When Leslie returned to the camp he found the tent lighted up, and Flora
and dinner awaiting him. He was tired, for the day had been an
unusually fatiguing one; and when a man is tired he usually prefers to
be silent. Nevertheless, he recapitulated in detail to Flora all that
had been in his mind during his walk home; and finally put the question
to her whether she would rather leave in the barque, or in the cutter;
the former, perhaps, offering her more comfortable--because more roomy--
quarters than the latter.
"What have _you_ decided to do, Dick?" she asked.
"Oh," he replied, "so far as I am concerned, I have quite made up my
mind to adhere to my original plan of going home in the cutter, and
taking our treasure with me."
"Then, of course, that settles everything," said Flora, simply. "Where
you go, Dick dear, I go also--that is to say, if you will have me."
This last with a most angelic smile.
There was but one reply possible to such a remark, so that matter was
settled; after which, having lighted his pipe, he strolled over to the
hut, to discuss with Nicholls and Simpson the unexpected appearance of
the barque in their neighbourhood.
"If she means to touch here, as I feel pretty certain that she does,"
remarked Leslie, after he had related to the two men the result of his
observations, "she will doubtless dodge off and on until daylight--as of
course she cannot know the whereabouts of the channel through the reef--
and then we can go out in the canoe and pilot her in. Meanwhile, what
do you two men think of doing? Are you going to keep to your
arrangement with me; or would you prefer to get the skipper of the
barque to take you?"
Nicholls regarded Leslie with some surprise. "I hope, sir," he said,
"that you don't want to cry off your bargain with us! I've already been
planning in my mind what I'll do with that five hundred--"
"Certainly not," interrupted Dick, with a laugh; "_I_ have no wish to
cry off my bargain, as you term it. I merely wish you to understand
that I will not attempt to hold you to it if you would prefer the barque
to the cutter. The barque would doubtless be more comfortable than the
cutter in heavy weather."
"May be she would, or may be she wouldn't," observed Nicholls. "Anyhow,
the difference wouldn't be so very great, one way or the other. But
there's no five hundred pound to be got out of the barque; and I'm bound
to have that money, Mr Leslie--"
"Same here," cut in Simpson.
"All right," laughed Leslie. "Then that matter is settled for good and
all; so we need say no more about it."
"Question is: What's she comin' here for?" inquired Simpson,
volunteering a remark for the first time on record.
"Oh, who can tell?" returned Leslie. "She may be a whaler--although I
do not believe that she is--putting in here in the hope of finding
water. That is the only explanation that has occurred to me as
accounting for her presence in this locality--which is really a long way
out of any of the usual ship tracks. She is the first craft that I have
sighted since my arrival upon this island. But no doubt we shall learn
to-morrow--"
"Why, there she is," interrupted Nicholls, pointing. "By Jingo, just
look at that; coming in through the channel as confidently as though she
had been in the habit of sailin' in and out of it every day of her life!
And with nothing better than the starlight to see her way by. Well,
dash my wig, but that's a rum go, and no mistake!"
It was even as he said; for while the three men stood there talking
together the shadowy form of the barque, under her two topsails and
fore-topmast staysail, was seen gliding into the lagoon close past Cape
Flora--her skipper evidently perfectly acquainted with the exact
situation of the entrance channel--and presently her topsail halliards
were let run and the sails clewed up, the rattle of the gear and the
cheeping of the blocks being distinctly audible to the three on the
beach. Then a minute or two later came the splash of the anchor and the
rumbling rattle of the cable through the hawse-pipe, and the barque was
seen to swing to her anchor.
