CHAPTER XVIIVIA WIRELESS
Some hours later and the queer looking undersea boat entered the harbor of Curacao, belonging to the Dutch, and situated off Dutch Guiana. Here their coming kicked up no end of a sensation, for it was immediately supposed that this must be a German submarine, intending to raid British commerce of the Caribbean; and all sorts of complications with regard to the meaning of “strict neutrality” came up to worry the port officials.
But the sight of “Old Glory” being flung to the breeze from the conning tower of the unwelcome visitor reassured the officials. They were later on stunned to learn that theArgonautwas not a war vessel in any way, but a peaceful commercial venture, and really what her name signified, for she was seeking the Golden Fleece.
Here they were allowed to come to a dock and tie up, though closely watched lest that flag overnight change into the double eagles of Germany, and a dash be made for the open sea, there to commence the work of nautical destruction.
It was a strange cargo that Captain Shooks contractedfor. The crowds that gathered around and watched, expecting to see ammunition brought aboard, and possibly all sorts of war munitions and arms, stared to see oil barrels, that were undoubtedly empty at that, being delivered by the dozen, also stout planks of a certain size.
No sooner had they tied up than the three boys went ashore, camera in hand, and bound to look the port over. They had often read about this place, though none of them could remember whether it was famed for its rum, molasses or cocoa. But Jack soon found interesting sights that occupied his whole attention; and, besides, they certainly did enjoy being able to stretch their legs again, after such a long siege aboard the submersible.
It was on the following morning that Oscar had a peculiar thing happen to him. He had gone ashore to make a little purchase, which had been forgotten on the preceding day. Captain Shooks had told him they would not start until four bells, or ten o’clock, so the boy was taking his time.
He noticed a young fellow hovering around him as he walked, and wondered what it could mean. Presently the other seemed to make bold enough to approach him, and Oscar noticed that the young chap had his jaws set, as though fixed in some resolve.
“Is your name Oscar?” he asked the first thing.
“That’s what it happens to be; what can I do for you?” remarked the boy.
“And did you come in yesterday aboard thatsubmarine boat?” continued the other, apparently more relieved when he found that the boy met his advances half-way.
“Yes, with two chums of mine. We’re taking motion pictures of deep sea subjects, and going down in a submersible gives us plenty of fine chances to get films of the queer things to be met with at the bottom of the sea.”
“Well, do you happen to know anybody named Captain Badger?” continued the young man, at which, of course, Oscar started, for he realized that something of importance was coming next.
“I certainly know who the party is,” he instantly replied; “would you mind telling me why you asked me that?”
“I’m meaning to do just that same,” continued the young fellow. “My name is John Baxter. I was aboard a schooner that came here to load for Boston. I fell sick, and my captain deserted me here, without even paying me what wages were due. And I’ve had a hard time of it since I got well. Right now I’m not strong enough to work, and I want to get back to my home in Savannah the worst kind. I thought perhaps you might feel like helping me after I’d told you something that came by wireless last night.”
“Go on and tell me,” said Oscar. “There’ll be no trouble about staking you to enough money to get you home, if it proves to be worth anything at all.”
“Why, you see,” the other hurriedly went on to say, “I got to know the wireless operator here.I did some little thing to help him, and he’s been kind enough to let me sleep in his room at the station while he’s on duty. I’ve picked up a little knowledge of the game myself, and can read messages fairly well. Fact is, when I get back home I’m bent on taking a course in wireless, and trying for a job.”
“Yes, and what happened that you think concerns me?” asked Oscar impatiently.
“Excuse me for being so personal. What I was going to say was this. During the night my friend had occasion to go back to his room for something; he was feeling sick, and in need of some medicine he had there. So, as I was sitting with him, he asked me to just keep an ear open, and pick up anything that passed by worth while. Well, I caught a message from a man who signed himself Captain Badger. He was calling Curacao, and asking if a submarine under the American flag had put in there, and promising a reward for an answer. He spoke of those boys being aboard, and I made out that the name of one was Oscar. Somehow I just guessed that was you.”
Oscar nodded his head. He remembered that theDauntlesswas equipped with wireless apparatus, so that it was nothing unusual for the steam yacht to be casting out feelers in every direction.
“Thank you for telling me of this,” he said to the other. “It is of considerable importance to me and my friends, also the skipper of the submersible. If you will come back with me on my return, I’ll see that you are given what money isneeded to take you to Savannah. Of course when the operator returned to his post he had that message; what answer did he send?”
“Oh! he told Captain Badger that such a vessel as he mentioned had arrived at Curacao yesterday afternoon, and was even then in port. He even explained about your boat taking aboard empty oil barrels and lumber. I reckon that must have just pleased this Badger a heap, for he promised to see my friend when his boat came into port for supplies, perhaps tomorrow.”
Oscar was as good as his word, and later on before theArgonautleft the Dutch island, he saw that John Baxter was given a sum more than enough to pay his passage to Savannah, Ga.
This news, while interesting, did not cause any of them great concern. It simply confirmed their suspicion that after finding the “orange had been sucked dry,” as Ballyhoo expressed it, Badger had once more set out to chase after the undersea will-o’-the-wisp boat, determined to try again and again in the hope of outwitting his rivals, and, perhaps, securing all the prizes that had already fallen to their share.
Forewarned was forearmed, and they would keep a bright lookout for that same steam yacht of the sable hue.
Once more they were off on the bounding waves, and with a secret destination in view. The splendid success that had been their portion thus far encouraged all hands in the belief that fortune smiled on their enterprise, and that, consequently,the future would have more like triumphs to reward their energy and perseverance.
