SMUGGLED DIAMONDS
Slowly the mysterious schooner gathered headway. Her sails creaked and
groaned as the ropes slipped through the sheaves, and the chains
squeaked around the drum of the steering wheel. There was a rattle of
blocks, hoarse cries from several sailors on deck, and then, down in the
cabin, where the horrid old woman slipped the pieces of cloth from the
mouths of Betty and Amy, had the two girls the strength to utter cries
it is doubtful if they would have been heard a hundred feet away.
There was no other craft within a mile of the vessel that was moving up
the bay toward the more open water.
"There you are, my dear," leered the fishwife. "All nice and snug and
comfortable."
"Oh--oh!" gasped Betty, as the creature stretched out her hands toward
her. "Don't--don't you dare touch me!"
"Jest goin' to take the ropes off your pretty hands, dearie," was the
smirking answer. "You don't need them now. You can't run away, you know.
Tee-hee!" and she tittered in glee.
Betty felt it better to submit to the ministrations of the crone, for
the sake of being released from the bonds, which hurt her cruelly. For
they had been pulled tight by the fishermen. It was some time after the
ropes were taken off her ankles and wrists before Betty felt the blood
circulating normally.
Amy lay inert on the rude bunk where she had been placed. Betty noticed
there were sleeping accommodations for three in the place, and with a
shudder she wondered if the old woman was to be their companion on the
voyage that seemed to have begun. For the schooner was pitching and
tossing on a ground swell, that seemed to presage a change of weather.
"Oh--oh, Betty! What has happened?" faltered Amy, as she opened her
eyes. The cloth had been removed from her mouth and the ropes loosed.
Having done this much the old woman crouched on the third bunk, smiling,
muttering to herself, and looking from one girl to the other.
"Oh, Betty--what does it mean?" repeated Amy.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out soon," declared the Little
Captain, with a return of her usual courage. She felt better now that
she had the use of her arms and legs. She started toward the door.
"It's locked--on the outside, my dearie!" chuckled the old woman. "And
it won't be opened until I call to 'em. So there's no use in makin' a
fuss, my dear!"
"Stop your senseless talk!" snapped Betty. "Don't dare call me by that
name, you--you horrid creature."
"No use gettin' mad," said the crone, and she showed a change of temper.
"You're here, and you're goin' to stay until we put you on shore, so you
might as well make up your mind to that."
"We demand to be put on shore at once!" cried Betty. "Evidently you
and--and those with you have made some mistake. We will not make trouble
for you, if you set us ashore at once. If not----"
"Well, what will you do, dearie?" sneered the old woman.
"My father will deal with such as you!" declared Betty, her eyes
flashing. "You must put us ashore."
"The men will have to attend to that," the crone said. "One of 'em will
be here pretty soon, and you'd better answer 'em fair, or it may be the
worse for you."
Her tone was fierce now.
"Oh--oh, I--I feel faint," gasped Amy. "It is so close in here----"
"Get her some water," ordered Betty, authoritatively.
"It's right here," said the old woman. "I thought you'd want a drink.
And you can have somethin' to eat as soon as you like. It sha'n't be
said we starved you."
"Eat! I couldn't bear the sight of food!" said Betty, with a shudder.
"Here, Amy, drink this. It seems to be--clean!" and Betty tried to
express the contempt she felt for the slovenly appearance of the old
woman.
Fortunately the water did seem to be drinkable, and it was quite cold,
as though it had been on ice. Both girls drank gratefully, for their
mouths were parched and dry.
"Are you better?" asked Betty, smoothing back the hair of her chum.
"Oh, yes, much. But, Betty dear, what does it all mean? Why are we here?
I--I seem to be in a sort of daze."
"I feel that way myself. I don't know what has happened, Amy, except
that we were kidnapped, and brought to this schooner."
"Kidnapped? Oh, no, my dear!" interrupted the old woman. "We only want
you to tell us something, and as soon as you do that you can go where
you please."
"Tell you? Tell you what?" demanded Betty, though she felt she could
answer that question herself.
"I don't rightly know what it is, my pretty!" protested the crone with
an evil glance. "My man will be here pretty soon and tell you. He has to
get the sails up, and all of that, first."
