CHAPTER XXI.A TRAP.
The sailors, superstitious as are nearly all their class, believed the wisest course would be to follow the old darky’s advice, arguing that since he knew more about the island and the ways of the repulsive beings who had been found upon it, than any one else, it was reasonable to suppose he could best extricate them from their uncomfortable situation.
Both Gil and Nelse, however, were determined to stay where they were until Jenkins returned, and to this end the former said to Andy:
“Come down here until you know what has been found. There can be no danger, since you’ve got your charm with you, and we are now positive that all the blacks have not left the island.”
“I dun seed ’em go wif my own eyes.”
“You saw three boats; but I tell you there are more not far from here, and, what is worse, it’s the old ones who have been left behind.”
Andy appeared incredulous until the sailors joined with Gil in the statement, and then, looking around suspiciously, as if expecting to see his enemies near at hand ready to spring upon him, the cook prepared to descend by first clutching firmly the mysterious “something” which was concealed beneath the bosom of his shirt.
On reaching the bottom of the shaft he went through a series of gestures, probably intended for the purpose of warding off danger, and then whispered, cautiously:
“Wha’ hab you seen, honey? Don’t try to fool wid de ole man, kase dis yere am no kinder time ter play pranks when de wustes’ sort ob trubble am cummin’.”
“I don’t want to fool you,” Gil replied, impatiently, “but it is necessary you should know that there are people in a sort of cave, perhaps the very one where we were kept prisoners, and their voices can be heard distinctly if you listen at the end of this tunnel, where it looks as if a wall of solid rock rose right up before you. Go on, and try to make out what they are talking about.”
While speaking, the boy had seized the old darky by the arm, as if to force him onward, and the latter shrank back with every show of terror.
“I wouldn’t go dere fur a millyon dollars, an’ dat’s eh fac’,” Andy said, with a long-drawn sigh. “Af it’s de ole debbils wha’ hab been lef behin’, de odders are skinnin’ roun’ fur ter get a crowd ober hyar to ketch us all.”
“Why would so much trouble be necessary, when they outnumber us at least three to one?” Nelse asked.
“Dat’s jes’ wha’ dey don’ know, honey. De fiery sarpints hab done made ’em t’ink we’se er hard gang, an’ dey’s gwine ter bring more ob dem ole fellers ter help erlong wid de hoodoo.”
Upon this point Andy appeared to be so positive that it would have been only a waste of time to argue the matter, and Gil urged him to follow up the tunnel in the hope oflearning by the conversation who the men were in the subterranean chamber.
This was a most signal failure, however, for the old darky not only refused to take a single step in the desired direction, but would not so much as look into the opening.
“I’se done gone had enuf ob sich t’ings,” he said, solemnly, “an’ now I’m gwine ter keep my ole head outer trubble whar dar’s a chance. Dere’s a boat hyar what b’longs ter de captain, an’ de bes’ t’ing we kin do is ter git ’way frum dis yere islan’ afore de witches ’gin ter take a han’ in de muss.”
“We are willing to risk it a while longer, and your charm should be sufficient to make you stay while the rest of the party are here,” Nelse said, with a nervous laugh which had very little mirth in it.
“I’se got frou takin’ chances, no matter ef I had er hun’red charms,” the old darky replied, clutching yet tighter that which was suspended from his neck. “We wants ter mosey outer dis yere place, nebber min’ wha’ Job Jenkins says erbout it, kase I tells yer, chillun, it am mighty onhealthy when dem debbils begin for to git in dere work.”
Then Andy started to his feet as if on the point of swarming up the rope again, but before he could do so the mate appeared at the opening above, saying in a whisper, as he began to descend:
“Take care, below there, for the sun blinds my eyes so I can’t see where I’m going.”
In another instant he was in the midst of the anxiousgroup, all of whom, with the exception of Andy, began to overwhelm him with questions.
“It won’t take long for me to tell the story,” Jenkins said, as he seated himself on the ground. “There is no question but that this passage leads to the big cave. I went there, and hunted around quite a while before finding any signs of another outlet. Things were just as when I saw them last, an’ I could ’a’ taken my oath the whole crowd skipped out after the second dose of signal rockets, until I ran across what appeared to be a door cut in a piece of coral.”
“Did you open it?” Gil asked, eagerly.
“Of course. What would ’a’ been the use of lookin’ if I didn’t do the thing in proper shape? I pried the stone open till I could see a narrow passage that led in this direction, an’ then I stopped, for there was no reason of pokin’ my nose into danger. I reckon we’d better take to the boat, if we can manage to stow into the one we’ve got, for if that crowd comes back, as I feel certain they’re bound to do, we’ll be in hot water.”
