[Illustration]
YOUNG HUNTERS
IN PORTO RICO;
OR,
THE SEARCH FOR A LOST TREASURE.
BY
CAPTAIN RALPH BONEHILL,
_Author of "Gun and Sled," "Young Oarsmen of Lakeview,"
"Rival Bicyclists," "Leo, the Circus Boy," "When
Santiago Fell," "A Sailor Boy with Dewey,"
"Off for Hawaii," etc._
CHICAGO.
M. A. DONOHUE & CO.
407-429 Dearborn St.
COPYRIGHT, 1900,
BY
DONOHUE BROTHERS,
Chicago and New York.
PREFACE.
"The Young Hunters in Porto Rico" has been written at the earnest
solicitation of a number of my young readers, who wished to follow the
further adventures of the Gun and Sled Club.
In a former volume of this series, "Gun and Sled," I related how the
club was formed and what a jolly time its members had during a winter
outing on Snow-Top Island. In the present tale, one of the members
becomes the proud owner of a yacht, and of course nothing will do but to
take an ocean trip on the craft. During this trip the boys learn of a
Spanish treasure said to be secreted in one of the great caves near
Caguas, on the island of Porto Rico, and at once a hunt is instituted,
and many stirring adventures follow.
The work was written primarily for the reader's amusement, yet I have
endeavored within its pages to give a fair description of the Porto Rico
of to-day, as it appears to a traveler from our States. This new island
domain of ours is but little known to the majority of us, but when its
picturesqueness, and its mild climate, become a matter of publicity,
Porto Rico is bound to become the Mecca for thousands of American
tourists, in search of health and pleasure.
From the number of letters received, I am led to believe that "Gun and
Sled" was well liked by my readers. If this is so, I sincerely trust
that the present volume does not fall below the other in merit.
CAPTAIN RALPH BONEHILL.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. A Storm Off Shore 7
II. The Man from the Wreck 16
III. Something about a Great Treasure 23
IV. A Compact of Importance 29
V. An Adventure in St. Augustine 36
VI. Into the River and Out 44
VII. Saving the Train 51
VIII. A Fire at Sea 64
IX. Fighting the Flames 73
X. A Swim not Likely to be Forgotten 80
XI. The Club Arrives at San Juan 87
XII. Prisoners of Nature 95
XIII. The Wayside Inn 102
XIV. The Man in the Room 109
XV. A Lively Fight with a Serpent 115
XVI. The Exposure of the Midnight Visitor 122
XVII. In which Danny is Rescued 130
XVIII. Strangers in Camp 137
XIX. Lost in the Forest 144
XX. An Unpleasant Talk 152
XXI. The Search for the Spanish Treasure 159
XXII. Into the Bowels of the Earth 167
XXIII. A Hurricane on the Mountain 174
XXIV. The Chamber of Bones 181
XXV. The Tablet of Stone 188
XXVI. Looking for the Camping Outfit 195
XXVII. Joseph Farvel Makes a Move 201
XXVIII. Bob is Taken Prisoner 208
XXIX. A Friend in Need 215
XXX. Finding the Spanish Treasure 222
XXXI. A Dangerous Tumble 229
XXXII. What Became of Dick 235
XXXIII. Good-Bye to Porto Rico—Conclusion 243
Young Hunters In Porto Rico.
CHAPTER I.
A STORM OFF SHORE.
"What do you think of the weather, Bob?"
"It looks like a storm, Dick, and a heavy one, too."
"Exactly my idea. I wonder how far we are from the lighthouse?"
"I can't say. Jacob!"
"What is it, Master Robert?"
"How far is it to the lighthouse?"
The old Yankee sailor at the wheel of the Dashaway rubbed his grizzled
chin and cast his eyes about before replying.
"I reckon as how it is about two miles or so," he said, with
deliberation. "We have been running putty lively, you know."
"Do you imagine we can make it before that blow comes up?" asked Dick
Wilbur, anxiously. "We don't want to lose a stick out here."
"We can do our best, sir. But we've got to work for it, for the wind is
going down fast."
