HALF FULL OF DIAMONDS
At that moment, notwithstanding the commotion and the threats of
coming trouble, Clay felt like congratulating Alex. and Jule on the
manner in which they were carrying out their reckless plans. More
blood-curdling shrieks than now proceeded from the throats of the boys
he had never heard.
Knowing that defeat, perhaps death, would instantly follow on the
heels of retreat, Alex. and Jule charged the camp, swinging their
fire-coated arms and uttering cries which it did not seem possible
could issue forth from human lips. There naturally followed a swifter
flight on the part of the negroes.
But three or four black men, less superstitious, or having more at
stake, than the others, stood their ground, calling to their
companions that it was a white man's trick, and that they should
return and ascertain by the use of steel and lead just how human their
visitors were. For a time the voices of the courageous ones did not
check the mad rush for the river, but finally a group gathered on the
beach and engaged in conversation, which, of course, Clay could not
hear.
Alex. and Jule now "disappeared" in approved "ghost" fashion--that is,
they drew black cloths over their faces and hands so that their
flaming make-up could no longer be seen. In fact, it was now so dark,
the moon having set, that even the figures of the boys could not be
seen when they crouched on the ground. The negroes on the beach were
only visible because they formed quite a large group and kept
constantly in excited motion.
Clay wondered if the boys would now understand that their trick had
failed and make for the _Rambler_. At the first rush the negroes had
fled, but they were now listening to arguments intended to reassure
them, and the ultimate result was not in doubt.
Before long the black men would swarm back to the camp, perhaps make a
thorough search of the entire "tow-head," in which case the boys were
sure to be discovered, unless they made their way back to the boat
before the search began. Clay placed himself between the camp and the
boat and waited, thinking that his reserve weapons might be needed.
The information that he had seen figures leaving the boat just before
the advent of the "ghosts," as given by the watcher, had instant
effect on the negroes. They swarmed back toward the camp, making a
great many more threats than Clay thought was necessary! Two familiar
figures now came dashing toward Clay, and he called out softly to them
to halt a moment. The figures developed into two rather frightened
boys as soon as they came close to the watcher.
"Me for the boat!" panted Jule. "I reckon these coons know a ghost
when they see one--not! Me for the feathers, too when I light! Come
on, Alex!"
"Go on and get aboard!" Alex. urged. "I want to see Clay a moment."
Jule darted away and was soon out of sight. Although he had carefully
made up as a disciple of Old Nick, he was careful not to exhibit any
of his trade-marks as he moved towards the boat! Clay and Alex. stood
listening to the commotion for a moment, and then the latter panted,
taking Clay's arm as he did so, and drawing him back toward the camp:
"When I got up there," he said, "I stumbled over some one lying on the
ground! I felt about for a minute and found pretty much rags! Then
some one told me to get off the island or I would be murdered."
"Go on!" Clay said excitedly. "We have no time to lose if we are to
investigate this matter. Was the person you talked with a prisoner?"
"Sure he was. He asked me to cut the cords, but I had no knife with me
and so had to make an effort to untie them. The captive talked while I
was at work on the knots, and who do you think it was. Give you three
guesses!"
"Hurry! Hurry! We have no time to lose, I tell you, if the captive is
in need of our assistance. Who is it?"
"The kid who came on board the _Rambler_ at Cairo!" replied Alex.
"And you had to leave him there--tied?"
"What else could I do?" asked Alex. "I didn't have even a knife! This
foolish bathing suit has no pockets, so I brought no arms with me.
What could I do, when the coons were making a rush for the camp?"
"We've got to get that kid!" Clay cried.
"If they would only go away for a minute," Alex. declared, "I could
get him and bring him to the boat, ropes and all!"
A shot came from the _Rambler_, and, turning, the boys saw that the
craft was aglow with electric lights! Instantly they crouched lower in
the willows, for the strong prow lamp cast a ray far over on the
"tow-head."
Another shot came from the boat, and then the negroes at the camp made
a break for the beach, passing within a rod of where the two boys lay
concealed.
"Shall we take them in the rear?" asked Alex. "They have attacked the
boat."
"Don't shoot!" warned Clay. "Remember that we had no right to molest
them in the first place! The boys on the boat are awake, or the lights
wouldn't be on. They can protect themselves, I reckon. I hope Jule is
in a safe place!"
The lights were still on, but not a person could be seen. Then more
shots came, and Clay saw that the boys were firing through the small
port holes in the gunwale, and that the negroes were contenting
themselves with firing volley after volley at the cabin windows, which
were now void of glass!
While the boys on shore watched with intense anxiety, the motors of
the _Rambler_ were heard, and then the boat began to drop down stream.
"I wonder if Jule got on board?" Alex. asked.
"If he met with no opposition on the way he probably did," was the
reply. "At least we must suppose that he is either on the boat or in
hiding on the island."