"Well, it is perfectly clear that the man who has charge of her has been
in here at least once before," remarked Leslie. "Evidently he knows the
place quite well. Now, I wonder _what_ it is that has brought him here;
I would give a trifle to know. And, of course, I could readily find out
by taking the canoe and paddling off aboard to ask the question. But I
will not do that; and, furthermore, it may be just as well not to let
those people know--until to-morrow morning, at any rate--that there is
anybody on the island, therefore pleads take care, both of you, that no
light shows from your hut to-night. And I will just step up to the tent
and give Miss Trevor a similar caution. Good night, men. We had better
be stirring by dawn to-morrow morning." So saying, Leslie turned away,
and made his way to the tent, where he not only cautioned Flora against
showing a light, but took such simple precautions as were required to
render it impossible that the necessary lights in the tent should be
seen from the barque. Then, this done to his satisfaction, he lighted
his pipe and, taking the telescope--which was both a day and a
night-glass--once more sauntered down to the beach to watch the
proceedings aboard the strange vessel. For although he could find no
legitimate reason or excuse for the feeling, it was an undeniable fact
that the appearance of this barque upon the scene affected him
disagreeably, producing within him a vague sense of unrest that almost
amounted to foreboding. _Why_ had she come to the island? That was the
question that persistently haunted him, and to which he could find no
entirely satisfactory reply. That her presence there was accidental he
could not believe, else how came it that the person in charge of her
knew so well where to find the channel giving access to the lagoon, and
entered it so confidently, not even waiting for the daylight to enable
him to see his way in? And as he mused thus he employed himself in
intently watching the barque through the night-glass, again noting the
fact that the vessel was curiously short-handed, for her people furled
only one topsail at a time, and--so far as he could make out--had only
four men available for the job, instead of at least twice that number.
Furthermore, he noticed that, even for that small number of men, the
time consumed in rolling up and stowing the sails was quite
unconscionable, arguing the existence of an exceedingly lax discipline--
if any at all--aboard the craft. He estimated that it occupied those
four men fully two hours to furl the two topsails; and when it was at
last done and the men had descended to the deck with exasperating
deliberation, he came to the conclusion that, if the night-glass was to
be trusted, the job had been done in a most disgracefully slovenly
manner.
He patiently watched that barque until all visible signs of life aboard
her had vanished, and then he walked thoughtfully back to the tent and
turned in--Flora having retired some time before. But ere he could get
to sleep he was disturbed by the sounds of a hideous uproar that came
floating shoreward from the stranger; and, going again into the open air
to hear more clearly, he presently recognised the sounds as those of
discordant singing, finally recognising the fact that a regular drunken
orgie was in progress aboard the craft--still further evidence of a
singularly lax state of discipline.
Leslie's couch was a sleepless one that night; for the fact was that,
taking everything into consideration, he could neither account
satisfactorily for the presence of the barque at the island, nor
convince himself that her errand there was an altogether honest one.
Therefore, with the first faint flush of dawn he was again astir; and
rousing Flora and the two men, he bade them get their breakfasts
forthwith and make the best of their way out of the camp ere the
barque's people should have had an opportunity to see them and become
aware of their presence on the island. And he further gave Nicholls and
Simpson instructions to proceed with and complete the rigging of the
cutter and the bending of her sails, in readiness for getting under way
at a moment's notice. Unfortunately the _Flora_ had still to be
provisioned and watered for her voyage; and it was just this fact, and
the possibility that the strangers might be disposed to interfere with
these operations, that discomposed him. But for this he would most
cheerfully have marched himself and his little party out of the camp and
left it, with everything it contained, to the mercy of the barque's
crew--whom he had already, in some unaccountable fashion, come to look
upon as outlaws. He gave the men the strictest injunctions that Flora
was to forthwith take up her quarters aboard the cutter, while they--
Nicholls and Simpson--were to camp in the natural fortress to which he
had that same afternoon drawn their attention, holding it against all
comers, and on no account leaving it altogether unguarded, either day or
night. As for himself, he announced that he would remain, as sole
occupant of the camp, to meet the strangers and ascertain the reason for
their visit; after which his further actions would be guided by
circumstances.
