CHAPTER IX.
TWO KEYS TO THE TREATY BOX.
The relief of the boys at the information conveyed by the wigwag signalsfrom the shore may well be imagined. The night had been a long andtrying one, and they had about abandoned hope when the signals came.
The presence of Ned and Jimmie on the beach meant not only that theywere still safe, but that there was a possibility of rescuing the_Manhattan_ from the courteous pirate who had seized it. They did notknow exactly how this could be accomplished, but they had everyconfidence in Ned's courage and resourcefulness.
The boys knew, however, that what was done must be undertaken at once,for the Filipinos who had been sent away from the boat the night beforehad doubtless communicated with French's friends on the island, and itwas natural that they, the friends, should hasten down to the little baysoon after sunrise to look over the fortunate capture made by French.
They heard French stirring in his bunk while they were talking overplans for the rescue, and ceased whispering immediately. They knew thatNed, probably from the presence of the Filipinos, who were dryingthemselves in the scorching sunshine, understood the situation on board.In fact, they realized that Ned and Jimmie would have come aboard atonce if they had not received an inkling of what was going on by thechange of position.
French arose, yawning, and looked lazily out of a port. He was amuscular fellow, evidently in first-class condition physically, so itwas useless to attempt to overpower him, regain their weapons, and drivethe Filipinos off the boat. Jack seemed to think that if they could bothget hold of him they might accomplish something, but there were theguards to reckon with while the fight was in progress.
So they gave up all idea of rescue until Ned should show his hand.French glanced keenly about the cabin and then went out into thecockpit, taking a seat on the bridge deck and scanning the shorecritically. The pole which had been used to convey the wigwag signalswas now out of sight.
"Can you boys operate this boat?" he finally asked.
Jack was about to reply in the affirmative but Frank lifted a warninghand.
"No," the latter said, telling the falsehood brazenly. "Ned is the onlyone who can run it."
"Can't you start the engine?" French asked, anxiously.
The boys shook their heads.
"Then I'm going to try," French said. "As I hinted last night, when Itold you I came here in a launch, there are other motor boats around thecorner, in a bay on the western side of the island. I have only to getto them. There are plenty of men there who can do the job."
"I hardly think it safe for one who knows nothing of engines to foolwith one," said Jack. "Suppose I see what I can do with it. I've seenNed work the thing, and may be able to start it."
"Try it!" French said. "But if you make any foolishness with it, you'llfind yourself in trouble. Understand?"
"I don't want to ruin the boat!" Jack said. "We're going to have funwith this craft before we leave it!" he added, with a grin.
"Then you'll have to hurry and have your fun," said French, "for you'regoing to leave it as soon as we get to the bay where the other boatsare."
Jack opened a trap in the cockpit seat and placed his hand on the jarwhich supplied the electricity for the spark. French was watching him,but he managed to draw the wires out without being seen. This, ofcourse, effectually crippled the boat. He fumbled for a time with hishand on the jar, watching the shore as he did so, and then closed thetrap.
After closing the trap Jack turned the fly-wheel a few times, poundedaway with a wrench, and inspected the gasoline tanks, but of course nomotion was transmitted to the shaft. Finally he threw down the wrench inapparent disgust.
"I can't do anything with it!" he exclaimed. "You'll have to wait untilNed comes if you can't start it yourself."
"It is my impression," said French, with a smile, "that your friend Nedis trussed up in a camp over on the other side of the island!"
"Then why don't you send for him, or for some one else to run the boat?"asked Frank innocently, his purpose being to induce French to send oneof the guards away, and so reduce the force to be opposed.
"From out of the mouths of children," laughed French. "Well, you knowthe rest! I have an idea that you have solved the problem."
He talked in Spanish to one of the men for a moment, and the fellowrowed ashore in one of the canoes the captors had come in and set offthrough the jungle. The boys watched the thickets, hoping to see somesign of a struggle. They were sure that Ned would capture the guard, andso, possibly, delay the appearance of French's friends.
