Ray and I were escorted down the companionway into the cabin of theOrion, and were thrust into a room on the port side. A pair of blacks cut away the cords from our arms; and when they went out we heard a bolt pushed home in the door.
"We travel in style," observed Ray, surveying the pair of bunks, one above the other. "Let's see," he continued, "does your ticket call for an upper or a lower?"
A small, round, glazed porthole gave light, and a porcelain wash-bowl with faucets was fixed in the wall.
"And even a bathtub," said Ray, fingering the piece. "It's almost like being back on thePearlagain."
We were waited on by the blacks, who brought our food. The day passed uneventfully; though we spent much time at the porthole (which we finally succeeded to open, or we must have stifled) we saw not so much as a sail, nor a glimpse of the land. This last would be explained either on the score that the island lay on the other—the starboard—side, or that theOrionhad sailed out of view of the land. She might even be on a course to the west, going back home again, now. It was not till the stars were out that this point was settled. It was by those twinklers we learned we were on an eastern course.
The next morning we got a view of the land. It was just after theOrionhad gone about on the starboard tack. The mountains loomed up but four or five miles away. And while the vessel slowly came up into the wind, I eagerly scanned the horizon for a sail that should seem to be thePearl. But there was no ship of any kind in view. My heart sank. Could it be that after all they had not ferreted out our secret message?
The day following, sometime before noon, we heard sounds of excitement on the vessel. And we heard Duran's voice; "cussing in French," Ray said he was doing.
We got to the porthole.
"They must have got sight of thePearl," I said. Our hopes were high. Even on the starboard tack, we saw nothing but the sea, now fallen almost calm.
A half hour passed; we were again at the porthole.
"There she is!" cried Ray and I together. ThePearlwas in view.
Soon the wind was on us, as we could hear; and it grew dark. There was much scurrying on the deck overhead. Spray began to come in through our porthole, and we must close it. We could see birds rushing by. Our course was changed; no longer could we see thePearl. The roar of the storm increased every moment.
"It must be a hurricane," said Ray.
At last we saw land close by our porthole. Directly, we were in lee of it, and we heard the anchor go overboard.
"Well, we're in some kind of a harbor," I told Ray.
"But where's thePearl?" returned he.
"I hope she'll make the same harbor," I said.
The storm blew over, and broad daylight came once more. We watched continually at the window of our prison; but while we saw land all about, beaches and palms, and hills beyond, no vessel showed to us. If thePearlwere near she must be off our starboard. But we were not left long in doubt.
The bolt clicked, and our door opened. Duran appeared, and four blacks, who set to work to bind our arms again to our sides. We were led up on deck.
There lay thePearl, some hundreds of yards away. My heart jumped at sight of her.
Accompanied by Duran, we were hurried over the side into a boat, which set off immediately toward a beach to the south-east. We could see our friends but imperfectly on the deck of thePearl, where their figures moved about in some hurry.
We were nearing the shore when we saw a boat put off from thePearl. Then a second boat moved out from theOrion, filled with blacks, bearing guns. A few minutes, and we were startled by the boom of an explosion, and smoke rose from thePearl.
My heart sank. But then I saw the blacks in the water, and their boat seemed knocked to bits. The smoke dispersed, and I saw thePearlas right as ever.
"They've got a cannon," murmured Ray in my ear. "That is Norris."
The blacks swam toward theOrion. Duran gazed, rage in his look; and he swore roundly. He directed the men to a hurried landing. We were hustled out, pushed in among the cocoa palms, thence back into the brush. We came to a stop, and the four blacks, leaving their two guns with Duran, went back. It was doubtless to pull the boat up into concealment; for they soon appeared again, and the march was taken up.
What direction we went I had no means of knowing, but the ground gradually rose, and we came to where the undergrowth was less dense. This proved an agreeable change—if anything in our situation could be called agreeable, for in the briars and brush, Ray's and my arms fast, as they were, we could not protect our faces from the growth, that whacked and scratched us, as we were pushed hurriedly forward.
At last, after some casting about, Duran had the blacks get down on their hands and knees and literally drag the two of us into a most dense thicket, Duran going before, cutting a way. Many yards we went thus, scraping the ground; and we were finally dropped at the foot of a great tree which appeared to stand alone in the midst of the thicket. Here was a small space free of thicket growth; knives removed encroaching pieces of growth. Bags of food, that had been hanging by the necks of the blacks, were transferred to the low-hanging limbs of the trees, and preparations were made for some stay.
Duran crawled out of the place again, doubtless to reconnoiter.
Ray called after him as he started off on hands and knees—"Hey' there! You!" Duran stopped and looked back. "Don't be late back for supper," continued Ray.
Duran cursed him and went, upon which Ray turned with a serious face on one of the blacks, he that spoke English, and said, "Your boss' Sunday School education has been neglected. What do you say we start a mission right here?"
The black grinned. It was not his first experience of Ray's drollery.
We had indeed cause for cheer—knowing that our friends were so near to us. I was now sure that they had fathomed our hidden message. We felt confident, too, that Duran would not attempt again to get us away on board theOrion; and that one way or another we would win back to thePearl. Ray and I contrived to talk on these things, by veiling our speech beyond the comprehension of that one black listener.
"And where do you think they got their dog?" said Ray, meaning, of course, the barker—cannon.
"Back in that town, of course," I returned. "I've no doubt if we'd have gone sight-seeing, we'd found many old dogs of that species on the tumble-down ramparts."
"Just like Norris," said Ray. "And I suppose the 'skunk's' new game of 'pussy wants a corner' is like the old one."
"Yes," I said. "When they're off hunting for this new corner, he's got Ray and Wayne in, the 'skunk' means to make after that hole of his without company."
And so on we continued.
The black man listened to our talk, eyes large with noncomprehension. He, of course, could not know that "skunk" was Norris' pet name for Duran.