Leslie was of opinion that, after the orgie of the preceding night, the
crew of the barque would be in no particular hurry to turn out; and his
surmise proved to be quite correct, for although he kept a keen watch
upon the vessel it was not until nearly nine o'clock that he detected
the first signs of movement on board her, in the shape of a thin
streamer of smoke, issuing from the galley funnel. He then watched for
the usual signs of washing down the decks, the drawing of water, the
streaming of the scuppers, and so on, but could detect nothing of the
kind; neither was the bell struck on board to mark the passage of time--
two additional indications of the absence of discipline that still
further increased his fast-growing uneasiness respecting the character
of his unwelcome visitors. As soon as the light was strong enough, it
may be mentioned, he had taken a look at the barque through his
telescope, and had read the words "_Minerva_, Glasgow," painted across
her counter; he thus knew that the vessel was British, as, indeed, he
had already suspected.
Now, it was Dick's purpose to learn as much as he possibly could about
the strangers, and to let them know as little as possible about
himself--and nothing at all about his companions--in return, until he
had had an opportunity to get some notion of their true character. He
had therefore determined to pose as a solitary castaway; and now, in
that character, proceeded down to the beach, stepped into the canoe, and
began to paddle laboriously off toward the barque. For he knew that one
of the first things to be done by the skipper of that vessel would be to
bring his telescope to bear upon the island, and this would immediately
result in the discovery of his tent, his pile of salvage from the brig,
the hut, and all the litter upon the beach; and as it was consequently
impossible to conceal the fact of his presence upon the island, he
judged that the natural action of such a castaway as himself would be to
eagerly seize the first opportunity to communicate with a calling ship.
The canoe being a big, heavy craft for one man to handle, it took him a
full hour to paddle off to the barque; but it was not until he was
within a hundred yards of her that he was able to detect any open
indication of the fact that his presence had been discovered. Then he
saw a big, burly-looking individual come aft along the vessel's full
poop, and deliberately bring a pair of binocular glasses to bear upon
him. He at once ceased paddling, and, placing his hands to his mouth,
hailed--
"_Minerva_ ahoy!"
"Hillo!" came the response across the water, in a gruff voice that
accurately matched the build and general appearance of the owner.
"May I come aboard?" inquired Dick resuming his paddle.
"Ay, ay; come aboard, if ye like," was the somewhat ungracious response.
Without further parley Leslie paddled up alongside under the starboard
main channels, and, flinging his painter up to an individual who came to
the side and peered curiously down upon him over the bulwarks, scrambled
up the side as best he could in the absence of a side-ladder, and the
next moment found himself on deck.
He cast an apparently casual but really all-embracing glance round him,
and noted that the barque was evidently just an ordinary trader, with
nothing in the least remarkable about her appearance save the
extraordinary paucity of men about her decks. Under ordinary
circumstances and conditions, at this hour all hands would have been on
deck and busy about their preparations for the carrying out of the
object of their visit to the island--whatever that might be; instead of
which the man on the poop, the man who had made fast his painter for
him, and the cook--a fat-faced, evil-looking man with a most atrocious
squint--who came to the galley door and stared with malevolent curiosity
at him--were the only individuals visible. It was not, however, any
part of Leslie's policy to exhibit surprise at such an unusual condition
of affairs, so he simply advanced to the poop ladder, with the manner of
one a little uncertain how to act, and, looking up at the burly man who
stood at the head of the ladder, glowering down upon him, said--
"Good morning! Are you the captain of this barque?"
"Ay," answered the individual addressed; "I'm Cap'n Turnbull. Who may
you be, mister? and how the blazes do you come to be on that there
island? And how many more are there of ye?"
"As you see, I am alone, unfortunately," answered Leslie; "and a pretty
hard time I have had of it. But, thank God, that is all over now that
you have turned up--for I presume you will be quite willing to give me a
passage to the next port you may be calling at?"
"_Give_ ye a passage?" reiterated the burly man, scornfully; "give
nothin'! I'm a poor man, I am, and can't afford to give anything away,
not even a passage to the next port. But if you'm minded to come aboard
and _work_ your passage, you're welcome. For I'm short-handed, as I
dare say you can see; and it's easy enough to tell that you're a
sailor-man. It you wasn't you wouldn't be here, would ye?" This last
with a grin that disclosed a set of strong irregular, tobacco-stained
teeth, and imparted to the speaker the expression of a satyr.
