THE SECRET OF THE GRAVE.
Browning was determined, and it was not long before he had worked the
others into a state of excitement over it. Without waiting for
breakfast, they sprang into the boat and rowed ashore.
"I saw some tools in the sheds at the end of the railroad," said Bruce.
"We will secure them."
The path was taken, and they passed through the old quarry and down the
track to the sheds. There they found a pick and spade. With those in
their possession, they hastened to the black glade in which lay the
grave.
For once in his life Bruce Browning was filled with energy--he was
aroused. But even as he reached the grave, he halted suddenly, his hand
uplifted, hoarsely gasping:
"Listen!"
The boys were silent.
"Help!"
It was a smothered cry, and it seemed to come from the ground at their
feet. It made the hair of the Dutch boy stand and his teeth chatter. It
astonished and amazed them all.
"Help!"
Again that smothered cry seemed to come from the grave. What did it
mean?
"Use the pick, Hodge!" hoarsely commanded Browning. "We will soon open
it up. Go at it lively!"
Bart obeyed, and the ground gave back a strange, hollow sound as he
struck his pick into it. Browning shoveled away the dirt, having torn
off his coat to work with greater ease.
Soon something of a hole had been made in the mound.
All at once, with a cry of horror, Bart started back, pointing down into
the hole they had made.
"Look!" he gasped. "That ring--that hand! It is Frank Merriwell's hand!"
And there before them they saw a human hand that seemed to be thrust up
through the ground.
Hans began to pray.
The hand moved--it clawed desperately at the ground!
"It is Frank!" Diamond almost screamed. "He is down there! He has been
buried alive! Dig, fellows--dig! But be careful not to hurt him!"
At that moment the ground caved in at their feet, and up out of it rose
the dirt-covered head of Frank Merriwell. He rubbed the dirt out of his
eyes, and then he cheerfully observed:
"Good-morning, fellows! It seems to be a pleasant morning outside, but
it's a trifle close inside. If you will take hold and pull me out, I'll
be much obliged."
They clutched him--they dragged him to the surface. Behind him lay a
deep, dark hole that was not filled by the earth that had caved in.
"Well, of all things wonderful!" grunted Browning. "Never knew anything
like this before--never heard of anything like this! I believe I am
still dreaming!"
"Frank, are you hurt?" asked Diamond.
"Not much," answered Merry. "They trapped me without much trouble. I
didn't have a chance to get hurt."
"But to be buried under the ground--to be in a grave!"
"Eh? A grave? Why, Great Scott! It is the grave--and the stone with my
name on it! This is the spot where I was caught. I was standing right
here. A man dropped down out of this tree and struck on my shoulders.
He laid me out, and it wasn't hard to tie me up. Then I was towed away
under ground, and a guard was placed over me. It's a close little hole
down there, but the guard left me after he had watched till he was
tired, and then I finally managed to get free, and I tried to dig out
where they had closed up what once was the mouth of the cave."
"What's that?" asked Hodge. "A cave?"
"Exactly; and there was an opening into it here at one time. They closed
it up and made this fake grave over the spot. That's just what they
did."
"But your voice--we could hear it."
"Look at this headstone. There is a hole straight down through it. Below
there is a tube that runs down into the cave. Anyone at the lower end of
the tube can speak so they can be heard here. That is how those
mysterious whispers reached our ears. Oh, it is a great scheme! It made
the place seem haunted."
"But where is the other opening to the cave?"
"It must be near here, though I was blindfolded when I was taken in. Mr.
Cooler was in the game. He came up suddenly a long, long time ago.
Talked with the chap who was guarding me. Said he had been forced to
dodge you chaps."
"That's when he gave us the slip," said Diamond. "I'd like to see the
little whelp again!"
"Your wish shall be gratified," said a familiar voice, and Mr. Cooler
walked into the glade, followed by three other men, all dressed in
black. "I am here!"
"It's the gang!" cried Diamond. "We'll have to fight for it, fellows!"
"Don't fight," advised the man in gray, laughing. "It isn't necessary.
We are not the gang, but we have the gang nicely corralled. You have
known me as Caleb Cooler, but I am, in fact, Dustin Douglass, of the
secret service. These gentlemen with me are deputies, and we have just
captured a gang of counterfeiters who have been making all sorts of
trouble for the government. If you think I am lying, young gentlemen, I
will show you my credentials. I managed to get in with the gang myself
by pretending to be a skillful shover of the queer, and that is why I
have been seen with some of them. Last night my deputies came onto the
island in a boat, and this morning we raked in all of the gang. We have
them nicely ironed over at the old boarding house, where one of my men
is watching over them. Among them, Mr. Merriwell, are your friends,
Hicks and Wiley. Somehow they think you were concerned in their undoing,
and they have expressed sincere regrets that they did not do you up,
instead of capturing you and stowing you here in the old cave. The chap
who was watching you came over to get his breakfast this morning, and
now he is ironed with the others. There are four in all.
"I trust you will pardon me for the deception, young gentlemen," smiled
the little secret service officer. "Had to do it, you know. Just came
over to set Mr. Merriwell at liberty, but I see you are here ahead of
me."
Bruce Browning leaned against a tree, looking tired and unnerved.
"This is too much for me!" he muttered. "I'm sure to go into brain
fever! I can't comprehend it all."
Nor could the others just then, but every word the little man had spoken
proved true. He showed them the skillfully concealed entrance to the
cave, which was sometimes used in which to hide the bogus money. They
understood how he had been able to give them the slip in such a
remarkable manner.
Then all went over to the old boarding house, where the boys inspected
the prisoners. Dan Hicks glared at Frank and cursed him, snarling:
"All I regret is that I didn't cut your throat!"
Beneath the building was a room the boys had not discovered, and there
the "queer" had been made.
At last the mystery of the island was solved, and Frank Merriwell was
satisfied. But the boys had been furnished with a topic for conversation
and discussion that would be interesting for a long time to come.
And Frank was well satisfied to leave Devil Island at last.
THE END.
End of Project Gutenberg's Frank Merriwell's Cruise, by Burt L. Standish