THE TREASURE.
The sheet of metal, which was about eight feet square and half an inch
in thickness, covered considerable more space than had the base of the
coral-head, consequently it became necessary to work some time longer
with the shovel before it could be raised.
After the edges were exposed, and the sand had been thrown back to
prevent any chance of its falling in and burying whatever might be
beneath when the metal was removed, Bob said in a tone of caution,
curbing his own excitement as much as possible:
"Keep cool, lads, for too great speed jes' now may make no end of extra
work. Joe, you take hold of this 'ere plate with me, while Jim stands by
with the shovel in case we start the sand a runnin'. Don't let your
hopes climb so high that you'll be disappointed if we fail to find
anything here, my hearties, for there's a good many chances somebody has
been at this place ahead of us, an' we'll have all our labor for
nothin'. Calm down same's I am, an' then there won't be any harm done if
we find nothin' but an empty hole."
Bob's advice was good, but he did not follow it himself. Now they were
so near the end of the task, he was actually trembling with suppressed
excitement, and it was as if he had made this long speech for the
purpose of quieting his own nerves.
The boys stood around the excavation awaiting impatiently the moment
when the secret was to be revealed; and although Jim held the shovel
ready to check any flow of sand, it was apparent that he paid more heed
to what might be under the metal plate than the duty assigned him.
To raise the heavy covering was more difficult than the old sailor at
first supposed. Four times did he and Joe make the attempt
unsuccessfully, and then, as every muscle was strained to the utmost, it
canted on edge, while five pairs of eyes peered eagerly into what was
naturally supposed to be an excavation.
If the anxious ones had expected an immediate view of treasure they were
disappointed. A mass of what appeared to be canvas, but so discolored
and decayed as to require a close scrutiny before such fact could be
determined, was all that could be seen, and this in itself cheered Bob
wonderfully.
"Whatever was buried is still here, for if anybody had got at it they
wouldn't a' taken the trouble to cover the hole over again. All hands
turn to an' lift this chunk of metal out of the way."
"An' don't be two or three hours about it either," Jim cried
impatiently, as he grasped one side of the huge plate, "or we'll never
find out what's under the canvas."
The additional excitement lent strength to every arm, and as if it had
been nothing more than a piece of wood the heavy mass was rolled end
over end until it lay on the sand a dozen feet from the excavation.
When this had been done there was no longer any delay in continuing the
investigation. With one accord every member of the party seized at the
same moment the discolored covering which hid from view the secret of
the key. The fabric crumbled in their hands like tinder, and instead of
lifting it off readily each pulled up a small quantity of moldering
fiber.
"Take the shovel!" Bob cried excitedly to Joe. "This stuff hasn't got
much more substance than dust, an' it must be scraped away carefully."
"It's a bad lookout for what may be beneath," Joe replied grimly, as he
obeyed the order while the boys and Bob worked with their hands until a
black, stiff surface was exposed.
"This is tarred canvas, an' by gettin' hold of the edges we can lift it
out, I reckon," the old sailor said; and as the others followed his
example the second covering, together with the remaining fragments of
the first, was raised without difficulty, exposing to view a sight well
calculated to increase the already feverish excitement.
An excavation about five feet square, dug down to the bed-rock and lined
on the sides with tarred canvas, was revealed, while in it, packed with
a view to economy of space, were a large number of small, black bags
full to plumpness of something which bulged here and there like metal.
Bob drew his sheath-knife in a twinkling, and instead of cutting the
mouth of a bag which he lifted from its long resting-place, slit it down
the side, allowing the contents to drop in a dull yellow shower on the
sand.
"Talk about wantin' salvage on the brig!" he cried; "why, here's more
money than she and her cargo would fetch in any port! It's gold, lads!
Here's a Spanish doubloon; this is an English sovereign; an' there's a
Dutch piece. It would puzzle a lawyer to count it off-hand; but we
oughter be satisfied at knowin' that every coin is good, lawful money,
no matter how them as put their fists to the dockerment may a' got it!"
Bob was almost beside himself with joy, and the others were not one whit
more calm. Each had torn or cut open a bag, and was handling the
contents as if every touch of the precious metal gave pleasure. That the
hoard was valuable every member of the party knew beyond a doubt, even
though no one could compute the actual amount. There were coins of
almost every nation, some of gold, others of silver, all poured into the
tarred canvas bags without any attempt at classification, but simply
that they might be in a portable shape.
The bag Harry opened contained, in addition to the money, several rings;
but in the excitement of the moment there was no thought of examining
them critically. It was sufficient that they were in possession of a
large amount of treasure; the value of the find was a secondary
consideration just then.
The old sailor finally aroused himself from what can be called by no
other name than a delirium of joy, and with his awakening to the reality
came that which the accumulation of wealth always brings--fear lest it
should be lost as suddenly as it was gained.
