To attempt to leap that body of water would be highly dangerous, and toenter it might cost him his life.
And now the polar bear was at his very heels.
Chapter XIV.--The Finding Of The Stone Chest.
"Help! help!"
Why he uttered the cry Bob could scarcely tell.
He did not imagine that any human beings were within sound of his voice.
Yet it is natural for a person in mortal peril to cry for assistance.
Luckily his cries were heard.
Captain Sumner was returning from the _Dart_, having hastily summonedBok, Leeks, and the others.
Glancing in the direction, he saw the polar bear and then Bob.
He did not stop to think, but, taking hasty aim, fired.
Bok also discharged his weapon, and, hit twice in the neck, the beaststaggered back.
Bob now saw his friends, and, running up the stream, joined them.
With so many against him the bear tried to flee, but a second bulletfrom the captain's gun finished him.
"Oh, how thankful I am that you have come," cried Bob gratefully. "Ithought I was a goner."
"Don't waste time here," exclaimed Captain Sumner. "These shots willalarm those people we left at the ice cave."
"That is true," said Bob. "Come on--we must rescue my father!"
And he led the way, with the captain at his side.
It was a rough journey up the side of the hill again, and more than oncethey had to stop to catch their breath.
At the top a surprise awaited them.
The band of strange people had disappeared!
At first Bob could scarcely believe his eyes.
"Where are they?"
"Gone!"
"But to where? I can't see them anywhere."
Captain Sumner shook his head.
A telescope was brought into play, but it did no good.
Captors and captive had alike gone, no one could tell where.
A consultation was held, and it was decided to explore the cave beforegoing back to the _Dart_.
The descent into the cold spot was not easy, and more than once a memberof the party was in danger of breaking a leg.
The bottom reached they made their way to the place where the men hadbeen at work with their axes.
They had cut out a square hole two by three feet and six feet deep.
Gazing down into the bottom of the hole, Bob gave a shout:
"The stone chest, as sure as I live!"
"What!" cried the captain.
He too looked into the opening.
There rested what at first looked to the a square stone of awhitish-blue color.
But a closer examination proved that it was really a stone chest, havingtwo immense hinges of iron. How had the object come there?
"I believe those people were going to dig it out when our firingfrightened them off," said Captain Sumner.
"Let us see what the chest contains," returned Bob, in high curiosity.
The others were willing, and by the united efforts of the sailors thetop of the chest was pried back.
A murmur of astonishment went up.
The chest contained three iron pots, one filled with silver and theothers filled with gold!
"The treasure, sure enough!" ejaculated Jack, who had come along withthe sailors.
"There are thousands of dollars there!" said Captain Sumner.
"We ought to take the stuff on board of the _Dart_," put in Bok. "'Taintno use to leave it out here."
The others agreed with him.
In the chest were two fur-covered sacks, and these the party used,filling them up to the top.
In the midst of the work a far-away shot was heard. Two more followed inquick succession.
"'Tis an alarm from the yacht," cried the captain. "I told my daughterand Mrs. Cromwell to fire in case anything turned up."
Without delay the sailors were sent off in advance.
Captain Sumner, Bob, and Jack started to follow with the treasure sacks,when a shout went up and a band of the hostile savages appeared at thefar end of the ice cave.
"We must run for it!" yelled Bob. "Come on--for the ship!"
"Give them a volley first!" shouted the captain.
Six shots, poured into the advancing troop, threw them into confusion.
As the treasure-seekers turned to run a spear glanced over our hero'sshoulder and stuck quivering in the ground a dozen yards beyond.
At the top of their speed they rushed toward the shore.
At first they fancied they were not pursued.
After going a hundred yards, however, a wild yell and the patter of feettold them they would have to do their best.
Encumbered as they were, with both the lads partly disabled and thecaptain no speedy runner, the savages soon gained on them.
"We must give them another volley!" panted the captain.
Though the guns chosen were breech-loaders, it took some little time toreload them whilst at a run.
Suddenly Bob felt a shock, which nearly made him fall.
However, he recovered himself with a stagger.
"The sack saved you," gasped Captain Sumner. "But for that the spearwould have pierced your back. Now wheel round and fire!"
As they fronted the natives they found that not thirty yards dividedthem.
At that short range every bullet told.
Three men fell dead, and as many were wounded.
The captain gave them a couple of shots from his revolver before he oncemore turned and ran for his life.
"That accounts for about half them," exclaimed our hero.
As they gained the head of the beach Jack stopped short.
"Go on!" he gasped. "My side! I am stuck!"
Bob put his arm through that of his friend, who had dropped his gun, anddragged him onward.
The captain turned and fired the remaining chambers of his revolveramong the crowd, now within a score of yards.
The small boat was in waiting, and into it they tumbled, amid a storm ofspears.
Both the captain and Bok, who rowed, were stuck.
