GHASTLY VISITORS.
On the next morning work was resumed upon the wreck, and, following
Ned’s suggestion, the party made a proper division of time, during which
certain tasks were to be performed.
Seven o’clock was the hour set for Vance and Ned to begin whatever task
might be the most important; but Roy would not join them for an hour
later, in consideration of the fact that he, as cook, had been at work
fully sixty minutes before the others.
In order that dinner might be ready at a regular time, Roy was to cease
all outside labor an hour before noon, and remain in camp an hour later
than his friends in order to set the “house” to rights generally. At
night he would return from wherever the others might be toiling an hour
sooner than either of his companions, and both were to assist in washing
the dishes used at supper.
By this division of labor it was certain there could be no complaint
that one was doing more than another, and regularity of movements would
be insured.
The work of wrecking was continued in a more workmanlike fashion, thanks
also to Ned.
He rigged a tackle to one of the short masts, and by such means the
goods could be hoisted out of the hold with a great deal less exertion
than was necessary in pushing and pulling by hand.
This contrivance was particularly useful when they wished to send ashore
a portion of the coal to be used in the range, and, thanks to it, very
much more could be accomplished in a given time with less labor than by
the former haphazard fashion of working.
Roy’s proposition was to dismantle the yacht entirely, saving everything
possible, even to the machinery, and Ned raised no objections, for all
this would be necessary in order to carry into execution a plan he had
already formed.
It was his intention to float the little craft if possible.
While engaged in wrecking he examined thoroughly every portion of the
hull, and became convinced that she was as sound as ever, unless, by
chance, some of the starboard timbers, which it was impossible to see
because of her being heeled over on that side, had been stove.
Without saying anything regarding this matter to his companions, he was
mentally calculating how the task might best be performed with the
limited appliances at their disposal, and this problem occupied his mind
even to the exclusion of the supposed treasure.
It must not be fancied, however, that because Ned put from him all
thought of the wealth which might yet be gained from the hulk, the
subject was dropped entirely.
Vance talked of little save what they would do when the work of
treasure-hunting was begun, and Roy was quite willing to join in such
conversation.
When the second day of wrecking had come to an end and while the cook
was yet busy over the range with a certain mysterious compound which
Vance declared would be either a stew or a roast as it chanced to turn
in the process of cooking, Ned proposed that his store of silver be
taken better care of than by allowing it to remain under the sand, where
there might be some trouble in finding it quickly should such a
necessity happen to arise.
Vance was all the more willing to assist in the work because he had a
most intense desire to learn how many dollars there were in the pile,
and the two set about the task, having first converted three
pillow-cases into bags.
Counting the money proved to be a long job.
When Roy insisted that his companions postpone the work until after
supper lest the “compound” should be spoiled by getting cold, they had
set out only seventeen piles, in each of which was $100, and the main
portion of the coins seemed nearly as large as ever.
“There is more than twice that amount in the lot,” Vance said as with a
sigh of regret he ceased his very pleasing occupation of handling the
money long enough to eat, “and it was a lucky day for you when the
captain of the Evening Star decided to scuttle her.”
“It seems so,” Ned said just a trifle doubtfully; “but both the money
and I are here on a key which doesn’t appear to be in the track of
sailing vessels, and it is a very serious question whether the silver
will do us much good.”
“We’re bound to get away some time,” Vance replied in a positive tone.
“We must be somewhere off the coast of Florida, and I don’t believe we
can stay such a very long while without being discovered.”
“What do you call a long while?” Ned asked.
“Two or three months.”
“Suppose a year should roll around, and we were still in this place?”
“Before then I should advocate trusting ourselves to a raft.”
“Built out of what?”
“There is plenty of stuff. We could cut down trees enough to make a
famous craft, with what might be taken from the yacht.”
“But you forget that she is likely to go to pieces in the next gale.”
“Stop discussing the future possibilities,” Roy cried impatiently.
“There will be time for that after all the work has been done, and just
now I want you to find out whether I’ve got a roast or a stew. It isn’t
such a great while ago since Vance was worrying terribly about it, and
now the stuff is getting cold.”
Ned was perfectly willing to sample Roy’s cookery, but he did not intend
that the subject which he had brought up should be dropped without a
thorough discussion.
He was most eager to interest his companions in the task of saving the
little steamer, and mentally resolved to broach the matter again at the
first convenient opportunity.
There was no mistaking the savory dish Roy set before them for anything
but stew, even though it had been made of canned meat, and the tired
boys ate until even the counting of silver seemed very much like a
hardship.
A short siesta seemed absolutely necessary after such a hearty meal, and
not until an hour had passed was the work of stowing away the treasure
resumed.