But all was quiet along the coast. Ned evidently had some other plan inmind. In a few moments French proposed breakfast and entered the cabin,relying on the guard to keep the boys out of mischief. As they had noweapons, he did not believe they would make any trouble. Besides, hekept a sharp lookout through the low, open doorway of the little cabin.
Then Frank became possessed of what Ned afterwards declared to be theone brilliant idea of his life! First he asked the guard if he couldspeak English.
"Understan' some; speak little," was the reply.
"Well," Frank went on, "I'm going to take my morning exercises. See ifyou have anything like this in your blooming land!"
"Bloomin' lan' Good! She bloom!"
The Filipino pointed away to the mass of tropical blossoms shimmering inthe sunlight and grinned at what he doubtless considered a very sharpreply. French, hearing the voices, looked out of the cabin and smiled atthe antics the boy was making.
Frank threw his body into a vertical position and bent sharply off tothe right. Then back to vertical and off to the left. Then back and tothe right again.
"That's all right!" cried French from the cabin. "You appear to be animble little chap. What are those exercises for?"
"To bring all the muscles of the body into use!" replied Frank, winkingat Jack, who was just beginning to understand the purpose of the suddendemand for exercise.
"Blessed if he ain't doing the wigwag with his body!" thought Jack."That is the letter 'C'."
From the vertical Frank then dropped his body over to the left, then tothe right and stopped.
"That's wigwag for 'O'," thought Jack. "I wonder what he means to say?"
"Well done!" shouted French, his hands full of tinned goods. "I'll getyou a job in a circus when I get done with you!"
"That will be fine!" Frank replied, facing French with as innocent aface as a boy ever carried.
One to the right, two to the left, one to the right, and Jack read theletter "M" and saw what the next one would be. One to the right, one tothe left, and Jack read the letter "E." Then three slow motions straightin front, then to vertical again.
"That means the end of the word," the boy thought, "and the word is'COME.' Now, I wonder if he will?"
Frank kept up his odd motions, at which the Filipino seemed greatlyamused, and French turned away to the alcohol stove to prepare a cup ofhot cocoa. But the motions were only for effect now, and meant nothing.There was a light movement in the thicket, and three figures, crawlinglow, entered the canoe which the guard had left the _Manhattan_ in andmoved noiselessly toward the boat.
The Filipino's back was turned to the beach, for he was watching Frank.French was busy with his cocoa, condensed cream, and sugar, and so theadvancing canoe was not observed until it was within a few feet of theboat. Then the guard uttered a cry of warning and raised his gun.
Frank was ready for this and the distance between himself and the guardwas well calculated. He launched himself like a catapult-dart againstthe slim figure, and was fortunate enough to seize the gun. Frank was anadept at the Japanese ju-jitsu game, and, much to the astonishment ofthe Filipino, he soon found himself, minus his gun, dropping to thebottom of the bay.
French, of course, started out of the cabin, revolver in hand, but whenhe stooped his tall figure in the low doorway he did not straighten itagain as readily as he had expected to. Jack was on the back of his neckand shoulders, pressing him down
to the bridge deck. But French was astrong man and Jack would have soon been thrown aside had Frank notengaged him.
When Ned, Pat and Jimmie sprang out of the canoe and gained the cockpit,the three were in a tangle, with Frank sitting on the hand which heldthe weapon. French surrendered the revolver and sat up with a sicklygrin on his face when he saw the three bending over him, ready to take ahand in the proceedings.
"You win!" he said. "I know when I hold the low hand!"
"Didn't I tell you," Frank said, as soon as he could catch his breath,"that the motions you saw were calculated to bring the muscles of thebody into action? Well, they did, didn't they?"
"Rather!" French replied. "Now, if you'll pull this ambitious young manoff my back, I'll get into an easier position."
"You're a good fellow," Jack said, "and I'll do as you say, only you'vegot to behave yourself, you know."
French, looking as calm as when he had held the upper hand, arose andseated himself on the bridge deck, looking Ned over keenly as he did so.
"You didn't figure on getting into a mix-up with a lot of wild animals,did you?" asked Ned, with a smile. "These two Black Bears gave you quitea squeeze, eh?"