That our friends would immediately be searching the island for us, we had not the least doubt. That they had seen us in the boat making shoreward, and had put off in a boat, to intercept the blacks and rescue us, was a thing plain enough. We understood well that that cannon-shot—that had found its mark with such telling effect—was sent to destroy the boat full of blacks that had left theOrionto reinforce the blacks in our boat.
That our friends would have great difficulty to find us amongst all this jungle growth was certain. But now what would Duran contrive, to accomplish his purpose? He was intelligent enough to know that however securely he might truss and gag us, there was no assurance that we might not succeed to worm out of our bonds and get to thePearl, before theOrionshould be far enough away to insure against our catching up with him again. Would he leave some of his blacks to guard us? None would agree to this; for it would mean nothing less than finally to fall into the hands of our party. Who among them would have the stomach for that—particularly in view of that gold that lay at the other end of the rainbow?
There was no fire made for supper, which was eaten cold. Ray and I had our arms freed by the blacks, who put the cords on our legs. It was a great relief to have the use of our hands again, for we had become infested by "chiggers"—wee red insects that burrowed into our skins, causing severe itching and pain. Therefore it was little sleep we got when night came. The blacks were not free of the pests, and so we had four waking guards; and two guns between them to discourage ideas we had of escape.
The moon was well down behind the trees when Duran came crawling back. He had a strange white man with him. I got no proper look at the man in the dark, but his voice and manner put no encouragement in my heart. That he was some sort of scoundrel was not hard to perceive.
"Here they are," spoke Duran, in a low tone.
"Well," returned the man, "shake yourself, and let's get out o' this."
In two minutes we were being dragged out of the thicket again. Silently, and with some hurry, the party stumbled through the woods. When I got a view of the stars, I perceived that we were making in an easterly direction. In less than an hour a halt was made. We were still in the forest, but I could hear the surf not far off, and so knew we were close to water.
There was a tent under the trees, and four other white men came forward. The blacks squatted on the ground, Ray and I between them. Duran was in colloquy with one of the whites.
"There's no use wastin' yer breath on that, I'm tellin' ye," said the man. "We don't sail away from here. We got business here that's pressin'. Five thousan' ain't temptin' us, with others on the island."
"Yes, but I give five t'ousand more if you keep them one week," said Duran. "And—"
"Now looky here," interrupted the other. "It's no use. Besides we got as purty a little place to hide them in, the devil himself couldn't find them. We don't sail away with them, that's sure as shootin'. It's just a thousand apiece down, we hold them a week, and if you succeed, it's a thousand apiece more, when you come back in a month, that's all there is to it. Now mush along after the spondulicks afore it's daylight an' too late, or maybe their friends has got some gold, and—"
"No—No!" said Duran. "They can never have what I have. When I come back I breeng ten thousand—you see!"
Duran and the four blacks were soon gone, and Ray and I had new keepers. One of the five white men remained by us, while the other four moved off out of ear-shot for some sort of discussion. Ray sought to talk with our guard, but he would have none of it.
"Shut your palaver!" he ordered. And he made a threatening gesture.
Within two hours Duran appeared. Then came the counting of money, in bills and gold, in the light of the lantern. Each white man took his own share, and smacked his lips over it.
"You keep them one week," said Duran, then. "I come back in one month, and I give you ten thousand, maybe more if I succeed well."
And he was off again in the dark forest.
"That was good business," said the leader of the five.
"And bad policy," broke in Ray.
"Shut your yap!" said the man. "And who was askin' your opines?"
"Oh, I've got a big heart for the miserable and ignorant," returned Ray.
"And a long tongue for a kid, I'm thinkin'," said the man.
"It'll be short when I get to talking to some purpose," snapped Ray.
"It's time we're shovin' them in the hole," said the leader now. "Darby, it'll be your watch first," he continued as they led us away.
In ten minutes we were at the foot of a hill, stumbling over roots, and stooping to avoid the branches.
"Now bend your backs an' come on," ordered the man in front.
We pushed through a tangle of growth, and next, stood in the cool of a cave, as we saw by the light of the lantern. It was a room fifty or sixty feet across.
"Looks like there's been an earthquake in here," observed Ray.
The dirt of the floor, for the greater part, was in irregular mounds. It was evidently done with spade and pick, for nothing else would account for the condition it was in.
"They're hunting for treasure," I said in Ray's ear.
We sat crouched against the cool of one of the heaps.
The men had squatted close to the entrance. A bottle was produced.
"Here's two fingers to the success o' this new deal," said the leader, turning the bottle bottom up in the midst of his beard.
The flask went round to the others. One said—"Here's hopin' he'll come back with the ten thousand." And another—"Here's wishin' him in h—l if he don't," as he drank.
"Well the kids' party ain't after our game, that's a comfort," said one, lighting his pipe.
"Why not turn the kids loose, an' so we'll get rid o' the whole mob o' them?"
"Why not? you says; an' you claim to have brains in that thing on your shoulders! Now didn't our man with the money say as how his success depended on keepin' the kids' party here a week, an' ain't our ten thousand dependin' on his success?"
"Well, he'll never come back with no ten thousand, success or no success."
"Maybe no, but I'm willin' to take a chance on it, since the chance is so cheap."
They soon fell into discussion of other topics.
"Granddaddy Par always said it was buried in three places. Now because some others have been before us in this cave, it's no sign they have been before us in the other places. If I hadn't been such a little kid when he showed me that map, and said as how he'd take me with him some day an' go after the stuff—it was always 'some day,' and the rheumatiz never left him till he died. As I was sayin', if I hadn't been such a little kid, I'd made a copy o' the map."
"It's queer you can't remember nothin' on the map."
"I see it in my dreams, times; but when I wakes it's all gone. But I think we're on the right track. That old harpoon grown tight in that crotch o' the tree, pointin' over to the two trees, blazed, wasn't for nothin'."
"How do ye know them's blazes on the trees?"
