BOLD THIEVES.
The old sailor remained on duty until the day began to break. The loss
of the yawl troubled him more than he cared to say, and this, together
with the possibility that she might have been taken during his watch,
drove all desire for sleep from his eyes.
When the yellow shafts of light shot up from the eastern sky to herald
the approach of dawn he awakened his companions, and while the boys went
into the galley to commence the labors of the day, he and Joe stood on
the forward-bitt, eagerly scanning the surrounding shore for some signs
of the boat.
In this they were not to be disappointed, for as the shadows retreated
the yawl stood revealed on the beach at the point where the Sea Bird's
crew emerged from the thicket when staggering under the weight of the
pirates' gold, and standing near, as if examining their stolen prize,
were the three men.
"There's one good thing about it," Bob said grimly. "By losin' our boat
we shall get rid of Mr. Red-nose and his friends, an' I ain't sure but
we'll be sellin' 'em reasonably cheap."
Joe was so enraged by the sight that he could make no reply, and the old
sailor continued half to himself:
"It won't be sich a terrible job, after they've gone, to build a raft
that'll carry us ashore, an' p'rhaps the outcome of it'll be our savin'
the steamer."
The watchers had not long to wait before it became apparent that the
party on shore did not intend to delay their departure.
All three busied themselves with bringing bundles and boxes from the
thicket after the survey of the boat was ended, and in less than half an
hour the little craft had a full load.
A light breeze came from the west, and after stepping on board it was
only necessary to row the yawl a short distance from the shore when the
sail filled, causing her to glide slowly toward the open sea.
Bob and Joe watched these maneuvers in silence without heeding Jim's
announcement that breakfast was ready, and much to the astonishment of
both, the sail was brailed up when the boat reached a point nearly
opposite the steamer.
"I'll be blowed if they haven't got the nerve to speak us!" the old
sailor exclaimed; and almost at the same moment the red-nosed man
shouted, as he raised his hat in mock politeness:
"We're sorry to leave you here aground, and without a tender; but you
didn't feel like makin' any friendly talk to us yesterday mornin', so
we had to help ourselves. I had an idee we'd get the best end of the
trade if it come to bein' disagreeable!"
"Don't worry about us!" Bob shouted angrily. "We're glad to get rid of
you at any price; but my advice is that you give Nassau a pretty wide
berth!"
"We should be ungrateful if we did not heed the counsel of those who
have rigged the boat for us in such a satisfactory manner!" the Mexican
replied with a laugh; and then the sheet was hauled aft once more and
the little craft laid on such a course as would bring her close past the
southerly point of the harbor.
Bob and Joe remained silent and motionless until the thieves were shut
out from view by the land, and then the former said, with an attempt to
speak cheerfully:
"That ends 'em, so far as we are concerned, an' its best not to think of
the scoundrels ag'in. We've either got to take up our quarters on the
island or rig some plan for floatin' the steamer, an' I reckon that'll
occupy pretty much all our time. Let's get breakfast, an' then decide
what's to be done."
There was no necessity for spending many moments on deliberations when
the morning meal had been eaten, for whatever might be done, the first
step was to establish communication with the shore, and this Joe
proposed to do when he came on deck again.
The thieving crew were nowhere in sight, as would have been the case
had they sailed in almost any other than a southerly direction, and it
seemed probable that the yawl had been headed toward Nassau despite the
danger the men would incur of being arrested.
"I only hope they'll fool around in the vicinity until that schooner
comes back and captures every one!" Joe said in anything rather than a
friendly tone, after taking a deliberate survey of such portion of the
ocean as could be seen from the tug; and then he added abruptly, as if
determined to put all unpleasant thoughts far from his mind, "Now, what
about getting on shore, Bob?"
"We must rig up some kind of a raft, I reckon, an' then stretch one of
the heavin' lines so's she can be pulled back and forth without too much
work."
"Jim, you and Harry overhaul the lines," Joe said as he began to
undress; "and while Bob is building the raft I'll swim ashore."
"Don't do it!" the old sailor cried, warningly. "There are too many
sharks around these keys to make swimmin' very safe sport!"
"We sha'n't be likely to find them in such shoal water. The boys can
stay near the bow, and with all hands on the lookout I don't fancy
there'll be much danger," Joe replied carelessly, as he knotted around
his waist the line Jim brought.
