IN THE LAIR OF THE FOX
The boys quickly secreted themselves in the high grass, and in a few
moments several men came into the glade, evidently in great excitement.
"We've got to get him quick," said one. "Is this the right way, do you
think? We can't waste no time waiting around here with that revenue cutter
hanging around."
"Him and Davis went over to this side 'cause he wanted to show Davis that
there was a vessel in the bay, and now this here other one is hanging
about, and she may come to our side and find us," said another. "This here
is the way, I think, but I ain't sure."
"Well, come on and find him," growled a third man. "As you say, we'd
better not waste no time with a revenue cutter hanging about and looking
for us. Come on!"
The men hurried on, and when there was no longer any sign of them Jack
arose and said:
"They have seen a vessel outside, probably from one of the hills, and have
taken the alarm. It is likely that this is the vessel Mr. Smith has sent
to get us out. I hardly believe she is a revenue cutter, although these
men would hardly be deceived on that point."
"They might," said Percival. "They would take alarm at anything. I think
myself that it is likely to be the vessel sent to get us out. She should
be here by this time, according to our calculations. Let us get on the
hill, Jack, and have a look at her ourselves. We may be able to tell what
she is if we can get a good look at her."
"Very good," and the boys at once struck out in a direction which they
judged would take them into one of the paths leading to the northern end
of the island.
They reached one in five minutes, and then pushed on till they came to the
open, and in another few minutes came out upon a higher level whence a
fairly good view of the open sea could be obtained.
"There she is!" cried Jack, pointing out to sea. "She is a cutter, Dick.
The men were right. She is under a good head of steam, too, as you can
tell by the smoke pouring from her funnels. She is cruising about here,
and is evidently in search of some one. Perhaps she suspects that Davis is
in here, and is trying to locate him."
The boys watched the cutter for ten minutes, and then saw her alter her
course, and take one which would bring her around to the other side of the
island.
"I wonder if Storms has seen her?" said Jack. "I don't believe she knows
the way in here. If she did she would have come in. She is going away. We
won't see her in a short time."
"I don't wonder that the smugglers were alarmed. Well, if she goes to the
other side Rollins may leave unless he is hidden in a cove, the same as
Davis is. The latter will have a good chance to get out if the coast is
clear. She is getting farther and farther off, Jack."
"Yes, and we won't see her in a little while. She is probably going to the
other side to look for these fellows. Well, we have not seen exactly what
we came out to see, but we have seen something, and I think we had better
go back. It is getting later than I thought."
The boys, accordingly, set off toward the shore, and at length reached it,
finding Ben Bowline waiting for them with the boat.
"Your Flying Dutchman was a real vessel, Ben," said Jack, "and she is
hiding in a cove along shore, but just where I can't tell you. I would
have to look for her. Did you see the revenue cutter outside?"
"No, we did not. Revenue cutter, hey? Not the vessel that's coming to take
us out, sir?"
"No, but a revenue cutter. She is looking for your Flying Dutchman, I
imagine, or for another smuggler. This place seems to be a favorite hiding
place for such craft."
"Well, they're welcome to it, sir, for if we get out all right they can
have it to themselves, for all o' me."
"The trouble is how to get out, Ben," said Percival. "Whichever way you
turn there seems to be some difficulty ahead of you."
"Yes, and that reminds me of a time when I was sailing around the coast of
Africky lookin' for slavers. Ever heard tell about it!"
"No, but you must be older than I thought, Ben, to have been alive at that
time. There have been no slavers for sixty years or more around these
parts, and you wouldn't----"
"Well, there was slavers for all that," persisted Ben. "I didn't say I was
chasin' American slavers. They is others, or was. Portuguese an' other
fellows was in the business in them days. Well, anyhow, talking about
meetin' trouble wherever you turn, this here adventure o' mine was that
sort."
"What was it, Ben? We have time to listen to it before having to start
back, I guess, or you can tell it to us while you are rowing us out to the
yacht."
"Well, we was cruisin' around the Guinea coast, and one day I went on
shore to look about and got separated from the other fellows, and all to
once got so tangled up in the jungle that I didn't know which way to go
nor nothing."
"That's interesting," said Percival.
"Then all of a sudden about forty black niggers jumped out of the jungle
and gave chase, for I didn't stop to calc'late which way I orter go when I
seed them, but just laid a course what would take me away from 'em the
quickest.
"I just put through the jungle as tight as I could jump, and suddenly come
face to face with a scrouching lion as big as a elephant, all ready to
pounce upon me, and there I was between two fires.
"You might say three, because I was on the edge of a swamp and there was a
big alligator with his mouth wide open, ready to swaller me the minute I
got into the swamp."
Percival gave Jack a knowing wink and said:
"Well, that was a dilemma. What did you do?"
"Well, I just didn't know what to do, 'cause whichever way I went there
was danger. The lion and the 'gator was in front an' the savage niggers
behind, and it was as bad to stand still as to run and no port in a
storm."
"Well?" and Dick gave Jack a wink.
"I just didn't do nothin', 'cause good luck did it for me. The niggers run
plump into the jaws of the lion or smack into the 'gator, an' in a brace
o' shakes one an' t'other was so stuffed full o' meat that they had no
appetite for me, an' I just laid a course down the river an' found my
mates in a jiffy."
"That's another steal from Baron Munchausen with a few variations,"
laughed Percival. "Did you ever hear of him, Ben?"
"Huh! they's no 'arthly use o' spinin' any yarns to you, young gentlemen,
'cause you don't believe 'em nohow," muttered Ben in a disgusted tone, and
then he gave way upon the oars and did not say another word.
