UNDER WAY.
During the first day the Zoe was afloat nothing of any consequence had
been taken from the store-tent, and, singular as it may seem, Vance had
forgotten about the treasure until supper was eaten.
Ned had just begun labor on the jib, when his companion remembered that
the gold and silver was yet ashore, and he said in reply to Vance’s
proposition that it be brought on board at once:
“It’s as safe there as here. What’s the good of botherin’ about it now?
If you fellows are so anxious to work, you’ll find plenty of chance at
the pumps, for there’s a good bit of water in the hold.”
“But it isn’t work I’m after,” Vance replied. “I shall feel better if
the money is in the cabin.”
“It will take you an hour to bring it aboard.”
“That is nothing compared to the chance of losing the treasure.”
“I don’t see how it can be lost, but if you are so worried, there’s
nothin’ to prevent your tacklin’ the job.”
“Don’t you think you’d better bear a hand? If one of those boxes should
fall overboard we’d feel mighty blue.”
“I’ll risk your allowin’ anything like that to happen; besides, I can’t
leave this job half done, unless I sit up to finish it after we get
back.”
Vance realized that that would be asking too much of the ever-willing
laborer, and he insisted that Roy should help him.
The cook had no fear the treasure would be disturbed, even though it did
remain on the key without them to guard it, but Vance was so anxious the
work should be done that he finally consented, and the last lot was
deposited in the cabin about the time Ned finished his task.
From this moment Vance considered himself chosen as the treasurer of the
party, and took the wealth under his own charge.
The coins were stored in a small locker aft, which had been used as a
wine closet by the previous masters of the yacht, and here it was as
safe as could be possible on board ship.
“Now, if the Zoe goes to the bottom we’ve lost everything,” Ned said,
not because he feared such a catastrophe, but as a means of causing
Vance additional worriment of mind.
“That’s a fact!” the treasurer exclaimed, as if such a possibility had
not occurred to him before. “But there’s no way out of it, for we would
be little less than fools to leave it behind.”
“How would it do to furnish each coin with a life-preserver?” Roy asked
laughingly.
“That might answer,” Ned replied, “and Vance can stand guard over the
locker with a gun to prevent their walking away.”
“It’s all very well for you boys to make sport of what I’ve done,” the
treasurer replied grimly; “but it wouldn’t have been at all funny if
we’d gone on shore to-morrow morning and found it missing.
“Not funny, but strange, considering that there isn’t a soul anywhere
around,” Ned replied.
“That may be true at this minute, but no one knows how soon somebody
will land here.”
“I don’t s’pose there’s any good reason why Roy and I should try to be
merry at your expense, Vance, for as a matter of course it would have
been necessary to bring it aboard some time, and since it has already
been done there is just so much less work to be attended to. Now where
are we goin’ to sleep? This cabin feels as if it had been under water a
month.”
“Suppose we bunk in the engine-room? By using the blankets to lie on we
shall be all right, and to-morrow I reckon this portion of the yacht
will be dried out in proper shape.”
This suggestion of Roy’s was acted upon without discussion, and half an
hour later the three boys were sleeping soundly as the little craft rose
and fell on the gentle swell.
Next morning the work of making ready for sea was continued without
intermission, save during the heat of the day, when Ned allowed his crew
a siesta of two hours.
By nightfall very much had been accomplished.
A greater portion of the goods had been lightered from the shore, the
sails were bent, and the hold nearly freed from water.
As the custodian of the treasure Vance, thought it necessary to keep a
strict watch seaward lest some craft should heave in sight without his
knowing it, although what possible injury this might have been to the
money, neither Roy nor Ned could understand.
The second day of refitting resulted in the accomplishment of a
satisfactory amount of work, according to Ned’s ideas, and the third saw
the task nearly completed.
With the exception of filling the water-casks the Zoe was ready for sea,
and on this evening a very interesting and important discussion took
place in the cabin, which was now used as a sleeping apartment, the
hangings and upholstering having dried very quickly in the hot climate.
“It is time we settled upon the course we are to steer,” Ned said when
the three were enjoying the few moments of rest before going to bed. “I
count on leavin’ this port by nine o’clock to-morrow, and the matter had
better be settled now.”
“Is everything done?” Vance asked.
“We have yet to fill the water-casks, but that can’t take more than a
couple of hours.”
“It seems that you are counting on having a wind?”
“I’m hoping for one, but if it’s calm we shall be forced to lay here a
spell longer. In case of a breeze what course shall we steer?”
“What is your opinion?”