"We mustn't sit here crowin' like idiots!" he cried sharply as he began
to gather up the gold-pieces which had fallen on the ground. "There's no
tellin' how soon somebody may come, an' if we want to hold what we've
got it's time things around here were put into shape. These bags must be
carried on board the Sea Bird, an' the hole filled in ag'in, so's no one
will know we've been diggin'!"
This suggestion started the remainder of the party into activity, and on
the instant all were ready to set about the necessary work.
It was now high noon. The rays of the sun beat down upon the sand with a
heat that under any other circumstances would have seemed overpowering;
but the treasure-finders heeded it not. The foliage shut out every
breath of air, and the shadows cast by the trees were but so many
stifling spots free only from the glare of the sand; yet no one
hesitated to begin the laborious task, because the burdens were golden.
Over all had come the fear that this new-found treasure might be wrested
from them, and hunger or thirst, fatigue or exhaustion were alike
forgotten.
"A couple of bags are as much as Joe an' me can carry, while one will be
a load for you boys; but in three turns we'll have them all at the boat;
so let's get under way at once," Bob said as he set the example, while
the others obeyed silently.
No one speculated as to why so much gold had been buried in that
particular spot, or how it happened that those who concealed the
treasure had abandoned the rich hoard. The wonderful fact of its having
come into their possession was the only thought which could be
entertained.
The burdens, as allotted by Bob, were reasonably heavy, and despite the
excitement which lent fictitious strength, the journey to the boat
occupied considerably more than half an hour.
Joe and Bob scanned the horizon in every direction before depositing the
first load of treasure to return for the second, but as no sail was in
sight on the dazzling blue waters it was believed safe to leave the
precious bags on the beach during the hour they would necessarily be
absent.
On the third trip neither Harry nor Walter carried a load. There were
originally but nineteen packages in the excavation, as was shown by
careful count, and since the two boys showed more signs of weariness
than the others, Bob insisted that both travel empty-handed.
When the tired party arrived at the beach with the last of the gold the
boat was launched, the bags distributed evenly fore and aft, and with
Joe and Bob rowing, the return to the steamer was begun.
The movement of the yawl caused a light breeze which greatly refreshed
the heated treasure-seekers, and with the relief thus afforded came
speculation as to why so much wealth had been concealed on the key.
"I reckon them as signed that 'ere dockerment were reg'lar pirates," Bob
said in reply to a question from Harry. "It ain't likely honest folks
would 'a' put the stuff there when it could easier have been carried
somewhere else."
"But why did they leave it?" Harry persisted. "From the looks of the hut
it's been a good many years since anybody lived there, and of course the
gold was buried when that was built."
"Most likely the whole crowd are dead--killed in a fight--or we wouldn't
'a' hit on sich a find. Howsomever, it don't make much difference to us,
seein' that we've got the pile. Look lively when we reach the steamer,
lads, an' put the bags aboard in a hurry, for there's another trip
ashore to be made before sunset."
"What for?" Jim asked in surprise.
"We must cover that hole up as it was when we found it, so's in case
anybody stumbles over the place before the Sea Bird is ready to leave
there won't be any suspicion as to what has been taken out. Joe an' me
will 'tend to that part of it while you boys cook dinner."
By this time the yawl was close alongside the steamer. Jim was in the
bow, and as the rowers held her steady he leaped aboard with the
painter.
In accordance with Bob's orders Harry and Walter clambered over the
steamer's rail, and stood ready to take the bags as they were passed up.
"Stow 'em in the hold behind the water-casks," the old sailor said when
the last valuable package was on board, "an' see to that part of it
before doin' anything else."
Then he and Joe rowed slowly back to the shore while the boys carried
the treasure below.
It was difficult for them to realize, even though they had such good
proof, that all this weight was made up of gold coin; and Jim, who was
more boisterous than any other member of that highly excited crew,
insisted on opening every bag before stowing it away.
There was nothing to interfere with such diversion, for Bob and Joe
would necessarily be absent a long while, and each package was duly
inspected.
Harry wanted to count the money in one bag in order to get some idea of
the total amount; but he was forced to abandon the task after a few
moments' work. There were apparently coins of every nation, the majority
of which the boys could only make a rough guess as to the value; and Jim
said, when Harry announced his inability to arrive at even an
approximate computation:
"Never mind, fellers; we can weigh the whole lot when we get into port,
an' then figger up somewhere near what it's worth. I'd jes' like to
spread these all over the deck, where we could see 'em every minute; but
I s'pose Bob would kick."
"He'd have good reason," Harry said laughingly. "Besides bein' in the
way, it wouldn't be safe to have so much gold around, for there's no
knowing how soon some other craft may come into the cove."
"All the same I'd like to see it on deck," Jim replied; and then, as if
it required a mighty effort to put this desire far from him, he bustled
to and fro in the most energetic fashion.
After this work had been done, the amateur cook and his assistants went
into the galley, where all the stores were overhauled in order that a
most elaborate meal might be prepared; for despite the heat and his
fatigue, Jim was determined to make of the dinner a regular Thanksgiving
feast, to celebrate their rare good fortune.