A SINGULAR DOCUMENT.
In order to better understand the cause of the boys' excitement it will
be well to follow them from the time they stepped ashore on the little
key in search of water; otherwise it might require the reader more time
than it did Bob and Joe to learn all the details of the story.
The novelty of standing on the solid earth once more, after having been
tossed about by the sea, was very pleasant, and the boys enjoyed it
hugely. The sun had not yet heated the cool night-air which lingered
among the underbrush, and they plunged through the dense portions of the
thicket as if the very contact of the foliage was a luxury.
The oddly-shaped leaves, unfamiliar trees and wire-like grass claimed
their attention for fully half an hour to the exclusion of everything
else, and it is barely possible that the purpose for which they landed
might have been forgotten if Jim had not reminded them of the fact by
saying:
"Look here, fellers, it won't do for us to caper 'round here much
longer, 'cause Bob'll be hoppin' mad if we ain't back soon to tell him
whether there's a supply of water. We'll have plenty chances to come
ashore before the Sea Bird is repaired, an' to steer clear of a row we'd
better get to work."
Thus reminded of their duties, Harry and Walter assumed a business-like
air, and under the direction of Jim set about exploring the key in a
methodical manner.
Before proceeding more than fifty yards straight back from the cove the
question of water was settled, at the same time that evidences of the
men who had done them such grievous injury were found.
In the sand amid a thicket of palms was a spring whose clear, sparkling
water bubbled up apparently through the solid rock, forming a tiny
stream which flowed toward the east some distance and was then lost amid
the dazzling sand. Near by the underbrush had been trampled down, while
a quantity of embers told unmistakably that here the three men had
camped several days.
"They wasn't very near starvin' if this was where they hung out," Jim
said as he lifted from amid the foliage a small sack of yams and another
half-filled with ship's-biscuit. "Here's enough to keep 'em alive
longer'n they had any right to live, an' by the looks of them
oyster-shells I should think it had been a reg'lar Thanksgivin' Day with
'em."
"All three ate as if they were hungry when they came aboard the brig,"
Harry suggested.
"That was to throw dust into Bob's eyes. Anyhow, these bags show as how
the villains weren't left here by accident. If we could know all about
the crowd I reckon we'd think ourselves lucky in gettin' rid of them
with only the loss of the brig."
The thought of how they were tricked was one Harry did not care to
entertain very long just at this time, when he had succeeded in
partially banishing his great grief, and as a means of checking such
conversation he said:
"I suppose we ought to go back and tell Bob there is plenty of water
here."
"We've got time enough for that. Let's look 'round a little more, for
I'd like to find out where them oysters came from," Jim replied; and
Walter started at once through the thicket as if eager to hide from view
this very unpleasant reminder of their enemies.
"It won't take long to walk across the key," Jim said as he followed
close behind the leader; "an' if we keep straight ahead there's no
chance of gettin' lost."
"We can go on for awhile, at any rate," Harry replied, "and if the
distance is too great there's nothing to prevent us from turning
around."
[Illustration: Harry sprung forward with a shout as he pointed to a
small, dark object.--(See page 155.)]
It was destined, however, that they should not penetrate very far into
the interior of the island. Walter had led the party little more than a
quarter of a mile when he halted in front of a veritable hut in the
midst of a palmetto thicket.
Just for an instant the boys believed the key was inhabited; but as they
pushed further among the luxuriant vegetation that question was settled,
at least so far as this particular building was concerned. It had
originally been a rude affair about ten feet square, and evidently built
from the fragments of a vessel, but was now little more than a pile of
timbers. One end and part of a side yet remained standing, the balance
thrown down as if decay rather than man or the fury of the elements had
caused the collapse.
The boys walked around it, trying to peer under the rotten planks in the
hope of seeing some evidences of its former occupancy, until Walter said
impatiently:
"There's nothing here worth looking at, so let's go on."
"Wait a bit," Jim replied, as he began overhauling the ruins. "If we
could find two or three sound planks Bob would think we'd made a fair
day's work, 'cause he needs a good deal of lumber."
Harry had not thought it possible the discovery could be of any value
until this suggestion of Jim's, and then he worked with a will among the
ruins, knowing full well how delighted the old sailor would be with two
or three stout timbers.
It seemed hardly probable any very useful material could be gathered
from the pile of rubbish, for that portion of the hut yet standing was
in such a condition of decay that, as the fragments inside were removed,
it came tumbling down with a crash, sending the centipedes and other
crawling things scuttling away in every direction, while the dust rose
in dense clouds, which caused the boys to sneeze as if a huge snuff-box
had been overturned.
"According to the looks of that we sha'n't find very many serviceable
pieces," Walter said when it was possible to speak again. "This stuff is
so rotten that it wouldn't even make good fuel."
