TWO KEYS TO THE TREATY BOX.
The relief of the boys at the information conveyed by the wigwag signals
from the shore may well be imagined. The night had been a long and
trying one, and they had about abandoned hope when the signals came.
The presence of Ned and Jimmie on the beach meant not only that they
were still safe, but that there was a possibility of rescuing the
_Manhattan_ from the courteous pirate who had seized it. They did not
know exactly how this could be accomplished, but they had every
confidence in Ned's courage and resourcefulness.
The boys knew, however, that what was done must be undertaken at once,
for the Filipinos who had been sent away from the boat the night before
had doubtless communicated with French's friends on the island, and it
was natural that they, the friends, should hasten down to the little bay
soon after sunrise to look over the fortunate capture made by French.
They heard French stirring in his bunk while they were talking over
plans for the rescue, and ceased whispering immediately. They knew that
Ned, probably from the presence of the Filipinos, who were drying
themselves in the scorching sunshine, understood the situation on board.
In fact, they realized that Ned and Jimmie would have come aboard at
once if they had not received an inkling of what was going on by the
change of position.
French arose, yawning, and looked lazily out of a port. He was a
muscular fellow, evidently in first-class condition physically, so it
was useless to attempt to overpower him, regain their weapons, and drive
the Filipinos off the boat. Jack seemed to think that if they could both
get hold of him they might accomplish something, but there were the
guards to reckon with while the fight was in progress.
So they gave up all idea of rescue until Ned should show his hand.
French glanced keenly about the cabin and then went out into the
cockpit, taking a seat on the bridge deck and scanning the shore
critically. The pole which had been used to convey the wigwag signals
was now out of sight.
"Can you boys operate this boat?" he finally asked.
Jack was about to reply in the affirmative but Frank lifted a warning
hand.
"No," the latter said, telling the falsehood brazenly. "Ned is the only
one who can run it."
"Can't you start the engine?" French asked, anxiously.
The boys shook their heads.
"Then I'm going to try," French said. "As I hinted last night, when I
told you I came here in a launch, there are other motor boats around the
corner, in a bay on the western side of the island. I have only to get
to them. There are plenty of men there who can do the job."
"I hardly think it safe for one who knows nothing of engines to fool
with one," said Jack. "Suppose I see what I can do with it. I've seen
Ned work the thing, and may be able to start it."
"Try it!" French said. "But if you make any foolishness with it, you'll
find yourself in trouble. Understand?"
"I don't want to ruin the boat!" Jack said. "We're going to have fun
with this craft before we leave it!" he added, with a grin.
"Then you'll have to hurry and have your fun," said French, "for you're
going to leave it as soon as we get to the bay where the other boats
are."
Jack opened a trap in the cockpit seat and placed his hand on the jar
which supplied the electricity for the spark. French was watching him,
but he managed to draw the wires out without being seen. This, of
course, effectually crippled the boat. He fumbled for a time with his
hand on the jar, watching the shore as he did so, and then closed the
trap.
After closing the trap Jack turned the fly-wheel a few times, pounded
away with a wrench, and inspected the gasoline tanks, but of course no
motion was transmitted to the shaft. Finally he threw down the wrench in
apparent disgust.
"I can't do anything with it!" he exclaimed. "You'll have to wait until
Ned comes if you can't start it yourself."
"It is my impression," said French, with a smile, "that your friend Ned
is trussed up in a camp over on the other side of the island!"
"Then why don't you send for him, or for some one else to run the boat?"
asked Frank innocently, his purpose being to induce French to send one
of the guards away, and so reduce the force to be opposed.
"From out of the mouths of children," laughed French. "Well, you know
the rest! I have an idea that you have solved the problem."
He talked in Spanish to one of the men for a moment, and the fellow
rowed ashore in one of the canoes the captors had come in and set off
through the jungle. The boys watched the thickets, hoping to see some
sign of a struggle. They were sure that Ned would capture the guard, and
so, possibly, delay the appearance of French's friends.
