THE TREASURES OF THE CAVE
While Harry was in the act of drawing back one of the couches, an object
behind it seemed to fall apart with a jingling sound.
"What was that?" exclaimed George.
"I think we have found something here that will make us do some
thinking," answered Harry, as he bent down to take up some of the
detached pieces which came from what now appeared to be a large chest.
He picked up one of the round pieces. "Gold, gold; look at it!"
"I suspected something of the kind when I saw the skeletons. Carefully,
boys; let us remove this piece of furniture. Undoubtedly, we are in
pirates' lair, and here is the booty."
[Illustration: _"We have probably found a pirate's lair, and here is the
booty"_]
The boys were too much overcome for words. They looked at the gold, and
then at each other. George arose and walked back and forth. Harry, with
the coin in his hand, brushed it and held it close to the light.
"With this we can buy anything we want," George finally uttered.
"Whom will you buy it from?" was Harry reply. The Professor only smiled.
Of what use was money to them? George had forgotten that.
"Here is another one."
"Another what?"
"A chest, something like yours." The lid, with its mocking lock, opened
easily, and there, coated with the universal carbonate, were a mass of
coins, articles of ornament, rings, bracelets, and pieces the names or
uses of which were entirely unknown to them.
"Now that we have them, what shall be done with the treasures?"
The boys did not answer for some time. Here was wealth; more, probably,
than either had ever dreamed of; but it was of no earthly use to them.
They must, of course, preserve it. They had discovered it, and under all
the laws were entitled to possession.
"Well, have we gotten together all the gold and silver and precious
stones? Just imagine us as buccaneers! Owners of an island we haven't
conquered, and possessors of a fortune without working for it!" and the
Professor laughed at the thought of it. The boys, too, laughed, but when
they looked over at the ghastly skeletons, the joy was suddenly checked.
The Professor saw the reason. "Isn't this a sermon? You have become
acquainted with it early in life; some learn it very late, and others
never get the lesson. Riches; death! Possessors of every material thing
that earth can give, and the grave beyond it! The unfortunates there had
all this, but their skeletons have stood guard over it for a century or
more."
The Professor still smiled, but the boys were very grave. It was,
indeed, an impressive lesson.
"Why are you so quiet? Are you mourning for them?" Then, without waiting
for more gloomy feelings, he continued: "How high above the mouth of the
cave do you think we are?"
This sudden change in the tone of the Professor was almost startling to
them. How indifferent! It appeared almost like desecration.
"I have no idea," was Harry's faltering reply. He looked around to
assure himself that it was not all a dream. The sudden acquisition of
what appeared to be an immense store of wealth, the ghastly relics
below, seemed to stun him.
"Have you a reason for wanting to know how high up we are?" asked George
when he had partially recovered.
"You wanted to know a little while ago how the smoke in the cavern might
affect them. Haven't you noticed a perceptible movement in the
atmosphere since we entered the chamber?"
The boys started and stared at him. Could it be that the cave had an
outlet in the hills?
"Was that the reason you suggested we should make a circuit around the
chamber after we entered it?"
"Yes; and I know where the outlet is."
"And does that explain why the pirates made their home at this end?"
"Undoubtedly; and what will be still more interesting information is,
that the opening is within sight of the cataract."
Could anything be more exciting than this information?
"I now see the reason why you always wanted to come back to the cave.
Did you suspect this when we first entered the cave?"
"No; but I had an idea we should find this after we made our second
trip."
"What did you see?"
"Nothing but what Harry brought to me."
"What was that?" both exclaimed, eagerly.
"The slab of carbonate which Harry brought me for the marking tablet,
and on which we made the chart of the cave."
"What did you find on it?"
"If you will recall, I brought it with me. It is now in the boat." Harry
dashed down to the boat and brought it back, turning it over and over on
the way.
The slab referred to was about two inches thick, a foot long, and
probably ten inches wide, a little irregular in formation.
