CHAPTER XIX
FOREBODINGS
The hearts of all on board were thrilled. Crew and passengers alikewere delighted, although the latter had a special reason for excitementof which the former were supposed to be ignorant.
The schooner had been proceeding under full sail, but as she approachednearer to the land whose outlines at every moment became more distinct,the topgallants were taken in until the _Bertha Hamilton_ had justenough canvas drawing to give her good steerage way.
Before long the schooner approached near enough for those on board tosee the island plainly with the naked eye. It seemed to be severalmiles in length. It looked like an emerald floating in the sunlight.Lush vegetation extended to within a hundred yards of the sea, and asilvery stretch of beach edged the breakers that curled and burst withan unceasing roar.
There was no sign of human habitation anywhere. No hut broke thesmooth expanse of the beach or peeped out from among the trees. Theimpression of an uninhabited wilderness was heightened by great numbersof pelicans and cranes, who stood sleepily on one foot or stalkedsolemnly about pursuing their fishing in the shallows.
There was only one place where the outline of the coast was broken. Atthe eastern end the claws of a reef extended for about half a mile intothe sea, making a barrier behind which the water was comparativelycalm, though at the opening, of about two hundred yards, there ran aturbulent sea.
"That must be the inlet shown on the pirate's map," whispered Tyke, whowas standing at the rail of the _Bertha Hamilton_ close beside thecaptain.
"That's probably what it is," replied Captain Hamilton, his voiceshowing the agitation under which he was laboring. "But before we puther through the opening, I'm going to take soundings. Mr. Ditty!" hecalled, "heave to and lower a boat to take soundings."
"Aye, aye, sir," responded the mate.
In a twinkling the necessary orders were given, the _Bertha Hamilton_lost way and rounded to, and a boat manned by six sailors was droppedfrom the davits on the lee side.
"Pull away smartly now, my lads," called the mate as he took thetiller-ropes.
It required smart seamanship to get through that rushing racewaywithout capsizing; but, whatever Ditty's faults, he did not lackability, and the work was done in a way that elicited an unwillinggrunt of admiration from Tyke.
In less than two hours the requisite soundings had been taken, andDitty came to report.
"Plenty of depth, sir," he reported. "No less than ten fathomsanywhere. And a good bottom."
"All right, Mr. Ditty," replied the captain. "Put the canvas on hernow and we'll take her through."
The captain himself assumed charge of this critical operation, andunder half sail the _Bertha Hamilton_ dashed through as thoughwelcoming the end of her journey. She made the channel without mishap,and let go her anchor within a quarter of a mile of the head of thelagoon.
Inside the breakwater the sea was almost as smooth as a mirror. Thewater was wonderfully transparent, and they could see hundreds oftropical fish swimming lazily at a great depth. On the beach the waveslapped in musical ripples, in striking contrast to the thundering surfon the reef.
The captain wiped his perspiring forehead and drew a long breath ofrelief. "So far so good," he remarked. "It won't be long now beforewe'll know whether we've come on a fool's errand or not."
"There's one thing about which the map hasn't lied, anyway," said Drew."It pointed out the inlet just where we found it. That's a good omen,it seems to me."
"Let's hope the rest of the map is all right," replied the captain."But it's nearly time for dinner now, and we'll have that before goingashore."
All were so feverishly impatient, now that they were almost in sight oftheir goal, that none of them paid much attention to the meal, and itwas soon over.
"Do you s'pose the crew have any idee why we're stopping at thisisland?" asked Tyke. There was a grim look on his seamed countenance,and both the captain and Drew looked at him curiously.
"What's milling in your brain, Tyke?" asked Captain Hamilton. "I'vekept my eyes peeled, and I swear I haven't seen anything more tosuggest treachery. Ditty's on his best behavior----"
"Yes; that's so," agreed Tyke. "But did you spy the men he took withhim in the boat jest now, when he came in here to make soundings?"
"I didn't notice," the captain confessed.
"The orneriest ones of the whole bunch. An', believe me! this is thewo'st crew of dock scrapings I ever set eyes on," growled Tyke. "Dittydid a lot of talking in the boat--I watched 'em through my glass. Themsix are his close friends, Cap'n Rufe. They've laid their plans----"
"Holy mackerel!" exclaimed Captain Hamilton. "What are you saying,Tyke?"
"I've figgered out that we aren't going to have things our own way downhere," the other said earnestly. "I've been waiting for you to saysomething, Cap'n Rufe, ever since that Bug-eye accused Allen like hedid. Ditty's on to our game--has been on to it right along--an' heselected this crew of wharf-rats for a purpose."
"I agree with you, Mr. Grimshaw," Drew declared eagerly. "That's whatDitty was after when he tried to rob you at the time you were knockeddown by the automobile. You were right. He did push you back in frontof the machine, and then he searched your pockets while you were on theground."