"It's plain ye ain't no woodsman. They ain't nothin' can cause such marks 'cept blazin'. An' the best thing about it—there ain't been no diggin' anywhere in that place."
And so they continued till the bottle was finished, and all had dozed off except the man they called Darby, who came over and had a good look at our bonds.
Ray and I were wakened by voices. The treasure-hunters were all stirring, preparing to go off to their day's digging. One they called Stephen Conry remained to be our guard. He brought us food when the others had gone.
"Now, ye'll not monkey with the ropes," said our guard, examining the knots on our limbs, after having given our hands freedom. "I'm quick on the trigger when I'm mad. So no gum games on Conry. Heed that!"
"Oh! I wouldn't part with these ropes for anything," said Ray. "I'm getting so used to them I couldn't sleep without them. I'd be afraid someone would kidnap me if I didn't have them."
The man stared, lacking humor.
"You'd be none the worse off, if you turned us loose," I told the man. "And you'll be no better off if you keep us. That man will never come back. He isn't the kind—"
"We ain't goin' to discuss that," returned the man. "We'll turn you two loose, 'none the worse off,' when the time's up, not afore." And he went back to the entrance of the cave, leaving the lighted lantern on a box.
My mind was taken with painful reveries. Our party was now facing failure again. Here had Duran got the two of us hidden in a place, our new guards declared, would never be found out by our friends. Never is a long time, you'll say. But suppose our party was to delay two or three days in the search for us? Would not Duran then be off beyond possibility of following, and so gain to the mine without fear of detection? That he had much reason to fear our pursuit there had been ample evidence. And now he had paid five thousand dollars to these men to hold us—and thus indirectly to hold all our party—for a week, that he might safely hie away to finish enriching himself from the mine of the Brills.
These reflections made me squirm with impatience. Some way must be found to accomplish escape before night, for then Duran would surely be off, and all of us undone. Our guard, I saw, kept a sharp eye out, so we durst not even look at our bonds.
A little before noon, John Mullins, the leader of the treasure-hunters, came crawling into the cave, chuckling over a bit of news.
"And what do you think, Steve? The kids' friends have been 'round, askin' if we'd seen anything of them. There was three on 'em; a big fellow with a rifle and two kids. He said it was two boys they was lookin' for. I says I ain't never seen no boys on this island 'cept them he had with him. An' then he wants to know if we'd seen some black cannibals, an' a white cannibal amongst 'em. Think o' that, Steve, cannibals!
"'Lor' bless you!' I says, 'there ain't no cannibals in this part o' the world!'
"'Well,' says he, 'you can take it from me as how there's no less'n a dozen cannibals on this here island now, an' a white skunk is their leader.' Now what do you think o' that, Steve Conry?"
"I—I don't rightly make it out," said Steve, ruminating—scratching his head. "They must o' had their bellies full when they left the kids with us to keep. Now do you suppose," went on Steve with a new thought, "as how maybe they mean to come back at the end o' the week we was to keep the kids, an' that then they're expectin' to have their appetites again, an' eat the kids—an' then eat us too, an' get back the five thousan' to boot?"
I nudged Ray at this, and got a poke in return.
"Ha! That's all bosh," laughed the other. "They ain't no more cannibals than you an' me. The feller was just tryin' to scare us—maybe thought he'd get us to help them against the black crowd—whatever the game is, but I let him see John Mullins wasn't born yesterday, and not frightened o' bogey stories. So when he saw it was no use he just moved on. Well, Steve, you go an' get your grub, an' bring a snack for the kids. We got to keep 'em fed up for the cannibals." And he laughed at his joke.
Steve disappeared through the hole, and Mullins turned to Ray and myself.
"I reckon your friends 'd pay a nice little wad to get ye back," he ventured.
"I reckon they wouldn't," I promptly told him. I began to fear he might try them, and perhaps find Julian too willing to offer a reward for us. I had another idea than that.
"Oh, you don't think they would, hey?" said Mullins, a bit taken aback by my answer. "I thought," he said, "they was kind o' keen to get ye."
The thought of that piece of indelible pencil in my pocket rose in my mind again. "Well, they might if I was to write them a note telling them to."
"Oh," said Mullins, "if you was to write them a note." He ruminated. "Now that would be tellin' them we knew where you was. Well, we'll think about it a day or two."
A day or two, I thought, wouldn't suit our book.
Steve had soon returned, and Mullins went out. Our guard came to see to our bonds; and he twisted his head in a way that told me he had something on his mind.
"These here niggers," he began, "they ain't no cannibals, I reckon?"
"Well, they sure are," said Ray. "I reckon we ought to know."
The man looked to me, as if for my verification.
"Yes, they're cannibals," I told him. And then went on to relate to him something of the doings that night in the forest, recounting how I'd seen Duran with the knife at the throat of the child, and the kettle for the boiling of the human meat. And I was careful to tell him about the grown man who had been buried alive, and in the night disinterred by the voodoos who had torn out his heart and lungs to be devoured. I assured him I had looked on the wife of the man, while she told the story, which had been verified by others. My story, being fact, rang true, and I could see the man was nine parts convinced, and not a little frightened.
A number of things had come under my observation. Our guard kept a knife on a little ledge by the entrance to the cave, which knife he used to cut tobacco for his pipe. And it was the practice to tie our hands tight with thongs whenever the guard wished to leave the cave for a minute or two. While the man, Steve—he was the weakest of the five—smoked his pipe near the entrance and ruminated over the story I'd told him, I whispered to Ray, giving him a plan I had for escape. Our present guard was to remain on till the next morning, when he would be relieved by one called Joseph Glasby.
Once, when Steve Conry came to set the thongs on our wrists preparatory to a turn outside, Ray showed a pair of sore wrists—he had contrived the marks—and begged that he would not pull the strings so tight as to crucify him that way. The man was impressed, and the thongs were set a bit looser.
When the guard was gone, Ray tugged for a moment, and—"It's easy," he said, and he held up his hand. His hands were thin, a little easing of the knot, and he slipped them out of the thongs. But we heard the guard coming, and he slipped his hands back into his bonds again.
