do. The military would join in the pursuit with alacrity, and make the most strenuous exertions to effect the capture of the Crusoe men, and thus rob the navy of the honors now almost within its grasp.
Since the advent of the Storm King, there had been a hot rivalry existing between the military and naval portions of the academy, and many a stormy debate had been held as to the relative merits of the two
branches of the service. The military officers said that the navy would do well enough to convey transports of troops in time of war, and that was all it was good for. The hard fighting was always done on the land, and the victories that decided the war were gained by the soldiers.
"Sour grapes!" Harry would always reply. "If I were in your places, I would not run down a thing, after trying my best to win it. You landlubbers burned gallons of midnight oil in preparing for the naval examination. I heard more than one among you say that he would rather be a midshipman than major of the battalion; and now, because you failed to gain any position on board the yacht, the navy is of no account. As for hard fighting—why, fellows, you must have forgotten your history, if you ever knew any thing about it. Take the case of the Bon Homme Richard, in her fight with the Serapis! The action lasted three hours and a half, and, during that time, one hundred and fifty, out of the three hundred and twenty men who composed the crew of the Richard, were killed and wounded. The loss on board the Serapis was about the same. Nearly one-half the men on board the two vessels fell in the fight, and that is something you never heard of in a modern land engagement. And, more than that, the fire of the enemy was not the only thing Commodore Jones had to contend with. The Richard was in flames from the beginning. In the heat of the action she sprang a leak, and the master-at-arms, believing that she was about to sink, released a hundred British prisoners who were confined in the hold."
"Didn't he deserve to be pitched overboard?" asked Jackson.
"This thing can never be decided by argument, fellows," said Major Williams. "I wish something would turn up, so that we might have a chance to show ourselves."
"So do I," answered Harry. "We would soon convince you that the infantry of the Newport Academy is a slow coach compared with its navy."
But for a long time that "something" did not "turn up," and the rival students despaired of ever having an opportunity to test their respective abilities. If Tom Newcombe had only been there to organize another runaway expedition; or if some discontented boy could be found to take his place! But no one thought of deserting the academy now that the grand commander was gone, and the students, determined to excel their opponents in every thing, devoted themselves to their studies. Each side put forward its best scholars for the valedictory and other academic honors, and some of those who were the loudest in denouncing the navy, picked out the offices on board the yacht that they thought themselves competent to fill, and worked night and day to prepare for the examination. But now came Tom Newcombe and his band of outlaws, and gave them the very opportunity they had so long wished for. To the soldiers he did not come so much as an incendiary as a solution. They wanted to capture him simply to beat the navy. The reason why Packard was in no hurry to go back to the academy was, because if he and his boat's crew were ordered to join their company, they would be obliged to work against their favorite branch of the service, and they wanted to assist it by every means in their power.
When the jolly-boat had left the yacht, Harry took his stand on the quarter-deck, and watched the shoals as closely as ever a cat watched a mouse. His crew was now reduced to seven men—a small force with which to board the Sweepstakes, but still the first lieutenant wished she would come out. He knew that his note to Captain Steele would bring all the troops at the academy about the cove, and he was impatient to have the work done before they arrived. The captain would soon be on hand to take command of the vessel, and then, if the Crusoe men were captured by the navy, the lion's share of the honors would fall upon the shoulders that wore the double anchors. Captain Steele was a great man at the academy already, and he did not need any more glory; but Harry did. It might be a point in his favor at the next examination. He kept the yacht sailing back and forth, as close to the entrance to the channel as he dared to go, ready at an instant's warning to intercept the pirate captain; but he never came. Somebody else came, however. It was the midshipman with his company of small-armed men. He had built a bridge in ten minutes after Tom destroyed the other, and led his men at a reckless pace down the path into the cove, only to find it deserted. He met no desperate Crusoe band, drawn up in battle array, to dispute his advance. There was the cabin they had occupied, and a few useless articles they had left scattered about, but nothing was to be seen of them or their vessel.
