CHAPTER XVIII--OFF FOR BARBADOS
The next three days were busy ones for the boys and Dunston Porter.Telegrams were sent back and forth between Phil and his father, and alsobetween Dave and Mr. Wadsworth.
"Here is news!" cried our hero, after receiving one of the messages."Just listen to this." And he read the following, from the jewelrymanufacturer:
"Clew in Boston proved to be false, also clew in New York. Hope you are on the right track and get gems. Spare no expense if you feel you are right."
"And here is a telegram from my dad," said Phil. "He tells us--CaptainSanders and myself--to use our own judgment."
"Can you get a cargo for Barbados, Phil?" asked Roger.
"We can get a half-cargo."
"At once?"
"Yes, that is, inside of two days."
"Then by all means take it, Phil!" cried Dave. "I know Mr. Wadsworthwill stand the extra expense. And if he won't, I know my father will."
"Where is your Uncle Dunston?" questioned the shipowner's son.
"He's out on a little business trip. He got a telegram from New Yorkthat upset him somewhat. I hope it isn't anything serious," addedDave, soberly.
The boys rushed off to talk the matter over with Captain Sanders. Theyfound the master of the vessel at the shipping office, talking overthe matter of a cargo for Barbados.
"Four men want to take passage with us, if we go," said the captain."That will help pay for the trip, since they are willing to pay goodpassage money."
"We want you to take that half-cargo," said Phil, and explainedmatters.
"All right, if you say so," answered Captain Sanders. "But you hadbetter speak to Mr. Porter about it first."
Half an hour later Dunston Porter came driving up in a cab. He wasplainly excited.
"I've got to go to New York at once," he said. "I must look after somevaluable investments in Wall Street. Do you think you boys can getalong alone?"
"I think we can, Uncle Dunston," answered Dave. "You know we are usedto taking care of ourselves," and he smiled faintly.
"Then go ahead and do as you think best."
"We want Captain Sanders to start for Barbados as soon as he can,"went on our hero, and told of the telegrams received.
A general talk followed, lasting until Dunston Porter had to ride awayto catch the train for New York.
"You must be right, and Merwell and Jasniff must be guilty," he said."And if they are, spare no expense in catching them. I think thequicker you start for Barbados the better. And as soon as you arrivedo your best to locate the rascals and have the authorities arrestthem. And above all things, keep your eyes open for the jewels, for weneed them much more than we need to catch Merwell and Jasniff. Tocatch the rascals and miss the gems will do us no good."
"I understand, Uncle Dunston," answered Dave. "And if the jewels areanywhere around we'll locate them."
"Then good-by and good luck!" finished Dunston Porter, and in a minutemore he was off.
As soon as he was gone the boys and Captain Sanders commencedpreparations for the trip to Barbados. An extra number of longshoremenwere engaged, so that the half-cargo to be taken along could be gottenaboard quickly, and the boys spent their time in buying such things asthey needed for the trip.
"They tell me it is pretty warm down there," said Roger. "So we hadbetter buy some thin suits."
"And we had better go armed," added Phil. "No telling what trouble wemay run into, in trying to corner Merwell and Jasniff. Merwell is nogreat fighter, but Jasniff is a brute."
"Yes, I'll take no chances with Jasniff," answered Dave. He had notforgotten his quarrel at Oak Hall with that bully, and how Jasniff hadattacked him with an Indian club, as related in detail in "DavePorter's Return to School."
At last all was in readiness for the trip, and the boys and the otherpassengers, four burly Englishmen, went aboard. Fortunately, the_Golden Eagle_ was well provided with staterooms, so there was butlittle crowding. Dave had a small room to himself and next to him werehis chums, with Captain Sanders and the first mate opposite. BillyDill was, of course, in the forecastle with the other sailors.
"It's grand to have you along ag'in," he said, to Dave and Phil."Seems like old times, when we sailed the Pacific."
"So it does," answered our hero.
"Only ye ain't a-lookin' for no uncle this trip, be you?" And the oldtar chuckled.
"No, Billy, we are looking for somebody quite different--two rascalswho ran away with a lot of diamonds."
"Mackerel an' codfish! Ye don't tell me, Dave! Your diamonds?"
"No, but some diamonds that were left with a close friend of mine. Ifthey are not recovered, my friend will be almost ruined."
"Jumpin' dogfish! Then I hope you catch them lubbers! If so be I canhelp ye any, don't be afeered to call on me," added the old sailor,earnestly.
"All right; I'll remember that," replied Dave.
Early the next day the _Golden Eagle_ slipped down the St. John'sRiver and past the jetties and the lighthouse into the Atlantic Ocean.It was warm and clear, with a good wind blowing from the west, anideal day for the departure. The boys remained on deck, watching thescenery of the winding stream and then the fading shoreline, and thenwent below to arrange their belongings, for the trip to Barbados wouldoccupy some time.
