TREASURE-SEEKERS.
The crew of the schooner obtained the fullest particulars regarding the
brig, the direction of the wind when she was gotten under way, and such
other information as might be of benefit to them, for the chase was to
be continued to the American coast, if necessary.
"We can send for the legal papers in case the murderers have reached the
United States," the captain of the schooner said; "and with such proof
as we have got concerning their crime there is little doubt but that the
Government will grant an extradition."
"If you should catch them, make a claim in our name for salvage on the
brig," Joe said. "We brought her through a gale in which she would have
been dismasted if not totally wrecked, and as she was stolen from an
anchorage our rights in the matter should be respected."
"That's about the size of it, Joe," Bob added, approvingly. "If there's
any fairness in law we oughter get a right tidy lot of money outer the
old hooker."
"I'll attend to the business for you, my hearties; an' what's more,
them villains shall be made to answer for a cold-blooded murder if we
have to keep the chase up six months. Now I allow we should get under
way, for a good sailin' breeze mustn't be lost. We'll see you in Nassau,
I reckon, for if things work favorably we'll be home again in a week at
the latest."
This was a decided hint for the visitors to take their departure, and a
few moments later they were rowing toward the Sea Bird as the schooner
glided swiftly out of the little cove.
"Well, lads," Bob said, after they had watched the rapidly receding
craft until her hull was shut out from view by the point of land, "now
that they're off there's nothin' to prevent us from findin' out if what
was writ down on that paper means anything. Get the compass. We'll take
an ax an' the fire-shovel as well, for most likely there'll be a job at
diggin' before it'll be possible to tell whether we're on a wild-goose
chase or not."
The boys were eager to follow up the clew given by the document found at
the ruined hut, and in a very short space of time everything was ready
once more for a visit to the key.
It was now past noon, for the schooner had been in the harbor two or
three hours; but in the excitement of hunting for treasure no one
thought of eating. The heat was intense even where the sea-breeze had
full range, and among the underbrush it would be almost stifling; but
this discomfort was unheeded in the newborn thirst for gold.
With Bob and Joe at the oars the yawl glided over the glassy waters very
swiftly, and when she was pulled up on the sand beyond reach of the tide
the old sailor said, as he raised the compass:
"Lead the way, lads, an' make the course pretty nigh direct, for we
don't want to cruise 'round any more'n is necessary. Joe, you take the
shovel an' ax, so's the leaders can travel light."
By following up their own trail, which was distinctly marked in the
underbrush, the boys had no difficulty in going directly to the ruined
hut, stopping only once on the way to quench their thirst at the spring.
"This is the place, an' there's the hole in the timber where we found
the paper," Harry said, as he laid his hand on the crumbling joist.
"What puzzles me is to know from which side of it we're to measure
forty-one fathoms."
"There can't be much of a mistake if we're to travel nor'-nor'-east,"
and Bob placed the compass on that portion of the shattered timber which
yet remained in the sand. "It'll be a decently hard job to walk in a
straight line, though, an' if we should happen to get an inch or so out
of the way at the start it would throw the whole course askew."
"A few feet wouldn't matter a great deal while we've got the palmetto to
guide us," Joe suggested.
"We have, if it's standin' yet; but this 'ere document was fixed up a
good while ago, my hearty, an' the tree they took their bearin's from
may have been blowed down a dozen times since then."
"I don't believe that could have happened more than once," Harry said,
laughingly, "unless palmettoes are different from other trees."
"Well," Bob replied, gravely, "once would be enough to knock us out of
reckoning, an' instead of standin' here in the hot sun chatterin' like a
lot of parrots we'd better find the true course."
To lay out a straight line through the woods with nothing but a compass
as guide is by no means a simple task, and of this the old sailor was
well aware. He set about the work methodically, heeding not the time
spent providing the result arrived at was correct, and in doing this the
assistance of all was necessary.
With the compass placed squarely over the end of the post Bob sighted
across it, directing Jim, who had moved off at a distance of half a
dozen yards, until he was in the desired position. Then the compass was
carried forward to this point, and as Joe trimmed away the branches or
hewed down trees which obstructed the view, Harry walked ahead according
to the old sailor's orders.
Walter made the third point in the observation; and thus the line was
continued by the one in the rear going forward when the distance had
been measured, until forty-one fathoms, or two hundred and forty-six
feet, had been covered.
"Here we are!" Joe cried as the final living peg was in position; "and
there's nothing that looks like a palmetto anywhere near. Are you sure
the course is true?"