"They are captured now," exclaimed the midshipman, joyfully. "They have put out to sea again, and I expect they are in Harry Green's clutches by this time."
Richardson frantically searched every nook and corner of the cove, to satisfy himself that the pirates had really abandoned their harboring place, and then returned with his men to the top of the cliff, and led them toward the yacht. The young tars went pell-mell down the bank, falling over rocks and logs, and scrambling through bushes, that made sad work with their new uniforms. They expected to find the crews of the two vessels engaged in a desperate fight; and fearing that Harry, with his small force, might get the worst of the encounter, they were in a great hurry to reach the sloop. A minute's delay on their part might give the pirates time to beat off the boarding party and escape. Breathless and excited, Richardson halted on the bank, and there was the yacht, sailing tranquilly back and forth, and not another vessel in sight.
"Storm King, ahoy!" yelled the midshipman, utterly amazed, and wondering what sort of a craft the Sweepstakes was, anyhow, that she could slip out of a narrow channel under the very noses of so many watchful students. "Where is she, sir?"
"Whom do you mean?" asked the first lieutenant, beginning to feel uneasy at once.
"The schooner. She has left the cove. Didn't you see her when she went by you, sir?"
Harry understood from this that the Sweepstakes had again escaped. She certainly had not run past him, as the midshipman had intimated; the Crusoe men could not have taken her out of the cove and carried her across the island, and yet she had escaped. Harry asked himself if he had ever seen her at all that night. He turned and gazed at the second lieutenant, who stood at his side looking the very picture of consternation and bewilderment.
"I don't understand it, sir," said the latter.
"Neither do I," replied Harry. "Run alongside the bank and take those men on board."
While the order was being obeyed, Harry paced up and down the deck, racking his brain in the hope of finding some explanation for this second disappearance of the schooner; but the only conclusion he could come to was, that he had been outwitted in some mysterious way, and that Tom Newcombe, or whoever was the presiding genius of the Crusoe band, possessed more brains than he had given him credit for. He saw now that the pirate captain knew what he was doing when he ran into the cove.
"I will tell you what I think about it, Harry," exclaimed Johnny Harding, who was the first to board the sloop. "The Sweepstakes crossed the shoals farther down."
"Impossible!" cried the first lieutenant.
"Perhaps it is, but how, then, could she get out of the cove without your knowing something about it? From this time forward it will be hard work to make me believe that any thing is impossible. If a man had told you, an hour ago, that a boat could live on those shoals, you would have thought he was crazy, wouldn't you?"
By this time the midshipman came up to report, and after Harry had listened to his story, and held a short consultation with Jackson, he admitted that Johnny's idea concerning the manner of the schooner's escape was correct. He ordered the second lieutenant to fill away for the narrows, and once more the Storm King went dashing over the waves in pursuit of the Crusoe men. But there was little enthusiasm among her officers. A stern chase is always a long one, and they were following a vessel that could sail three feet to the yacht's two. The young sailors thought of the military, and looked anxious.
When the yacht was fairly under way, an eager group gathered on the forecastle to listen to a smooth-tongued fellow who related to them the particulars of the fight at the bridge; and, on the quarter-deck, Johnny Harding entertained the officers with a recital of his adventures. When he finished his story, he was in his turn astonished at what they had to say of the attempt the captain of the Crusoe band had made to destroy their vessel.
"Any sensible boy could have told that Tom would come to something like this," said Johnny, as he went below with the first lieutenant to look at the galley. "A fellow can't keep such company as he has been keeping for the last three months, without getting into serious trouble, sooner or later."
The two friends talked about Tom's probable future, until they were interrupted by the entrance of the officer of the deck, who informed Harry that a tug was following them down the narrows, and that she had whistled three times—indicating a desire to communicate with the yacht. Harry hurried on deck, gave Jackson the necessary orders, and the Storm King was thrown up into the wind to wait for the approaching vessel.
