THIEVES IN CAMP
The two boys gazed in awe at the circle of thirteen sharp-pointed rocks
which arose majestically in a circle that was all of an eighth of a
mile in diameter. There were other rocks on every side, but these stood
out distinctly so that there was no mistaking them.
“If these are the thirteen rocks Small has been talking about, then
that pirates’ treasure ought to be located in the center of this
circle,” said Jack.
“And that would be somewhere down there,” added Randy, pointing with
his finger to the rocks far below them. “Jack, do you really think
there is a treasure here?”
“I don’t know, Randy. It may be only a fairy tale. Why should any
pirates come to such a forsaken place as this to bury their treasure?”
“That’s just what I was thinking. It would be much easier for them to
bury their gold close to where their ship landed. They would have an
awful job getting to such a spot as this.”
“Perhaps there’s some secret way of getting from the shore to this
place――some trail over and between the rocks of which we know nothing.
Anyway, the thirteen rocks are here.”
“I wish we had seen those photographs the old sailor talked about. Then
we’d know in a minute whether this was really the place or not.”
Had the rocks been less dangerous to climb, both of the boys would
have tried to descend to the center of the rocky bowl in a quest of
the pirates’ treasure. But they realized that it would be extremely
dangerous to attempt to approach that place from where they stood,
and so, rather regretfully, they turned their backs on the thirteen
high-pointed rocks and continued their search for some means of
reaching the little bay where they had left their raft.
“Gee, this is certainly some island to be on,” was Randy’s comment, as
they moved forward slowly and cautiously, testing every foothold to
make certain that it was secure. “Wild animals and a pirates’ treasure!”
“It would sound exciting to read about,” commented the young major.
“Just the same, I’d like to be out of this mess, Randy.”
“So would I. And just think of the folks at home! How they must be
worried about us!”
“Yes, but there is something even worse than that. Think of Ralph, Gif
and Spouter.”
“I’m thinking about them every day, Jack. Life at Colby Hall won’t be
the same with Gif and Spouter gone. And Ralph certainly was a fine
fellow.”
It was growing dark when the two Rover boys at last reached a point
where getting down to the eastern shore of the bay was comparatively
easy. By this time they were all but exhausted from their efforts, and
both resolved to break through a short bit of the jungle in an endeavor
to reach the raft.
“Keep your pistol ready for use, Randy,” warned the young major, and
then he moved forward with his firearm in one hand and the hatchet in
the other.
Both boys were on edge, thinking that some wild animal might pounce out
upon them at any instant. But nothing happened to disturb them, and a
little later they reached the raft and, much relieved, sculled their
way over to the other side of the bay, this time landing as close to
the ocean and its sandy shore as possible.
“Hello! Hello!” came from out of the fast-gathering darkness, and a
moment later in reply to their answering calls Fred appeared.
“I supposed you’d be getting anxious about us,” said Jack. “We
certainly have had plenty of things happen to-day. We’ll tell you all
about it when we get back to camp.”
Seated comfortably in camp and partaking of a substantial meal gotten
ready by the other boys, Jack and Randy told first about the encounter
with the lion.
“Gee, I hope you killed him!” cried Fred. “I don’t want to meet such a
beast as that around here.”
“The lion must have come from the yacht,” put in Ira Small. “An’ if
that’s so, then the ship must have come ashore on the island.”
“That’s just what she did,” answered Randy. “We saw the wreck lying
between the rocks away off to the southeast.”
“Did you visit the ship?” questioned Andy, eagerly.
“No. We were too far away, and climbing over those rough rocks is no
easy task.”
“And now we have something of more importance to tell,” said Jack.
“That is, we hope it may prove of more importance. Small, I’d like
to see those photographs of those thirteen rocks you’ve been talking
about.”
“Jumping toadstools, Jack! you don’t mean to say that you’ve spotted
those thirteen rocks?” ejaculated Andy, and for a moment he stood
straight up, forgetting all about his twisted ankle.
“We certainly did see thirteen rocks; great big ones, too, and all in a
circle!” cried Randy, proudly. “Of course; they may not be the thirteen
rocks Small has been talking about, but there were thirteen of them,
and all in a circle, just as plain as the nose on your face!”
“Hurray! I knowed them rocks was on an island somewhere around here!”
burst out the lanky sailor. “I been figgerin’ it out in my mind ever
since we come ashore. Wait! Somebody give me a sharp pocketknife an’
I’ll cut them photygraphs loose so you kin see ’em.”