"They're a long time away," grumbled Conry. "I'm gettin' tired o' this."
"Where are they gone?" said Ray.
"They've gone to have a look at the ships—your friends' an' the other one," he said. "There's too much o' this puttin' things on—"
His grumbling was cut short. There occurred some kind of concussion, that shook the earth. Particles fell from the roof of the cave to the floor.
"An earthquake!" shouted Ray.
Conry jumped erect. And the next moment he was scrambling out through the hole.
"Now, Ray!" I said.
Ray had his hands out. He rolled to the entrance, got up to the knife. In a half minute both of us were free of our bonds. I grasped a box of matches, then blew out the lantern light.
Conry came crawling back into the cave.
"Humph! What's come o' the light," grunted Conry.
When he went groping for the lantern, Ray and I scrambled out. We were astonished to find it was night, when we came into the open. We hurried through the forest, not caring what the direction, till we should be safely away from the region.
We made what speed we could for a considerable time amongst the undergrowth; and when at last we came to an open space, we heard the surf close by. And we were a good deal taken aback to see a schooner lying at anchor, some way off from the beach, in the small harbor. The bright moonlight showed her outlines plain to us, and she was neither thePearlnor theOrion. We had traveled in a circle apparently; and there came the shouting voice of Stephen Conry, nearby, calling his comrades.
"We're back almost where we started from," said Ray.
"Yes," I said. "We'll have to go by the moon, now, or we'll not get anywhere."
We plunged again into the forest, and were careful to keep the moon on our left; this insured our holding our course in a westerly direction. We kept, too, as much as possible to the higher ground, for the going was easier, there being less undergrowth to tangle our feet.
We hadn't been twenty minutes struggling on, when we were startled by a voice just before us. I seized Ray by the arm and dragged him with me into a thick bush.
"It's just like I've been a tellin' ye. The kids' friends tried to sink the other schooner," said the voice of Mullins.
"An' I've been axin' ye," spoke another voice, "for why would they be suddenly—now—be wantin' to sink them. Why didn't they try it afore, if—"
The voices were lost in the forest, as the men went back the way Ray and I had come. We took up our march again, and a half hour had not gone when we arrived at the western end of the island, and stood under the cocoanut palms, looking on the two schooners, thePearland theOrion. A little breeze rippled the waters of the bay. No lights showed on either vessel.
"Doesn't she look good?" said Ray.
"Yes," I assented. "I wish we were aboard."
I led the way up the beach to the north a piece. We wove a bit of matting of palm fans, for a screen; and then soon had collected some dry wood for a signal-fire. We selected our fireplace at the edge of the palms, and so disposed the screen that the fire would be visible to thePearlbut not to theOrion.
A match was struck; we had a blaze. Using my shirt, I let out flash after flash for the benefit of those on thePearl; and we watched for an answer. For a considerable time we fed the fire, signalled, and watched. But no answering flash came. "Looks like they're dead," grumbled Ray.
"That Mullins didn't talk like it," I returned. "Well, they'll look this way yet!" And I continued to signal.
Then suddenly we heard voices down the beach. Fortunately it was on the screened side of the fire.
"Quick, Ray!" I said. And we buried the fire in sand. We grasped the screen and fled into the brush.
"It's Mullins and his crowd again," I said.
"They've come looking for us," observed Ray.
We went a little way to the north in the forest, and came again to the beach.
"There's a boat from thePearl!" said Ray.
The boat was moving fast toward the beach.
"They're already too far in to signal them," I said. "Let's swim down and crawl to the boat while they're talking with Mullins and his gang."
We entered the water. The little waves helped to keep our heads invisible. We kept out from the beach till we were in line with the boat and the group on shore. It was then we moved directly to the boat, and got our heads close under the gunwale. I then rose close to a thole and peeped over. The moon was fairly bright.
I could see Robert and Julian between the group and the boat. I gave a low whistle intended to carry only so far as to the boys. Twice I repeated it. Then Robert started. Once more I whistled low. Robert now joined Julian, and the two came into the boat.
They made of themselves a screen for us, while Ray and I climbed in. And we lay ourselves down under the thwarts.
The storm had put things on thePearltopsy-turvy. Norris' first care was for his cannon, of which he was happy to find the lashings had held. He threw off the tarpaulin.
"Ah!" he said, "she's O. K. Just a little—"
He was cut short by Robert.
"There goes a boat!" cried Robert. "And there's Wayne and Ray in it!"
"The h—l!" said the staring Norris, and he ran to where Captain Marat and two sailors were unlashing one of our boats. In a pair of minutes we had it in the water.
"Robert, Julian, Carlos," spoke Captain Marat. "We go."
Captain Marat and Carlos each took up a rifle, and the next minute we were pulling for shore. We had not covered half the distance to the beach, when we were attracted to another boat moving from theOrion, this one full of black men. Then Norris' cannon boomed. That boat full of black men took the shot in the middle and ceased to be a boat. I saw men swimming toward theOrion. Some must have been killed, though I could not tell for the debris.
"Norris got them!" Robert said, exulting.
Captain Marat's eyes danced. "Thad Englishman one ver' good man," he said.
We hurriedly pulled to the beach and sprang out. We ran down the beach a way, then pushed through the cocoanut palms and into the forest, to head off those with Wayne and Ray. But we were too late, and the forest too thick, we could not see them. We searched for hours; and then it began to grow dark, so we went back to thePearl.
"When they got in the jungle you had no chance," said Norris, when we told of our failure. "I'll have a try in the morning," he added.
Rufe had supper on the table. While we ate, we talked over what was to be done.
"It ver' plain what Duran he want to do," said Captain Marat. "He want to hide thee boys again, an' w'en we look for them, then he sail away."
"Well it's up to us," said Norris, "to see that he doesn't sail away till we find them. Now, and I'll bet he don't!"