"Tug ahoy!" shouted the officer of the deck, when he heard the bell ring to "slow down."
"Storm King!" was the response.
"That's Captain Steele," said Harry. "I wish he had stayed away a little longer, for I don't like to give up the command without having accomplished any thing. Man the side, Mr. Jackson."
The young commander was received by the first lieutenant, the officer of the deck, and four side boys, each of the latter holding a lantern to light him on board. Tom Newcombe had greatly admired him when he was nothing more than an adjutant, and if he could have seen him when he stepped on board his vessel he would willingly have given every thing he possessed to have been in his place. No doubt the wide difference that existed between the captain and himself would have served to confirm him in the opinion he had long entertained—that this was a hard world, and he the unluckiest boy in it.
Tom was not the only one who would have been glad to stand in Captain Steele's boots. The students all envied him, and especially when they saw him in his naval uniform. He presented a fine appearance on horseback, at the head of the battalion, but he looked better with his jaunty-cap and the six stripes of gold lace and star he wore on his arms. Then he had so much authority, and there were the privileges to which his double rank entitled him. He was allowed to decide certain questions of discipline without an appeal to the principal. He was at liberty to go on a cruise in the Storm King twice each week, and he could select the days for the sport. If he wanted to visit Newport at any time after study hours, all he had to do was to report to the principal that he was going; and, if he did not feel like walking, there was a horse always at his service. He and the major had a cosy little room of their own at the academy, nicely furnished, and plentifully supplied with books, and no one, not even the teachers, ever intruded there. The privileges and comforts that fell to his lot were highly prized by the students, and it was no wonder that they envied him, and declared that he should not hold the honors longer than the next examination. Lieutenant Green and Major Williams were his principal rivals. Harry, like a good many others, cared nothing for the lieutenant-colonel's commission, but he did want to command the yacht, and the captain knew it and was afraid of him.
When the young commander came on board his vessel he lifted his cap, saluting first the quarter-deck and then the officers; but, being too excited to maintain his dignity, he exclaimed, as he shook Johnny warmly by the hand:
"What does this mean, Harry? You are not running away from the enemy?"
The first lieutenant was not allowed an opportunity to reply, for he was immediately assailed on all sides. The tug was loaded with students (she had also brought back Lieutenant Packard and his boat's crew), and Major Williams and several other military officers had accompanied the captain on board the yacht. They were intensely excited and impatient, and nearly overwhelmed Harry with their questions and their eager demands to be led to the hiding-place of the Crusoe men without an instant's delay, and the babel that arose from the quarter-deck effectually drowned the lieutenant's voice when he attempted to reply.
The soldiers did not hesitate to follow the example set them by their officers. They poured over the rail and engaged in loud conversation with the foremast hands, and, for a few seconds, the confusion and noise were enough to drive one distracted. Harry tried in vain to make himself understood, and was finally obliged to fall back on his authority as commander of the vessel. He made a motion to Jackson, who hurried off to the forecastle, and a moment afterward the boatswain's whistle was heard above the tumult, followed by the command: "Hear there, fore and aft! Keep silence, every body!"
However much the impatient military might have been disposed to disregard a request, they could not refuse to yield obedience to an order when it came from the lawful master of the vessel.
"Now," said Harry, when quiet had been restored, "ask your questions one at a time, and I will answer them if I can. In the first place, captain, I am not running away from the pirate; I am pursuing him. I thought I had cornered him in the cove, but he has got out, and how he did it is a mystery to me."
"Escaped!" exclaimed the major, in disgust.
Without noticing the interruption, Harry went on to tell Captain Steele what he had done, and to describe to him the movements of the phantom schooner, which filled every body with astonishment. The major and his officers listened attentively to all that was said, and exchanged significant winks with one another. The chase after the pirates promised to be interesting, and to afford them full scope for the exercise of all the judgment and foresight they possessed, and if the skipper of the Sweepstakes continued to show the skill he had thus far exhibited, he might succeed in getting safely on the sea in spite of all their efforts to capture him. They hoped to obtain some clue to his intended movements, but the officers of the yacht were as much in the dark as themselves.