“I think we’d better run pretty near west until land is sighted, and
then, if that proves to be an uninhabited key like this one, we can
steer a little southerly. I saw a chart of the coast which the mate of
the Evening Star had, and from that it seemed as if we should be able to
get into Key West without losin’ sight of land after we get among the
keys.”
“It seems to me as if it would be better to steer very nearly due north
in the hope of striking the reefs. If after sailing a couple of days we
shouldn’t find what we wanted, it would be an easy matter to put back,”
Roy said, knowing full well that Vance would object to such a course.
The latter replied very quickly:
“It seems to me that would be a waste of time. Why not do as Ned
suggests and turn back from that course if we don’t get a squint of the
land? It is as broad as it is long, but I believe we shall be nearer
right in following his plan.”
Roy was not willing to give in so easily, and during the next half-hour
quite a heated discussion ensued, but at the end of that time he
withdrew very gracefully by saying:
“There’s no reason why we should talk so much about what is virtually
settled already. You fellows are in the majority, consequently there is
nothing to do but let you have your own way. It may be I am in the
wrong, for the whole thing is a matter of guesswork, and I can only say
I hope you are right, for then we shall arrive at Key West so much the
sooner. It seems as if we should get there before our parents have had
time to worry about us.”
“Do you think we had better telegraph to Savannah?”
“Yes, if they haven’t arrived; and it would also be a good idea to send
word home, for if the news that the Zoe was missing should get into the
papers it would be believed we were dead.”
Vance and Roy allowed themselves to discuss the matter as if they were
certain of gaining a port in a few days, and Ned stopped them by saying:
“I wouldn’t count too much on gettin’ anywhere very soon. With the screw
draggin’ we shan’t make great headway, and it wouldn’t be strange if we
had it calm a good deal of the time, so you’d better figger on bein’
aboard this craft a good many days, even if it should turn out that my
idea of the course to be sailed is the right one.”
This was rather a wet blanket on the boys’ plans, and they ceased
speaking of the future very suddenly.
On the following morning Ned, like the prudent skipper, was on deck a
long while before the sun showed his face above the water.
A light breeze was blowing from the southeast, and if it held would be
fair for them.
Anxiously Ned watched the ripples on the waves, and, to his great
delight, the wind freshened instead of decreasing after the sun rose.
“Turn out here and bear a hand with the water-casks” he shouted from the
head of the companion-way. “It’ll be time enough to do the cookin’ after
we’ve started. The wind is freshenin’ an’ we must get of here as soon as
possible.”
Vance and Roy obeyed his call without delay, and the last work which
they hoped it would ever be necessary for them to do on Spider Key was
begun.
An hour sufficed, and the shore line was cast off when the last cask had
been rolled on to the raft.
The rude craft was hauled alongside and unloaded, the rope thrown
inboard, and the collection of timbers which had served them such a good
turn was set adrift.
“Now up with the anchors, my hearties!” Ned cried cheerily, “and then
stand by to make sail!”
All hands tried to be as much like sailors as possible, and to the music
of a very odd-sounding sea-song the cables were hove in until the Zoe
was freed from all her moorings.
Then the captain, who knew even less about nautical matters than did his
crew, took his station at the halyards, and one by one the little sails
were hoisted.
Almost any kind of a fresh-water sailor can run a craft with the wind
dead astern, therefore there was no danger of any mistake being made
until it should be necessary to change the course; but as he took his
station at the wheel, Ned could not fail to ask himself what might be
the result before the voyage came to an end.
“I never run a boat before with more than one sail,” he said to himself,
“an’ am afraid I’ll make a mess of it before we got very far; but things
can’t be much worse than they were when we was on the island waitin’ for
a craft that never hove in sight.”
His unpleasant thoughts were interrupted by a shout from his companions,
who were standing directly in front of the pilot-house watching as the
yacht glided slowly away from the land.
“We’re not only afloat, but moving!” Roy cried, “so let’s give three
cheers for good luck!”
Vance aided him in thus starting the yacht with proper ceremony, while
Ned remained silent, his face wearing an expression of deepest anxiety.
“Why don’t you cheer?” Vance asked. “Any one would think you didn’t feel
glad at getting away from the key.”
“I am all the same; but now I can’t help feelin’ nervous about the trip.
Neither of us know how to handle a craft properly, and, to make the
matter worse, we can only guess at the direction we want to go. It
begins to look more serious than when we were only talkin’ the matter
over.”
“Don’t borrow trouble before we’ve fairly got clear of the land,” Roy
cried cheerily. “It’s enough for me that we’re under way, and I’ll let
the future take care of itself.”