The conversation thus far had been conducted as it had started, with
Leslie down on the main deck and Turnbull on the poop. The incongruity
of the arrangement now seemed to strike the latter, for he added--
"Come up here, mister; we can talk more comfortably when we're alongside
of one another; and you can spin me the yarn how you come to be all
alone by yourself on yon island."
In acceptance of this graciously worded invitation, Leslie ran lightly
up the poop ladder and, slightly raising his cap, said--
"Permit me to introduce myself, Captain Turnbull. My name is
_Leslie_,"--with emphasis--"and the recital of the chain of
circumstances which ended in my being cast away upon the island yonder
will be so lengthy that, with your permission, I will smoke a pipe as I
tell it."
And therewith he calmly drew his pipe from his pocket and, filling it,
lighted up. Meanwhile his manner, language, and appearance had been
steadily impressing the other man, who insensibly began to infuse his
own manner with a certain measure of respect as the interview lengthened
itself out.
Having lighted his pipe, Leslie proceeded to relate the whole story of
his adventure, beginning with his embarkation on board the _Golden
Fleece_, and ending up with the stranding of the _Mermaid_, but
carefully suppressing all reference whatsoever to Miss Trevor; and
representing himself not as an ex-naval officer, but as an amateur
yachtsman. He was careful also to mention nothing about the existence
of the cutter, but, on the other hand, dwelt at some length upon the
idea he had entertained of building a craft capable of carrying him and
a sufficient stock of provisions away from the island. "I doubt,
however, whether I should ever have managed it, single-handed. But your
arrival renders all further trouble on that score unnecessary," he said,
in conclusion.
"Well, yes," returned Turnbull, somewhat more genially than he had yet
spoken; "there's no call for you to worry about buildin' a boat now, as
you says, 'specially as you're a good navigator. You can come home with
us, workin' your passage by navigatin' the ship. For a good navigator
is just exactly what I happens to want."
"Ah, indeed! Cannot you rely upon your mate, then?" inquired Leslie,
blandly.
"My mate?" ejaculated the burly man; "well, no, I can't. That's to
say," he continued confusedly, "he's the only navigator I've got now,
and--well, no, I _can't_ depend upon him."
"Do you find, then, that your own observations and his yield different
results?" asked Leslie, still in the same bland, quiet manner.
"My own observations?" reiterated Captain Turnbull. "_I_ don't take no
observations. Ye see," he added, looking hard at Leslie's impassive
face to discover whether the latter had noticed anything peculiar in
such an extraordinary admission, "my sight's a little bit peculiar; I
can see ordinary things plain enough, but when it comes to squintin'
through a sextant I can't see nothin'."
"Ah, indeed; that must be exceedingly awkward for you, Captain,"
returned Leslie. "I am not surprised at your anxiety to secure the
services of another navigator. By the way, how long do you propose to
remain here? I should like to know, so that I may make my preparations
accordingly."
"Well," answered Turnbull, "there's no particular reason for you to
hurry; I s'pose half an hour 'll be about time enough for you to get
your few traps together and bring 'em off, won't it?"
"Oh yes," answered Leslie, nonchalantly, "that time will amply suffice.
I will do so at once, if you like."
"There's no occasion for hurry, as I said just now," retorted Turnbull.
"Now that we're here I think I shall give the men a spell and let 'em
have a run ashore a bit. In fact, I think I could do with a week ashore
there myself. Most lovely place it looks like, from here. By-the-bye,
how long did you say you'd been on that there island?"
"A trifle over nine months," answered Leslie.
"Over nine months!" ejaculated the other in tones of intense surprise.
"Well, nobody'd think as you'd been a castaway for nine months, to look
at ye. Why, you look strong and healthy enough, and as smartly rigged
as though you'd just stepped out of the most dandy outfitter's in the
Minories!"
