A SERIOUS LOSS.
Joe stood guard in turn while Bob ate his breakfast, the boys setting
things to rights in the cabin and galley, and when the old sailor came
on deck again the question of what should be done was discussed.
"There ain't much chance we can do anything toward floating the steamer
until after the machinery has been repaired," the engineer said, by way
of beginning the conversation; "and before that can be done she will
have settled so deep in the sand that the screw won't have any effect."
"That's jes' about the way I figger it out," Bob replied, as a troubled
look came over his face. "The cable will stop her from workin' ahead;
but she'll keep on settlin' jes' the same."
"And if we can't float her there's but one other course to pursue, which
is to take to the yawl and run our risk of reaching Nassau."
"There ain't much risk about it. She'll carry all hands an' the gold
without crowdin'; an' as for danger, why, bless you, we can make harbor
among these keys almost any hour in the day. It's abandonin' a sound
craft like this that makes me sore," and Bob gave vent to a deep sigh
of sorrow or disappointment.
"But if it must be done, the sooner we start the better."
"You're right, Joe, an' it ain't any use to whine about what can't be
helped. If that rascally crew weren't ashore we might make one try to
float her; but as they are there, an' can't get away very soon, we'd
better go to work. If you'll find somethin' that'll answer for a mast,
I'll cut the steamer's foresail into a leg-o'-mutton sail for the boat,
an' by to-morrow we can make a start."
When the boys came on deck, they were surprised at seeing the two men
engaged in rigging the yawl instead of trying to float the Sea Bird; and
after the proposed plan had been explained, Jim was thoroughly
dissatisfied, although he took good care not to betray such fact to Joe
or Bob.
"It's just foolishness to abandon this steamer!" he said to the boys
when the three were comparatively alone forward. "We've lost the brig
that would have brought in a big lot of money through the salvage, an'
now we're goin' to leave the Sea Bird for them murderers!"
"With the gold-pieces we've got in the hold I don't think there's any
reason to feel very badly about what might have been made out of the
Bonita," Harry said laughingly. "It's a fact that we can't do very much
while that crowd on the key stand ready to take every possible
advantage, and neither Walter nor I are sorry to go away in the
morning, no matter how much must be left behind."
"Don't you care whether the steamer goes to pieces or not?" Jim asked
almost angrily.
"Of course we'd like to save her if it could be done quickly; but we had
rather get home than have a dozen tugs just like her, and the sooner the
yawl is under way the sooner our parents will know where we are."
"But they must have found out all about it long before this," Jim said
calmly.
"How could that be?"
"The captain of the schooner promised to report us, an' your fathers
have read the whole story in the papers by this time."
"But we can't get home any too soon," Walter said decidedly; and the
conversation was brought to an abrupt conclusion as Jim went sulkily
into the galley, where, a few minutes later, a terrible clattering of
pots and pans told of his displeasure.
There was no slight amount of work to be done before the little party
could be ready to abandon the Sea Bird. The journey to Nassau might be a
long one because of baffling winds, and plenty of food must be cooked.
There were no kegs or small casks aboard, consequently it would be
necessary to fill all the bottles and cans with water; and, in addition,
Bob and Joe would be occupied a greater portion of the day in rigging
the yawl.
The uproar in the galley reminded the old sailor that very much should
be done in that quarter, and the only benefit Master Jim derived from
his outburst of ill-temper was such as might be extracted from an order
to cook all the grub he could between then and sunset.
During the day nothing was seen of the party on the key. Toward the
close of the afternoon a thin thread of smoke, which apparently arose
from the western shore, told they were still there, and also that the
intimation of a scarcity of food was false.
"They've most likely got more provisions, than we have," Bob said as Joe
called his attention to the smoke. "It's safe to say that the boat was
loaded with cabin-stores, an' I'll bet a farthing's worth of silver
spoons they haven't lost so much as a biscuit."
"Although we have no reason to sympathize with them in any way, I'm glad
to know they're not hungry," Joe replied gravely.
Until half an hour before sunset all hands worked industriously, and
then the task had been accomplished, with the exception of putting the
treasure and stores on board. The yawl was rigged with as much canvas as
could safely be carried in a fair sailing breeze, and was made fast
alongside ready to receive her cargo when another day should dawn.
"It won't take half an hour to load," Bob said in a tone of satisfaction
as he scrutinized the result of his labor, "an' we'll buckle down to
stowin' away part of what Jim has cooked to-day. You take the first
watch on deck, Joe, for I don't calculate it'll be safe to trust the
boys after dark, an' I'll spell you when I'm through supper."