The creaking of pulleys on the deck told that the operation of getting
the schooner under way was not yet completed. There was a regular swing
to the vessel now, however, that told she was getting into more open
water. Fortunately both the outdoor girls were good sailors.
The old woman was putting back in a box the bottle of water and the tin
cup from which she had given Amy and Betty to drink. For a moment her
back was turned, and Betty decided on a bold move.
Quickly she darted over toward the door, and pulled with fierce strength
on the knob. It resisted her efforts. The old woman turned with a
mocking smile on her wrinkled face.
"I told you it was locked," she jeered. "It won't be opened until I
knock in a certain way. I'll do it soon, for we must be getting pretty
well out."
She peered through a dirty round window that gave light to the cabin,
which seemed to be located in the after part of the schooner, though
neither Betty nor Amy had noticed to which part they had been taken.
"I demand that you let us out of here!" cried Betty, stamping her foot.
She looked around as though for some weapon with which to enforce her
orders, and the woman evidently guessed this, for she chuckled grimly.
"You can't have your own way here," she said, with a grin that showed
her almost toothless gums. "My man is captain of this boat, and out at
sea, you know, the captain has to be obeyed."
"Oh, are you going to take us out to sea?" gasped Amy. "Please don't!
I'll do anything if you will release us. See, I have money," and she
brought out a little gold purse from a skirt pocket. At the sight of the
gleaming metal the crone's eyes glittered.
"Don't be afraid," she said. "You won't be harmed. All we want to know
is----"
A knock interrupted her. She glided quickly between Betty and Amy and
the door was opened a crack. Betty had a wild idea of forcing her way
out, but she had a glimpse of two rough looking men through the opening,
and she dared not approach. There was a whispered talk between the old
woman and one of the men.
Then, in an instant the old crone slipped out, and the door was locked
again, leaving Betty and Amy alone in the cabin.
"Oh--oh!" cried Amy, and a moment later she was sobbing in the strong
arms of Betty.
Meanwhile Allen and Henry had come out from the fisherman's cottage,
having satisfied themselves, by a quick search, that no one was in the
upper story, or down in the cellar.
"They were here, though," Allen said.
"Yes, my sister's handkerchief proves that," agreed his chum. "Now we
must go back to the others."
"But Grace and Mollie will have a fit when they know we haven't found
Betty and Amy."
"It can't be helped. There has been some mix-up somewhere. I have an
idea, but I won't spring it now. Come on."
They hurried back to where the motor boat had been left.
"Were they there?" asked Grace, eagerly.
"Yes, they--_were_," said Allen, slowly. "But they've gone home."
"How do you know that?" asked Henry in a low voice.
"I don't know it!" came the reply in a whisper. "But we've got to
pretend that until we find it isn't so. I'm hoping it is, though. You
see," he went on, aloud, "we found they had been there. Amy dropped her
handkerchief."
"But where are they now?" demanded Mollie.
"They probably hurried back to the cottage."
"But without coming to tell us?" objected Grace.
"They probably had no time," said Allen. "My idea is," he went on,
speaking rapidly so he would not be interrupted, "that they got some
news about the diamonds, and had to act on it quickly. I think that is
why they didn't wait to tell you girls. They knew if they didn't come
back that you would know enough to come home, or they may have planned
to return to you later."
"What had we better do?" asked Grace.
"Get back to Edgemere as soon as we can," was Allen's opinion. "We'll
probably find them waiting for us."
They piled into the motor boat, and used all speed in getting back. No
sooner had they reached the little dock, where Tin-Back tied his boats,
than Will Ford came racing down from the cottage.
"I thought you would never come back!" he cried, his face showing
excitement.
"Why, have you found them? Are they here?" asked his sister, wondering
why her brother had returned from Boston.
"Here? Of course they're here!" he answered. "Where else would they be.
And I've found them."
"I don't see how----" began Allen.
"Oh, it wasn't easy, I assure you. I had to work on a lot of clues. But
I came out all right. I've found out all about 'em. Those diamonds were
smuggled, and there's a good reward offered for the capture of the men,
as well as something due for turning the diamonds over to Uncle Sam."
"The diamonds!" cried Mollie.
"Yes. I've found out their secret!" Will said.
"We--we thought you meant you had found Betty and Amy," returned Grace,
in a strange voice. "They--they're lost! They're gone!"