"Oh, but there is nothing very wonderful in that," laughingly protested
Leslie. "Nine months of life, practically in the open air all the time,
is just the thing to keep a man fit, you know; while as for my `rig,' I
found a big stock of clothes among the _Mermaid's_ cargo, and I have
drawn freely upon that."
"Nine months on the island," repeated Turnbull, still dwelling upon that
particular fact; "why, I s'pose you know every inch of the ground ashore
there by this time?"
There was a certain ill-suppressed eagerness in the tones of the man's
voice as he asked this question that acted very much as a danger-signal
to Leslie. It seemed to suggest that thus far the man had merely been
fencing with him, but that he was now trying to get within his guard;
that, in short, the object of the _Minerva's_ visit to the island was
nearing the surface. He therefore replied, with studied carelessness--
"No, indeed I do not. On the contrary, I know very little of it--not
nearly as much as I ought to know. I have been to the summit once, and
took a general survey of the island from that point, and I have wandered
for a short distance about the less densely bush-clad ground on this
side of the island; but that is about all. The fact is that I was much
too keen upon saving everything I possibly could out of the brig to
think of wasting my time in wandering about an island the greater part
of which is covered with almost impassable bush."
"Ah, yes; I s'pose you would be," rejoined Turnbull, with an expression
of relief that set Leslie wondering.
What on earth did it matter to Turnbull whether he--Dick Leslie--had
explored the island or not? he asked himself. Turnbull's next remark
let in a little light upon the obscurity, and distinctly startled
Leslie. For, staring steadfastly at the island, the burly man presently
observed--
"Yes; it's a fine big island, that, and no mistake. With a mountain on
it and all, too. I should say, now, that that island would be a very
likely place for _caves_, eh? Looks as though there might be any amount
of caves ashore there in the sides of that there hill, don't it?"
_Caves_! Like a flash of lightning the true explanation of the
_Minerva's_ visit stood clearly revealed to Leslie's mind. That one
word "caves," spoken as it was in tones of mingled excitement and
anxiety, ill-suppressed, had furnished him with the key to the entire
enigma. _Caves_! Yes, of course; that was it; that explained
everything--or very nearly everything--that had thus far been puzzling
Leslie, and gave him practically all the information that he had been so
anxious to acquire. He had read of such incidents in books, of course,
but had so far regarded them merely as pegs whereon to hang a more or
less ingeniously conceived and exciting romance; but here was a similar
incident occurring in actual prosaic earnest; and he suddenly found
himself confronted with a situation of exceeding difficulty. For the
mention by Turnbull of the word "caves"--careless and casual as he
fondly believed it to be, but actually exceedingly clumsy--had in an
instant driven home to Leslie's mind the conviction that somehow or
other this man had become possessed of information of the existence of
the treasure on this island, _and had come to take it away_! By what
circuitous chain of events the information had fallen into the fellow's
hands it was of course quite impossible to guess; but that this was the
explanation of everything Dick was fully convinced. And now that he
possessed the clue he could not only guard his own tongue against the
betrayal of information, but could also doubtless so order his remarks
as to extort from some one or another of his visitors all the details
that he himself might require. So, in reply to Turnbull's last remark,
he said carelessly--
"Caves! oh, really I don't know; very possibly there may be--unless the
earthquake has shaken them all in and filled them up--"
"Earthquake!" roared Turnbull, in tones of mingled rage and
consternation; "you don't mean to say as you've had a hearthquake here,
do ye?"
"Certainly," answered Dick, with as much _sang-froid_ as though an
earthquake were a mere pleasant interlude in an otherwise monotonous
life; "it occurred about three months ago, and gave the place a pretty
severe shaking up, I can assure you. It also started that volcano into
activity again after ages of quiescence."
"The mischief!" ejaculated Turnbull, with manifest discomposure. "I
must go ashore at once!"
"I am afraid," said Leslie, gently, "that my mention of the earthquake
and its possible effect upon the caves of the island has somewhat upset
you. Are you going ashore in the hope of finding any particular cave?
