CHAPTER XXXIV
THE BATTLE IS ON
Helpless and almost hopeless, the two captives were led deeper into theforest paths. Drew realized that they were skirting the barrenhillside and gaining a position nearer to the treasure seekers' fort.
Finally they saw a fire in the now dark wood, and soon came to astockade. Several fallen trees formed this barrier, and in addition tothe protection they afforded, a number of branches had been so arrangedas to form an abattis. The work had been hastily done; but withdetermined men behind it, it would offer a formidable obstacle to anattacking party.
At a fire in the further end of the enclosure the mutineers werepreparing their breakfast. Ditty went over and talked earnestly withsome of his men, but finally broke off abruptly and came back to theprisoners, who had both been tied, wrist and ankle.
"So I've got you where I've wanted you at last, have I?" he tauntedDrew. "Little moonlight walks don't always pan out as you expect."
Drew disdained to reply.
"You wont talk, eh?" the mate snarled, kicking him in the ribs with hisheavy boot. "Well, I know some cunnin' little ways of makin' peopletalk when I want 'em to. But I'm goin' to wait a while before I try'em on you. I want somebody here to see you cringe and hear you howl.Bless her pretty eyes, how she'll enjoy it!"
Then Drew's eyes flashed and he strained at his bonds.
"You vile scoundrel!" he cried. "If my hands were free I'd choke thelife out of you!"
"So you can talk, after all?" sneered the mate, his cold eye becomingstill more reptilian.
"And more than talk--give me the chance," Drew flung back at him.
"Smart boy," jeered the mate. "Smart enough to translate Spanish andthe pirate's old map, eh? An' now you're goin' to smart more when yousee me an' my mates walk off with the doubloons," and he laughed.
"Yes. When I do!" the young man said boldly. "You'll be a deal olderwhen that happens, Ditty."
"I'll show you!" ejaculated the mate, and kicked him again.
"The brute!" gasped Parmalee.
"Parmalee," Drew said in a trembling voice, "I never wanted the use ofmy hands so much as I do now. When I do get free, I shall be temptedto kill that fellow."
"He deserves it--the double-dyed villain!" groaned Parmalee. "And hethrew me overboard."
"I knew he must have done so," said Drew. "But why did he do it? Notjust to put the crime on me? How were you saved and how did you gethere? Let's hear it all."
"I had overheard the rascal plotting with some of the men," returnedParmalee. "Ditty must have caught a glimpse of me. I suppose he feltthe time was not ripe for exposure; so he put me out of the way. Hemust have been lurking near us that night when you fell. I wasstooping to help you when he grabbed me and flung me over the rail. Ididn't have time to cry out.
"I'm a good swimmer--one of the few active accomplishments Ipossess--and I swam as long as I could. Just as I lost strength, myhand touched a cask lashed to a grating that must have fallen from somevessel, or been thrown from it. That held me up till morning. By thattime I was about all in. But just then a sloop--a turtle catcher shewas--bore down on me, sighted me, and answered my frantic appeal, andpicked me up. It was a terrible experience."
"It must have been," breathed the other. "Go on. How did you get hereto this very island where the doubloons were buried?"
"Are they here?" asked Parmalee eagerly. "Do you know?"
"Sh!" whispered Drew. "Don't say a word. We have 'em--pecks of them!And jewels and other stuff besides--enough to make us all as rich asMidas."
"Humph!" commented Parmalee, with sudden gravity. "And he had asses'ears. I'm afraid this mess we're all in shows that we did an asininething in coming down here after the doubloons. What is wealth comparedto life itself?"
"True," murmured Drew. "And what we've been through besides. But goon. Tell the rest."
"When those turtle catchers landed here I had no idea that this islandwas the one marked on the pirate's map which Captain Hamilton showedme," pursued Parmalee. "I was treated well enough. But I happened tohave no money in my pockets, and the men disbelieved my claim that Iwould pay them if they would get me to a civilized port! So they mademe work. That was all right, but the work was too heavy for me; so Iwent off into the interior of the island to see if there were not someinhabitants. Then the first earthquake came. It frightened thosehalf-breeds and negroes blue. They set off in the sloop, leaving mebehind.
"Day before yesterday I came up this way. I guessed that thefortification must have been thrown up by one party from the _BerthaHamilton_ and that this was the island we had been seeking; buthesitated to come nearer, unarmed as I was, fearing that Ditty and hisgang of cut-throats were fortified here."
"Ruth saw you," Drew volunteered. "She thought you were an apparition.And so did I, this morning. But you must have had a frightful time ofit."
"I've been keeping myself alive on fruit and shell-fish since theturtle catchers deserted me. It's not a satisfying diet," Parmaleesaid with a little laugh.
During this low-voiced conversation between the two prisoners, themutineers had been eating breakfast. They offered the young men none;but neither Drew nor Parmalee was thinking of his appetite.
"Sit up close behind me, Parmalee," whispered Drew. "I believe I canwork on that cord that fastens your wrists. If I can get you free, youcan free me."
"Good! We'll try it," said the other confidently.
"That will do. Get close to me and let me pick away at this knot.Ditty's too busy to come over here now. Besides, they're getting readyto attack our people, I think. He believes we're safe here, and he'llneed all his men with him."
"You're getting it, Drew, old fellow," whispered Parmalee eagerly.
"Bet your life! One of the easiest knots a seaman ever tied. Now trymine."
Parmalee did as directed, and the knot that fastened Drew's wrists soonyielded. But the latter still kept his hands behind him and assumed apose of deep dejection, his companion doing the same.
As Drew had conjectured, Ditty had made up his mind to attack. He wasstill unaware of what had taken place on the schooner during the night,and was confident that he outnumbered the besieged by about two to one.Time was pressing, for a ship might appear at any time. He resolved tohazard all his chances on one throw.
At the head of his band he left the stockade. Drew and Parmalee waitedtill they felt sure that all had gone and that no guard left behind wasstealthily watching them through the trees. Drew then got out hispocket knife and severed their ankle lashings.
At that moment a volley of shots was heard in the direction of thebarricade. It was followed by another and still another. The fighthad begun.
"Come on!" cried Drew excitedly, and he dashed out of the stockadefollowed by Parmalee.
Day was just breaking. Overhead the twittering of doves, the squeakingof parrakeets, the countless sounds of bird and insect life, welcomedthe sun.
But the fusilades of gun shots hushed the clamor of wild life, and sentthe birds and the animals shrieking away from the vicinity.