It is not to be supposed that the boys escaped a severe attack of
seasickness when the _Day Dream_ was tossing about on the Atlantic
swell.
Both had indulged in a certain amount of yachting in the river and
sound; but the violent leaps and plunges of the schooner were something
so entirely different from what they had been accustomed to, that all
power of resistance was lost immediately giddiness and nausea seized
their victims.
Therefore it was that the first two days out were not particularly
enjoyed by the boys; but, at the expiration of that time, even the
suggestion of fried salt pork failed to disturb them, and once more
they were in a condition to speculate upon the possibility of finding a
buried treasure.
That old Andy had not succeeded in going ashore they knew, because of
having seen him several times; but his fears had not been allayed, as
could be told by the expression on his face. He had the appearance
of one who fancies he is menaced by a sudden and immediate danger,
and glanced from time to time over his shoulder, looking, as Nelse
expressed it, “as if he believed half-a-dozen pirates were trying to
sneak up on him.”
Half-an-hour after their first appearance on deck since the yacht left
Sandy Hook, the boys paid the cook a visit, and hardly were they inside
the galley when he broached the subject uppermost in his mind by asking:
“Has you’se done gone tole de captin ’bout wha’s gwine ter happen ef
dis yere schooner fools ’roun’ de shore ob Hayti?”
“We haven’t done much of anything else than attend to our stomachs for
the last two days, Andy,” Gil replied, with a laugh. “Why don’t you
speak to him about it?”
“I’se had ernough ob dat kin’ ob work. De night we done lef’ port I
tole him as how dis nigger wouldn’t stay aboard, an’ by jes’ de po’est
kin’ ob luck dere was a rope’s end handy fur him to grab.”
Andy rubbed his back, thus preventing any necessity for further
disclosures, and the boys laughed heartily, thereby causing the old man
to lose his temper.
“Dere ain’ no fun in dem tings, an’ de captin’s gwine ter fin’ out de
se’rus side ob life ef he keeps dis yere craf’ headed like she am now.”
“It’s foolish for you to trouble your head about what we may find in
Hayti,” Nelse replied, earnestly, “for even in case we should touch at
the very spot where these voudoos hang out, you needn’t go ashore.”
“Dey kin cum at yer anywhere,” Andy said, with an ominous shake of
the head, and then he turned so suddenly, in order to look over his
shoulder, lest the phantoms of the pirates should be pursuing him, that
he nearly toppled headlong.
As a matter of course, the boys enjoyed this hugely, and their mirth
only served to kindle his wrath anew.
He closed his thick lips tightly, as if to say he would not allow
himself to be coaxed into speaking again, and Gil was on the point of
trying to soothe him, when a shout from above caused him to remain
silent.
“The captain says the boys are to come on deck and see what we have
picked up.”
Gil and Nelse obeyed hurriedly, and were not a little surprised at
seeing nothing more than a dead bird lying on the main hatch.
“Did you shoot it?” Gil cried, in surprise, wondering how it happened
that they had not heard the report of firearms.
“It was dead, floating, and we picked it up,” Captain Mansfield replied.
“What for?”
“I saw something red had been tied under the poor thing’s wing, and
wanted to find out what it meant. By doing so, we shall be able to
rescue several unfortunate men from considerable suffering, if not
death.”
“What do you mean?” Gil asked, in astonishment, and in reply his father
held up a small piece of brown paper.
“This was what we found wrapped in a tarred cloth, with a bit of red
flannel to attract attention. The cord was a piece of gut, which has
swelled until the messenger choked to death.”
Gil took the paper almost reverentially, and, as Nelse looked over his
shoulder, read the following:
Shipwrecked men on Walker Key at the northern slope of Little Bahama
Banks, dying from thirst.
This message from the sea, brought by a bird, and discovered only by
the merest chance, caused the boys the most intense astonishment, and
Gil asked, breathlessly:
“Do you believe it can be true, father?”
“People do not do such things for sport. It must have cost them
considerable labor and ingenuity to catch this gull, and if they are
yet alive, we’ll soon relieve their sufferings.”
“Are you heading for there now?”
“Yes, and it is very nearly a true course for us. We had only to shift
the helm a couple of points.”
“When shall we arrive?”
“To-morrow noon, if this wind holds. Go into the cabin, and by looking
at the chart which is spread out on the table, you will learn exactly
where the sufferers were when this gull was set free.”
The boys went below, after looking once more at the bird which had
performed its mission, even in death, and then it was not difficult to
ascertain very nearly the position of the schooner, for the course had
been traced in pencil on the chart up to that morning.
