The sailors, superstitious as are nearly all their class, believed
the wisest course would be to follow the old darky’s advice, arguing
that since he knew more about the island and the ways of the repulsive
beings who had been found upon it, than any one else, it was reasonable
to suppose he could best extricate them from their uncomfortable
situation.
Both Gil and Nelse, however, were determined to stay where they were
until Jenkins returned, and to this end the former said to Andy:
“Come down here until you know what has been found. There can be no
danger, since you’ve got your charm with you, and we are now positive
that all the blacks have not left the island.”
“I dun seed ’em go wif my own eyes.”
“You saw three boats; but I tell you there are more not far from here,
and, what is worse, it’s the old ones who have been left behind.”
Andy appeared incredulous until the sailors joined with Gil in the
statement, and then, looking around suspiciously, as if expecting
to see his enemies near at hand ready to spring upon him, the
cook prepared to descend by first clutching firmly the mysterious
“something” which was concealed beneath the bosom of his shirt.
On reaching the bottom of the shaft he went through a series of
gestures, probably intended for the purpose of warding off danger, and
then whispered, cautiously:
“Wha’ hab you seen, honey? Don’t try to fool wid de ole man, kase dis
yere am no kinder time ter play pranks when de wustes’ sort ob trubble
am cummin’.”
“I don’t want to fool you,” Gil replied, impatiently, “but it is
necessary you should know that there are people in a sort of cave,
perhaps the very one where we were kept prisoners, and their voices can
be heard distinctly if you listen at the end of this tunnel, where it
looks as if a wall of solid rock rose right up before you. Go on, and
try to make out what they are talking about.”
While speaking, the boy had seized the old darky by the arm, as if to
force him onward, and the latter shrank back with every show of terror.
“I wouldn’t go dere fur a millyon dollars, an’ dat’s eh fac’,” Andy
said, with a long-drawn sigh. “Af it’s de ole debbils wha’ hab been lef
behin’, de odders are skinnin’ roun’ fur ter get a crowd ober hyar to
ketch us all.”
“Why would so much trouble be necessary, when they outnumber us at
least three to one?” Nelse asked.
“Dat’s jes’ wha’ dey don’ know, honey. De fiery sarpints hab done made
’em t’ink we’se er hard gang, an’ dey’s gwine ter bring more ob dem ole
fellers ter help erlong wid de hoodoo.”
Upon this point Andy appeared to be so positive that it would have been
only a waste of time to argue the matter, and Gil urged him to follow
up the tunnel in the hope of learning by the conversation who the men
were in the subterranean chamber.
This was a most signal failure, however, for the old darky not only
refused to take a single step in the desired direction, but would not
so much as look into the opening.
“I’se done gone had enuf ob sich t’ings,” he said, solemnly, “an’ now
I’m gwine ter keep my ole head outer trubble whar dar’s a chance.
Dere’s a boat hyar what b’longs ter de captain, an’ de bes’ t’ing we
kin do is ter git ’way frum dis yere islan’ afore de witches ’gin ter
take a han’ in de muss.”
“We are willing to risk it a while longer, and your charm should be
sufficient to make you stay while the rest of the party are here,”
Nelse said, with a nervous laugh which had very little mirth in it.
“I’se got frou takin’ chances, no matter ef I had er hun’red charms,”
the old darky replied, clutching yet tighter that which was suspended
from his neck. “We wants ter mosey outer dis yere place, nebber min’
wha’ Job Jenkins says erbout it, kase I tells yer, chillun, it am
mighty onhealthy when dem debbils begin for to git in dere work.”
Then Andy started to his feet as if on the point of swarming up the
rope again, but before he could do so the mate appeared at the opening
above, saying in a whisper, as he began to descend:
“Take care, below there, for the sun blinds my eyes so I can’t see
where I’m going.”
In another instant he was in the midst of the anxious group, all of
whom, with the exception of Andy, began to overwhelm him with questions.
“It won’t take long for me to tell the story,” Jenkins said, as he
seated himself on the ground. “There is no question but that this
passage leads to the big cave. I went there, and hunted around quite
a while before finding any signs of another outlet. Things were just
as when I saw them last, an’ I could ’a’ taken my oath the whole crowd
skipped out after the second dose of signal rockets, until I ran across
what appeared to be a door cut in a piece of coral.”
“Did you open it?” Gil asked, eagerly.
“Of course. What would ’a’ been the use of lookin’ if I didn’t do the
thing in proper shape? I pried the stone open till I could see a narrow
passage that led in this direction, an’ then I stopped, for there was
no reason of pokin’ my nose into danger. I reckon we’d better take to
the boat, if we can manage to stow into the one we’ve got, for if that
crowd comes back, as I feel certain they’re bound to do, we’ll be in
hot water.”
