CHAPTER XX.
TREASURE-SEEKERS.
The crew of the schooner obtained the fullest particulars regarding thebrig, the direction of the wind when she was gotten under way, and suchother information as might be of benefit to them, for the chase was tobe continued to the American coast, if necessary.
"We can send for the legal papers in case the murderers have reached theUnited States," the captain of the schooner said; "and with such proofas we have got concerning their crime there is little doubt but that theGovernment will grant an extradition."
"If you should catch them, make a claim in our name for salvage on thebrig," Joe said. "We brought her through a gale in which she would havebeen dismasted if not totally wrecked, and as she was stolen from ananchorage our rights in the matter should be respected."
"That's about the size of it, Joe," Bob added, approvingly. "If there'sany fairness in law we oughter get a right tidy lot of money outer theold hooker."
"I'll attend to the business for you, my hearties; an' what's more,them villains shall be made to answer for a cold-blooded murder if wehave to keep the chase up six months. Now I allow we should get underway, for a good sailin' breeze mustn't be lost. We'll see you in Nassau,I reckon, for if things work favorably we'll be home again in a week atthe latest."
This was a decided hint for the visitors to take their departure, and afew moments later they were rowing toward the Sea Bird as the schoonerglided swiftly out of the little cove.
"Well, lads," Bob said, after they had watched the rapidly recedingcraft until her hull was shut out from view by the point of land, "nowthat they're off there's nothin' to prevent us from findin' out if whatwas writ down on that paper means anything. Get the compass. We'll takean ax an' the fire-shovel as well, for most likely there'll be a job atdiggin' before it'll be possible to tell whether we're on a wild-goosechase or not."
The boys were eager to follow up the clew given by the document found atthe ruined hut, and in a very short space of time everything was readyonce more for a visit to the key.
It was now past noon, for the schooner had been in the harbor two orthree hours; but in the excitement of hunting for treasure no onethought of eating. The heat was intense even where the sea-breeze hadfull range, and among the underbrush it would be almost stifling; butthis discomfort was unheeded in the newborn thirst for gold.
With Bob and Joe at the oars the yawl glided over the glassy waters veryswiftly, and when she was pulled up on the sand beyond reach of the tidethe old sailor said, as he raised the compass:
"Lead the way, lads, an' make the course pretty nigh direct, for wedon't want to cruise 'round any more'n is necessary. Joe, you take theshovel an' ax, so's the leaders can travel light."
By following up their own trail, which was distinctly marked in theunderbrush, the boys had no difficulty in going directly to the ruinedhut, stopping only once on the way to quench their thirst at the spring.
"This is the place, an' there's the hole in the timber where we foundthe paper," Harry said, as he laid his hand on the crumbling joist."What puzzles me is to know from which side of it we're to measureforty-one fathoms."
"There can't be much of a mistake if we're to travel nor'-nor'-east,"and Bob placed the compass on that portion of the shattered timber whichyet remained in the sand. "It'll be a decently hard job to walk in astraight line, though, an' if we should happen to get an inch or so outof the way at the start it would throw the whole course askew."
"A few feet wouldn't matter a great deal while we've got the palmetto toguide us," Joe suggested.
"We have, if it's standin' yet; but this 'ere document was fixed up agood while ago, my hearty, an' the tree they took their bearin's frommay have been blowed down a dozen times since then."
"I don't believe that could have happened more than once," Harry said,laughingly, "unless palmettoes are different from other trees."
"Well," Bob replied, gravely, "once would be enough to knock us out ofreckoning, an' instead of standin' here in the hot sun chatterin' like alot of parrots we'd better find the true course."
To lay out a straight line through the woods with nothing but a compassas guide is by no means a simple task, and of this the old sailor waswell aware. He set about the work methodically, heeding not the timespent providing the result arrived at was correct, and in doing this theassistance of all was necessary.
With the compass placed squarely over the end of the post Bob sightedacross it, directing Jim, who had moved off at a distance of half adozen yards, until he was in the desired position. Then the compass wascarried forward to this point, and as Joe trimmed away the branches orhewed down trees which obstructed the view, Harry walked ahead accordingto the old sailor's orders.
Walter made the third point in the observation; and thus the line wascontinued by the one in the rear going forward when the distance hadbeen measured, until forty-one fathoms, or two hundred and forty-sixfeet, had been covered.
"Here we are!" Joe cried as the final living peg was in position; "andthere's nothing that looks like a palmetto anywhere near. Are you surethe course is true?"