"I might have known better than to ask any information of you," said the major. "If you could put your finger on Tom Newcombe at this moment you wouldn't tell me."
"Indeed I would," replied Harry, honestly. "If the Crusoe men were simply runaway students, and were guilty of no more serious offense than deserting the academy, perhaps I should decline to give you any assistance in the way of advice or information. If they escaped, there would be no great harm done. But Tom Newcombe must not be allowed to remain at liberty after trying to burn our vessel, and if we don't catch him I hope you will. If you are smart enough to do it, you will simply be performing an act of justice, and you can claim the honors."
"Well, we'll be off," said the major. "If you want some help we'll make fast to you and tow you down the narrows."
Harry looked at the captain, but the latter had not yet assumed the command, and had nothing to say, so the lieutenant replied that he was much obliged for the offer of assistance, but, if it was all the same to the major, he would use his own motive power.
"All right," said Williams. "We wish you the best of luck, but that won't help you any; and so you might as well go back to the academy. You have had the 'pirates,' as you call them, twice within your grasp, and allowed them to escape. Just let us put our eyes on them once! The next time you see us we'll have them prisoners."
The major and his officers went on board the tug, which steamed down the narrows, and the Storm King, as soon as the jolly-boat had been hoisted at the davits, followed after. The captain now intimated that he was ready to take command of the vessel, and Harry assumed the duties of executive, while Jackson modestly took his place with the other watch officers. They all heard what the major said, and laughed at it, but they were by no means in as good spirits as they pretended to be. They wished he and his men had stayed away a little longer. The navy had heavy odds to contend against, and some of the officers thought their rivals stood an excellent chance of snatching from their grasp the honors they had hoped to win by their cruise after the pirates. Major Williams was working for promotion, and he possessed a decided advantage over the captain, having a tug and two companies of infantry under his command. More than that, there was another tug in pursuit of the Crusoe men, having on board the principal, Mr. Newcombe, Mr. Henry, two constables, and two more companies of infantry under Spencer, the ranking captain. The commander of the Storm King was not so much afraid of Williams as he was of Spencer. The former, if he found himself in need of advice, could consult only with his officers and the captain of the tug, while Spencer's movements would be directed by the "brains" of the academy.
"We must look to our laurels now," said Captain Steele. "Have you any thing to propose? Shall we go out to sea, or stay in the bay?"
"Let us remain here, by all means," replied the first lieutenant, who had talked the matter over with Johnny. "My idea is, that we ought to begin a thorough search of these islands. Tom isn't foolish enough to keep on out to sea now, for it is nearly daylight."
The captain thought the suggestion a good one, and he proceeded to act upon it. Deer Island came first on the list, and, by the time the sun arose, he had sailed around it without discovering any signs of the Crusoe band. "Now comes the creek," said he. "Mr. Green, have the jolly-boat called away, and send Mr. Jackson aft."
"I'd like to go with him, Bill," said Johnny.
"You won't see any comfort if you do. The jolly-boat can't seat more than three fellows."
"I don't care for comfort. If you will let Jackson take me as far as the shore I will get out and walk."
"Go ahead, and I will tell him to call you when he gets ready to come back. While you are gone I'll run down and look at the other islands."
In a few minutes the jolly-boat, with an armed crew at the oars, and Johnny Harding crouching in the bow, disappeared among the reeds and bushes that lined the banks of the creek, and Captain Steele, unwilling to waste an instant of time, filled away to continue his search among the lower islands. Had he known all that was to happen in that creek before he saw his boat's crew again, he might not have been in so great a hurry to leave them.