"When we returned home that evening, after the trip referred to, I took
the slab and transferred the chart we had made to a board. In doing so,
I noticed that the lime had been chipped away from one side, but that
did not cause me to make any investigation at the time.
"Some days afterwards I again took it up, and could see plainly through
the carbonate what appeared to be the shadows of some characters, and it
at once occurred to me that, owing to the sunlight and the comparatively
dry atmosphere in which it had been kept after its removal, that the
lime would turn or change its color, but the lime on this background did
not change in the same degree where the characters had been placed, and
when we get into the sunlight you will be able to see just what I saw."
Looking at the slab, there was nothing to indicate any characters
imprinted in it.
"Where is the opening, Professor?"
"Come here; directly below where we found the first skeleton; keep the
light back in the recess; there; now look to the left and see that small
streak of light about ten feet from the floor."
George could restrain himself no longer, but rushed forward. As he
crossed a slightly elevated obstruction, his foot caught on a spur and
he pitched forward. Harry, who was following, saw him fall. George,
slightly stunned, had raised himself partly as Harry came up. When Harry
saw him he was arising from a nest of bones which showed the remains of
two more pirates, the two skulls lying close together, directly behind
the little ridge over which George had fallen.
"Here are some more of them," cried Harry, as the Professor came up.
"What a fight they must have had!"
The outlet at this point was fully eight feet wide, and without the
lights it was still too dark to distinguish anything. George's light had
been extinguished in the fall, but Harry's lamp was still available, and
all were eager now to find the outlet. Harry now led the way, and within
seventy-five feet, at a pronounced angle in the throat of the cave, he
recognized the first real glimmer of sunlight.
"See the steps here!" was his cry. And beyond, as plainly formed as
though cut a year ago, instead of a century, were steps leading up to a
contracted opening, partly hidden by shrubbery.
When Harry emerged from the opening, the first sight that met his gaze,
after he had fully recovered the use of his eyes, was their home, not a
thousand feet away. George brushed his way out, and he stood there, not
knowing whether to run or to shout or to cry. Every emotion appealed to
the boys for mastery. All previous experiences during the past year
paled into insignificance in comparison with the hour just spent in the
pirates' lair.
The opening from which they left the cavern was on the side of a hill,
not particularly steep, formed by projecting strata of limestone, in the
clefts of which vegetation grew, and at a distance the rocks could be
seen only at intervals on account of the shrubbery. No one could
possibly suspect an opening into the walls anywhere along the hillside.
The outlet was not more than twenty feet from the rather level ground,
which sloped off toward the west and in the direction of Cataract River.
They sat there silently for a time, but evidently the Professor was not
disposed to allow too much time for reflections which he knew must be
gloomy to the boys' impressionable minds.
"What are you thinking about, boys? Have you had enough excitement for
one day?"
George was the first to reply: "I have been thinking about what we ought
to do with the gold."
"Why the gold? I have been thinking of the boat."
"Do you think we ought to leave the gold there? Isn't that of more
importance than the boat?"
"I do not think so, George; we can use the boat to good advantage, but
where can you utilize the gold?"
"But why would it not be a good idea to get it out and take it over to
the Cataract?"
"I should advise against that very strongly."
"What are your reasons?"
"Suppose we should be attacked at the Cataract and find the home
untenable; this place would be a safe retreat, and we should, in any
event, have our treasure here in safety. It has been secure for the last
century or so. I think it will keep for a few months more."
"It had never occurred to me that we could use this place for such a
purpose. That is a capital idea. And did you have this in mind all
along, Professor?"
"Yes."
After a time, when the subjects had been fully discussed, it was decided
to try to bring the boat out by the new entrance, and after making all
the measurements, ample room was found for this. They returned and
carried and dragged it to the opening, and after some labor it was
finally pushed through the opening, and when the ropes were attached it
was lowered down the hillside, and dragged to a position where it could
be taken by the team.
"You should go for the team now, and I will continue the explorations
until you return," and so saying, the Professor went up the hill and
entered the cave, leaving one of the lights at the opening.
