CHAPTER XX.THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGE.
The treasure seekers were not kept long in suspense after the first evidence that there was some foreign substance beneath the surface.
In less than ten minutes Jenkins cleared the sand away, exposing to view an iron-bound hatch, which presented the appearance of having been taken from a small vessel. It showed every sign of age. The iron was so eaten with rust as to be nothing more than thin ribbons of metal, and the wood had been bored by insects or worms until it looked like a gigantic sieve.
“If there’s any treasure on this island here’s where we shall find it,” the mate said, as he paused to wipe the perspiration from his face. “It don’t stand to reason that men would spend their time burying a thing like this, and then make a chart to show exactly the spot, unless there was something valuable underneath.”
“Of course there’s plenty of gold down there, and perhaps we shall find a lot of diamonds and jewelry,” Gil cried, excitedly. “Why don’t you lift it up?”
“That’s more than can be done from below here, unless the hole is made at least twice as large, which will be too much work to suit me. There are some pieces of rope on the beach that were left over after we finished riggin’the boat. Get them, an’ we’ll soon have a purchase that’ll raise this ’ere cover mighty easy.”
Both the boys started for the shore at full speed. They were too much excited to be able to converse about the matter, and, without saying a single word, gathered up the desired articles, returning to the scene of the discovery in a wonderfully short space of time.
When they arrived Andy had come up from the beach to report that no craft of any kind was in sight, and he stood looking at the ancient hatch in silent horror.
“You see the chart we found meant something after all!” Nelse cried, triumphantly, as Jenkins set about rigging a rude purchase to a tree which stood near by.
“It meant dat we wus boun’ ter git inter de biggest kin’ ob trubble,” the old darky replied, after a short pause. “You hear me, chillun, dis yere is a mighty bad bizness. Ef you’se ain’ hankerin’ arter de wuss scrape you’se ebber heard ob, kiver dat hol’ up right smart.”
“But what is the matter with your charm?” Nelse asked. “It worked well since the voudoos got hold of us, and why should it fail now?”
“It ain’ strong enuf fur dis kin’ ob fussin’—nuffin would stan’ dat,” Andy replied, moodily.
“Now don’t begin your croaking again,” Jenkins said, with a laugh, the apparent certainty of finding treasure causing him to feel very happy. “We’ve pulled through so far, an’ I reckon there won’t be anything startling happen before we can get a peep of what is underneath this hatch.”
“How’s you’se bin pullin’ trou’?” the old darky asked,angrily. “Didn’t you’se cum widin a han’s bref ob bein’ killed?”
“But we wasn’t, and the rockets instead of your charm did the business for us.”
“Has yer done forget when de men set us driftin’ ’roun’ in de little boat?”
“We got our own jest the same, and didn’t have to undergo many hardships.”
“Kin yer git de yacht ag’in? Ain’ she dun bin sunk by de voudoos?”
“She is sunk, for a fact, but the fellows on this island didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Who tole yer so?”
“My own common sense.”
“Den let yer common sense show yer how ter git outer de scrape what you’se hankerin’ fur now,” and Andy stalked solemnly away, not so much as turning his head when the boys begged of him to wait until the hatch should be raised.
At that moment, when they were all so happy at the apparently successful result of their labors, the old darky’s anger seemed very comical, and no one tried to restrain his mirth, until Jenkins said:
“This won’t do if we want to find out how much treasure the pirates have buried here. All hands tail onto the rope, and we’ll soon have gold enough to tassel our handkerchiefs in great shape.”
It required considerable labor to raise the cumbersome mass of wood and iron, but it was finally accomplished, and, as the hatch swung above the surface each memberof the party rushed to the edge of the excavation excitedly.
Instead of seeing a vast amount of valuable plunder such as pirates are supposed to hide, nothing more startling than a deep hole or shaft met their gaze.
“The stuff must be at the bottom,” Gil said, after all had looked in silence for several moments.
“It’s a shaft of some kind,” Jenkins added, half to himself, “and I reckon we’ve had our labor for our pains. Old Andy knew what he was about when he refused to have anything to do with the scheme.”
“It isn’t certain that we’ve worked for nothing,” Nelse replied. “I can see what appear to be steps cut in the side, and as likely as not we shall find all we want at the bottom.”
“Seeing there’s nothin’ better to do, we might as well find out the whole story. Lay hold of that rope an’ lower me down.”
In another instant the mate was descending. His companions were able to perform their portion of the task with but little difficulty because he found a foothold here and there by which he could aid himself.