Jackson and his men wondered why Johnny had come ashore, and if they had asked him for a reason, the only one he could have offered was that he desired to be doing something. He believed that the Crusoe men were concealed in some place where the sloop would not be likely to go, and, if he took a run about the interior of the island he might, perhaps, obtain some clue to their whereabouts. Jackson set him ashore, and continued his voyage of discovery up the creek, and half an hour afterward came in sight of the tall, raking masts of the Sweepstakes rising above the bushes. His first impulse was to make the best of his way back to his vessel and report the matter to the captain, but he knew that the Storm King was a mile down the bay by that time, and before she could return to the creek the Crusoe men might be a long distance from there. They were slippery fellows—they had three times succeeded in making their escape when Jackson would have staked his chances of promotion on their capture—and now that he had found their vessel again, he did not want to lose sight of her. He peered through the bushes, but could see no signs of life about the schooner. Perhaps her crew, believing themselves safe from pursuit, had gone to sleep; and, if that was the case, could he not board the vessel and secure them before they recovered their wits sufficiently to resist him? Midshipman Richardson had dared to attack them with a force no larger than the one now at his command, and had nearly succeeded in capturing Tom Newcombe, and that, too, when the pirates were wide-awake and ready for him. Was he afraid to follow in the lead of an inferior officer—a boy scarcely more than half his size? Jackson told himself that he was not, and that if he could once get his hands on Tom's collar he would like to see him escape.
"Give way together," said he, in an excited whisper, "and stand by me, no matter what happens."
A few swift, silent strokes carried them up the creek to the edge of the bushes that surrounded the Sweepstakes, and then the oars were drawn in, and the crew forced the jolly-boat ahead by pulling at the bushes and reeds. When she came alongside the schooner the lieutenant drew himself up and looked over the rail. The deck was deserted; neither the robbers nor the Crusoe men were in sight.
"Perhaps they are below," said Jackson. "We will go on board and make a rush for the cabin. If they are down there, and we can shut the door on them, we'll have them safe enough."
The boat's crew clambered over the rail and moved across the deck with noiseless steps. They had nearly reached the companion-way, and Jackson was in the act of reaching out his hand to close the door, when, as if by magic, two figures appeared at the head of the ladder, and a brace of revolvers were leveled full at their heads.
"Don't move hand or foot," said a gruff voice.
The students stood as if petrified.
While the robbers were lamenting the loss of their money, and vowing vengeance against the Crusoe men, they had determined upon a course of action, which promised, before long, to turn Sam Barton's triumph into defeat. They saw through his plan very easily. They knew that it was not his intention to remain long away from his vessel. They would search the woods along the bank of the creek, and, if they failed to find him, they would conceal themselves, and when he returned on board the schooner at night, they would punish him and his men in a way they had not thought of. They would tie them hand and foot, and turn the Sweepstakes adrift. The current of the creek would carry her out into the bay, where she would soon be discovered, and taken in charge by some of her pursuers. If Sam had told the truth about his exploits, he might be deprived of his liberty for a year or two; and that, the robbers thought, would be ample revenge for the temporary loss of their money. When they saw the jolly-boat approaching, they concealed themselves behind the rail to observe her movements. The success of their plans now depended upon the course her commanding officer might see fit to pursue. If he came on board the schooner, so that they could capture him, and prevent him from returning to his friends with a report of the discovery he had made, every thing would be well with them; but if he went back to the bay after re-enforcements, their game was up. They waited impatiently for Jackson to make up his mind what he would do. When they saw the jolly-boat coming toward the bushes, they hastily retreated to the cabin; and, just at the moment when the second lieutenant was congratulating himself on his success, they sprang up and compelled his surrender.
"We are all right now," said Sanders, in a tone of satisfaction. "Keep perfectly quiet, and no harm shall be done you."
As the burglar spoke he handed his revolver to his companion, pulled some pieces of rope from his pocket, and before the students had fairly recovered from their bewilderment, they were powerless to resist, even if they had been foolish enough to think of it. The robbers lifted them in their arms, carried them down the ladder into the cabin, thence into the hold, and laid them in a row as if they had been logs of wood.