"Come on, then!" shouted Alex. "We'll make a success of this excursion
yet. We'll take possession of the camp. I want a confidential talk
with the prisoner!"
"You'll be getting a confidential talk with a bullet pretty soon, if
you don't pay more attention to getting off!" Clay answered. "The boat
has dropped down, and the negroes will soon be back here. It is
another swim! What?"
Almost before Clay had done speaking Alex. was off in the darkness.
Clay could just see his figure moving along the ground, so he followed
on after him, wondering what new trick the lad had in mind. The light
from the _Rambler_ grew fainter every instant. For some reason unknown
to Clay, the boat was being moved down stream a long way.
In a moment Clay saw Alex. bending over a figure lying on the ground
at the edge of a rude windbreak of willow bushes, cut and woven
together.
"Where's the coon's boat?" he asked, hurriedly.
Clay smiled happily. He had not thought of that!
"Off there on the east side," replied the boy. "Have you got a knife
yet?"
For answer Alex. seized the lad by the feet and called out to Clay:
"Catch him by the shoulders, and we'll carry him!"
Clay was not slow in following the suggestion, and the boys soon had
the captive between the fringe of willows and the water. The boat was
there, a large, four-oared craft which was partly filled with plunder
taken from the river. The negroes were evidently making a business of
gathering supplies from the flood. Just then Jule came up, out of
breath from a stumbling run in the dark.
The captive was placed on board, and then Clay seized a pair of heavy
oars.
"Take the helm," he called to Alex., "and you help with the oars,
Jule," he added.
Then the craft shot out into the current. When she came around the
corner of the little island, where the light from the _Rambler_ struck
her a series of frantic shouts came from the men huddled on the south
bank, and a few shots were fired, but, the current running swiftly,
they were soon out of range.
"Let 'em swim," chuckled Alex. "A bath will be good for what ails
them!"
"Alex.," remarked Clay, panting with the heavy work at the oars, "you
deserve a Carnegie medal!"
"Sure!" chuckled the other. "I'm the Johnny-on-the-Spot when it comes
to prescribing healthful stunts for the working classes! Where is that
boat going?" he added as the _Rambler_ disappeared around a distant
bend in the stream.
"This is what comes of running off in the night without telling the
boys what we were up to!" panted Jule. "This is some boat, when it
comes to weight."
In ten minutes the lights of the _Rambler_ were in sight again, the
rowboat having passed around the bend. Then Clay took out a
searchlight and began making signals to those on board. Directly an
answering signal came from the boat, and then the lights halted,
turned, and came up stream.
"You're a nice lot of watchmen!" Case called out, as the two boats
came close together. "We thought you had caught a floater boat and
drifted down stream."
"This," grinned Alex., "is the only old and original relief
expedition. We have with us to-night a brand snatched from the coons!"
"Hand down a knife!" called Clay. "This lad is capable of climbing on
board by his own self! And swing around a little so as not to tip us
over!"
With no little difficulty the boys were landed on the deck of the
_Rambler_. Case regarded the visitor with a quizzical smile as he bent
over him.
"Did you take a dive at Cairo," he asked, "and come up at Memphis?"
The boy answered only by a weary smile, and Mose stood staring at him
with widening eyes, while Captain Joe sniffed suspiciously at his worn
garments. Teddy invited him to a boxing match!
"I'll go you boys a dollar to an apple," Case observed, "that this kid
is still empty! He looks it! Anyway, I'll go and get him something to
eat!"
"And don't forget the heroic rescuers!" Alex. called out. "I haven't
had a thing to eat since supper! Say, kid," he went on, "what's your
name?"
"Chester Vinton," was the reply, in a frightened voice. "I'm running
away."
"You wasn't running very fast when we found you!" commented Alex. "How
did you come to mix with those wreckers?"
"I was on a raft," was the answer, "and I was hungry, and I saw them
on the island, and asked them for something to eat. They tied me up!"
"Why didn't you stay on board the boat at Cairo?" asked Clay.
"I was afraid," was the reply.
"Red is back up the river looking for you," Jule observed, still
shivering from his exposure to the cold water. "He took passage with
us part of the way down."
"I should think he did!" chuckled Alex. "And he was a first cabin
passenger at that!"
"Well," Clay decided, presently, "perhaps we'd better feed this boy
and put him to bed. He looks as if he'd been up against something
hard."
The lad ate ravenously, and then began undressing. Clay sat in the
cabin with him. He was full of wonderment at this second meeting with
the boy, and wanted to ask him a hundred questions, but decided to
wait until the lad was in better condition.
As the visitor threw his ragged clothes off a thud on the floor told
of something of considerable weight in one of the pockets.
"Do you carry a gun, lad?" he asked, stooping over to lift the
trousers.
The boy bounded forward and snatched at the trousers, but Clay was too
quick for him. The article which had made the noise on the floor was a
leather bag.
An investigation showed that it was half full of diamonds of
exceptional quality!