CHAPTER XXV--LINK MERWELL'S STORY
Down and down and still down went Dave, with Link Merwell in front ofhim. Daylight was left behind with a suddenness that was appalling.The brushwood scratched our hero's face and he could not repress a cryof alarm. Merwell screamed loud and long and an echo came back thatwas weird and ghostlike. Then came a mighty splash, and both boys wentinto the water over their heads.
Dave was a good swimmer, and as soon as he entered the water he struckout to save himself. He came up in almost utter darkness, so he had togo it blindly, not knowing in what direction to turn. Then he heard awild spluttering and knew the sounds came from his enemy.
"Merwell!"
"Oh, Porter! Sa-save me, please!" gasped Link Merwell.
"Why don't you swim?--that is what I am doing."
"I--I--struck my head on a rock! Oh, save me!" And then came a gasp, andthe scamp disappeared under the surface.
Dave was close by and knew the direction by the noise. Taking a fewstrokes, he bumped into Merwell, who promptly tried to catch hiswould-be rescuer by the throat. But our hero was on guard and turnedhim around.
"Keep quiet, or I'll let go!" he ordered, as he began to tread water.As Merwell obeyed, Dave struck out to where he saw a faint streak oflight. He made out a shelving rock, and after some difficulty, reachedthis. Here the water was only up to his waist, and he waded along,half carrying his enemy, until they reached another series of rocks,where both crawled up to a spot that was dry. From somewhere overheadcame a faint streak of light, testifying to the fact that there was anopening beyond, even if it could not be seen.
"Oh, my head!" murmured Link Merwell, and put up one hand to a lumpthat was rising on his forehead.
"I got struck myself," said Dave. "But it didn't amount to much. Itold you to stop. If you had done so, we wouldn't have gotten intothis pickle."
"Whe-where are we?" asked Merwell, and there was a shiver in his tone.
"Down at the bottom of that hole." Dave tried to pierce the darkness."Looks like some underground river to me."
"The water is salt."
"Then this place must connect with the ocean." Dave drew a deepbreath. "Merwell, tell me truthfully, what did you do with thosejewels?" he questioned, eagerly. Even in that time of peril he couldnot forget the mission that had brought him to Cave Island.
"Who--who said I had the jewels?" faltered the other.
"I know you and Jasniff took them--it is useless for you to deny it."
"How do you know that?"
"Never mind now. Answer my question. Have you the jewels, or did yougive them to Jasniff?"
"I didn't give Nick anything."
"Then you have them."
"How do you know?"
"I am not here to answer questions, Link Merwell. I want to know whatyou did with the jewels." Dave's voice grew stern. "Answer me atonce!" And he caught Merwell by the arm.
"Don't--don't shove me into the water!" cried the scamp, in alarm,although Dave had no intention of doing as he imagined. "I--I--we--er--wedivided the jewels between us. But Nick got the best of them."
"And what did you do with your share?"
"I'll--er--I'll tell you when we get out of this hole."
"You'll tell me right now, Merwell!" And again Dave caught the culpritby the arm.
"I--I put my share of the jewels in my money-belt," he faltered.
"Have you it on now?"
"Yes. But Nick has the best of the jewels--I got only the little ones,"went on Link Merwell, half-angrily. It was easy to surmise that he andJasniff had not gotten along well together.
"How is it Jasniff got the best of them?"
"He had the jewel-case when we were about to leave the bark during thestorm. Everybody was excited, and he said we couldn't carry thecase--that it wouldn't be safe, for we might drop it and all of thejewels would be lost. He said we had better divide them and put themin our belts. We had bought belts for that purpose in Jacksonville. Sowe took the jewels out of the case and threw the box away. I thought Ihad my share, but after we got to this island, and I had a chance tolook, I saw he had the lion's share, about three-quarters, in fact,and all the big ones."
"And he has them now?"
"Yes,--that is, he did have them just before we saw you."
"Did you sell or pawn any of the jewels?"
"Only a few small ones. We were afraid to offer the big ones, so soonafter the--well, you know," and Link Merwell stopped short, lookingeverything but happy.
"You mean so soon after the robbery," said Dave, bluntly.
"Yes."
"Link, whatever--but never mind that now," continued our hero, hastily."Hand over the money-belt."
"What, now?"
"Yes, at once. I'll not trust you to carry those jewels a minutelonger."
"Can't you wait till we get out of this wretched hole?"
"I might, but I am not going to. Hand it over and be careful that noneof the jewels are lost. Your father may have to pay for the others."
With fingers that trembled from fear and chilliness, Link Merwellslipped his hands under the light clothing he wore and took off themoney-belt that encircled his waist.
"There is some money there that belongs to me," he began,hesitatingly.
"You'll get back what is yours, never fear," answered Dave, and tookthe belt. He saw to it that it was tightly closed, then fastened itaround his own waist.
"Remember, Nick has the best of the jewels," went on Merwell, ratherspitefully.
"I am not likely to forget it," answered Dave, grimly. "Now, thesooner we get out of this hole the better."
