CHAPTER XIII.
THREE IN A TRAP.
The boys knew Archibald Townsend, otherwise Captain Nemo, Jr., of the_Grampus_, well. The matchlight was feeble, but there could be nomistake.
Both of them crept forward, and while Dick groped about with his handsto unloosen the cords that bound the prisoner, Matt removed the gag.
"King!" gasped Townsend, as soon as he could speak; "and Ferral! Thisis the most amazing thing I ever heard of! How is it you happen to behere?"
"That will be even more amazing, Townsend," answered Matt, "when wetell you about it. How long have you been here?"
"It must be all of two days, although there's no telling the differencebetween night and day in such a black hole. Gad, but it's good to seeyou boys again. When did you get here?"
"To-day," answered Matt.
"And it's been our busy day, too," added Dick. "We've been on the jumpever since we struck the town."
"I was so astounded when you boys were thrown in here that I couldhardly think," continued Townsend. "Later, when you began to talk, whatyou said aroused my curiosity. You got my telegram, of course?"
"Yes, and started at once as soon as it came to hand."
"What happened to you? I might as well tell you, before you begin totalk, though, that Jurgens has got the iron chest away from me again."
"We know that," said Matt, "for we picked it up out of an empty boat inthe river."
An exclamation of astonishment burst from Townsend.
"Start at once," said he, "and give me the whole of your experiences.After that I'll tell you what happened to me, and we'll have a fairunderstanding of the situation."
Matt and Dick, between them, related their adventures, beginning atBayou Yamousa. Townsend was absorbed in the recital, but made nocomment until the last word was spoken.
"Mystery seems to have been following mystery!" he exclaimed. "TheObeah woman has helped you, and me, in a most remarkable way. I amnot particularly credulous, and that talk of yours about the smokepictures, coming from any one else but you, would be hard to swallow.Most remarkable--in fact, astounding! By some arts of her own she seemsto have thrown into the screen of smoke events that were to happen, aswell as to give you a view of my situation, many miles away--a viewthat was complete in every particular.
"All that is strange and incomprehensible, but it is hardly a markerto the rest that happened. The head of an idol in that iron chest! Iwonder if it had anything to do with the unbalancing of Jurgens, Bangsand Carl? Furthermore, I wonder how it happened that Bangs was on thelevee to spring that cock-and-bull story on you when you arrived? Theseare all inexplicable things to me."
Townsend fell silent, apparently musing in the blank gloom.
"You are probably anxious to hear how I lost the chest a second time,"he presently went on. "It happened principally because I was ignorantof the fact that our old enemies, Jurgens and Whistler, were in NewOrleans. I had not heard a thing about them since they vanished somysteriously from that little island in the Bahamas.
"As soon as the _Grampus_ reached this port, I immediately laid myplans to have the iron chest removed to a place of safety. It wasnight, and I hired a man with a wheelbarrow to take it into town. Iwent with the man, but, before I left the _Grampus_, I arranged withCassidy to send you a telegram on the following day. It was not myintention to return to the _Grampus_ that night, and I expected to bebusy locating the lady for whom the Man from Cape Town had asked me tolook.
"While we were crossing the levee, and were in a dark and obscure placeon the water front, I and the man with the wheelbarrow were set upon bya gang of roughs. The man who was wheeling the chest was knocked downand left unconscious, and I was bound, put in a closed carriage andbrought here. Since that time my mind and body have both been shroudedin total darkness. Twice a day a negro has come and given me food, butI have seen nothing of either Whistler or Jurgens.
"However, I surmised the reason for my capture and detention in thisplace. My scoundrelly enemies wished to keep me in limbo until they haddivided the treasure in the iron chest and got well away with theirbooty. Yet the time I spent here has not been altogether lost. I havecultivated my negro jailer. He would tell me nothing about my captors,nor why I had been captured, but he has promised to release me if Iwould give him $500. The last time he came with food I wrote a line toCassidy telling him to pay over the money and ask no questions. Thenegro may get the money and then fail to carry out his part of thecontract--but it was a chance I had to take."
"Isn't there any other way to get out of here except by the negro'said?" asked Matt.
"I have had little else to do, while lying here, but turn suchexpedients over and over in my mind. I believe there is a way, Matt,providing we were armed with a crowbar. You will notice that the airin here is pure and wholesome--something you would not find in anair-tight vault."
"Matt noticed that, Townsend," returned Dick, "as soon as we landed inhere."
"Well," pursued Townsend, "light another match, Ferral, and then watchthe flame."
The match was lighted, held about a foot from the floor, and the flamewas seen to be sucked sideways and downward, as though by a draught ofair.
"There's a current of fresh air blowing through here," observed Matt.