We divided the night into two watches; nine to twelve, and twelve to three. Norris, Robert, and I were to take the first watch, Captain Marat and Carlos that from twelve to three. We were to go in the small boat to the islet, and move along the beach to some place near theOrion, and observe any activity that might be going on there.
During that first watch all was quiet on theOrion. There was little movement on her deck, which was plainly visible in the bright moonlight. There were one or two wounded, as we could see by the conduct of those waiting on them.
It was during Captain Marat's watch that Duran returned aboard in the other boat. It was plain, Captain Marat said, that Wayne and Ray were not in the boat with him.
Day had just dawned when Norris and Robert and I climbed down into the boat to go ashore in search of the boys.
"Now, Captain Marat," said Norris, as we cast loose, "the first signs that skunk shows of clearing out, give him that shot alongside. I'll hear it an'll be back in a jiffy. And we'll soon have him out of his notion."
"All righ'," said Captain Marat. "I do like you wish."
We pulled our boat high on the beach and cut brush and covered it, to hide it and protect it from the hot sun. We searched all over the south half of the island—it was three or four miles long. We saw no signs of our two missing friends.
Near noon, we came to the eastern end of the island, where were two hills. And there we were surprised to see a schooner in a small bay. A tent was among the trees close to the beach.
"We'll have to see what's here," said Grant Norris. And he walked up and lifted the flap of the tent. "No one home, it seems," he added.
We had a good look at the schooner.Susannashowed on her bows.
"I won't be satisfied till we've had a look at the Susannians," said Norris. "We'll take a look round for them."
"Here's a new trail, going up this way," said Robert, moving toward the north.
We'd gone above half a mile, a good deal of it in forest not so thick in underbrush, when we heard voices. Then we came upon four rough-looking, bearded men, digging. They saw us, and one of them came forward.
"Good morning," said Norris. "We're looking for a couple of boys that are on this island—wonder if you've seen anything of them."
"Boys," said the man, "I ain't ever seen no boys on this island 'cept them two you got with ye."
"Well," said Norris, "maybe you've seen some black cannibals with a white cannibal among them?"
"Lor' bless you!" returned the man, "there ain't no cannibals in these parts."
"Well," said Norris, "you can take it from me, there's no less than a dozen cannibals on this here island right now, and a white skunk is their leader."
The man had no reply. He looked a little nonplused.
"Well, boys," said Norris, "I guess we'll hike along."
And we moved off, leaving the man staring after us.
It was nearing noon, so we moved directly west. We had promised to be back at mid-day.
"I don't like the looks of those men," said Robert. "And that fellow we talked with—I think he pretended to be surprised when you told him about the black men."
"They don't any of them shine with honesty, that's certain," said Norris. "We'll have to have another look at their place, and their boat."
He had some thought he didn't express.
"What do you suppose they're digging for?" I asked.
"I guess they've got a hunch there's treasure buried on this island," answered Norris. "I wouldn't wonder if this place has been dug over twenty times."
We approached a region of low, wet ground. The smell of the place was sickening. It gave me a feeling of giddiness, a nausea, and depression of spirits. Robert afterward confessed the same thing. He said it made him feel something like death and corruption was rising and surrounding him.
At last we got to our boat, and rowed aboard thePearl. Captain Marat reported that Duran had remained on board theOrionall morning, and that the blacks had been busy putting on a new foresail.
Captain Marat and Carlos took their turn on shore, after the noon meal, to search over the north half of the island. Norris, Robert, and myself were to keep watch over the movements of Duran and his black crew.
"What do you think, boys?" said Norris, when we had seen Marat and Carlos disappear among the palms on shore. "Do you think Wayne and Ray might be on that ship of those treasure-hunters?"
"Not very likely," said Robert. "Duran has found a better hiding place. The boat is too public. But I shouldn't wonder if he hasn't some deal with those men."
"Just what I've been thinking," agreed Norris. "But if they're not found by dark we'll have to look out; theOrionwill sure be trying for a getaway tonight, and we've got to prevent that. I don't think he'll try it in daylight, for he isn't so sure what we might do. But we'll have to know what he's up to."
So we three prepared to embark in the small boat. It was deep water close under the sheltering isle, so both schooners lay fairly close in to the narrow beach of it. We were soon over, and up among the brush of the hill. We found a good lookout, from which we could peer down on the deck of theOrion, where the blacks lounged lazily.
"Everything's ready for sailing," said Norris. "And there's that white cuss using his glasses to see what he can see on shore."
It was a tedious afternoon, hot, not a breath stirring. We were glad when the sun set and we saw Captain Marat and Carlos returning. We hurried back to thePearlto meet them.
They were alone. Their faces were gloomy with failure. Not a sign of any kind had they found to encourage them. Rufe was so disappointed, tears were in his eyes.
"I jes' had a kind o' notion," he said, "you-all would a' had dem boys back wid ye dis time. I jes' been fixin' de bes' kin' o' bread puddin', de kin' dem boys was so crazy about. Dey ain't had a decen' meal for ebber so long!"
When we were at supper, and Rufe had poured a second cup of coffee all round; I heard him mumbling to himself, as he went to the galley, "I jes' goin' to save dat puddin' anyway. I ain't goin' to give up—no sah, I ain't goin' to give up." And the pudding was not forthcoming; and no one inquired for it.
Captain Marat and Carlos went to watch theOrionthis time. The moon was very bright; the cocoanut palms stood out distinct on that shore to the east. Somewhere behind them lay our two friends, Wayne and Ray, and I wondered how they were faring. A light breeze sprang up after nine o'clock, and the ripples danced on the waters of the bay. It was then we saw Captain Marat and Carlos coming in the boat.
"They make ready to sail," said Captain Marat, before he scrambled over the rail.
"High there! Rufe!" called Norris. "Heat that poker." And he went to his gun and threw off the tarpaulin, and with help rolled the carriage round, and trained the gun.