Two days later they approached another island in the Caribbean Sea. This time they were further to the west, and, indeed, not more than two days off the Mosquito Coast, where the great canal starts across the isthmus of Panama.
They had sighted numerous craft coming from or heading toward Colon, so that this section of the sea differed in many respects from the locality where their first effort had been carried out. Here, in the neighborhood of this island, a steamship had gone down some years back, which boat was said to have on board a considerable amount of gold, locked in the safe.
The crew and passengers had deserted their sinking vessel just in time to see her pitch headlong into the maw of the sea. They had luckily managed to reach the island, and in due time were taken off by a passing vessel.
Several attempts to locate the sunken steamer had resulted in failure; and so far as was known her treasure chest had never been looted. It was in the hope of locating this wreck and salvaging her safe with its valuable contents that now engaged the attention of the daring adventurers with whom our young friends had joined fortunes.
All that was known about that night of storm had come from the accounts published in the papers of that time. These were very vague, save that they agreed the steamer was being carriedtowardthe island from thenortheastwhen hersinking condition caused crew and passengers to take to the boats; and that she went down in many fathoms of water long before reaching the reefs that partly protected the island from the storm’s fury.
This at least was enough to give Captain Shooks his cue. He must start his investigation on the northeast side of the island, scouring the bottom of the sea over an increasingly wide area, until he had either found the object of his search or else felt compelled to give it up as a bad job.
So once again the boys found themselves looking out at masses of vegetation covering the deep sea valleys. Jack caught many a novel picture of amazing spectacles that must later on thrill all those who were interested in this new and heretofore untried field of discovery. They saw such creatures as they had never dreamed existed; all sorts of curious formations that seemed to possess life, for they fought one another furiously, and rubbed their queer snouts against the glass of the bull’s-eye observation windows, as though consumed with a horrible curiosity to scrape an acquaintance with the inmates of this visiting boat.
For three hours the search went on. So far it was without avail, and the skipper finally came up so as to get his bearings afresh, when he would try again. He did not believe in such a thing as failure, until every artifice imaginable had been first of all exhausted.
After going down again in a fresh spot luck came their way. The intense white glow of thesearchlight shooting ahead showed them the grotesque outlines of a vessel. Yes, and it was undoubtedly a sunken steamship in the bargain, so that the chances seemed to be they had finally run across the object of their submarine search.
Once this was made certain, and they again arose to the surface. But the sea was running too strong just then to allow of making a float, and starting operations as before. Nothing remained but to bide their time; so after marking the spot with a buoy, they steamed nearer the shore, and the boys, taking the collapsible, landed, meaning to amuse themselves for a spell, hunt shells, see if there were all the promises of a fair and calm day on the morrow that navigators could wish; and it was with hope beating high in their hearts that they partook of supper, and afterwards sought their bunks.
Morning proved that the captain had been a good weather prophet, for, as the sun rose, it showed a sea almost as quiet as a mill pond. Only the long swells washed up on the little shell beach of the island with a murmurous complaint, as though voicing the voices of those who in centuries past and gone had found a grave beneath these same sub-tropical seas.
Feeling that time meant a good deal, the skipper had his men at work even before breakfast could be considered. The empty barrels were thrown overboard, and collected so that the platform of planks could be fastened over them, andthus a float fashioned, upon which the diving apparatus might be worked.
Storms come up with very little warning in the treacherous Caribbean Sea, and, consequently, it was necessary to work at a lively rate in order to get all these preparations started.
Then a diver went down, and, as on that other occasion, the submarine was sunk in order to give him the benefit of the electric plant. Once more the boys watched the whole operation through their peepholes, and Jack thought it well worth his trouble to feature the diver making his way aboard the sunken steamer.
Two hours afterwards the second man went down in the wake of the pioneer, who had taken up most of his time cutting a way into the wreck. Finally he, too, came up to report that while he had managed to enter, and make his way to the captain’s quarters, he was too near the point of exhaustion to finish the job. In fact, it was apparent that the man had come across sights inside the steamer that chilled his enthusiasm, even accustomed as he was to seeing skeletons in some of the hulks where duty in the past had taken him.
Oscar, it was noticed, made no sign about wishing to be allowed to take a turn in the diver’s suit. As for Ballyhoo Jones, money could not have tempted him, once he heard Jack say what he thought that diver must have come across in the way of grisly reminders of the sea tragedy.
Captain Shooks was gone but half an hour. When they received the signal to commence drawinghim up the boys exchanged suggestive nods. These told that they, one and all, feared they were going to meet with a severe disappointment. Had things been favorable the skipper surely would have remained below at least a full hour.
Oscar and Ballyhoo attended to the task of assisting him to a seat, where the water dripped from his heavy suit. They also busied themselves in removing his heavy helmet.
As soon as the captain’s face was revealed, they found that he had a disappointed expression on it that told the story before a word had been uttered.
“You found the safe, did you, Captain?” asked Ballyhoo finally.
“That’s what I did, younker, because nobody wanted that piece of heavy furniture,” came the booming reply; “but hang the luck, it was busted wide open, and cleaned out. We have been out-generaled, that’s all.”
“But how could Badger have got here ahead of us, I want to know?” gasped Ballyhoo.
“Who said it was that pirate?” roared the skipper, gulping in huge draughts of fresh air. “The party who found the wreck was here at least a year ago, though it’s been kept a dead secret, for some reason or other. See, here are some coins I managed to find scattered around on the floor in the cabin, with a lot of other truck. They’ve been lying there for some time, I warrant you; you can see how they’re half covered with green mold. Well, that’s the full amount of theShannon’shoard our Company will ever set eyes on. So it’s up to us to get away from here in a jiffy, and make for some other field, where better luck may be waiting for us.”