If so, I shall be most happy to assist you in your search."
"Assist! I'll be--I mean of course not," exclaimed Turnbull, beginning
with a savage bellow and suddenly calming himself again. "What d'ye
s'pose a man like me wants to go pokin' about ashore there, huntin'
after caves for? I've somethin' else to do. I've come in here because
our fresh water's turned bad, and I thought that maybe I might be able
to renew my stock, I s'pose there's fresh water to be had on the
island?"
"Certainly," answered Leslie; "there is a most excellent supply, and
quite accessible to your boats. It lies over there," pointing toward
Mermaid Head; "and falls over a low ledge of rock into deep-water. You
can go alongside the rock and fill up your boats or tanks direct, if you
like."
"Ah, that'll do first-rate," remarked Turnbull; "I'll give orders for
the men to start the foul water at once. And now, as I see that the
sun's over the fore-yard, what'll you take to drink? I s'pose you've
been pretty hard up all these months for drink, haven't ye?"
"No, indeed," answered Leslie; "on the contrary, I found an abundance of
wines and spirits aboard the brig. The only thing that I have lacked
has been mineral waters; therefore if you happen to have any soda-water
on board it will give me great pleasure to take a whisky and soda with
you."
"I believe we have some sodas left," answered Turnbull, doubtfully.
"You won't mind takin' it up here on the poop, will ye?" he continued.
"Fact is there's a man lyin' sick in one of the cabins below, and I
don't want to disturb him with our talk."
Of course Leslie, although he had his doubts about the genuineness of
the "sick man" story, readily acquiesced in the suggestion of the other,
and seated himself in one of two deck-chairs that were standing on the
poop, while Turnbull retired ostensibly for the purpose of quietly
hunting up the steward.
A few minutes later the steward--a young Cockney of about twenty-five
years of age, who had the worn, harassed appearance of a man living in a
state of perpetual scare--came up the poop ladder, bearing a tray on
which were a couple of tumblers, an uncorked bottle of whisky, and two
bottles of soda-water, which he placed upon the skylight cover. Then,
taking up the whisky-bottle and a tumbler, he proceeded to pour out a
portion of the spirit, glancing anxiously about him as he did so.
"Say `when,' sir, please," he requested, in a loud voice, immediately
adding under his breath, "Are you alone, ashore there, sir, or is there
others there along with you?"
His whole air of extreme trepidation, and the manner of secrecy with
which he put this singular question, was but further confirmation--if
any were needed--of certain very ugly suspicions that had been taking a
strong hold upon Leslie during the whole progress of his interview with
the man Turnbull; Dick therefore replied to the steward by putting
another question to him in the same low, cautious tones--
"Why do you ask me that, my man?" he murmured.
"Because, sir, there's--Is that about enough whisky, sir?"
The latter part of the steward's speech was uttered in a tone of voice
that could be distinctly heard as far forward as the break of the poop,
and, with the man's abrupt change of subject was evidently caused--as
Leslie could see out of the corner of his eye--by the silent, stealthy
appearance of Turnbull's head above the top of the ladder, and the
glance of keen suspicion that he shot at the two occupants of the poop.
Dick took the tumbler from the steward's shaking hand and calmly held it
up before him, critically measuring the quantity of spirit it contained.
"Yes, thanks," he replied; "that will do nicely. Now for the soda."
And he held the tumbler while the steward opened the soda-water bottle
and emptied it's effervescing contents into the spirit. Turnbull
glanced keenly from Leslie to the steward and back again, but said
nothing, although the unfortunate attendant's condition of terror was
patent to all observers. Dick waited patiently while the trembling man
helped Turnbull, and then, lifting his tumbler, said--
"Your health, Captain; and to our better acquaintance."
"Thank 'ee; same to you," gruffly replied the individual addressed;
adding to the steward, "That'll do; you can go back to your pantry now,
and get on with your work."