"We shall leave you here," said Sanders, "while we go ashore and hunt up the Crusoe men. You didn't see them while you were coming up the creek, did you?"
Jackson replied sullenly in the negative.
"Well, they are around somewhere, hidden away in the bushes. They stole our money."
The second lieutenant, who was quite as much interested in the recovery of the seven thousand dollars as was Johnny Harding, suddenly became very talkative, and wanted to know all about it; but the robber only told him that Sam and his men had, by some means, obtained possession of the valise while he was asleep; that he knew they were not far off, and that he would have the money in his hands again by that time the next morning, and be miles from there. "I never, in my life, was guilty of so stupid a piece of business before," said Sanders, in disgust. "The idea of two grown men depending upon a lot of little boys to take them to a place of safety! We ought to lose the money, and be caught besides."
"That's just my opinion," replied Jackson, heartily. "If you don't look out some 'little boys' will get the better of you yet."
The robber answered that he would risk that, and after closing and locking the door of the hold, he went ashore in the jolly-boat with his companion, to begin the pursuit of the governor and his band.
Meanwhile Johnny Harding was dashing frantically through the bushes, as uneasy as a fish out of water, and perspiring like a butcher. He had a vague idea that he was looking for the Crusoe men and their allies, and that if they were hidden anywhere in that island, he would like to come upon them unobserved, and then go back to the bay after re-enforcements. He was still intensely excited, and perhaps did some queer things, such as looking up into the trees, as if he were hunting for squirrels, and carefully examining places where one of those little animals could scarcely have found concealment. But nothing rewarded his search, until he suddenly found himself standing upon the bank of the creek, and saw before him the jolly-boat lying where the robbers had left it, and the schooner made fast to the bushes a little way from the shore. Quick as a flash Johnny dropped behind a log, and cautiously raised his head to survey the scene.
"Now look here," said he, digging his fingers into his head to stir up his ideas, "something has been going on. Where's Jackson? that's the question. He's been around, for here is the jolly-boat. I must find out what this means—I am going on board that schooner. If the Crusoe men are there, I can't get into any worse scrapes than I have already been in to-night; and if they are not, I'll take the Sweepstakes down the creek. That will cut off all chance of escape for the pirates, unless they steal a boat from some of the farmers; and I don't think they will attempt that in broad daylight."
Johnny was highly elated with the idea of capturing the schooner. What a fine thing it would be for him if he, alone and unaided, could run her out into the bay, and give her up to Captain Steele! But, after all, he was in no hurry to attempt it. There might be danger in it, and Johnny did not care to run any risks. He remained in his concealment until he had satisfied himself that the Sweepstakes had either been abandoned, or else that her crew was sound asleep; and then he stepped into the jolly-boat, and pushed it from the bank. Armed with the club he had picked up in the cove, he walked over the deck without discovering the enemy, and after a long and careful examination of the cabin from the head of the companion ladder, he mustered up courage enough to descend into it. He looked into the bunks, and under the table, but there was no one there. Then he tried the door which led into the hold, and nearly jumped from the deck, when a voice from the inside inquired:
"Who's that?"
The only thing that restrained Johnny from taking to his heels, and making the best of his way to the shore, was the thought that he recognized the voice, and that it did not belong to either of the robbers, nor to any member of the Crusoe band. Even if it was an enemy in the hold, he had nothing to fear from him, for the door was locked; and, while on deck, he had noticed that all the hatches were fastened down.
"Who's there, I say?" repeated the voice.
"Harding," replied Johnny. "Have you any thing to say to him?"
"Talk of your good genius, and you are sure to receive a visit from him. Yes, we've a good deal to say to you. Come in and release us. We're prisoners."