"I see that, Jacob. Hadn't you better throw her over a point or two?"
"I'll throw her over all she'll stand," answered Jacob Ropes, as he
moved the handles of the brass-bound and highly polished steering wheel
of the yacht. "Don't you think we had better lower the mainsail?"
"I think a couple of reefs will be enough—for the present," replied Dick
Wilbur. "We can get the canvas in on the run when it freshens up."
At this old Jacob Ropes shook his head doubtfully, but as Dick Wilbur
was commonly looked upon as the leader in the present outing, he said
nothing in opposition. Both Dick Wilbur and Bob Hobart sprang to the
halyards, and soon the mainsail was set to the former's satisfaction.
The topsail had already been stowed away, and now the jib was likewise
made safe.
The Dashaway had been cruising off the shore of the Carolinas for the
best part of a week. She was as trim and substantial a yacht as one
could meet anywhere, and had been built especially for Dick Wilbur's
uncle by a firm of ship constructors who made a specialty of this class
of work. She was long and narrow—yet not too narrow for safety—and while
her mast was a towering one, the ballast of lead in her keel was
sufficient to render her sailing qualities good even in a heavy blow.
In a former story, entitled "Gun and Sled," I told how four boys, Dick
Wilbur, Bob Hobart, Don Harrison and Leander Carson organized the Gun
and Sled Club, and went off on a long winter outing on Snow-Top Island.
They were accompanied by Danny Guirk, a poor but merry-hearted Irish
lad, who did all sorts of odds and ends of work for them, and amid snow
and ice the club went gunning, fishing, ice-boat sailing and the like to
their hearts' content.
When the lads returned to their homes in Waterford, it was decided by a
unanimous vote to make the club a permanent one, and the snow still lay
on the ground while they were planning for their outing during the
coming summer.
At first it was decided to go up the lake upon which the village was
situated, again, for another trip to the island where they had had so
much sport; but the departure of Dick Wilbur's uncle for China caused a
change in their plans. Dick was named after this relative, and before
going away, Mr. Richard Wilbur gave to his namesake the Dashaway.
"I am sure you will appreciate the gift, my boy," had been his words.
"Have the best of good times on the craft, but take care that you don't
get drowned."
My young readers can well imagine how delighted Dick was over this gift.
The youth was now president of the club, and it instantly came into his
head to invite the members to take the contemplated outing on board of
the yacht. "And I'll take you anywhere that you want to go," had been
Dick's concluding remark on making the offer.
The proposition was accepted as quickly as made, and then came the
question of where they should go. Waterford lay a good many miles from
the ocean, but an easy passage could be had by means of several lakes
and a broad river, and it was finally decided that they should spread
the Dashaway's white wings on the broad Atlantic, for a sail down the
coast to Florida.
This was to be a long trip from home, and it was felt by the boys'
parents that some older person should go with them. Squire Hobart, Bob's
father, knew old Jacob Ropes well, and knew he was a first-class sailor,
and it was this Yankee who was hired to do the main sailing of the yacht
and keep a watchful eye over the lads. Old Jacob was as good-hearted a
tar as could be found anywhere, and it did not take long for him and the
members of the club to become warm friends.
"I don't think we are going to have any fishing to-day," remarked
Leander Carson, as Dick came forward to where he and Don Harrison sat,
near the companionway.
"I don't believe we're going to have any for several days, Leander,"
answered Dick, as he again surveyed the clouds.
"We're in for a big storm—I'm certain of it," came from Don. "If we—
There goes Danny's gong!"
A loud beating of a wooden spoon on a tin platter had broken in on his
speech. Now there appeared above the companionway steps the face of a
chubby Irish lad wearing a big apron and a four-cornered cook's cap.
"All hands be afther comin' down fer dinner!" cried the young cook of
the club. "An' don't waste no time or dem apple dumplin's will all be
cold," he added.
"All right, Danny, we'll be down," answered Dick. "I can tell you what,
boys, this sailing around gives a fellow a tremendous appetite."