“Now you’se torkin’ sense,” Andy said quickly. “When a man shoves his
head inter de lion’s mout’ once, dat may be a mistake; but ef he does
it de secon’ time, dat shows how big er fool he kin make ob hisself.”
The sailors were also eager to get away from such a dangerous locality,
and against this preponderance of opinion neither Gil nor Nelse thought
he should make any objections, although both believed the safest plan
would be to take the chances and await Captain Mansfield’s return.
Now that the mate shared his opinion in regard to leaving the island,
Andy was in a perfect fever to get away, and, without waiting for the
others, he swarmed up the rope to the surface, the remainder of the
party following a few seconds later, urged to what seemed foolish haste
by his description of the dangers which threatened.
“Don’t stay down dar torkin’ ’bout nuffin,” he said instantly, on
gaining the surface. “I’se been right yere afore, an’ knows how dese
images kin skip ’roun’ when dey has bizness. We’se boun’ to mosey
erlong like er flea, ’less we wants ter be cotched ergin.”
“Now don’t run the risk of carryin’ away your spars by crackin’ on too
much sail,” said Jenkins, with a laugh. “I allow the fellers won’t be
back for two or three days, an’ we can take things easy.”
The old darky was most vehement against delay, and did not cease to
repeat what the blacks were able to do, until all the party were out of
the tunnel. Then he would have started toward the shore without even
waiting to gather up the small store of goods they had left on the
surface if Jenkins had not peremptorily ordered him to stop until they
were in proper marching order.
When the necessary arrangements had finally been made, Andy darted
through the underbrush at such speed that the others were obliged to
exert themselves to the utmost in order to keep pace with him, and the
heat rendered rapid traveling both painful and exhausting.
“Let him go ahead,” Jenkins said, impatiently, after five minutes
passed, during which the whole party had been running rather than
walking. “He’s worse than an old woman when he gets frightened, an’ we
couldn’t move faster than we’re doin’ now if the whole crowd were at
our heels.”
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t take our time,” and Gil halted for
a comfortable breath. “It will be better to start after dark, anyway,
for no one could row very long in this heat.”
Having thus allayed their own nervousness, the little party proceeded
toward the beach in a most leisurely fashion, until the sound of the
surf told that they were very near the sea, when Andy burst through the
underbrush at a faster gait than he had departed.
His black face was of an ashen hue, and his eyes open and staring as he
said, in a hoarse whisper:
“De boat’s dun gone!”
“What do you mean, you fool?” the mate asked, angrily.
“She’s gone, an’ dat’s a fac’. Dem ole debbils knowed wha’ we was er
tryin’ ter do, an’ dey’ve hoodooed her outer sight!”
“Probably you didn’t go within half-a-mile of where we left her.”
“Dere’s de tree we hitched her to, an’ you kin see whar dem as took her
off walked ’roun’ huntin’ for us.”
“Then what you mean is that the crowd have come back, an’ we’re cut off
again,” Jenkins replied, in a tone of relief, despite his oft-repeated
assertion that he did not believe in what Andy called “cunjurin’.”
“Dat am de fac’.”
“I thought you said the old men had hoodooed her?” Nelse added, and
the old darky said, with considerable show of spirit:
“Ob course dey did, else how could dem wuffless trash know where to
fin’ her?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a look at the beach,” Jenkins said,
as he took a revolver from his pocket. “Just as likely as not Andy has
made a mistake.”
The others pressed forward, but the cook refused to move a single step.
He declared that no earthly power could force him to leave the shelter
of the trees, and was so vehement in his protestations that even the
boys began to think perhaps it would be as well to exercise a little
caution.
“Don’t rush right out in the open, for fear those who stole the boat
may see you,” Gil said to the mate. “Perhaps the best way would be for
us to stay here while you have a look around.”
“All right, keep under cover, an’ I’ll soon be back,” Mr. Jenkins said,
as he disappeared from view amid the foliage, and the remainder of the
party waited in silence for his return.
They were not to be kept very long in suspense. Five minutes later the
mate returned looking very serious, and Nelse asked, eagerly:
“What did you see?”
“Enough to make me wish your father had waited one day longer. From the
appearances I should say a regular mob of men had been around where we
left the boat, and there is little doubt but that they are the same
kind of a crowd we saw dancin’ near the fire. They’ve made off with
our craft, an’ now count on huntin’ us down at their leisure.”
Although this information was no more alarming than what Andy had
predicted, the old darky seemed to be literally paralyzed with fear.
He remained silent and motionless, staring at Mr. Jenkins as if in the
latter’s face he could read even more terrible intelligence than had
already been imparted.