"Rather!" was the short reply. "Say, gentlemen," he went on, "if you'llkindly step to one side I'll time that Filipino as he plows through thejungle. I can't see him, but I can see the bushes make way for him.Believe me, at this time to-morrow he'll still be running!"
"He went up in the air some!" Pat said. "How did you ever do that,Cully? He shot up into the blue and then dove straight down into thebottom. Most wonderful thing I ever saw."
"That," answered Frank, with a grin, "was a Boy Scout hint that hispresence was not needed here."
"This," said Jimmie, pointing to Pat, "is Pat Mack, the loafer we weretalkin' about the other night. He placed the signals in grass. Youwouldn't think to look at him, that he was very bright, except his hair,but he is quite intelligent at times."
Jimmie dodged as Pat made for him and promptly fell overboard. The boysfished him out and Frank scolded him for mussing up the cockpit!
"The little rascal deserved it," said Pat. "I'm deserving of a moreformal introduction, being of the Wolf Patrol, of the city of New York."
"Huh!" said Jimmie. "I found him tied up like a calf in a butcher'swagon, and had to cut him loose. Then Ned found him in the teeth of adog an' had to shoot the dog! I don't think he's so much-a-much!"
Shouts were now heard coming from the jungle, and it became evident thatthe guard who had been thrown out of the boat had encountered others whowere proceeding to the bay to inspect the wonderful prize secured byFrench, as reported by the Filipinos sent away the night before.
Ned suggested to Jack that he get the _Manhattan_ under motion at once,as she lay within easy reaching distance of the shore. Jack replaced thewires in the jar and the propeller was soon singing a merry tune to thewaters of the bay.
"You got the engine in order quick!" French suggested.
"Of course," Jack replied. "Did you have any idea that I would help yousteal our Uncle Sam's boat?"
"Take to your heels," Ned directed, as soon as the boat was fairly outof the little harbor. "It won't take long for the news to get to theother boats, and they will, of course, pursue us. Can they overtake us?"he asked, turning to French.
"They can make about fifteen miles an hour," was the reply. "What canyou make?"
"Rather more than that, under pressure," was the reply.
French sat easily on the bridge deck as the _Manhattan_ glided away. Heappeared to be as thoroughly satisfied with the situation as when he wasthe captor instead of the captive. When Frank related the story of thenight, in his presence, he laughed and asked for the wigwag code whichFrank had used.
"So that is the meeting of the chiefs?" Ned asked. "They are there tosign the treaty of rebellion?"
"Something of the sort," was the reply. "At least, they were there topass upon the treaty. Now, they'll duck. That is, they will if you boyssucceed in getting away from them."
"Do you know where they will go?" asked Ned.
"Look here," French said, "I'm not in a position to tell you anythingabout what they may or may not do. I rather like you boys, and I'd tellyou all I know if I could do so decently. But I can't. To be frank withyou, I'm wishing you'll outrun the boats that will come after you. Ihave had my pay for what I've done for the rebels, and the money isburied with a friend at Hong Kong. I don't care about meeting themagain, to tell you the truth, and this being captured is an easy way outof it. Now, I'll give you my parole not to try to get away, not to tryany tricks, if you let me walk about as I please."
"He's all right!" Jack put in. "He's a good fellow, all right. I votethat we give him his freedom."
"Here, too!" cried Frank.
"But I don't want my freedom!" French said. "At least not until you canland me where these pirate chiefs can't get hold of me. I imagine theywould blame me for the trouble they're in."
"They are meeting to sign the treaty of rebellion," Ned said. "Now,perhaps you can tell me when the war is to begin?"
"Right away."
"Who drew the treaty?" asked the boy.
"Some chap high up!" laughed French.
"And who has possession of it?"
"There are two keys to the box. One is held by the author of thetreaty."
"And the other?" asked Ned with a knowing smile.
"By the American in charge of the party on the island," answered French."Let me tell you this, though," he added, "you'll never see the treaty,even if you win. Also, you'll never know the name of the author of it,or the name of the man who has the second key to the treaty box. You'vefound out something about the conspiracy against the government, butyou'll never know who organized it, or why!"