"As if there was ever anything the matter with your eating apparatus,"
laughed Bob. "But say, Danny's bluefish does smell immense, doesn't it?"
he went on, and was the first to slip down into the small but elegant
cabin of which the Dashaway boasted. The others immediately followed,
and soon all were feasting on the spread the Irish lad had prepared for
them.
"Danny, I'll recommend you to the Waldorf-Astoria if ever I get to New
York," observed Bob, as he paused, with a cob of green corn in his
hands. "As a cook you're getting to be A No. 1."
"I don't want no recommendation," returned the Irish lad, blushing.
"It's good enough fun fer me to be waiting on dis crowd."
"And how do you like the ocean, Danny?" questioned Leander.
"De ocean is all right—if only it would stop rollin' once in awhile.
Sometimes I'm afther t'inkin' I'm goin' ter turn inside out, dat's all,"
and Danny hurried off to the galley fire to bring on the dessert.
"I wonder if we'll have any such adventures on this trip as we had up to
Hotchkiss and Snow-Top Islands," remarked Leander. "Don't you remember
those bears, and how we got lost in the blizzard, and all that?"
"I don't believe we'll meet any bears out here," said Bob, solemnly, as
he turned his gaze to the ceiling. He was bound to have his joke
whenever he got the chance.
"Oh, stow it, Bob, you know what I mean. Of course we can't meet bears
on the ocean, but we might meet a—a, whale, or a waterspout, or
something like that."
"And instead of a blizzard we might meet a gale that would send us to
the bottom," put in Leander. "That would just suit you, wouldn't it?—
just for the excitement."
"I sincerely hope we don't have any trouble," began Dick, seriously.
"All I ask for is a pleasant trip, with good fishing and fine bathing,
and maybe a little hunting, when we reach the Florida shore."
By this time the apple dumplings had been brought on, and for several
minutes the conversation lagged, as the boys paid strict attention to
the dainties with their appetizing sauce of butter and sugar. The
dumplings were scarcely finished when there came a shrill whistle from
the deck.
The sound proceeded from a whistle which old Jacob was in the habit of
using when he wanted to call one and another, and they happened to be
out of calling distance. Rushing up the companionway, Dick gave one
glance at the heavens and saw the reason for the summons. Half of the
sky was literally black with clouds of wind and rain, and already behind
the Dashaway could be seen the angry white-caps, growing larger and
coming closer each instant.
"All hands on deck, and be quick about it!" he yelled. "Jacob, hadn't
Leander better take the wheel?"
"Yes, and lose no time," answered the Yankee sailor, and as Leander
relieved him, he ran forward with the other boys and began to stow away
the mainsail. In the meantime Danny received orders to fasten down the
hatch and close up all of the portholes.
"We're in for it, beyond a doubt," said Dick, as the breeze struck the
yacht with increasing force, tearing savagely through the riggings and
causing Don to shudder. The rain now began to fall, and all of the club
members, and old Jacob donned their oilskins.
"We can't make the harbor now," announced the old Yankee. "If we tried
it, we may run on the rocks and be smashed to pieces. We'll have to run
out." And he threw the yacht over, something that made her dip
considerably, and which sent more than one wave rushing over her bow.
The wind now commenced to shriek dismally, and the darkened sky was lit
up with distant flashes of lightning, invariably followed by long, low
rumbles of thunder.
"I can't see de use uf runnin' into dat storm," piped up Danny Guirk.
"If I was runnin' t'ings I'd steer fer de land, dat's wot I would do."
"You be careful, or you'll go overboard—" began Bob, when a yell from
Dick interrupted him.
"Here it comes, boys! Hold hard, all of you! My, but isn't it a corker!"
A ripping crack of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning drowned out
the last of his words, and then the very heavens appeared to open, to
let down a deluge of water that threatened to swamp the gallant yacht. A
hurricane of wind followed, and the waves lashed and pounded the craft
upon every side.
"By gum!" came suddenly from old Jacob. "Did any of ye see thet, boys?"
"See what?" demanded Don and Dick in a breath.
"The small boat over to starboard. She was bottom side up and somebody
was a-clingin' to her!"