"I hope we don't get seasick," remarked the senator's son.
"Well, if we do, we'll have to stand it," replied Phil. "But don'tlet's think about it."
"What I am wishing, is that we'll have good weather and a quickpassage," remarked Dave. "We can't get to Barbados any too quick forme."
"I was looking up the place in the shipping-guide," went on Roger."It's not much of an island, only twenty-one miles long by fifteenwide. The whole population is only about two hundred thousand, mostlyEnglish."
"The smaller the population the easier it will be to find Merwell andJasniff," was the comment of the shipowner's son.
"Well, there may be a good many hiding-places on an island twenty-onemiles long by fifteen miles wide," added Dave, with a grin.
"Oh, we'll rake the island with a fine-tooth comb, if we have to,"cried Roger.
"Roger, was your father quite willing to let you go on the trip?"
"Yes. He and mother are now in Washington, you know, and as the schoolis closed, I'd either have to go to the Capital, or stay with you. AndI told him I'd much rather be with you and Phil."
"And we are glad to have you with us!" cried Phil, and Dave nodded, toshow that he felt the same way about it.
"What do you think about the other passengers?" asked Phil, in a lowervoice, so that nobody else might hear.
"I don't think I'll like them very much," replied the senator's son."That man named Geswick is very loud and dictatorial."
"Yes, and the chap named Pardell is little better," returned Dave.
"What line are they in, Phil, did you hear?"
"Oh, they are traveling, that's all. They came to this country fromLondon, and they are going back by the way of Barbados."
"They seem to have some money."
"Yes, but Captain Sanders told me that they hang on to it prettywell--more so than he at first expected they would."
The first day passed rapidly and the _Golden Eagle_ made good headway.The boys spent most of the time on deck, amusing themselves as bestthey could. They talked to Captain Sanders and his mate, and alsovisited with Billy Dill. Occasionally they conversed with the fourEnglishmen, but they noticed that the Britishers were inclined to keepto themselves.
"I guess it is just as well, too," said Dave to his chums. "They arenot our sort at all."
"Unless I miss my guess, they have had some sort of quarrel amongthemselves," remarked Phil. "They were disputing over something earlythis morning and again just before dinner."
Several days passed, and the boys commenced to feel quite at home onthe ship. None of them had been seasick, for which all were thankful.
"The weather has been in our favor," said Captain Sander
s. "If itkeeps on like this, we'll make Barbados in record time."
"Billy Dill said he smelt a storm," returned Dave.
"Hum! Is that so?" mused the captain. "Well, he's a pretty goodweather-sharp, I must confess. I'll take another look at the glass,"and he walked off to do so.
The storm came up during the night, and Dave was awakened to findhimself rolling from one side of his berth to the other. He arose, andas he did so he heard an exclamation from Roger.
"What is it, Roger?" he called out.
"I--I guess I'm seasick!" answered the senator's son. "Gracious, howthis old tub rolls!"
"Don't call the _Golden Eagle_ a tub!" returned Phil. "Say, can I doanything for you?" he went on sympathetically.
"Yes, tell Captain Sanders to keep the boat from rocking."
"Better lie down again, Roger," said Dave, entering the stateroom."It's a little better than standing up."
"Oh, I--I guess I'm not so very ba-badly off," gasped the sufferer."But I do wish the storm was over."
"We all wish that."
But, instead of clearing away, the storm increased in violence, and bynine o'clock in the morning the wind was blowing close to a gale. Boththe captain and the mate were on deck, and the former advised the boysand the other passengers to remain below. Two of the Englishmen werevery seasick and found all manner of fault because of the storm.
"I'd never have come on this treasure hunt had I known I was to be sosick!" groaned one.
"What bloody luck!" said the other sick man. "All the pirates' gold inthe world is not worth it!"
"Stow it!" cried the man named Geswick. "You know you weren't tomention what we were after."
"Nobody can hear us, in this storm," replied the first man who hadspoken.
"Those boys might hear," put in the fellow named Pardell.
"Oh, well, they are only boys. Besides, they'd not dare to follow usup to Cave Island----"
"Hush, I tell you!" cried Geswick, savagely. "Do learn to keep yourtongue quiet." And then the men continued to talk in whispers.
Dave had been passing the staterooms of the Englishmen during thisconversation and he could not help but hear what was said. When herejoined his chums he told them of the talk.
"They must be on the hunt after pirates' gold," said Phil. "Well, theyare not the first to do that kind of searching. Party after party hassailed down here for the same purpose."
"Yes, and each party has been unsuccessful, so far as I know,"answered Dave.
"Perhaps they have some extra-good clew," suggested Roger, trying toforget his seasickness.
"Perhaps," returned Dave. "Well, if they can find any pirates' gold onany of these islands they are welcome to it, so far as I am concerned.All I want to get hold of are the Carwith jewels."