Johnny stood for an instant looking at the door in blank amazement, and then began to bustle about the cabin. He did not stop to ask any questions, for he recognized Jackson's voice now. After a few desperate but unsuccessful attempts to open the door, he seized a handspike, with which he speedily demolished the lock; then, picking up his club again, he cautiously opened the door, and saw the three prisoners lying in a row on the floor of the hold. "What in the name of wonder are you doing there?" asked Johnny.
"Now, do you suppose we would stay here if we could help ourselves?" demanded Jackson. "I say, Harding, we've good news for you. Sam Barton's got your money."
"No!" exclaimed Johnny, bringing his club against the door with a force that threatened to drive it from its hinges. "How do you know?"
"We heard it from the burglars, who are out now somewhere hunting up the Crusoe men. I'd like to know how much longer you are going to stand there looking at us."
Johnny was so astonished and delighted by the intelligence he had just received, that he forgot all about the prisoners, until these words of Jackson recalled him to his senses. While he was releasing them, the lieutenant repeated what the robber had told him, which made the clerk so excited that he could scarcely stand still. He was in a great hurry to return to the Storm King now, and so were the students; and in two minutes after Johnny had freed them from their bonds, hasty preparations were being made to get the schooner under-way.
"There is no possible chance for any backset this time," said the lieutenant. "The Sweepstakes is our prize. The pirates can't escape now, for there is no cove here with secret passage ways for them to take refuge in. What's the matter, Phillips?"
"Sink my tarry wig!" exclaimed the young sailor. "Just see there, sir!"
Jackson looked toward the opposite side of the creek, and who should he discover but Tom Newcombe, crawling along almost on his hands and knees, and making all haste to get into the bushes out of sight. In his hand he carried the valise containing the seven thousand dollars. Jackson and his friends looked at him a moment, then at one another, and made a simultaneous rush for the jolly-boat; and Johnny Harding was in so great a hurry that he shoved the boat from the schooner, almost before the others had time to jump into her.
"Oars! Let fall! Give way together!" commanded the lieutenant, in a fever of excitement, as soon as the jolly-boat was clear of the bushes. "Stand by to jump out, and give chase the instant we touch the bank."
"I don't think we'll have to give chase at all," said Johnny. "What's the reason he doesn't run, I wonder? He is standing there in the bushes looking at us. We're after you, Tom Newcombe!"
"O, now, what do you want with me?" drawled the captain of the Crusoe band.
"We want you and that money, and we're bound to have you, too. It's all up with you now."
"I can't see it. You had better keep off, for you will find me a desperate man." As the skipper spoke he raised a club and shook it threateningly at the boat's crew.
Tom's subsequent actions greatly surprised the lieutenant. Instead of taking to his heels he removed his coat and hat, deliberately placed them upon the ground beside the valise, rolled up his sleeves, tested the strength of his club across his knee, and acted altogether as if he were preparing for a desperate encounter. He kept one eye on the jolly-boat all the while, and the moment she touched the bank, and Johnny Harding sprang out, he caught up the valise and disappeared in the bushes.
"What do you suppose he means?" asked Jackson. "Was he trying to frighten us?"
"If he was, he didn't succeed," replied Johnny, hurriedly. "We've got him at last. Tom never was much of a runner, and I'll agree to catch him in two minutes by the watch. And for a sixpence I'll insure his capture and the recovery of the money."
The boat's crew dashed into the bushes in pursuit of the flying skipper, and before Johnny's two minutes had expired they were almost within reach of him. A few steps more would have brought them near enough to seize him by the collar, when, to their amazement, Tom suddenly dropped the valise, faced about, and advanced furiously upon Johnny with uplifted bludgeon; at the same instant Sam Barton and his band of outlaws arose from the bushes on all sides of them and rushed forward, brandishing their clubs, and yelling like young savages. Tom had led the boat's crew into an ambush.
"Rally by fours!" shouted the lieutenant, whipping out his cutlass, which was instantly knocked from his grasp by a vicious blow from a club in the hands of Will Atkins.