When the boys reached the vessel, shortly before dinner, Jack told the
captain of what he had heard and seen, the officer being greatly
interested, and saying shortly:
"If the fellow in the cove has a pilot on board maybe we can hire him to
take us out or maybe force him to do it. You couldn't signal to the
cutter, I suppose?"
"No, we had no means. She has gone to the other side of the island now,
probably in search of the other vessel. You have not had any message from
the one that is coming to our assistance?"
"No, I have not, but I expect her to-day or to-morrow. Could you find the
cove where the smuggler is hidden?"
"I might," answered Jack thoughtfully.
"If I can find her before she gets out," the captain continued, "I'll
catch him, and make him take us out of the bay to the open. Then I'll turn
him over to the cutter, and get the reward. These fellows captured one of
our vessels, and it'll be only turn about, which is fair play for
everybody."
"Are your men armed?" asked Jack. "Remember, these men are ready for fight
at any moment. They always expect it, and are prepared. They act in
defiance of the government, and know that if caught they will be
imprisoned, and they are always on the defensive."
"Yes, I know that, but if I can take them by surprise they won't have a
chance to fight."
"Well, I will try to find the cove for you, sir, but, of course, I cannot
join in any fight you may have with the smugglers. The doctor would not
allow it."
"No, I suppose not, and quite right, too. I'll see that you don't get into
trouble on our account, but I do want to catch this chap, and make him
take us out of here."
"I heartily hope that you will, Captain," said Jack.
After dinner the yacht steamed out into the open bay, inside the reefs,
and a lookout was kept for the cutter, which might still be in the
neighborhood, and at the same time Captain Storms told the doctor what he
had contemplated, and asked his permission to take Jack as a pilot to
discover the whereabouts of the smuggler.
"He will be in no danger, I trust?" asked Dr. Wise, glaring at the
captain, as was his wont when greatly interested.
"I will look out for that, sir," replied the captain. "He and his chum
were looking for this fellow this morning, and found out where he lay,
from the shore. I think he will be able to locate him from the water, and
if he does I'll have the rat out of his hole in a brace of shakes,
provided you will let me have him."
"Why, yes, I think so," rejoined the doctor, looking as wise as his name
would indicate. "I am most anxious to get away from here, and if you think
there is a chance of it I am quite willing to let you use your own
judgment. You know best about such matters."
A boat was lowered containing the captain, Jack Sheldon, Dick Percival and
six stout sailors, the entire party with the exception of the boys, being
heavily armed.
A second boat, in charge of the mate, was lowered, and followed the first
at a little distance, the officer having orders to close up quickly in
case it became necessary.
Jack sat in the stern with the captain, and, as they skirted the shore,
kept a sharp lookout for any possible inlet to the cove where the smuggler
lay in hiding.
There was a full tide, and this enabled them to go closer to the rocks
than if it had been low, and Jack peered into every opening in the hope of
finding the right one at last.
At length as they were proceeding slowly at a safe distance from an ugly
looking mass of rocks, which projected to some distance into the water,
and where there were dangerous looking eddies, Jack noticed a steeple
shaped rock higher than the rest, and at some little distance in shore.
"That is the rock I could not get around, Dick," he said to Percival. "Of
course, I cannot from here see the rock from which I looked down on the
men in the boat, but I know that rock well. Keep on, Captain, and watch. I
think I can find the way now."
"There was a turn in the passage, wasn't there, Jack?" asked Dick.
"Yes, but there may have been others, and I think that the general
direction of the inlet was about east. I shall look for it at any rate."
They kept on slowly, Jack directing them closer in to shore, and looking
sharply for any sign of the channel, which he presently detected by
keeping his eye on the water.
At a point where the rocks seemed to have no opening he detected a motion
toward the bay, and, knowing that the tide was now on the ebb, had the
captain steer closer in to the rocks.
"You won't run us onto them, sir?" whispered Storms.
"No, sir. Look toward them. Can't you see that the tide is setting this
way, that there is no eddy, but the regular flow of the tide?"
"By gravy! yes, I do," exclaimed the captain hoarsely. "Keep on, my boy,
and I believe you'll find the place."
Jack watched the water, steered in closer, and suddenly, in rounding a
blunt point, saw the entrance to the cove before him, and noticed that the
tide was running steadily out of it toward the sea.
"Here we are, sir," he said to the captain, and at once the other boat was
signaled, and came up in a few moments.
Both proceeded up the creek side by side, and at length Jack saw the rock
whence he had watched the men in the boat, and pointed it out to Percival,
together with the one like a steeple, which had first called his attention
to the place.
There was room for the two boats abreast, the passage being wide enough
for a good-sized vessel to pass, and they kept on side by side, past the
bend in the inlet, and then on and around another, suddenly coming in
sight of a vessel at anchor.
"That's the _Circe_, the steamer that was taken by the smugglers," said
the captain. "I know her well, though I never sailed in her. They've
painted out her name, but that's her, I'll take my oath."
At a signal from the captain the two boats dashed forward, and were
alongside the steamer before any one on board knew of their approach.
The captain and mate, followed by four men from each boat, scrambled up
the side like monkeys, and made a dash for the cabin as a man came out and
demanded gruffly:
"Hello! who are you, and what do you want?"
"That's Davis," said Jack. "I know his voice. We have made no mistake."
"Of course not," said Percival "Do you see that fender hanging over the
side? These fellows have forgotten it. There is your name _Circe_, as
plain as you please."
"Yes, I see it."
"There are lively times up there, Jack," Dick continued. "I'd like to join
in it."
"Let the men go instead," laughed Jack. "We can look after the boats."
"All right. Up with you, men!" and the invitation was accepted in a
moment.