"I reckon you're right;" and as he spoke Jim pulled toward him the
corner-post, which had broken off close to the sand.
In dragging it out the wood crumbled to pieces, and Harry, who was a few
feet away, sprung forward with a shout as he pointed to a small, dark
object amid the fragments.
"Look at that! There's something hidden in the timber!"
Pressing forward, the boys saw a square black mass five inches long,
four wide, and a trifle more than one inch in thickness, which was lying
apparently in the very heart of the wood. The briefest examination
revealed the fact that the odd-looking thing was in a cavity or recess
which had been cut in the timber at what must have been about four feet
from the ground when the post formed a portion of the hut. It had been
most skillfully done, and concealed from view by a thin piece of wood
rabbeted-in so neatly as to make it appear like the solid post. Even
now, after so many years must have elapsed, it was difficult to see the
joints; therefore when first done one would have looked in vain for
marks of a tool on the timber.
"What is it?" Jim cried excitedly as he gazed at the black object, but
made no move toward taking it from the recess where it had so long
remained hidden.
"It's something valuable, or it wouldn't have been put away like that.
P'rhaps a pirate has left it for safe-keeping, and couldn't get back
after it," Harry suggested.
"He couldn't have been any very great shakes of a pirate if that's all
he had to hide!" Jim said with a tone of contempt for the possibly
blood-thirsty owner of the package which he now lifted from its wooden
case.
The boys gathered close around; but the most minute examination failed
to reveal anything more valuable than a mass of tar.
"There must be something inside!" Walter cried excitedly, "for no one
would have taken so much trouble to put such stuff away. Cut it open!"
Jim was soon chopping at the black mass with his pocket-knife, and but a
few strokes were necessary to show that the tar simply covered a
cunningly-plaited net-work of stout cord fashioned somewhat like an
envelope.
"Be careful when you stick the knife through!" Harry cried warningly.
"There must be something precious inside, sure!"
Jim did not intend to run any risk of ruining the contents by a hasty
stroke. After scraping the tar off sufficiently to expose the cords
straight across both ends, he cut them carefully apart until the
envelope was divided like an open wallet, exposing to view two thin
sheets of wood.
"It's nothing but paper!" Walter exclaimed in a tone of most intense
disappointment as Jim separated this inner covering, showing what
appeared to be the attempt of some amateur to draw a diagram on a soiled
piece of stout paper.
At the top of the sheet, which was yellow and time-worn, were two lines,
as follows:
XLI. fathoms N. N. E. from this timber to palmetto tree.
XII. fathoms S. E. by E. to coral-head.
This information, if such it could be called, was jotted down in
fanciful letters instead of writing, and immediately beneath it appeared
the rude drawing of a hut, a crooked tree, and a rock or piece of coral.
From one to the other arrows were placed to mark the probable direction
as given above, while below was what looked like a representation of an
island or key.
Then was written, in angular penmanship, the following:
We solemnly swear not to disturb the treasure buried by us this
day, except in the presence of all the owners, or after
receiving proof that one or more are dead.
(Signed)
BARTH MEADOWS.
His
PEDRO X GONZALES.
mark.
E. BONN.
His
JOSEF X HARTTMAN.
mark.
For several moments after Harry ceased reading this singular document
the boys stood staring at the faded characters in silence, and then Jim
exclaimed:
"I'll bet them was pirates what wrote that, an' if we could only make
out what it means there'd be a big pile of gold found. Let's go on board
an' show it to Bob!"
The mere suggestion that they had the clew to a buried treasure was
sufficient to throw all three into a perfect fever of excitement, and
after carefully gathering up the coverings they started at full speed
for the shore, shouting to each other, as they ran, the most improbable
theories concerning the ancient document and its signers until the key
resounded with their cries.
"Perhaps the men who ran away with the brig belong to the same gang who
hid the paper," Walter suggested in a tremulous tone, glancing behind
him every few moments, as if fancying they might be pursued.
"That couldn't be," Harry replied, panting because of the rapid pace,
"unless they've taken the gold with them."
For an instant the boys' joy decreased very materially, and then grew
strong once more as Jim said, confidently:
"If they had we'd seen somethin' of it; but them duffers didn't have any
baggage when they come aboard. The Bonita wouldn't 'a' left the cove so
quick if the men had known about this. I tell you, fellers, it was lucky
for us that they stole the brig!"
[Illustration: Fac-simile of paper found by the boys.--(See page 157.)]
Then, as if unable longer to act like rational beings, the explorers
burst into loud, incoherent shouts, which sadly lessened their speed
because of the extra amount of breath required to continue the outcries.
It was this uproar which Joe heard, and he and Bob were wholly at a loss
to understand what had happened as the yawl, with her noisy crew,
approached the tug.