But all was quiet along the coast. Ned evidently had some other plan in
mind. In a few moments French proposed breakfast and entered the cabin,
relying on the guard to keep the boys out of mischief. As they had no
weapons, he did not believe they would make any trouble. Besides, he
kept a sharp lookout through the low, open doorway of the little cabin.
Then Frank became possessed of what Ned afterwards declared to be the
one brilliant idea of his life! First he asked the guard if he could
speak English.
"Understan' some; speak little," was the reply.
"Well," Frank went on, "I'm going to take my morning exercises. See if
you have anything like this in your blooming land!"
"Bloomin' lan' Good! She bloom!"
The Filipino pointed away to the mass of tropical blossoms shimmering in
the sunlight and grinned at what he doubtless considered a very sharp
reply. French, hearing the voices, looked out of the cabin and smiled at
the antics the boy was making.
Frank threw his body into a vertical position and bent sharply off to
the right. Then back to vertical and off to the left. Then back and to
the right again.
"That's all right!" cried French from the cabin. "You appear to be a
nimble little chap. What are those exercises for?"
"To bring all the muscles of the body into use!" replied Frank, winking
at Jack, who was just beginning to understand the purpose of the sudden
demand for exercise.
"Blessed if he ain't doing the wigwag with his body!" thought Jack.
"That is the letter 'C'."
From the vertical Frank then dropped his body over to the left, then to
the right and stopped.
"That's wigwag for 'O'," thought Jack. "I wonder what he means to say?"
"Well done!" shouted French, his hands full of tinned goods. "I'll get
you a job in a circus when I get done with you!"
"That will be fine!" Frank replied, facing French with as innocent a
face as a boy ever carried.
One to the right, two to the left, one to the right, and Jack read the
letter "M" and saw what the next one would be. One to the right, one to
the left, and Jack read the letter "E." Then three slow motions straight
in front, then to vertical again.
"That means the end of the word," the boy thought, "and the word is
'COME.' Now, I wonder if he will?"
Frank kept up his odd motions, at which the Filipino seemed greatly
amused, and French turned away to the alcohol stove to prepare a cup of
hot cocoa. But the motions were only for effect now, and meant nothing.
There was a light movement in the thicket, and three figures, crawling
low, entered the canoe which the guard had left the _Manhattan_ in and
moved noiselessly toward the boat.
The Filipino's back was turned to the beach, for he was watching Frank.
French was busy with his cocoa, condensed cream, and sugar, and so the
advancing canoe was not observed until it was within a few feet of the
boat. Then the guard uttered a cry of warning and raised his gun.
Frank was ready for this and the distance between himself and the guard
was well calculated. He launched himself like a catapult-dart against
the slim figure, and was fortunate enough to seize the gun. Frank was an
adept at the Japanese ju-jitsu game, and, much to the astonishment of
the Filipino, he soon found himself, minus his gun, dropping to the
bottom of the bay.
French, of course, started out of the cabin, revolver in hand, but when
he stooped his tall figure in the low doorway he did not straighten it
again as readily as he had expected to. Jack was on the back of his neck
and shoulders, pressing him down to the bridge deck. But French was a
strong man and Jack would have soon been thrown aside had Frank not
engaged him.
When Ned, Pat and Jimmie sprang out of the canoe and gained the cockpit,
the three were in a tangle, with Frank sitting on the hand which held
the weapon. French surrendered the revolver and sat up with a sickly
grin on his face when he saw the three bending over him, ready to take a
hand in the proceedings.
"You win!" he said. "I know when I hold the low hand!"
"Didn't I tell you," Frank said, as soon as he could catch his breath,
"that the motions you saw were calculated to bring the muscles of the
body into action? Well, they did, didn't they?"
"Rather!" French replied. "Now, if you'll pull this ambitious young man
off my back, I'll get into an easier position."
"You're a good fellow," Jack said, "and I'll do as you say, only you've
got to behave yourself, you know."
French, looking as calm as when he had held the upper hand, arose and
seated himself on the bridge deck, looking Ned over keenly as he did so.
"You didn't figure on getting into a mix-up with a lot of wild animals,
did you?" asked Ned, with a smile. "These two Black Bears gave you quite
a squeeze, eh?"