The boys went back to the mouth of the cave and found the team, as well
as Red Angel, who had remained there, and within a half hour were back
again to the land entrance. The light was still where the Professor had
placed it, and the boys at once entered the passageway, and went down
the steps leading to the pirates' chamber.
All the bones of the skeletons had been removed from the passageway,
where George had fallen, but the other skeletons were in the same place
originally seen when they discovered the remains.
The Professor was not in sight, nor did they see any glimmer of his
light.
It was he, undoubtedly, who had removed the bones from the passageway,
but they did not stop to notice where they were deposited. When they
first came in both were busy discussing the situation, in careless
tones, without any pretense at suppressing their voices, but now that
the Professor was not in sight, and no evidence that he was anywhere
near, the scene about them began to be most weird and uncanny. They
spoke in undertones, and when Harry suggested that they might call the
Professor, and thus let him know of their return, it was some time
before George would consent.
It became evident, as he did not appear, that something must be done,
and Harry shouted loudly, and his voice reechoed through the cavern and
came back to them from every quarter. In a few moments they were
overjoyed to see the glimmer of a light directly to the east, which was
in the opposite portion of the chamber, where, as his light moved
forward, plainly showed another recess, or, probably, an opening similar
to the one through which they had entered from the west side of the
hill.
"Have you been waiting long?" was his inquiry.
"No; we came in less than ten minutes ago. Have you found anything new?"
"Nothing new, but many additional things; but we must take another day
for this."
This was said so significantly that they looked at each other, debating
in their minds whether or not the question should be pursued any
further.
"Haven't you had enough for one day?" and he said this with such a
jovial mien that it restored their composure and satisfied them that
another day would bring the answer that they craved.
As they passed out George turned to the Professor and asked:
"Why did you remove the remains in the passageway?"
"Because I thought it might be well to examine them at our leisure, and
therefore enable us, if possible, to learn something of their history. I
have put them near the steps close to the entrance."
As they passed out he requested Harry to bring up the boards from the
boat, as well as some ropes and part of the canvas, which was usually
carried with them to be used as a means for signaling. The bones were
arranged on the boards, and kept separate from each other; after which
the canvas was severed and tied around the two human frames, to keep
them in place, and deposited in the boat, after it had been loaded in
the wagon.
It was now past two o'clock, and none of them felt any hunger until they
neared home. The trip had occupied over four hours, and hungry as they
were, the reaction, after the stirring events of the day, was so marked
that it was difficult to rouse them sufficiently to prepare the meal.
Somehow, the work at the factory, the building of the boat, and the care
of the stock did not interest them the following day. They went around
like people in dreams. Their thoughts were centered in the cavern on the
hill, and many, many times during the day their eyes involuntarily
turned that way. Was it unnatural that such should be the case? When, if
ever, in the history of human kind had such treasure been bestowed where
the gift had been so lightly considered that they did not even stop long
enough to count its value? It seemed such an unnatural thing to do, and
yet the only feeling was one of curiosity.
During the entire day the boys rarely spoke to the Professor about the
events of the previous day. He was busy in the laboratory with the two
skeletons, and remained secluded.
"What do you think the Professor found in the cave while we were getting
the team?"
"I have had a curiosity to know, as well as yourself. Shall we ask him?"
"I do not think it would be well to do so. You know he is always willing
and anxious to be of service to us and to answer every question; it
looks like an imposition to insist on what he evidently wishes to
avoid."
"That is the feeling I have had. I love him because he has been so
unselfish, and during the time we have been associated, I do not
remember ever having heard him utter an unkind word."
"I have often thought I wish we knew of some way to make him understand
how we appreciate him and his noble ways. You remember the birthday
party we had for him? That touched him, as it did us, and it was the
only time I ever saw him confused or in tears."
"I wish we knew his history. Did you ever hear him say a word about his
friends or relatives? What affects me most is, that when any subject
comes up, he always considers it from the standpoint of service to us.
He never considers himself."