Merwell was just as anxious to see daylight, even if he was to be helda prisoner, and together the boys hunted around for some exit from theunderground watercourse. But the only way out seemed to be faroverhead, and to climb up the smooth, sloping rocks proved impossible.
"Oh, what shall we do?" groaned Merwell, after they had attempted toclimb up and had failed. "We are caught like rats in a trap!"
"Perhaps we'll have to swim for it," answered Dave. "This water isvery salt, which proves it comes from the ocean. Moreover, it isgradually going down, showing it is affected by the tide. Let usfollow the stream for a short distance and see where it leads to."
Merwell demurred, but he did not want to remain behind alone in thesemi-darkness, so he followed Dave, and both waded and swam a distanceof several hundred feet. Here the underground river made a turn aroundthe rocks, and both boys were delighted to see a streak of sunlightresting on the water.
"An opening of some sort!" cried our hero. "Come on!" And he swam onboldly and Merwell followed as quickly as he could.
Soon the pair reached a break in the cave. On either side were wallsof rocks, uneven and covered with scanty bushes and immense trailingvines. The opening was about a hundred feet in length, and beyond itthe stream of salty water plunged into another cavern, undoubtedly onits way to the ocean.
"Well, we are out of the cave in one way but not in another," observedDave, as he stood on the dry rocks and gazed about. "It's going to bea stiff climb to get out of here."
"Ca-can't you wait till I--I get my breath," panted Merwell.
"Yes, for I want to get my own breath back. Perhaps we'll have to gothrough that next cave to get out," he continued, after a pause.
"Oh, I hope not! I hate it underground!" And Merwell shivered."Besides, it's cold," he went on, to cover up the tremor in his voice.
"Yes, it is cold," returned Dave, shortly.
He sat down to rest, and Merwell followed suit. On all sides were therocky walls and trailing vines, while at their feet ran the silent,mysterious stream of salty water.
Dave looked at the walls and the stream, and then looked at Merwell.The face of the other youth was a study. He was downcast to the lastdegree.
"Link, what made you do it?" he asked, in a voice that was notunkindly.
"I didn't do it--that is, it wasn't my plan!" burst out the culprit,passionately. "Oh, I know th
ey'll hold me for it, just the same asthey'll hold Nick, if they catch him! But I'll tell you honestly,Dave, it wasn't any of my planning. I'm bad, and I know it, but I amnot as bad as that. It was Nick who got the whole thing up. You knowhow mad he has been at you ever since he had to leave Oak Hall. Well,it was his plan to make you a prisoner first and then make it look asif you had robbed the jewelry works. You ask Doctor Montgomery if thatisn't so. Well, the first part of the plan fell through, for you gotaway. Then he got me to go to Crumville, and found out where we couldget the dynamite. I got scared then and wanted to back out, but hesaid if I did he'd throw all the blame on me, and so I stuck to him. Iwish I hadn't done it," concluded Merwell, bitterly.
"Did you go direct to Jacksonville after the robbery?"
"No, we went to Washington first and there we pawned one diamond forsixty dollars. Then we went to Jacksonville. There we met Luke Watson,and both of us got scared to death. We had paid for our passage on the_Emma Brower_, and we kept out of sight till the bark sailed. Afterthe storm we landed here with those four sailors, and were waiting tosight some passing ship when you and your crowd turned up."
"What were you going to do at Barbados?"
"Keep quiet until this affair blew over and then take some Englishvessel for England. There, Jasniff said, he could get a certainpawnbroker to take the jewels and give us a good price for them.You'll remember, he was in England some time."
"Yes, I met him there. But, Link, didn't you realize what a crime youwere committing?" went on Dave, earnestly.
"I did--after it was too late. Many a time I wanted to back out, butNick wouldn't let me. We had a quarrel in Washington, and another inJacksonville, and on the ship I came close to exposing him to thecaptain. I think I should have done it, only the hurricane came up,and then we had to hustle to save our lives."
A silence followed, for each of the boys was busy with his thoughts.Dave felt sorry for his former schoolmate, but he knew Merwellthoroughly, and knew that the fellow was more sorry because he wascaught than because he had committed a great wrong. He belonged to theclass of persons who are willing to repent when it is too late.
The day was drawing to a close, and already the sunlight haddisappeared beyond the high rocks. With a deep sigh Dave arose to hisfeet and stretched himself, and Merwell followed suit.
"What are you going to do?" asked the former bully of Oak Hall.
"I am going to try to climb up those rocks."
"They are terribly steep!"
"I know it, but those vines look strong and we can use them as ropes,Link. But you need not try it, if you don't want to."
"Oh, if you try, so will I, Dave."
After that but little was said, both lads saving their breath for thetask before them. Dave went up first, testing each vine with care ashe advanced. Twice he slipped back, and once Merwell came to his aidand held him. It was a little thing to do, but it pleased our hero,and his face showed it.
At last they were out of the hollow and each threw himself on theground to rest. Then Dave walked to a near-by hill and gazed in everydirection. Not a human being was in sight anywhere.
"Well, we've got to find them somehow," he said to Merwell. "Comeahead." And side by side they set off through the forest in thefast-gathering darkness.
Dave went up first, testing each vine with care.]