The fellow departed in double-quick time, obviously glad to get away
from the neighbourhood of his somewhat surly superior; and as he went
Turnbull watched him until he disappeared down the poop ladder.
"Rum cove, that," he remarked to Leslie, as the man vanished. "Good
sort of steward enough, but nervous as a cat. Did ye notice him?"
"It was quite impossible not to do so," answered Dick, with a laugh.
"And I could not help feeling sorry for the poor beggar. I take it that
he is the simpleton of the ship, and that all hands make a point of
badgering him."
"Ay," answered Turnbull, eagerly, clearly relieved that Dick had taken
this view of the man's condition; "that's just exactly what it is;
you've hit the case off to a haffigraphy. Well, enough said about him.
If you're ready to go ashore now I'll go with ye."
"By all means," answered Leslie, genially; not that he was in the least
degree desirous to have the man's company, or even that he or any of his
crew should land upon the island at all. Still, he knew that, the
barque being where she was, it was inevitable that at least some of the
ship's company would insist upon going ashore, and he could not see how
he was to prevent them; meanwhile, it was much better to have the fellow
alone with him than accompanied by half a dozen or more of his men.
As he spoke he rose from his seat and led the way toward the canoe,
Turnbull following him. Upon reaching the gangway, however, Dick looked
over the side, and then, turning to his companion, said--
"I think you would find it more convenient if your people rigged the
side-ladder. My canoe is rather crank, and if you should happen to
tumble overboard in getting into her I would not answer for your life;
the lagoon swarms with sharks, and as likely as not there are one or two
under the ship's bottom at this moment."
Turnbull grunted and turned away, looking forward to where two or three
men were loafing about on the forecastle, hard at work doing nothing.
"For'ard, there!" he shouted; "rouse out the side-ladder and rig it,
some of ye, and look sharp about it. Steward," he added, turning toward
the cabin under the poop, "bring me out a handful of cigars."
The two men with the ladder, and the steward with the cigars, appeared
simultaneously; and, pocketing the weeds, the skipper proceeded to the
gangway to supervise the rigging of the ladder. As he did so, Leslie
felt something being thrust surreptitiously into his hand. It felt like
a folded piece of paper, and he calmly pocketed it, glancing casually
about him as he did so. The steward was the only man near him, and he
was shuffling off nimbly on his way back to his pantry.
Leslie took his time paddling ashore, and when at length the pair landed
on the beach the sun had passed the meridian.
"Now, Captain," said Dick, "where would you like to go in the first
place?"
Turnbull stood and looked about him admiringly. "Why," he exclaimed,
"this here hisland is a real beautiful place, and no mistake. Dash my
wig! why, a man might do a sight worse than settle here for the rest of
his natural, eh?"
"Ay," answered Leslie, indifferently; "I have often thought so myself.
Indeed it is quite on the cards that I may return here some day, with a
few seeds and an outfit of gardeners' tools. As you say, a man might do
worse. By the way, perhaps it will be as well to get lunch before we
start out on our ramble. Will you come up to my tent? You will find it
a very comfortable little shanty. I must apologise for the fare that I
shall be obliged to offer you, but I have lived on tinned meat and fish
ever since I have been here; and I have caught no fish to-day."
"Well, I must say as you've managed to make yourself pretty tidy
comfortable," observed Leslie's guest as he entered the tent and stared
about him in astonishment; "picters, fancy lamps, tables and chairs with
swagger cloths and jigmarees upon 'em, and a brass-mounted bedstead and
beddin' fit for a king! They're a blame sight better quarters than
you'll find aboard the _Minerva_, and so I tell ye."
Leslie laughed lightly. "What does that matter?" he demanded. "True, I
am fond of comfort, and always make a point of getting it where I can;
but I can rough it with anybody when it becomes necessary."