"I know it can't be half a fathom out of the way," Bob said as he wipedthe perspiration from his face and gazed around in perplexity. "This iswhat comes of takin' a bearin' that's likely to be knocked outer line."
"If the tree isn't where it ought to be must we give up the search?"Walter asked as a look of disappointment came over his face.
"We won't cry quits quite so soon as this," Bob replied quickly. "Joe,drive a stake where Harry stands, so we can find the spot ag'in, an'then get ready to start on the other course."
When this had been done Bob brought the compass forward once more, andJoe struck out southeast by east--a direction which caused them toreturn almost over the same course, the stake standing at the point ofan acute angle.
This second course was but little more than one-quarter the distance ofthe first; but the underbrush was more tangled, which made the labor ofclearing a path proportionately greater, and it was nearly night-fallwhen Joe shouted, as he pressed on in advance:
"There's no need of squinting across that compass-box any longer, forhere's the coral-head as plain as the nose on a man's face!"
Without thinking that by leaving their positions all this last portionof the work might have to be repeated, the boys rushed forward eagerlydespite Bob's warning shouts; and thus deserted by his assistants, theold sailor could do no less than join the others, who were standingaround what looked like a dull-white rock of the same form as that sorudely pictured on the time-stained paper.
"I reckon we've struck it!" he said with a long-drawn sigh of relief;"but there's likely to be a big lot of diggin', an' it's gettin' late.My idee is that we'd better knock off now, an' come back in themornin'."
Joe was of the same opinion, and the two men began to gather up theirbelongings preparatory to a return to the steamer.
The boys were decidedly disappointed. Even though all were very hungry,they would have preferred to settle the question then and thereregardless of the amount of time that might be necessary; but as theirviews on the subject were not asked for, there was no other course opensave to follow the leaders.
The coral-head lay nearer the water's edge than did the hut, and afterblazing two or three trees and ascertaining the bearings of the supposedtreasure, the line of march was taken up.
The sun had been below the horizon fully a quarter of an hour when theystepped on board the Sea Bird, and not until then did the boys realizehow tired they were. The exertion even of cooking supper seemed toogreat; but it was a task which must be performed, and all hands aided init, thus bringing the meal to a much earlier close than if Jim hadofficiated at the stove alone.
It is safe to say that none of the steamer's crew were troubled withwakefulness five minutes after retiring, and Bob himself was wrapped inslumber when the sun came up out of the sea. His eyes were opened at areasonably early hour, however, and when a hurried breakfast had b
eeneaten the party set out for the spot where all believed a pirate'streasure would be found.
To retrace their steps by the course laid out on the previous eveningwas not a difficult matter, for the trail through the tangled underbrushwould have showed the way even without the compass, and before two hoursof this new day were spent the little party stood once more around thecoral-head.
Owing to the fact that they had but one shovel the work of diggingprogressed slowly, and it was soon discovered that the task wouldrequire considerable time. The coral was of great size, very much largerat the base than the top, and imbedded in the sand to the depth of atleast four feet.
"We must spell each other every five minutes," Bob said, as he set theexample by taking the tool from Joe's hands. "In that way we shall getalong faster, because the one who's diggin' will always be fresh."
Each of the party, including the boys, had taken his turn at the shovelhalf a dozen times when the huge mass of coral was finally uncovered,and then came the question of removing it entirely.
To this end Joe cut three poles, to be used as levers, and with the mostintense excitement depicted on every countenance the treasure-seekersset about this last portion of the task.
The second attempt was successful. The coral was rolled up on the sanduntil it could be toppled over, and then, as Bob scraped the earth awayfrom where it had rested so long, an oblong sheet of metal--apparentlycopper--was exposed to view.
This was sufficient proof for the boys that the paper found in thehollow log referred to a hoard of gold, and they cheered again and againuntil all three were hoarse, while Bob said in a tone of mingledamazement and joy:
"I'm blest if I thought the dockerment was anything more'n a bloomin'hoax; but this begins to look as if there might be a heap of truth init, even if them as wrote the story was mighty bad hands with a pen."
Despite all their anxiety to know what had been hidden in this place,the little party stood around the excavation in a frame of mind verymuch resembling awe until Joe said, impatiently:
"Come, come! What's the sense of standing like images? Let's know whatthere is here, now that we're pretty near the end of the puzzle!"
This was sufficient to awaken the treasure-seekers from their daze, andthe work was continued without further delay.