Then all three assisted in the counting, and when the task had been
completed they knew Ned’s find amounted to exactly twenty eight hundred
Mexican dollars.
“The pile looked as if it was much larger,” Vance said in a tone of
disappointment as the last piece was placed in one of the pillow-case
bags.
“Considering the fact that it was got without very much labor, I don’t
think there is any reason to kick,” Roy replied with a laugh. “To hear
you one would fancy you thought you were an injured individual because
the money wasn’t counted, placed in bags bearing your monogram, and
tagged in proper shape.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong,” Vance said gravely. “I’m willing to do
the counting and stowing away, but I don’t like to make such a mistake.
I figured that there couldn’t be less than $6,000 in the lot.”
“Well, now that you have been undeceived, what do you propose to do
about it?”
“Turn in as soon as we hide this stuff somewhere.”
The question of where the money should be concealed was not easily
settled.
Ned proposed that it be stored with the goods in the cook-tent, but
neither Vance nor Roy would agree to anything of the kind.
Although there was not a living being on the island except themselves,
it did not seem safe to leave so much wealth lying around loose, and
Vance actually appeared afraid some portion of it might be spirited
away.
He suggested that the bags be placed under the mattresses, and this plan
was tried, but only to be rejected, for although it is pleasant to have
a great many dollars, it is not comfortable to lie on them, and the
possession of the treasure promised to deprive the boys of no little
amount of sleep.
It was nearly ten o’clock when the matter was finally settled by
depositing the silver in a tool chest which had been brought ashore from
the yacht, and then the castaways were able to gain the necessary rest.
Two more days were spent in wrecking, and by the end of that time
everything worth saving, except the machinery, had been brought ashore.
The store-tent was well filled, and it was so difficult to find any
particular article which might be needed that Roy insisted one day
should be devoted to repacking the goods in such a manner that they
could find what might chance to be needed without being forced to
overhaul the entire stock.
Thus another day went by without their searching for more treasure or
making any progress toward regaining the mainland.
During all this time a strict watch had been kept, as a matter of
course, in the hope of sighting a sail, but nothing larger than a
sea-gull’s wing had come within their range of vision.
They were beginning to realize that it might be weeks, perhaps months,
before they would succeed in leaving the key.
It was on the morning after the store-tent had been put in proper shape
that Roy, who in his capacity of cook was forced to rise earlier than
the others, electrified his companions by shouting as he went outside
the camp to build the fire:
“Here’s a boat heading this way, fellows!”
It can readily be fancied how quickly the boys leaped to their feet at
the summons, and running with all speed to where Roy was standing, they
saw the object to which he referred.
There certainly was _something_ on the sea a long distance from the key,
but whether it was actually a boat or not neither was able to say with
any degree of certainty.
“I believe I can see her bow as she rises on the swell!” Roy cried after
they had stood gazing in silence several moments upon the floating
object.
“That can’t be, unless she is empty, for if so much could be
distinguished, we should see the oars as they were raised or lowered.”
“Perhaps those on board are asleep.”
“That isn’t very possible, if they are shipwrecked sailors, as seems
likely.”
“Why couldn’t they be pleasure seekers?” Vance asked.
“Because it isn’t probable they’d fool around here in such a craft as
that appears to be. There isn’t so much as a mast to be seen, and if
anybody was coming here for fun they wouldn’t depend on oars all the
time, when the wind would send them along very much faster.”
There could be no question but that Ned’s argument was a good one, and
the boys watched eagerly for some signs of life.
An hour passed, and neither had thought it might be well to economize
the time by getting breakfast.
Now the floating object could be seen quite distinctly, for both the
current and the light breeze was setting it directly toward the key.
There was no longer any question as to what it was.
They could distinguish the bow and stern as the little craft was raised
on the gentle swell, and Ned finally said:
“She’s a boat about the size of the three I saw on board the Evening
Star, and most likely has gone adrift from some vessel. If there was
anybody on her we should have seen them before this.”
“It’ll be a mighty lucky thing for us if she comes ashore here, for we
shall be able to leave this place as soon as we have dug up the rest of
your silver,” Vance suggested.
Singularly enough, the others had not thought of this, and it seemed as
if fortune was favoring them wonderfully.
“It won’t be much of a job to rig up a spar and make a sail out of our
canvas,” Roy said, and Ned began to regret her coming, for with such a
means of departing from the island he feared his companions would not be
willing to assist in saving the Zoe.
“We might as well have breakfast,” Vance suggested. “It will be at least
two hours more before she comes ashore, and there’s no reason why we
should stand here like statues.”
This remark reminded Roy of his duties, and he went at once to the
range, where he was soon engaged in preparing the morning meal, stopping
every few moments to look at the on-coming boat.