"For what?" demanded Captain Hamilton, staring.
"For the paper and the map. Ditty believed Mr. Grimshaw carried thatconfession in his pocket," Drew replied.
The master of the schooner rose and began to walk about in excitement.
"That's it! He was lurking outside your office door that day, Tyke,when we first found the papers in Manuel Gomez's chest. I see it now.He was aboard the schooner that very evening, too, when I told Ruth atdinner about the pirate's doubloons. He might have been eavesdroppingthen."
"An' I bet he flung poor Parmalee over the rail himself," said Tyke.Hamilton's expression changed and he shook his head at that.
"He'd git rid of one of the after-guard that way," urged Tyke."Parmalee could shoot. An' if it comes to a fight----"
"My soul!" groaned Captain Hamilton suddenly. "And Ruth with us!"
"What about Ruth?" asked that young lady cheerfully, coming from hercabin. "Aren't you all ready yet? I am going ashore with you."
"Yes; you'd better come," said her father gloomily.
"Why, what is the matter?" she demanded.
"We were just wondering," said Drew quickly, assuming a casual tone tocover their real emotion, "if the crew suspected our reason fortouching at this island."
Captain Hamilton picked up the ball at once.
"But I don't believe they do," he said. "Of course, it would haveseemed strange to the mate and to Rogers if I hadn't given them someexplanation, especially as we came out in ballast. So I dropped hintsthat we were out on a survey expedition that couldn't be talked of justnow. They probably have the idea that we're looking up a suitablecoaling station for the Government, or something of that kind. Tocarry that out, I've got some surveyor's instruments here that we'lltake along with us, just for a blind."
"Let's hope it'll work," said Tyke dubiously. "An' it won't do anyharm to take our guns along."
"There's a pair of revolvers for each of us," replied Captain Hamilton,opening the closet where he kept the arms that Drew had previouslyseen; "and we'll take half a dozen guns along with us in the boat.There may be snakes or wild animals on the islands."
"I must have a revolver too, Daddy," said the girl.
"Of course, my dear," agreed the captain.
"Mebbe you'd better not put any cartridges in it, Cap'n Rufe," saidGrimshaw, taking Ruth playfully by the arm, "They'd be more dangerousto us than to anything else."
"It's mean of you to say that, Mr. Grimshaw," pouted Ruth. "You'llfind that I can use a gun as well as anybody."
"Mebbe so, mebbe so, my dear," said Tyke indulgently.
"Hadn't we better take some provisions along?" asked Ruth, as sheslipped the cartridges into
her revolver and put the weapon in thepocket of the sports skirt that she had donned.
"That won't be necessary," replied the captain. "We'll be back beforenightfall. This is just a little preliminary scouting. We won't havetime for more than that this afternoon. The real work of searching forthe treasure will begin to-morrow."
The preparations finished, the party went on deck.
"Crew had their dinner yet, Mr. Ditty?" Captain Hamilton asked of hisfirst officer.
"My watch have, sir," was the answer. "The others are eating now."
"Pick out half a dozen men and lower the boat," ordered the captain."We're going ashore for a few hours. We'll be back for supper."
"How long will we lay up here, sir?"
"Can't tell yet. Perhaps two or three days. Possibly a week or more."
"How about shore leave for the men, sir?"
"Beginning to-morrow, they can go ashore in batches of ten. Thisafternoon, Mr. Rogers and a boat's crew can take the long boat and somecasks and go ashore to look for water."
"Very well, sir," replied the mate, with a curious expression on hisface.
As he turned away, his one eye fell on Drew. They had not met sincethe fight two days before. They stared at each other for severalseconds, until Ditty's eye fell before the concentrated fury in thoseof the young man.
Ruth, who had witnessed the interchange of looks, put her hand lightlyon Drew's arm.
"Aren't you going to help me into the boat, Allen?" she asked.
His rage at Ditty vanished in an instant as he turned to her. She wastrying to smile, but there was no laughter in her dewy eyes. But Drewsaw there something deeper and sweeter and tenderer. There was immensesympathy and--what was that other fugitive expression that he caughtbefore her eyelids lowered?
He bent toward her, but just then Grimshaw and the captain rangedalongside, and they had to take their places in the boat.
The members of the crew who had been told off for the service, bent tothe oars, and, at a rapid pace, they approached the shore. The beachshelved gradually, and they had no trouble in making a landing. Thesailors leaped out into the shallow water and drew the boat well up onthe strand, and the party disembarked.
Drew wished that they had found it necessary to wade. With whatdelight he would have carried Ruth in those strong arms of his!
"We'll be back in an hour or two, my lads," said the captain. "You canscatter about and do as you like until we return, as long as you keepwithin hail of the boat."