Presently we heard the squeal of a block coming from theOrion.
"That means a sail going up," said Robert.
"Now, the poker!" cried Norris.
Rufe came running forward with the glowing iron.
There came a flash and a "Boom!"—and a splash over near theOrion. Then we heard the rattle of the block as the sail was allowed to drop.
"They took the hint," said Norris. "That fellow is not so dull."
Marat and Carlos were soon again off to the isle to watch; and Norris rammed home another charge in the brass cannon; and Rufe kept a little fire going in the galley stove. We waited long for another attempt to sail on the part of theOrion, but no such news came from the watchers.
At last came an alarm from Rufe. "Dar!" he cried. "You-all—look dar!"
Instinctively we looked toward theOrion. Then we turned to Rufe who pointed shoreward. There, under the palms we saw a beacon flashing—flash followed flash.
"It's Wayne and Ray!" cried Robert.
We produced a lantern and signalled back. But the shore signals had suddenly ceased.
"To the boat!" cried Norris.
Directly, the three of us were moving shoreward, Norris and Robert pulling with all their might.
When we touched shore, we saw four men coming from down the beach.
"It wasn't them," said Robert. "The light was up here."
The four were the treasure-hunters.
"It's a fine night," said Norris, moving to meet the men.
"Tolerable," returned the leader.
"But it's awful dry," said Norris. "We've been trying to make it rain. Hear the shot?"
Robert and I fell back, gazing into the shadows under the palms, hoping for signs of Wayne and Ray. Presently I heard a low whistle, just as Robert plucked me by the sleeve and pulled me to the boat.
There were the two boys in the water. We covered them while they climbed in and crawled under the seats.
And so Robert and I moved back to the group. Just to make talk, Norris was quizzing the men about the game on the island; but we contrived, by signs, to convey to Norris that we had news.
"Well, boys," said Norris at last, "let's have another little row before we turn in."
It was a jolly crowd rowed back to thePearl.
"Say, Ray," said Norris. "What did you want to run off and hide yourself that way for?"
"Want to," sniffed Ray. "Oh, just to see how good a hunter you were—wonderful how easy you found us!"
"Well, let's try it again," said Norris, "and I'll bet you my new gun—"
"Thanks," said Ray. "Turn about's fair play, I'm going to stay in base and keep Rufe company."
And here again Wayne takes up the tale.
When Ray and I set our feet on the deck of thePearlagain, I felt a thrill go all through me. I felt like hugging the mainmast. Captain Marat and Carlos were there, and Rufe. Rufe fairly blubbered with happiness.
"Oh, Lordy!" he said, "somebody clap foh me, I jes' got to dance."
And we clapped our hands and patted our thighs in time for him, and he began his "double-shuffle." Carlos caught the infection and jumped into the ring, and there the two black men footed it hot on the deck for five minutes. "Hoo-o-we," yelled Rufe at last, and ran for the galley.
In a little a sumptuous meal was on the table for Ray and me; and while we ate, waited on by the others, we told our story.
"Five thousand dollars!" said Norris. "Duran spending five thousand on the chance of getting us off his trail. That must be some gold mine, that of yours, Carlos."
"Yes, I think," agreed Carlos.
At last came a whole big bread pudding. "I jes' know you was a'comin', an' I saved it," said Rufe.
Ray turned over his stool, as he jumped to give the black a hug. "Oh, if I'd only known that was coming." And he put his hand on his stomach.
When we two had stuffed ourselves the limit, Ray lingered at the table, looking very sober, his chin in his hand, his eyes on the big remaining portion of the pudding. Rufe sidled up.
"What it is make you so sad?" he said.
"Say, Rufe," said Ray, "isn't it the chicken that has two stomachs?"
"I reckon dat's right," said Rufe.
"Well, I guess I'm half a chicken," said Ray.
"Why," said Rufe, "has you got two stummicks?"
"No," returned Ray, a wail in his tone, "but I've got two appetites."
And Rufe rolled on the deck.
"Well, now," said Norris at last, "that voodoo skunk can sail when he gets ready, the sooner the better."
"Yes," agreed Captain Marat. "Now we ready for heem. He ver' clever if he fool us some more, now."
Norris volunteered to take the watch till two o'clock; then Robert offered to follow him. All others turned in.
I awoke, hearing Robert in talk with Captain Marat. "It looks to me like theOrion'smoving, slowly—no sails up," Robert was saying. In a little while the two climbed into a small boat. The moon had gone down, and it was quite dark. The night breeze was still blowing gently. I again dozed off, too tired to note what was going forward.
I do not know how long I slept this time, but when I opened my eyes next, it was to hear blocks creaking; and jib and mainsail were already set, and the foresail was going up. Marat and Robert had gone to the isle, and hurried over opposite theOrion'sberth, to find that that schooner's crew had been warping the vessel out toward the south passage. The two waited till theOrionhad made sufficient progress to set her sails and attain headway, then they had hurried back to set thePearlin pursuit again.
The tail end of a squall came to give us a boost. TheOriongot a greater portion of it.
Ray did not waken till we were well out in the open sea.
"What!" said he, looking abroad. "Has the island sunk?"
In half an hour the sun burst out of the sea, showing that island astern. TheOrionwas perhaps three miles away, heading a little south of west. It was not till eleven that morning that we got a wind to give us good headway.
Day after day, now again, we kept the schooner,Orion, company. She seemed to make no effort to elude us. The nights were bright moonlight, making us an easy task. Then at last we sighted the towering, ragged mountains of the great island of the voodoos. We were to the south of the island this time.
"Looks like that skunk is going the long way round," said Norris.
"Hopes to shake us off somewhere on the south coast, maybe," I suggested.
"Thad is ver' evident," said Captain Marat. "He could save ver' much time to go back by the north coast."
"He'll be up to some new 'gum-game'," said Norris.
And so it proved, as we came to know.