Dick was obliged to leave his guest alone in the tent for a short time
while he looked after the preparations for luncheon; and he had little
doubt that during his absence the man would without scruple peer and pry
into the other compartments of the tent. But to this contingency he was
quite indifferent, for he had foreseen and forestalled it, before going
off to the barque, by carefully gathering up and stowing away such few
traces of a woman's presence as Flora had left behind her. That
Turnbull had followed the natural propensity of men of his stamp was
made clear immediately upon Dick's return, for, quite unabashed, the
fellow remarked--
"I say, mister, you're doin' the thing in style here, and no mistake.
I've been havin' a look round this here tent of yourn while you've been
away, and I see as you've acshully got a pianner in the next room. And
where's your shipmate gone to?"
"My shipmate?" repeated Leslie, staring blankly at him.
"Ay, your shipmate," reiterated Turnbull, severely. "You told me you
was all alone here, but I see as you've got _two_ bedrooms rigged up
here. Who's t'other for, and where is he?"
"Really, Captain," said Dick, coldly, "I cannot see what possible
difference it can make to you whether I have a shipmate or not, if you
will pardon me for saying so. But," he continued, somewhat more
genially, "it is perfectly evident that you have never lived alone on an
island, or you would understand what a luxury it is to be able to change
one's sleeping-room occasionally."
"Oh, that's it, is it?" returned Turnbull, with sudden relief. "You
sleeps sometimes in one bed and sometimes in t'other, by way of a
change, eh?"
"As you see," answered Dick, briefly. "And now, will you draw up your
chair? It is not a very tempting meal that I can offer you; but you can
make up for it when you return to your ship this evening."
It was evident to Leslie that Turnbull was much exercised in his mind
about something, for he ate and drank silently and with a preoccupied
air; and later on the reason for this became manifest, for when at
length they rose from the table the fellow remarked with a clumsy effort
at nonchalance--
"Look here, mister, I expect you've a plenty of matters to look after
and attend to, so don't you worry about showin' me round this here
hisland of yourn; you just go on with what you've got in hand, and I'll
take a stroll somewheres by myself."
So that was it. He wanted an opportunity to go off upon an exploring
expedition unrestrained by Dick's presence! But this did not at all
chime in with Leslie's plans; for he felt certain that if he yielded to
his companion's suggestion the latter would at once make his way in the
direction of the treasure-cave, and endeavour to discover its locality,
with the result that he would inevitably come into collision with
Nicholls and Simpson. This, in any case, would doubtless happen, sooner
or later; but Dick wished to acquire a little further information before
it occurred. He therefore replied--
"Oh, thanks, very much. I was busy enough, in all conscience, before
you arrived; but now that you have turned up, and have kindly consented
to take me off the island, I have nothing further to do. So I may as
well accompany you, since I know the shortest way to such few points of
interest as the island possesses. Where would you like to go? The
crater and the watering-place are about the only spots that are likely
to tempt you, I think."
Turnbull glared at Dick as though he could have eaten him; and for a
moment the ex-lieutenant thought that his guest was about to try violent
measures with him. But if that thought was really in his mind he
suffered more prudent counsels to prevail with him, and, after a few
moments' hesitation, intimated that he would like to have a look at the
watering-place. Dick accordingly piloted his morose companion to the
spot, and pointed out how excellently it was adapted to the purpose of
watering ships, drawing his attention to the deep-water immediately
beneath the low cascade, and dilating upon the facility with which boats
could be brought alongside. But it was clearly apparent to him that
Turnbull was absolutely uninterested in the subject; and he was by no
means sorry when, upon the return to the camp, the latter declined his
invitation to remain on shore to dinner, and curtly requested to be at
once put off to the barque. During the passage off to the vessel the
man's surliness of demeanour suddenly vanished, and, as though a
brilliant idea had just struck him, he became in a moment almost
offensively civil, strongly urging Dick to remain aboard the barque and
"make a night of it." But neither did this suit Dick's plans; the
sudden change in the man's demeanour at once roused Leslie's suspicions;
and as he had no intention whatever of placing himself in the fellow's
power, he suavely declined the invitation, remarking that, as he would
soon be having quite as much of the sea as he wanted, he would continue
to enjoy his present roomy quarters as long as he could.