“We can’t be delayed very long,” Gil said, after they had gratified
their curiosity, “for if the men are yet alive they’ll be ready to
leave the key at a moment’s notice; but I suppose it will be necessary
to put them ashore somewhere before we go to Hayti.”
“You are talking as if we knew exactly where to find the place marked
out on the paper we found.”
“Well, don’t we?”
“I wouldn’t like to say that I do.”
“It doesn’t seem as if there could be any question about it. The piece
of newspaper referred to what had taken place on the Tortuga de Mar,
and the fragment of chart showed that island----”
“Yes, and a portion of Hayti as well.”
“But the drawing represents a small body of land.”
“Look at it again, and you’ll see that only a part has been shown. How
do you know it does not represent the end of some other key?”
“The newspaper shows that.”
“I don’t think so,” Nelse replied, firmly. “What we read was the story
of how buccaneering first came about, and, of course, it was necessary
to speak of the small key where it had its birth.”
“If that was its only use, why did the owner of the things we found
keep it so carefully?”
“Probably to show his shipmates that at least a portion of his story
was true.”
Until this moment Gil had had but little time to speculate upon the
supposed treasure, owing to the fact of his having been taken sick
so soon after the discovery in the attic was made, and now a very
unpleasant doubt came into his mind.
It no longer seemed such an easy matter to find the place designated,
and he began to fear the treasure hunting would be brought to an end
before it had really commenced.
“I shall believe the Tortuga de Mar is the place until we have searched
over it pretty well,” Gil said, after a long pause. “Then, if nothing
is found, we’ll say the drawing must refer to some spot on the island
of Hayti.”
“But what about the voudoos which are causing Andy so much alarm?”
“What’s that?” a voice asked from the companionway, and an instant
later Captain Mansfield was in the cabin. “Where did you boys ever hear
anything about voudoos?”
“Andy says they’ll kill us if we attempt so much as to anchor near
where any pirate hoard is supposed to be hidden,” Gil replied, with a
laugh.
“So that is why he insists on being put ashore?” the captain said, half
to himself.
“Is there any real reason why he should be afraid?” Nelse asked.
“Certainly not. It is true that there are a large number of negroes,
more especially in Hayti, who believe in that sort of mummery; but you
can hunt for the treasure just as long as you please without fear of
being molested by any of them.”
“And you are willing we should make the attempt?”
“Dig away as much as you please; but I fancy a couple of days’ work
will give you all the searching that’s needed.”
“Will you help us find the spot as shown by the drawing?”
“I’ll spend a short time at it, providing we have safe anchorage for
the schooner.”
This was even more than Gil had dared to hope, and his spirits revived
wonderfully.
“Then we shan’t have any trouble in bringing away a lot of gold,” he
cried, and from that moment until it was time to retire, save when
they were eating, he and Nelse studied the tracing on the piece of
brown paper.
When the boys “turned in,” the wind was blowing steadily from the same
quarter as when the message from the shipwrecked ones was received, and
there appeared to be no doubt but that the _Day Dream_ would make the
key at the time set by Captain Mansfield.
Even the idea of the treasure did not prevent the boys from thinking
very much of the sufferers, whom they hoped to be able to relieve, and
on awakening next morning, the first question was as to whether the
necessary rate of speed had been maintained.
“We’ll be there on time,” Captain Mansfield replied, cheerily. “Before
twelve o’clock we shall have performed a good deed at the expense of
but little trouble, or have the satisfaction of knowing we did all that
was possible, under the circumstances.”
Old Andy seemed to have resolved that he would find cause for fear in
everything which happened.
“We’se gwine straight to de debble,” he grumbled, when the boys spoke
with him about the shipwrecked men. “Dere’s no use ter try an make me
tink a bird knowed enuf after he was dead, to float alongside dis yere
schooner so’s we could get de writin’, kase it don’ stan’ to reason.”
“That part of it was chance, of course,” Gil replied, “and I can’t
see that there is anything strange in the men doing all they could to
attract attention.”
“Wha’ men?”
“Those who have been shipwrecked.”
“Dere’s sumfin wrong ’bout de whole bizness, kase where’s de sailor
man what kin ketch a gull? I’se tellin’ you, honey, dat de voudoos hab
foun’ out whar we was gwine, an’ am beginnin’ to----”
He did not have an opportunity to finish the sentence, for at this
point the boys literally roared with laughter, and he turned away
indignantly, refusing to speak again until some one from the deck
shouted:
“The key is in sight. If you boys want to get the first glimpse of the
shipwrecked sailors, it is time you were tumbling up here.”