Bob had decided that a vigilant watch must be kept during the night,
although he did not believe the enemy would make any demonstrations, and
an hour after supper all hands save the engineer "turned in" on
mattresses spread under the awning.
At ten o'clock Joe called the old sailor to his trick on deck, and he in
turn was aroused at midnight, for the watches were only of two hours'
duration.
When Joe came on duty the second time all animate objects appeared to be
in a state of the most complete repose. Not a sound could be heard save
the musical ripple of waters on the beach or the faint murmur of the
night-wind as it sung gently among the foliage.
Owing to the wakefulness and excitement of the previous night, together
with the exertions of the day just passed, Joe's eyes were heavy with
sleep, and in order to shake off the drowsiness which pressed upon him
he paced softly to and fro on the port side of the deck.
It was unfortunate for the Sea Bird's crew that he chose that particular
place for a promenade. Had he walked on the starboard side of the house
it would have been possible to see by the faint sheen of the waters a
small, round object that apparently floated out from the shore directly
toward where the yawl was moored.
Perhaps it might have aroused his curiosity, if not his suspicion, and
that would have been sufficient to prevent a serious loss.
As it was, however, he continued the promenade, bent only on keeping his
eyes open, and the black sphere came nearer and nearer until one could
have distinguished the countenance of the Mexican who had assisted in
stealing the Bonita.
Slowly but steadily the head advanced, causing hardly a ripple on the
water, until it was hidden in the deep shadow cast by the steamer's
hull. Then a hand, in which was held an open knife, appeared above the
surface as its fellow grasped the yawl's painter.
One quick, noiseless stroke and the rope was severed, after which the
head and hands disappeared.
Joe continued to pace the deck ignorant of what was taking place so near
him, and inch by inch the yawl drifted toward the shore until fully
three-quarters of the distance from the steamer to the key had been
traversed, when the form of a man rose out of the water, which at that
particular point was not more than three feet deep, and drew her boldly
in on the beach.
At two o'clock the engineer awakened Bob to stand what was now a useless
watch, and half an hour later all hands were startled into wakefulness
by his loud cry:
"The yawl has gone adrift!"
As they sprung to their feet in alarm he drew in the bit of rope that
hung loosely from the rail, and after one glance at the severed end said
angrily:
"We're nice sailors, we are! Thought the boys couldn't stand watch, an'
took the job ourselves only to have them villains steal the boat from
under our noses! This rope has been cut, so there's no chance she went
adrift by accident!"
Joe insisted that he did not close his eyes while on duty, and Bob was
equally certain that he kept vigilant watch; therefore there was no
possibility of ascertaining when the theft had been committed.
"The yawl is gone!" the old sailor said grimly after a long pause, "an'
that's all we need to know just now. How she went don't make very much
difference; but I'd like to have that red-nosed man within reach of my
fist about three minutes!"
This last misfortune seemed a most severe one in the boys' eyes, and for
fully a quarter of an hour Jim was nearly speechless from excess of
indignation and apprehension.
"It seems like we was never going to get clear of this island," he said
in a whisper when Bob and Joe went forward thinking it might be possible
to see the stolen boat. "I believe the pirates' gold has something to do
with our bad luck, an' I wish we'd never found that letter."
"I don't see why you should feel out of sorts," Harry said in a
sorrowful tone. "You were angry because we proposed to abandon the
steamer, and now that it's impossible to get away you ought to be
contented."
"Stayin' here without a boat to go ashore in is a different thing from
bein' able to sail anywhere around the key," Jim replied, and then he
relapsed into silence once more.
The conversation between Bob and Joe was no more satisfactory than that
carried on by the boys. As a matter of course they had not been able to
see the boat, which was now completely hidden in the shadow of the
trees, and after straining their eyes in vain for some time the old
sailor said, impatiently:
"What's the use of standin' here like fools when we know she's hauled up
somewhere along the beach? We'll turn in, an' after sunrise try to think
out another plan which will come to the same end this has!"
"I have a mind to swim ashore and settle matters now with those
villains!" Joe said angrily.
"You would be the one to get settled, I reckon;" and Bob had so nearly
recovered his composure as to laugh at the engineer's expense. "Both of
us together wouldn't stand any show, more especially in the night, when
they'd have all the advantage. Turn in with the boys, an' I'll stand
watch till I'm sleepy."