The two photographs were soon brought forth from the shirt pocket into
which they had been sewn; and by the aid of the searchlight Jack and
Randy examined them carefully.
“The same place!” exclaimed Randy. “Don’t you think so, Jack?”
“I certainly do!” was the ready reply. “Just look at that rock there
and the one over here! Don’t you remember how this one had two points
and that one had three?”
“Yes, and this one here was just a bit flatter than any of the others.
Oh, it’s the same place! I’m sure of it!”
“Well, if it’s the same place, do you suppose the pirates’ gold is
there?” questioned Andy, quickly.
“I don’t know about that,” answered the young major. “The whole center
of the circle seems to be formed like a huge bowl and is very rocky. We
had no means of getting down to the middle of it. As it was, we slipped
two or three times and nearly broke our necks.”
“The gold is there, I know it is!” came solemnly from Ira Small. “We’ll
have to go on a hunt for it first chance we git.”
“Of course these pictures weren’t taken from anywhere near where we
stood,” said Jack, after looking at the photographs a second time. “It
looks to me as if they’d been taken from the north. And if that’s so,
then there must be some way of getting down into the rocky bowl from
that direction.”
“I’ve no idee how they got to the place,” said the lanky sailor. “There
must be some kind of a path leadin’ from the shore. Mebby the pirates
cast anchor outside of the keys an’ come ashore in small boats.”
Eagerly the four Rover boys and the old tar talked the matter over. For
the time being they forgot completely about the wreck of the _Coryanda_
and the wild beasts and snakes which might have come ashore. Presently,
however, Jack reminded them of the peril.
“We’ve got to keep all our weapons handy and somebody will have to
remain on guard after this,” he said. “We don’t want a couple of lions
or tigers surprising us.”
“Yes, and we don’t want any big snakes crawling in to sleep with us,”
put in Fred, with a shudder.
“Let’s keep the fire bright,” suggested Andy. “Wild beasts don’t like a
blaze.”
“If we could only get to the wreck of the steam yacht, perhaps we’d be
able to find some rifles,” said Jack. “Then I’d feel almost like going
after those wild beasts. But I don’t care to do it with a shotgun or a
pistol.”
They talked the matter over still further, and in the end made up a
regular schedule so that each of the boys, as well as the old sailor,
would take his turn at remaining on guard. Of course, the old tar could
not do much in the way of moving around, but his eyes and his ears were
as alert as any one’s, and that was all that was necessary.
The night, however, passed without incident, and morning found Jack and
Randy much rested; and with daylight the alarm over the wild beasts
subsided somewhat.
“I wish we had some sort of a boat,” said Jack, while eating breakfast.
“Then we could skirt the island and visit the _Coryanda_, and also look
for some sort of path leading to that circle of rocks.”
“Why can’t we build a sort of scow out of the wreckage?” questioned
Fred. “We’ve got plenty of boards and ropes, and I think we could get
quite a lot of nails out of the stuff if we set to work to do it.”
As nothing else suggested itself, the boys surveyed all the wreckage
they had brought ashore and finally concluded they might utilize a
portion of it in building a sort of sharp-pointed scow. Then they set
to work, Ira Small hobbling down the sandy shore to watch them.
It was no easy task to build the scow, and it was not until noon of
the next day that the craft was ready for use. They had nailed it as
tight as possible, but this was not saying much, and they relied mostly
on the solid flooring with which the scow was furnished to keep them
afloat.
“Now we’ll have to make some sort of sweeps for it and then we’ll be
ready to set sail,” declared Fred.
All had become so interested in making the scow seaworthy, that, for
the time being, the camp had been forgotten.
“I suppose it’s about time somebody got grub ready,” murmured Andy,
presently. “Scow or no scow, I want my dinner.”
“Well, you go on back and start things,” returned Jack. “Perhaps you’d
better go with him, Fred. Randy and I can finish here. We’ll be along
in a few minutes.”
Fred and Andy walked back in the direction of the camp with Ira Small
hobbling after them. They had covered not more than half the distance
when Andy gave a sudden cry.
“Look what’s going on in camp!” he exclaimed. “What in the world are
those things, anyway?”
Fully two dozen small forms were moving rapidly in and around the camp.
What was being done neither of the boys could surmise until suddenly
Fred let out a yell of dismay.
“They’re monkeys! What do you know about that!”
“They must be the monkeys from the wrecked yacht,” answered his cousin.
“And look! Do you see what they’re doing? They’re carrying off our
things!”