“Now you’se torkin’ sense,” Andy said quickly. “When a man shoves his head inter de lion’s mout’ once, dat may be a mistake; but ef he does it de secon’ time, dat shows how big er fool he kin make ob hisself.”
The sailors were also eager to get away from such a dangerous locality, and against this preponderance of opinion neither Gil nor Nelse thought he should make any objections, although both believed the safest plan would be to take the chances and await Captain Mansfield’s return.
Now that the mate shared his opinion in regard to leaving the island, Andy was in a perfect fever to get away, and, without waiting for the others, he swarmed up the rope to the surface, the remainder of the party following a few seconds later, urged to what seemed foolish haste by his description of the dangers which threatened.
“Don’t stay down dar torkin’ ’bout nuffin,” he said instantly, on gaining the surface. “I’se been right yere afore, an’ knows how dese images kin skip ’roun’ when dey has bizness. We’se boun’ to mosey erlong like er flea, ’less we wants ter be cotched ergin.”
“Now don’t run the risk of carryin’ away your spars by crackin’ on too much sail,” said Jenkins, with a laugh. “I allow the fellers won’t be back for two or three days, an’ we can take things easy.”
The old darky was most vehement against delay, and did not cease to repeat what the blacks were able to do, until all the party were out of the tunnel. Then he would have started toward the shore without even waiting to gather up the small store of goods they had left on the surface if Jenkins had not peremptorily ordered him to stop until they were in proper marching order.
When the necessary arrangements had finally been made, Andy darted through the underbrush at such speed that the others were obliged to exert themselves to the utmost in order to keep pace with him, and the heat rendered rapid traveling both painful and exhausting.
“Let him go ahead,” Jenkins said, impatiently, after five minutes passed, during which the whole party had been running rather than walking. “He’s worse than anold woman when he gets frightened, an’ we couldn’t move faster than we’re doin’ now if the whole crowd were at our heels.”
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t take our time,” and Gil halted for a comfortable breath. “It will be better to start after dark, anyway, for no one could row very long in this heat.”
Having thus allayed their own nervousness, the little party proceeded toward the beach in a most leisurely fashion, until the sound of the surf told that they were very near the sea, when Andy burst through the underbrush at a faster gait than he had departed.
His black face was of an ashen hue, and his eyes open and staring as he said, in a hoarse whisper:
“De boat’s dun gone!”
“What do you mean, you fool?” the mate asked, angrily.
“She’s gone, an’ dat’s a fac’. Dem ole debbils knowed wha’ we was er tryin’ ter do, an’ dey’ve hoodooed her outer sight!”
“Probably you didn’t go within half-a-mile of where we left her.”
“Dere’s de tree we hitched her to, an’ you kin see whar dem as took her off walked ’roun’ huntin’ for us.”
“Then what you mean is that the crowd have come back, an’ we’re cut off again,” Jenkins replied, in a tone of relief, despite his oft-repeated assertion that he did not believe in what Andy called “cunjurin’.”
“Dat am de fac’.”
“I thought you said the old men had hoodooed her?”Nelse added, and the old darky said, with considerable show of spirit:
“Ob course dey did, else how could dem wuffless trash know where to fin’ her?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a look at the beach,” Jenkins said, as he took a revolver from his pocket. “Just as likely as not Andy has made a mistake.”
The others pressed forward, but the cook refused to move a single step. He declared that no earthly power could force him to leave the shelter of the trees, and was so vehement in his protestations that even the boys began to think perhaps it would be as well to exercise a little caution.
“Don’t rush right out in the open, for fear those who stole the boat may see you,” Gil said to the mate. “Perhaps the best way would be for us to stay here while you have a look around.”
“All right, keep under cover, an’ I’ll soon be back,” Mr. Jenkins said, as he disappeared from view amid the foliage, and the remainder of the party waited in silence for his return.
They were not to be kept very long in suspense. Five minutes later the mate returned looking very serious, and Nelse asked, eagerly:
“What did you see?”
“Enough to make me wish your father had waited one day longer. From the appearances I should say a regular mob of men had been around where we left the boat, and there is little doubt but that they are the same kind of a crowd we saw dancin’ near the fire. They’ve made offwith our craft, an’ now count on huntin’ us down at their leisure.”
Although this information was no more alarming than what Andy had predicted, the old darky seemed to be literally paralyzed with fear. He remained silent and motionless, staring at Mr. Jenkins as if in the latter’s face he could read even more terrible intelligence than had already been imparted.