"I know it can't be half a fathom out of the way," Bob said as he wiped
the perspiration from his face and gazed around in perplexity. "This is
what comes of takin' a bearin' that's likely to be knocked outer line."
"If the tree isn't where it ought to be must we give up the search?"
Walter asked as a look of disappointment came over his face.
"We won't cry quits quite so soon as this," Bob replied quickly. "Joe,
drive a stake where Harry stands, so we can find the spot ag'in, an'
then get ready to start on the other course."
When this had been done Bob brought the compass forward once more, and
Joe struck out southeast by east--a direction which caused them to
return almost over the same course, the stake standing at the point of
an acute angle.
This second course was but little more than one-quarter the distance of
the first; but the underbrush was more tangled, which made the labor of
clearing a path proportionately greater, and it was nearly night-fall
when Joe shouted, as he pressed on in advance:
"There's no need of squinting across that compass-box any longer, for
here's the coral-head as plain as the nose on a man's face!"
Without thinking that by leaving their positions all this last portion
of the work might have to be repeated, the boys rushed forward eagerly
despite Bob's warning shouts; and thus deserted by his assistants, the
old sailor could do no less than join the others, who were standing
around what looked like a dull-white rock of the same form as that so
rudely pictured on the time-stained paper.
"I reckon we've struck it!" he said with a long-drawn sigh of relief;
"but there's likely to be a big lot of diggin', an' it's gettin' late.
My idee is that we'd better knock off now, an' come back in the
mornin'."
Joe was of the same opinion, and the two men began to gather up their
belongings preparatory to a return to the steamer.
The boys were decidedly disappointed. Even though all were very hungry,
they would have preferred to settle the question then and there
regardless of the amount of time that might be necessary; but as their
views on the subject were not asked for, there was no other course open
save to follow the leaders.
The coral-head lay nearer the water's edge than did the hut, and after
blazing two or three trees and ascertaining the bearings of the supposed
treasure, the line of march was taken up.
The sun had been below the horizon fully a quarter of an hour when they
stepped on board the Sea Bird, and not until then did the boys realize
how tired they were. The exertion even of cooking supper seemed too
great; but it was a task which must be performed, and all hands aided in
it, thus bringing the meal to a much earlier close than if Jim had
officiated at the stove alone.
It is safe to say that none of the steamer's crew were troubled with
wakefulness five minutes after retiring, and Bob himself was wrapped in
slumber when the sun came up out of the sea. His eyes were opened at a
reasonably early hour, however, and when a hurried breakfast had been
eaten the party set out for the spot where all believed a pirate's
treasure would be found.
To retrace their steps by the course laid out on the previous evening
was not a difficult matter, for the trail through the tangled underbrush
would have showed the way even without the compass, and before two hours
of this new day were spent the little party stood once more around the
coral-head.
Owing to the fact that they had but one shovel the work of digging
progressed slowly, and it was soon discovered that the task would
require considerable time. The coral was of great size, very much larger
at the base than the top, and imbedded in the sand to the depth of at
least four feet.
"We must spell each other every five minutes," Bob said, as he set the
example by taking the tool from Joe's hands. "In that way we shall get
along faster, because the one who's diggin' will always be fresh."
Each of the party, including the boys, had taken his turn at the shovel
half a dozen times when the huge mass of coral was finally uncovered,
and then came the question of removing it entirely.
To this end Joe cut three poles, to be used as levers, and with the most
intense excitement depicted on every countenance the treasure-seekers
set about this last portion of the task.
The second attempt was successful. The coral was rolled up on the sand
until it could be toppled over, and then, as Bob scraped the earth away
from where it had rested so long, an oblong sheet of metal--apparently
copper--was exposed to view.
This was sufficient proof for the boys that the paper found in the
hollow log referred to a hoard of gold, and they cheered again and again
until all three were hoarse, while Bob said in a tone of mingled
amazement and joy:
"I'm blest if I thought the dockerment was anything more'n a bloomin'
hoax; but this begins to look as if there might be a heap of truth in
it, even if them as wrote the story was mighty bad hands with a pen."
Despite all their anxiety to know what had been hidden in this place,
the little party stood around the excavation in a frame of mind very
much resembling awe until Joe said, impatiently:
"Come, come! What's the sense of standing like images? Let's know what
there is here, now that we're pretty near the end of the puzzle!"
This was sufficient to awaken the treasure-seekers from their daze, and
the work was continued without further delay.