"Rather!" was the short reply. "Say, gentlemen," he went on, "if you'll
kindly step to one side I'll time that Filipino as he plows through the
jungle. I can't see him, but I can see the bushes make way for him.
Believe me, at this time to-morrow he'll still be running!"
"He went up in the air some!" Pat said. "How did you ever do that,
Cully? He shot up into the blue and then dove straight down into the
bottom. Most wonderful thing I ever saw."
"That," answered Frank, with a grin, "was a Boy Scout hint that his
presence was not needed here."
"This," said Jimmie, pointing to Pat, "is Pat Mack, the loafer we were
talkin' about the other night. He placed the signals in grass. You
wouldn't think to look at him, that he was very bright, except his hair,
but he is quite intelligent at times."
Jimmie dodged as Pat made for him and promptly fell overboard. The boys
fished him out and Frank scolded him for mussing up the cockpit!
"The little rascal deserved it," said Pat. "I'm deserving of a more
formal introduction, being of the Wolf Patrol, of the city of New York."
"Huh!" said Jimmie. "I found him tied up like a calf in a butcher's
wagon, and had to cut him loose. Then Ned found him in the teeth of a
dog an' had to shoot the dog! I don't think he's so much-a-much!"
Shouts were now heard coming from the jungle, and it became evident that
the guard who had been thrown out of the boat had encountered others who
were proceeding to the bay to inspect the wonderful prize secured by
French, as reported by the Filipinos sent away the night before.
Ned suggested to Jack that he get the _Manhattan_ under motion at once,
as she lay within easy reaching distance of the shore. Jack replaced the
wires in the jar and the propeller was soon singing a merry tune to the
waters of the bay.
"You got the engine in order quick!" French suggested.
"Of course," Jack replied. "Did you have any idea that I would help you
steal our Uncle Sam's boat?"
"Take to your heels," Ned directed, as soon as the boat was fairly out
of the little harbor. "It won't take long for the news to get to the
other boats, and they will, of course, pursue us. Can they overtake us?"
he asked, turning to French.
"They can make about fifteen miles an hour," was the reply. "What can
you make?"
"Rather more than that, under pressure," was the reply.
French sat easily on the bridge deck as the _Manhattan_ glided away. He
appeared to be as thoroughly satisfied with the situation as when he was
the captor instead of the captive. When Frank related the story of the
night, in his presence, he laughed and asked for the wigwag code which
Frank had used.
"So that is the meeting of the chiefs?" Ned asked. "They are there to
sign the treaty of rebellion?"
"Something of the sort," was the reply. "At least, they were there to
pass upon the treaty. Now, they'll duck. That is, they will if you boys
succeed in getting away from them."
"Do you know where they will go?" asked Ned.
"Look here," French said, "I'm not in a position to tell you anything
about what they may or may not do. I rather like you boys, and I'd tell
you all I know if I could do so decently. But I can't. To be frank with
you, I'm wishing you'll outrun the boats that will come after you. I
have had my pay for what I've done for the rebels, and the money is
buried with a friend at Hong Kong. I don't care about meeting them
again, to tell you the truth, and this being captured is an easy way out
of it. Now, I'll give you my parole not to try to get away, not to try
any tricks, if you let me walk about as I please."
"He's all right!" Jack put in. "He's a good fellow, all right. I vote
that we give him his freedom."
"Here, too!" cried Frank.
"But I don't want my freedom!" French said. "At least not until you can
land me where these pirate chiefs can't get hold of me. I imagine they
would blame me for the trouble they're in."
"They are meeting to sign the treaty of rebellion," Ned said. "Now,
perhaps you can tell me when the war is to begin?"
"Right away."
"Who drew the treaty?" asked the boy.
"Some chap high up!" laughed French.
"And who has possession of it?"
"There are two keys to the box. One is held by the author of the
treaty."
"And the other?" asked Ned with a knowing smile.
"By the American in charge of the party on the island," answered French.
"Let me tell you this, though," he added, "you'll never see the treaty,
even if you win. Also, you'll never know the name of the author of it,
or the name of the man who has the second key to the treaty box. You've
found out something about the conspiracy against the government, but
you'll never know who organized it, or why!"