We weathered a number of severe squalls, and sizzled during some calm days. We followed theOrionaround a point of the island, and into a harbor of that south coast.
We were somewhat disturbed by that movement of Duran's, feeling that it meant some new trouble to meet. We picked a berth for thePearlrather close to theOrion's, for we must have a close eye on Duran.
"Perhaps he's going overland," suggested Julian.
"If he does, we'll go overland too," I offered.
"I believe he too lazy," said Carlos. "No railroad—big mountain."
"Well," said Norris, "we'll keep a sharp lookout, and see."
It was past noon when we cast anchor in that harbor. The officials of the place came and went. Duran did not go ashore, though he sent some blacks. Carlos we sent with two sailors, after some needed provisions and water.
The hot tropic sun beat down on us unmercifully; there was scarce a breath of air coming into that place. I sauntered up to Grant Norris, where he leaned, dripping sweat on his tarpaulin-covered cannon, looking over toward theOrion.
"To think," he said, "that it depends on that skunk how long we're to lie in this blazing hole. I can almost see him sneering over there."
"Never mind, Mr. Norris," I told him. "Maybe when our turn comes we can pay him back."
"And, oh! Let me at him!" said Norris, "when that time comes."
Then the end of the day came; darkness fell. It turned almost chill, and we turned in below. The moon was due to rise some time after nine, so that there would be but a short time of darkness; and then would come moonlight, making the watch on Duran's movements easy. It was Julian took the first watch, eight to ten. When he called Norris, at four bells—or ten o'clock—the land breeze had already risen. I awoke at the change of watch, for I had come to be a light sleeper, and I heard the little waves rippling along the schooner's hull. I saw, too, that it was bright moonlight; the moon was just past the full.
It was not yet midnight, when I was aroused by a clamor in the cabin. Norris had come in.
"Out with you! Every mother's son of you," he said. "We're sinking."
There was much consternation as we all turned out, jerking on bits of clothing.
We followed Captain Marat into the hold. As we neared the bows, we heard the splash of the water. Marat sent two sailors to the pumps. The rest of us set to work to shift the stores to places out of reach of the incoming water. To find the leak would require considerable time. Marat soon determined that the water was not coming in so fast but that the pump would be able to hold its own against it.
"We must put thee schooner on the beach," said Captain Marat.
Both boats were manned, and tow-lines put aboard them. The tide was ebbing, so we had great labor to move the schooner toward the mouth of the little river, where Captain Marat looked for a favorable place to lay the bow of thePearl. When we were in the boats and beginning to bend our backs to the labor, we heard the voice of Duran on theOrionin a loud, hearty laugh.
"Laugh, you filthy skunk," said Norris, who sat next to me, "I'll never rest till you're paid for all your foul doings."
It was not many minutes till we saw the sails of theOriongo up, and the land breeze and ebbing tide, together, carried that schooner off into the open sea, at last beyond our vigilance. I felt a sinking within me at the realization. But I had already had thoughts of what should be done in case we were by some chance to lose sight of Duran.
We had been tugging at our oars for little above half an hour, making very poor progress, when the tide came to the turn. And then we had it with us, and it was not long till we were moving in at a rate almost to make us cheerful again.
It was a black sailor who had discovered the fact of the leak in thePearl. He had heard an unusual sound. It was the trickling water more or less confused with the rippling of the waves against the hull. He had gone to Norris with the news. And Norris had given his ear to the thing only for a moment, before sounding the alarm.
At last we came to the piece of beach aimed for. We took the anchor in a small boat well in to shore, so that as the tide rose the bow of the schooner was pulled more and more on the sand. It would be well toward noon of the new day, before the tide will have reached its height, and so begin to recede, and leave thePearlshowing gradually more and more of her hull above water.
We found time to discuss the situation and the probable means employed for our undoing; for no one of us was in any doubt that it was Duran who had done this thing.
"He send one black weeth the augur, or brace and bit, an' drill holes in thee hull," said Captain Marat. And he pointed to a loop of rope still hanging on a starboard bowsprit stay. It was by that rope that the worker had swung himself, while he bored holes into the hull below water-line.
"And to think he sneaked up on me in broad moonlight and did that thing!" said Grant Norris.
"Well, you see," I offered, "the swimmer approached on the opposite side from theOrion; and the waves helped hide his head. We none of us dreamed of his trying anything like that."
"We should have done even more than ever dream it," wailed Norris. "And now he'll have at least twenty-four hours the start of us, the best we can do."
"What I'd like to know," said Robert, "are we going to let that—that—"
"Kidnapper-voodoo priest—cannibal—son-of-a-polecat," prompted Ray.
"What I'd like to know," continued Robert, "are we going to let him beat us after all?"
"Not if I have to go after him single-handed," declared Grant Norris.
"But he's making direct for that gold mine," said Robert.
"There's only one thing to do," Julian offered. "Some of us will have to go overland."
"Yes, that ees it," said Carlos. "We beat him there!"
"What!" said Ray. "Jump over those mountains!" He looked up to those peaks towering many thousands of feet; the morning sun had just set his glow on them.
"Yes," I said. "There are roads over the passes, and the distance can't be over two hundred miles."
"Id is thee only chance," said Captain Marat, "I get thee chart."
The chart was spread on the table.
"Id take anyway five day for theOrionto sail round to thee places," said Captain Marat, making measurements, "if she have most favorable wind."
"It won't take over four days to make it overland," I offered, "if we make only thirty miles a day with horses."
"Just so," agreed Captain Marat, verifying my measurements.
"What is more," Robert added, "we know pretty accurately where Duran will land to go to the gold mine."
We all of us caught afire with the prospect, Carlos not the least, for the sailing away of Duran had set a melancholy on his face.
"Hurray!" cried Norris, "we'll beat that skunk yet."
Preparations went immediately forward. Norris, Julian, and Carlos hurried over to the town, to secure horses and a guide. Robert and I set to work on our packs, for it was we two that were to make the overland journey, accompanied by Carlos.