With the captain and Tyke in the lead, and Drew following behind tohelp Ruth over the hard places, they plunged into the unknown forest.After all, they went slowly, for Tyke had to favor what he called his"game leg."
For all the evidence that the wood afforded, it had been untrodden formany years. Giant ceiba trees reared themselves two hundred feet intothe air. Lianas hung in festoons from the boughs like monstrous boaconstrictors. Parrots flew squawking from branch to branch, andhumming birds and butterflies of many hues and gorgeous beauty dartedlike bright arrows among the flowers.
The underbrush was thick and in some places impenetrable, and thetreasure seekers would have found their progress very slow if it hadnot been for certain irregular trails that seemed to have been hewnthrough the woods at intervals. In some places these trails were manyyards wide, while at others they narrowed to a foot or two. Nothinggrew upon them, but they were covered by dead leaves and twigs ofvarying depths.
"Wonder how these trails came here," said the captain. "There are nofootprints on them, and yet they must have been made by animals or men."
"Better keep our eyes peeled," warned Tyke.
The captain, who had scraped away some of the accumulated leaves andrubbish, gave a sudden exclamation.
"Why, this path is made of stone!" he cried. He dropped on his kneesand examined more closely. When he rose to his feet his face was grave.
"It's lava!" he stated.
"Then the island must be volcanic!" exclaimed Drew, startled by thethought.
"Nothing very surprising about that when you come to think of it," Tykedeclared. "We're right down here in the earthquake zone, where theearth's liable to throw a fit any time. Like enough this old whalebackis a sleeping volcano. She may blow up again some time."
"Just as it did at Martinique," confirmed the captain. "Perhaps thatmay explain the absence of people hereabouts. They may have all beenwiped out by some eruption, or they may have been so scared that theyleft the island for safer quarters."
"I don't think we have much to worry about," remarked Tyke. "Thereain't any doubt but this hill we're heading for has been at some time avolcano. But likely it's been quiet for hundreds of years. An' it'snot likely that it's going to git busy now jest for our specialbenefit. Let's hike along."
"There's one good thing about it, anyway," remarked Drew, as theyresumed their march. "It's burned out these paths and made the walkingeasier. And it's pointed out just the way we want to go. All we haveto do is to follow this path and it can't help but lead us right up tothe whale's hump."
"That's the point we want to head for," replied the captain, consultingthe map. "You'll notice that these circles seem to be on the slope ofthe hill not so very far from the top. Besides, that pirate fellowwould be likely to go quite a way in from the shore to bury his loot."
Half a mile further on, a little stream ran through the forest. Theparty went over to it, and Drew, bending down and making a cup of hishands, bore some of the water to his lips. He made a wry face andalmost choked.
"Sulphur!" he exclaimed. "It's full of it."
Captain Hamilton, too, tasted.
"Another proof, if we needed it, that the island is volcanic," heobserved. Then, in a tone that only Drew heard, he added: "What Idon't like about it is that it shows there's brimstone in the oldwhale's hump yet. If there wasn't, the water would have sweetened longago."
Tyke and Ruth each took a few drops of the water, and then the partywent on a little more soberly than before. The trees soon became morescattered, though the undergrowth was dense. Before long they emergedon a sort of plateau above which was lifted, at a height of two hundredfeet or more, the whale's hump.
Its sides were heaped with masses of hardened lava in all kinds ofgrotesque shapes. It was utterly desolate and bare. Ruth shuddered asshe looked at the weird scene.
"I don't wonder that some place around here is called the Witch'sHead," she remarked. "This must be like the place where Macbeth sawthe witches brewing their potions."
"Except that they brewed them 'in lightning, thunder and in rain',"said Drew. "Those are the only things that are missing."
He had scarcely spoken when there was a rumbling that sounded likethunder. Drew was startled, and Ruth grew slightly pale.
"That's funny," remarked Tyke. "Weather's as clear as a bell too.This ain't the hurricane season."
The captain was in a brown study, seemingly unheedful of the rumblingsound. In a moment he roused himself and said:
"Well, now let's scatter about and see if we can find anything thatlooks like The Three Sisters or the Witch's Head."
Grimshaw sat down to rest, not wishing to put too heavy a strain on theleg that had been injured, and the others wandered about for half anhour trying to discover anything that might be identified as the placesnamed on the map. But their efforts were fruitless, and the captain,looking at his watch, called a halt.
"Nothing more doing now," he said. "We have only time to get back tothe boat. But we've got our bearings and have done a good afternoon'swork. To-morrow's a new day, and we'll get on the job early."
Reluctantly, the little party went back to the boat. They found thecrew waiting for them and were pulled rapidly to the schooner, whoseanchor lights were already gleaming like fireflies in the sudden dusk.