When breakfast had been cooked and eaten the craft was within half a
mile of the shore, and no one believed she had an occupant, because as
yet not a sign of life had been seen.
Ned was the first to note the fact that she was hardly in as perfect a
condition as had been fancied.
“Look at her port rail when she comes up on the waves once more!” he
cried. “I believe it has been stove.”
“It certainly appears like that,” Roy replied after a careful scrutiny,
and as she drifted nearer it was soon ascertained that she was hardly
more than a wreck.
Such a sea as might have been kicked up by an ordinary breeze would have
swamped her at once, and Roy fancied he had solved the question as to
how she chanced to be drifting around in that vicinity.
“There has been a collision at sea not far away, and this craft was torn
out of the davits. According to my way of thinking, there must have been
a couple of vessels near here last night.”
“It’s precious little good that would have done us if they kept out of
sight or passed the key while we were asleep,” Vance grumbled. “Perhaps
we ought to stand watch during the night.”
“That wouldn’t effect very much, for we shouldn’t be able to see any
great distance, and I don’t suppose an ordinary craft’s lights make much
of a show half a mile away.”
“It isn’t likely we’d— Look there!” Ned cried excitedly, interrupting
himself as the boat was swung around by the swell just as she was
sliding down from the crest of a wave and the interior was momentarily
exposed to view.
Both Vance and Roy had seen the same thing which had attracted Ned’s
attention so suddenly, and they were very pale.
“What did you make out?” the former asked, as if distrusting his own
eyes.
“A dead man,” Ned replied solemnly.
“That is what I thought I saw,” Roy added.
During several moments neither of the party spoke.
It seemed like an ill omen to have this craft with its freight of death
borne by an unseen force directly to the place where they had been cast
by the wickedness of man and the fury of the elements.
The boat with her ghastly crew was coming straight for them as if
steered by the lifeless man, and no course could have been more true had
she been fully manned.
“It’s either some sailor who has lost his vessel at sea and been
drifting around until he starved to death, or one who was in this boat
when the collision——”
“There are two of them!” Vance cried as the little craft rolled
shoreward once more.
“Perhaps they ain’t dead!” Ned exclaimed, and the possibility that these
apparent corpses might be sufferers to whom life could be restored took
from the scene much which had appeared uncanny.
The boys advanced to the very edge of the surf, ready to pull the craft
ashore as soon as she should strike the sand, and ten minutes later she
was so near that everything on board could be distinctly seen.
There was no longer any hope the occupants were alive.
Neither was it any question as to how they had died.
The interior of the little craft was covered with blood, and several
ghastly slashes across the face of one told that it had been a duel to
the death.
It was left for Ned to add the crowning horror to this terrible tragedy.
“It’s Captain Bragg and his mate, Mr. Stout!” he cried, and then covered
his face with his hands as if unable longer to look upon the horrible
scene.
The boys could readily picture all that had taken place on the boat.
The Evening Star had probably been scuttled as agreed upon between the
two officers, who had most likely left the sinking brig in a boat by
themselves.
Then a quarrel had arisen, perhaps in regard to the division of the
spoils, and, armed with knives if nothing more, the duel had been
fought.
To the affrighted three on the beach it seemed as if they could see the
hideous tragedy as the men, frantic with passion, faced each other in
that frail craft.
How she must have tossed to and fro beneath their heavy tread! How many
waves had been shipped while they were locked in the last wild clutch,
and what must have been the thoughts of the dying survivor as he sat in
front of his lifeless adversary, knowing he would soon join him on the
last voyage, which would end only when they were brought before the
all-seeing Judge to answer not only for this, but all the crimes they
had ever committed!
“I would be willing to stay on this key a mighty long while rather than
leave in that craft,” Vance said with a shudder, and neither he nor his
companions thought any longer that a way of escape had been opened to
them by the coming of the boat.
It was destined, however, that there should be no possibility of their
ever putting to sea in the craft which had brought such a cargo of
crime’s evidences.
Within twenty yards of where they were standing a fringe of coral rose
nearly to the surface of the water, and when the boat was almost over
this a short wave lifted her on high. Then, receding, it allowed the
half wrecked craft to drop directly upon the knife-like coral.
The timbers were divided as if with a saw, and the dead bodies of the
murderers flung out inside the small reef, where the action of the water
caused them to advance and retreat as if swimming in sport.
The boys would have thought it possible the men were yet alive, owing to
these grotesque movements, but for the fact that they had been watching
them so long, and after one quick, frightened glance at the hideous
corpses, the castaways, with a common impulse, ran to the tent to shut
out from view the horrible scene.