From the eminence where the flagpole had been erected, the two young
castaways of the island watched the schooner brought smartly to an
anchorage. Then a second gun boomed.
“Does dat mean dey are goin’ ter fight us?” asked Noddy
apprehensively.
“No,” returned Raynor, “look, can’t you see they are waving to us. I
guess the gun was meant as a salute. And look, a boat is being
lowered. I wish I had a pair of glasses.”
Soon the boat came rapidly toward them. It was rowed by four sailors
and in the stern sheets sat three figures. In a few seconds a joyous
shout burst from Raynor’s lips as he recognized one of them.
“It’s Jack--Jack Ready! Hurray!”
He began waving frantically while Jack stood up and signaled as
frantically back.
“See, they are going to land in that cove by the hut, let’s hurry
down there,” said Raynor. The two boys reached the beach just as the
_Morning Star’s_ boat grated on the sand.
“Jack!” cried Raynor, in a voice that shook a little as the young
wireless lad leaped ashore.
“Well, old fellow, if it isn’t good to see you again. What a time we
shall have talking over our adventures!” cried Jack, as the two
wrung each other’s hands as if they never would stop.
But Uncle Toby interposed.
“Avast that! Bill Raynor,” he cried, “give me a shake of your
flipper, shipmate. It’s glad I am to see you all sound and afloat
and A. Number One at Lloyds.”
“Why, Uncle Toby!” exclaimed Raynor, who had met the old mariner
many times on board the _Venus_, where he spent much time with Jack
when ashore, “how are you? How did you get here? And Jack, what is
he doing on board that schooner? I thought----”
“It’s a long story, boy, and we can talk better over some grub, I’m
thinking. Shall we go back to the ship?”
“No; come up to the hut. I want to show you all how shipwrecked
mariners live. Pompey will cook us up a fine breakfast. In the
meantime, let me introduce Mr. Noddy Nipper, late of the _Polly
Ann_.”
“And recent of Skull Island,” added Noddy.
“An’ this, gentleman all, is Mr. Terrill, my partner,” said Uncle
Toby, waving toward that individual who, in the sunlight, looked
yellower than ever.
“Much obliged ter meet cher,” said Noddy, adding in an aside to
Raynor. “He looks like one of dem wharf rats I used ter see aroun’
de sugar docks on de East River.”
With everybody talking at once, except Mr. Terrill, who lagged
behind, seemingly busy with his thoughts, the group made for the
hut. Mr. Terrill, with his eyes on the ground, was muttering to
himself as he slowly paced after them.
“That makes three more added to the forces of Captain Ready when the
time comes,” he breathed. “Three last night and three this
morning--six. It makes the situation more difficult when the hour
comes to strike. I don’t like that youngster Jack Ready. He’s too
smart by half. I believe I’ll have trouble with him before this
thing is over.”
“Well, where’s your cook?” inquired Uncle Toby, when they reached
the hut, for no Pompey was visible.
“I can’t think, unless he has gone to the spring,”
“Avast, thar,” cried Uncle Toby suddenly, “thar’s something moving
under that blanket. Look out, boys, it may be a snake.”
He picked up a big stick of wood and smote the blankets lustily with
it. The result was startling. An appalling yell came from the
bedding.
“Ow-ouch, Misto Pirate, don’ done hit me. Ah come out. Oh, Lawsy,
mah bones am broken----”
“Come out of that, Pompey,” exclaimed Raynor angrily. “What are you
hiding for? What’s all that gibberish about pirates?”
“Dey done fire guns. Ah think dey come to comblisterate de island,”
moaned Pompey, getting out of his hiding place and rubbing himself
where the stick had hit him, with a doleful expression, “mah
goodness, ah think dat stick mustah bruk some ob mah bones.”
“Nonsense, if it had hit your head it would have broken the stick.
Get up and get breakfast,” said Raynor, who knew something of
Pompey’s ways of gaining sympathy.
“And here’s something to take the smart out,” said Uncle Toby,
giving the negro a coin.
“Thank you, gen’ellman,” said Pompey, with a broad grin, and all his
troubles forgotten. “I perceed at oncet wid’ de prognostications fo’
de mat’stushanal meal.”
“Matutinal meal I suppose he means,” laughed Raynor to the rest.
“Pompey has a language that’s all his own.”
“He should be suppressed,” declared Mr. Terrill, “the idea of
calling us pirates and then, as for giving him money--disgraceful.”
“Cheer up, Terrill,” chuckled Uncle Toby, “you and me ’ull have so
much money before long that we kin give the Rockybilts a stake ef
they should happen ter need it.”
In the general laugh that followed Jack noticed that Terrill’s
expression was anything but amiable. In fact, he looked as if he
wished the whole party anywhere but there. During breakfast
everybody told their stories and Raynor apprised Jack of the injury
to the wireless.
The young operator examined it with a rueful look.
“Out of business. Too bad,” he murmured. “I counted on it for
notifying Captain Simms of what had happened. It may be weeks before
I can rejoin the _Thespis_.”
“Why, won’t your uncle sail us all back to her?” asked Raynor, who
had regarded this part of the program as cut and dried.
Jack looked serious. He looked hastily round to be sure no one
overheard and then said in a low voice.
“My uncle is on a crack-brained search for treasure which may or may
not exist. This man Terrill has furnished the capital and so, in a
way, dominates the expedition. He has a sinister influence over my
uncle and won’t hear of losing any more time in locating the
treasure, so we are all bound on a long trip.”
“Well, are we all ready,” struck in Mr. Terrill’s rasping voice. He
looked impatiently at his watch.
“As ready as we’ll ever be, boss,” cried the Bowery boy, making an
expressive face at Mr. Terrill behind his back.
“Then let’s get back to the _Morning Star_, boys,” cried Uncle Toby.
“I had treasures manifold, as I sailed,” he sang in his gruff old
sea voice.
As they were leaving the hut a sudden notion seized Jack. He turned
to Raynor.
“We’ll take that wireless set along,” he said. “I’ve a notion I
might be able to repair it.”
“I don’t see what good it will be,” objected Raynor, “anyhow, we
can’t wait to get down the aërials.”
“Never mind them. There’s copper wire on the _Morning Star_, it’s
used to repair parts of the rigging.”
“All right,” said Raynor, dismantling the parts of the set and
calling to Noddy and Pompey to help in carrying them to the boat,
“but as I said before, I think it’s a waste of labor. What do you
want it for?”
“I don’t just know myself,” admitted Jack, “but things are not going
as smoothly on the _Morning Star_ as Uncle Toby thinks, and if ever
we needed to signal for help, this wireless would be a mighty handy
thing to have.”
“Here comes a fresh breeze,” shouted Mr. Terrill from the distance,
“hurry, boys, we must take advantage of it.”