Then without more ado he leaped overboard; and so shallow was the cove
at this point that hardly a dozen strokes were necessary before his feet
touched the bottom, and he waded ashore to where a mangrove grew near
the edge of the bank.
Around this he fastened the rope, and then returned to the steamer,
saying, as he stepped on board:
"The Sea Bird crawled pretty well up on the shoal before the anchor
caught."
"Yes," Bob replied sadly; "she's got so much sand under her nose that
I'm afraid she'll stay here, unless--which ain't at all likely--some
steamer puts in. I was reckonin' on usin' timbers from the bulk-head for
a raft; but seein's how there ain't much trouble in gettin' ashore it'll
be best for the boys to make one out of tree-trunks while you keep to
work on the engine."
"Are you countin' on livin' ashore?" Jim asked, anxiously.
"We may be glad to, lad, if another gale springs up. We'll be ready to
abandon the little steamer if the worst comes; but all hands are to work
tryin' to float her jes' the same as if we believed it could be done."
The boys were not loath to be on the land once more. They undressed with
alacrity, after bringing from below the axes and hatchets, and with
their clothes packed in an empty cask from out of which one of the heads
had been taken, they leaped overboard like a party of frogs.
"Cut about twenty medium-sized trees, and drag them to the beach after
trimming off the branches!" Joe shouted as they landed.
The boys dressed quickly, for the swarms of mosquitoes rendered clothes
very necessary, and at once set about the task of chopping, selecting
such mangroves and palms as grew nearest the shore, in order to avoid,
so far as possible, the labor of hauling them through the thick
underbrush.
Then Bob and Joe began their portion of the labor. Although the old
sailor believed the tug to be immovably fixed upon the sand, he did not
propose to neglect anything which would tend to extricate her. Of course
it was possible something might occur to better her condition; and in
such an improbable event it was necessary she should be in working
order. Besides, as he said to Joe, "it was as well to have a job on hand
to occupy their attention as to idle the time away on the key."
By noon the boys had collected sufficient materials for the raft, and
Bob swam ashore to assist in building it.
Using ropes and vines instead of nails, which were very precious just
then, quite a serviceable raft was put together, and on it, by the aid
of the rope Joe had stretched ashore, all hands pulled themselves out to
the steamer.
The boys went into the galley to prepare dinner, and after it had been
eaten the weary crew indulged in a long siesta, for the heat was almost
overpowering.
There was no thought of standing watch, now their enemies had left the
island, and everybody gave himself up to the desire for slumber which
made his eyelids heavy. No one was sleeping very soundly, and Bob had
only fallen into a doze, when a report as loud as would have been
caused by the discharge of a musket rang out on the still air, causing
boys and men to leap to their feet in alarm.
"What was it?" Joe asked, as he gazed around in bewilderment, but
without seeing any living thing either on the sea or land.
"I'm blest if I know!" Bob replied, in a tone of perplexity. "It sounded
close aboard; but how can----Say, is there anything below which could
explode?"
"Not when there's no steam on."
The old sailor stood staring at the shore in silence, evidently
seriously disturbed, and the three boys gathered around him in alarm.
They had experienced so much which was both mysterious and terrible
since the morning of the sail in the Sally Walker, that to them every
unusual sound or movement meant further disaster, and Bob's palpable
fear caused something very like horror to come upon them.
Joe had mechanically started forward, and before reaching the
pilot-house he shouted, to the intense relief of all:
"We were more scared than hurt this time! It was only the heaving-line.
It has parted, and in doing so made the noise; but I don't understand
how there could be so much strain."
Bob glanced ashore quickly, assured himself that one end of the rope was
still made fast to the tree, and then cried triumphantly as he pointed
astern:
"There's where the strain came from! The sun has been dryin' the hawser
till it pulled the tug back far enough to break the line! That shows how
much can be done by tryin'! The Sea Bird is ready to come off the shoal
if we help her a bit; so turn to, lads, an' work for all you're worth
till she's in deep water once more!"
The slackened hawser, which a short time previous had been so taut, told
that Bob's explanation was the correct one, and there was no necessity
to urge either the boys or Joe any further. To have a chance of saving
the little steamer after all had firmly believed she was helplessly
stranded aroused every member of the crew as nothing else, save the
actual arrival of friends, could have done.