"I noticed that the first time the negro brought my food to me," saidTownsend. "He had a candle, and the flame of the candle, like that ofthe match, inclined downward and burned with a hissing sound as thoughfanned by a draught of air. I managed to roll about and investigate alittle, tapping with my heels on the brick. There are crevices in thebrick, over near the end of the vault, and I am sure that a little workwith a crowbar would bring us either into the outside air, or into theshop below. But," and Townsend gave a grim laugh, "we have no crowbar;and, at the time I made my discoveries, I did not even have the use ofmy limbs."
"I've got a dirk, old ship," said Dick. "Give me time enough and Icould dig through a stone wall with it."
"It will be just as well to wait until night," answered Townsend. "Theman in the store below might hear us and he may be in league withJurgens and Whistler."
"He's not," averred Matt, "I'll answer for that. If there was ever anhonest Frenchman, he's one."
"But he's letting Jurgens and Whistler use this floor for lawlesspurposes."
"He doesn't know what they're using it for. In fact, he doesn't thinkthey've moved in here yet."
"Then we might go ahead with our work," said Townsend. "Can you work inthe dark, Ferral?"
"If I have to, aye, aye," answered Dick; "and it looks as though I'dhave to, considering that the only light we have is furnished bymatches."
"Well, start in. You can tell where the place is by the cool air alongthe floor. It will be a long job, and Matt and I will relieve you fromtime to time."
Dick lost not a moment in getting to work.
"The chances are, Townsend," observed Matt, "your negro will never havethe opportunity to get into this vault again. Whistler has been awayand has come back. He will take the vault key and act as jailer, if I'many prophet."
"From what Whistler said when he and his man threw us in here," spokeup Dick, "it's my idea that he intends to leave us here to starve. Hewouldn't be above that sort of thing."
"He and Jurgens," said Townsend gravely, "wouldn't be above anything.This is a rare opportunity to get all of us out of the way--too goodan opportunity, I'm afraid they'll think, to be allowed to pass. We'dbetter depend upon our own efforts, and dig out as quick as we can.We'll have to be quick, too, before hunger and thirst get the better ofus."
"Have you any idea, Townsend," asked Matt, "why that Man from Cape Townshould put an idol's head in that iron chest?"
"Not the slightest," declared Townsend. "I can't believe it possiblethat he is trying to hoax anybody. We must not lose sight of the factthat the lady I am to look for, in this city, he claimed to be hisdaughter. I was to find her, you may perhaps remember, open the chestin her presence and divide the contents
of the chest equally. It wouldbe difficult for us to divide an idol's head, and there would be smallgain for us, even if we did it. No, no, boys, there is something moreback of this--another mystery among the many that have already put usat sea."
"Something must have turned the brains of Jurgens, Bangs and Carl,"remarked Matt, "and that could not have happened until the chest hadbeen opened. Could you make a guess as to what it was, Townsend?"
"Guesses are easy--but profitless. Bangs, you say, is a prisoner. If herecovers his wits, perhaps he will tell us what we want to know."
"That creole in St. Peters Street," put in Dick, "may not hang ontoBangs if we don't show up at the house to-night. We told him we'd come,but he may think we've slanted away for good and let Bangs go. He toldus Bangs was a messmate of his."
"Well," suggested Townsend, "there's Carl. He'll be able to tell ussomething when he comes to himself and finds you again. If----"
There came a snap as of broken metal from Dick's end of the vault,followed by a muttered exclamation.
"What's the matter, Ferral?" asked Townsend.
"I've broken my dirk short off at the hilt!" growled Dick. "Keelhaul mefor a bungler! _Now_ what are we going to do? We haven't even a knifeto work with."
A pall of dejection settled over the three in the stone and iron trap.Each, perhaps, was casting vainly about in his mind for some expedientwhich could help them to their freedom.
Before any of them could speak, there came from the door a sound as ofsome one trying to push a key into the lock.
"Whistler!" whispered Matt.
"He'd not come here alone, mate," said Dick, "knowing that two of usare free and that we have surely released Townsend. If it's Whistler,you can lay something handsome he has a gang at his heels."
"No matter if he has," spoke up Townsend, "it's a chance to fight ourway out of this dungeon. Group yourselves about the door and, when itopens, spring out and do what you can with your fists."
The suggestion captured the instant approval of Matt and Dick. Allthree of the prisoners huddled close to the door, and when the keygrated, and the door was pulled ajar, they all sprang out.
Contrary to their expectations they met with no resistance. A negrowith a candle had unlocked the door, and he was nearly overturned bythe concerted rush of the prisoners.
"Why," cried Townsend, "it's the man who has been bringing my meals."
"Great spark plugs!" exclaimed Matt, "we know him, too. He's the fellowthat hauled Bangs, Carl and the iron chest to the house in St. PetersStreet!"
"Well met, old ship!" jubilated Dick. "We can forgive you a whole lotfor this."