At least twenty feet of the rope had been payed out, when he shouted:
“I’m at the bottom, and there is a tunnel which runs on the level. Lower something for a torch, and I’ll keep on.”
“Why can’t we all come down?” Gil asked.
“There’s nothin’ to prevent. Throw some light wood in first, and then make the rope fast to a tree. You can come hand over hand without any trouble.”
After gathering what would be sufficient to supply the party with torches for several hours, Jenkins’ orders were obeyed, and the boys and the sailors were soon with the mate in a tunnel leading at right angles from the shaft, of sufficient height for one to walk upright. The passage looked as if it had been hewn from the solid coral, and, although evidently not used for many years, the air was pure as if it had never been closed.
Some little difficulty was experienced in lighting the wood, but when that had been done, Jenkins marched on, holding the torch as high as possible, that all might see this underground path which was supposed to lead to the valuable deposit.
“It’s certain this tunnel wasn’t dug for nothing,” Gil said, after they had walked at an ordinary pace for at least twenty minutes without having seen anything but the coral walls. “People wouldn’t spend much time on such work simply for fun, and it must have required many days to hew out such an amount of rock.”
“I reckon we’ve come to the end,” Jenkins replied, as the passage began to trend upward at a very decided inclination, and a moment later he stopped at what appeared to be the termination of the tunnel.
Before them was apparently a solid wall, but, as the light was thrown on it, Gil could see a crevice, very narrow and nearly filled with dust, at the side and bottom.
“It’s a door!” he cried, “and behind it is the gold!”
Jenkins handed the torch to Nelse, and threw his whole weight against the rock.
It yielded slightly, giving an opening not more thanhalf an inch wide, through which warm air and a glow as of a fire entered the tunnel.
Quickly, and without speaking, the mate extinguished the torch, and, to the astonishment of all, the sound of voices could be heard, indistinctly, it is true, but sufficiently to make it positive human beings were conversing at no very great distance from the aperture.
This was a conclusion to the tour of discovery upon which the explorers had not reckoned, and for several moments all stood in silent dismay, not knowing what course to pursue.
Then Jenkins tried to close the stone door, but in vain. It was perfectly smooth, and he could gain no hold upon it.
But few seconds were spent on the useless work.
Whispering softly, the mate directed his companions to retrace their steps with as little noise as possible, and all hands crept back through the now dark tunnel to the foot of the shaft which they had entered.
“What are we to do now?” Gil asked, impatiently.
“That’s just what we must decide upon,” Jenkins replied, “an’ it isn’t going to be an easy question to answer.”
“Who do you suppose the men are?” Nelse asked. “I thought it was certain all the blacks had left the island.”
“It seems that we made a mistake in coming to that conclusion. I’ve an idea the tunnel leads straight back to the cave where we had the pleasure of spending one night.”
“Then the apparent mystery can be explained if we make a search there,” Gil suggested.
“You are right, but it will be a good idea to hunt mighty cautiously, or we may find ourselves in a worse scrape than before. You stay here while I take a short trip in that direction, and at the same time warn Andy of what has been discovered.”
Both of the boys were unwilling the party should separate. Strength of numbers seemed to be their only protection, and the loss of one would be very serious.
Jenkins, however, was positive his plan offered the only chance of safety, and after some discussion the others agreed to it.
“I’ll take one of the revolvers, and you fellows will have the other. It is likely that I shall be away some time, therefore you mustn’t get nervous if I stay nearly all day. You had better get in the tunnel half-a-dozen yards from the shaft, so your voices won’t be heard if anybody happens to come this way.”
“But what about Andy?”
“I’ll try to make him come down here, for it isn’t safe to remain where those people, whoever they are, may find an opportunity of getting hold of him.”
After giving these orders, Jenkins swarmed up the rope hand over hand, and, without so much as an “adieu,” disappeared from the view of those in the shaft.
The three waited in almost perfect silence during fully half-an-hour, and then, as a slight rustling was heard from above, the cook’s head could be seen at the edge of the excavation.
His black face was literally gray with terror, and one would have said his eyeballs protruded very much more than usual as he asked, in a hoarse whisper:
“Am it er fac’ dat you chillun reckon on stayin’ hyar wid de whole crowd ob voudoos so nigh at han’?”
“What else can we do?”
“Come out an’ hide whar dere’s a chance to gib de debbils de slip ef dey begin’ cuttin’ up shines.”