"We may as well make the most of Wimpai's permission to enrich
ourselves," and he raised several wedges of gold, which he proceeded to
carry towards the entrance of the cave. Hassan and I assisted to load
the boat, then we threw in a few more weapons which we thought might
prove useful to us, and with a look of regret at the wealth we were
forced to leave behind us we turned to leave the place. Just then Hassan
moved away from us to another part of the cave, and a moment afterwards
he called out to us. Going over to him, we found the Arab and the
tribeswoman both looking intently at something lying upon the rocky
floor.
"Every word of Hassan's singular story is undoubtedly true," I said to
Denviers, in sheer amazement, as we stooped over the object and observed
it in the torch-light. The wild tribe had carried and placed the slain
sailor by the spoils of the galleon which he had claimed for his own in
the very face of Don Luego, the Spanish commander.
There, before our eyes, was stretched the outline of a human form, above
which was spread all that remained of the tattered flag that once had
fluttered from the masthead of the ship which chased the Spanish
galleon, and went down with it on the coral reefs of the Formosan shore!
Slowly we moved away from the spot towards where our boat was, and
re-entered it. The task which we had undertaken, however--that of
pulling against the stream, with such a weight of treasure as we had
obtained--proved a most difficult one. Indeed, Denviers and I exerted
ourselves to little purpose for some time, then found that the boat was
slowly making headway. We reached the spot where the underground stream
divided into its several channels, and then, by an unlucky accident, the
prow of our craft was dashed against one of the many rocks which lay
between. For a minute we entirely lost control of it, and back it
drifted down one of the other channels. At this the female warrior rose,
and thrusting the head of her long spear against the rock tried to
assist us to get the boat back into the main stream before us. Our
efforts were made in vain, for the bed of the narrow channel into which
we had got sloped rapidly down, and its waters hurried us along at a
speed which defied all our attempts to force the boat back. The woman
had dropped her torch when she came to our assistance, and in the light
of the solitary one still flaring, as Hassan held it, I saw a look upon
her face which startled me. She pointed before us, uttering a wild,
despairing cry, which was drowned a moment after in a dull roar which
struck upon our ears.
"Pull, sahibs; in Allah's name, pull!" cried Hassan, who was looking
ahead at the danger which we faced. "If the boat cannot be stopped from
drifting on before a few more hundred yards are gone over, we are lost!"
We gripped the rude oars again, and strained till our arms ached, but
still the relentless current bore us on. I gave another glance at the
danger ahead, then Hassan wildly exclaimed:--
"Allah and Mahomet help us! We are on the verge of a cataract!"
[Illustration: "ON THE VERGE OF A CATARACT!"]
"Throw the treasure overboard!" cried Denviers, and each of us worked
desperately to free the boat of what we had been so eager to obtain.
Into the stream we cast the wedges of gold and Spanish arms, and
scarcely had our purpose been accomplished, when the boat, lightened of
its heavy cargo, was caught up by the rushing stream, swirled round, and
then borne madly forward at a rate which brought another despairing cry
from the woman's lips.
"Pull with all your might with the stream, Harold!" said Denviers to me,
as we drew close to where the roaring waters were leaping down. "Pull,
pull, it is our last chance!"
We both knew that if we failed to shoot the rapid ahead we should be
sucked down and drowned. We tugged at the oars together, then amid a
cloud of blinding spray our boat seemed to hover for a moment over the
tumbling waters, then shot forward and left the danger behind.
"We are saved, thank Allah!" cried Hassan, and as we ventured to look
round we saw the wonderful escape which had been ours. Swiftly we were
carried along by the stream, which began to widen out as it passed
between the precipitous sides of a vast ravine.
"Daylight at last!" I exclaimed, with a feeling of relief. "I wonder
where we are now being hurried towards."
For a considerable time the stream kept on its rapid course, then grew
less violent, and we floated down it gently at last, until we were
carried to where we saw the river flowing into the sea, when we at once
sprang out upon the rough coral beach.
The Formosan woman hastened away along the shore, making for the distant
cave by which we first entered into the strange haunt of her tribe,
while we followed slowly after her, having drawn the rude boat high up
on the beach.
"Well!" said Denviers, when at last we found our junk, after walking
several miles along the coast, and prepared to launch it into the sea in
order to leave the island. "We lost the treasure after all, but still we
have something left to recall this strange adventure at times," and he
drew from his sash the Spanish sword which he had thrust there. After
examining it I passed to him the arms which I had taken from the cave.
The pistols, although proving useless, were fine specimens of
workmanship, and as richly chased as the jewel-studded hilt of the sword
which I had also obtained.
"Mahomet has well rewarded the sahibs with such treasures," interposed
Hassan, gravely, "and has not forgotten their slave." We glanced towards
his waist as he spoke, and saw that the Arab had certainly taken care to
arm himself well from the treasures of the lost galleon, for he bristled
with swords and poniards like a small armoury.
"Come on, Hassan," said Denviers, with an amused smile at the Arab's
weapons, "Mahomet evidently looks with high favour upon you."
We pushed the junk through the surf, then entering it, put out for the
distant coast of the mainland, which we reached in safety.