It wanted an hour of noon when the three came back, having been eminently successful. They had found horses in plenty, and no lack of guides.
"Now looky heah," began Rufe, when Robert, Carlos, and I had taken our seats in the small boat. "Don' you-all let dat white voodoo debbil git his han's on you no moh. Keep yo' eyes peeled foh him; he's jes' dat sneaking."
The tide was ebbing when we left thePearl, though it would be some time before the leak in her hull would be uncovered. The horses and guide were waiting at the edge of town. The saddles were on, and the black fellow—our guide—was looking to the cinches. To make fast our packs to the saddles was the work of but a few minutes. The guide had already distributed the needed provisions to the various ponies. Captain Marat, Norris, Ray, and Julian stood in a row when we had mounted.
"Now remember," we told them. "We'll leave a note in the cleft end of a stake—on the top of the first hill, or at the bottom. And we'll blaze trees or bushes, or whatever there is to show the way to it."
"Trust us," said Norris. "We'll find it."
"And say!" broke in Ray. "If there should be any battles on the docket, just hold up operations till Norris gets there with his brass barker and Rufe's red hot poker."
The trees of the forest, into which our road plunged, soon cut off our view of our friends. I felt a little sinking of the heart at this new separation, for there was still much room for mishap before our coming together again. Our guide (Jan was his name) and Carlos rode before; Robert and I carried our little rifles slung at our backs. The ponies were evidently trained to the saddle, and moved at a gait that was something between a walk and a trot, so that our progress was agreeably rapid.
We traversed first the bamboo; then palms, oaks, and mahogany sheltered our way for long stretches. When we came to the foothills, occasionally an open vista gave us view of waving golden-yellow cane fields. The streams were overhung with the wonderful feathery tree-ferns. Oranges, bananas, limes, mangoes, grew in abundance, though only berries were ripe at this season. Our road took us at times into the twilight of the heavier forests, among lofty trunks, from which hung, in festoons and tangles, the rope-like lianas. It was as if innumerable ships had been crammed together in some great storm, their rigging intertwined, and in time all overgrown with green parasites and slimy mosses.
All this display of nature that showed to us on our way, and much more than I have mentioned, I noted; and had my mind been untroubled by serious business, I would have found much delight in this journey into a tropic interior. But we were under the necessity of pressing forward, always with the fear that Duran might come before us to that certain spot of the northern coast, and so elude us and arrive at the hidden mine secure from discovery.
By night we had mounted high among the hills. It was when we saw the azure of the sea and the coast lines begin to darken, and the hills below us fall into shadow, that we dismounted and removed the saddles from our ponies. A quick meal, and soon we were under our mosquito-bars, sleeping.
We were again on the move before the sun had thrown his rays on the highest peaks. And this day it was up and down, and a winding about among the mountains. The day following was but a repetition, except that before night our guide told us that we had passed the greatest of the mountains and were on the downward slope toward the northern coast of the island. But we got no view of the sea till the third day, and then the road rounded a spur of mountain, and there opened to our vision that great blue expanse of sea and the irregular coast line below us.
"We're sure to make it in time now," observed Robert.
"Yes," I said. "TheOrioncannot get there before us now."
And then, as our ponies continued to plod onward behind those of our guide and Carlos, we made some discussion of our plan of action. It was decided to discharge our guide some way short of our destination, and start him back before he should find opportunity to tell anyone there of having led a pair of white boys across the island and into the region of the voodoos. News of our exploits in those hills had doubtless been spread among all of the voodoo faith; and so if the fact of our return were noised about, we would doubtless have the pack at our heels, and all our plans gone topsy-turvy again.
By noon we were come to a place in the hills fifteen miles from Carlos' old home. It was a region well known to Carlos, as he professed.
"Here very good place to stop," said Carlos. "I go for the provision while you rest here."
We pulled the saddles from the ponies, and Carlos set off alone through the forest. And when he came back, after less than half an hour, he had food to replenish the stock of the guide, who after an hour's rest expressed himself as happy to be on the way back to his home on the south coast of the island. When the guide was gone, Robert and I set to work to stain our faces and hands, and don again those curly wigs. White faces were too rare and unpopular in this region to escape comment and more or less unpleasant attention.
So when we again took up the march we all went afoot; and in three hours we had arrived at the little cove where we had seen Duran's schooner,Orion, just before her sailing away with thePearlin chase. We were now ten miles from the city, toward which we turned our steps, keeping under shelter of the palms that skirted the beach.
When we were come within four miles of the city we halted. It was near to the huts where we had made that landing—to go to the interior, trailing Duran to the old palace ruin. It was our plan to send Carlos into the city for articles of food and a rowboat of some kind. When we had come so far, the sun was less than two hours high; so Carlos had but an hour's rest before setting off on his mission.
When at last Carlos had gone, Robert and I settled down amongst the cocoanut palms just above the beach. We watched land crabs and turtles crawling up on the sand; anon we would look into one another's black faces.
"When do you think theOrionwill get here?" said Robert.
"Tomorrow, if the winds are favorable," I answered; "or a day or two after, if they're not. Duran will come as fast as he can, of course."
"Of course," agreed Robert. "But I can't make my mind give in to the idea that he will land at that place on the beach that you and Captain Marat marked. There can't be any gold mine about that place. Except those two hills, the map shows nothing but sand and palms, and marshes, and bushes."
I brought out of my pocket a folded paper on which I had copied from Marat's chart this portion of the coast. I put my fingers on the Twin Hills, near the foot of which we expected Duran would land; for it will be remembered Marat had heard him say as much, that night when Marat and I, in our own boat, had crept up to theOrionin the dark. To the west of the hills was a shallow bay of which the little cove mentioned was a part. To the east and south of the hills lay a greater bay, (not to mention its proper name, we will call it Crow Bay, for it is much the shape of a crow's foot). The neck of land between the two bays was all low, marshy and impenetrable thickets.