Our hero seized the oars from the hands of the latter and pulled withall his strength for the yacht.
The gunwale of the little boat was almost level with the water.
It was slow work.
Luckily, nearly all the enemies' spears were exhausted.
An arrow pierced Bob's cap, and the last spear which was thrown againwounded the captain, piercing his leg.
Fortunately the distance was so far that it only entered about an inchand fell out from its own weight.
Our hero and the captain clambered on board the schooner.
Jack was exhausted, but still clung to his bag of silver.
Scarcely had they gained the deck when a yell broke from the dark watersaround them, and spears and arrows fell on all sides.
Every gun on board was now fired at the savages.
Yet they came on as if determined to kill every white person in sight.
Chapter XV.--Bob Rescues His Father--Conclusion.
The savages were pressing close upon the _Dart_. Something must be done.
"Slip the cable!" shouted the captain. "Up with the jib, topgallantsails, and gaff!"
"We must trust to weathering the point," he added to the mate. "If wedo, we are safe. The current will carry us to sea."
His orders were executed.
The wind fortunately blew from the southward, and, filling the lightsails, carried the _Dart_ off the shore.
The yacht's head paid off, and, answering her helm, she, with the tidein her favor, bore seaward.
A few parting shots, and the _Dart_, now feeling the full force of thewind, left the fleet of canoes far behind.
The next few hours were employed in the dressing of wounds and makingthings a little ship-shape.
It had been a hard-fought fight, and everyone was tired out.
Fortunately, neither Mrs. Cromwell nor Viola had suffered from theattack.
Long before the crew were able to do anything more darkness set in.
Bob was very impatient to trace up his father, but just now that wasimpossible.
Anxiously the boy waited for dawn, while his mother wept in silence,thinking of her beloved husband.
Would they save him?
At the first signs of morning Bob was up and ready for the search.
Captain Sumner and Jack were not far behind.
The _Dart_ proceeded slowly toward land.
Satisfied that the savages had left the vicinity, the party went ashore,and once more proceeded toward the cave of ice.
A light snow had fallen, and all former tracks had been obliterated.
In vain they looked about for some trace of the Svlachkys.
"Let us go on an exploring tour," suggested the captain, seeing howbadly Bob felt.
They started off first for the far end of the cavern.
They had gone scarcely a dozen rods when the captain called a halt.
"Someone is coming!" he whispered.
A crunching of snow and ice was now plainly to be heard.
The party ran for shelter behind a series of ice humps and waited.
Suddenly a man clad in furs dashed by them, running at top speed.
"Father!"
At that strange cry the man stopped as though shot.
"Who calls?" he asked, but instead of replying, Bob rushed from hishiding place.
"My son! What does this mean? How came you here?"
"We came in search of you, father," replied Bob. Father and son embracedwarmly. Then Captain Cromwell turned swiftly.
"We must fly! The Svlachkys are coming! I just escaped from them."
He had just uttered the words when the crowd of strange people came downupon them.
The leader started to throw a sharp spear at Captain Cromwell, when Bobrushed in and, with one well-directed blow of his gun, laid the man onhis back.
A fierce shout went up and a struggle ensued.
But the fall of their leader had demoralized the Svlachkys, andwhen half a dozen guns and pistols had been fired at them theyfled in dismay.
After this the party from the _Dart_ lost no time in returning to thevessel.
Bob and his father walked side by side, and never were parent and childhappier.
When Mrs. Cromwell saw her husband alive and well, she cried for joy andthrew herself into his arms. It was a happy time all around.
Captain Cromwell's story was a long one. In brief, it was as follows:
When the _Bluebell_ went down, he and Ruel Gross escaped on a raft, andafter several days of suffering, reached the coast of Siberia.
From there they set out for Cedar Island.
The island gained, they found the stone chest, and then Captain Cromwellwas captured.
For a long while the Svlachkys held him, thinking he knew of moretreasures than those already discovered.
At last, however, they grew weary of waiting, and had resolved to puthim to death, when deliverance came as recorded.
That there was more treasures was proven later on.
The stone chest was taken up, and beneath was found a cross of gold thatwas valued at fifteen thousand dollars.
With the treasure on board, the _Dart_ started southeastward for theUnited States.
In due course of time San Francisco was reached, and here the treasurewas disposed of.
Each of the sailors belonging to the party was given five hundreddollars, besides his pay.
Jack received five hundred dollars also.
The remainder of the money was divided equally between Captain Sumnerand Captain Cromwell.
With his portion of the treasure Captain Cromwell purchased an interestin another ship, and to-day is fast regaining his lost financialposition.
Bob is with his father and Jack Larmore sticks to the pair.
Captain Sumner has given up his roving life and has settled down withViola as his housekeeper. His residence is but a short distance fromthat occupied by Mrs. Cromwell, so the latter does not want for companywhen her husband and son are on the ocean.
And here let us leave, satisfied that in the future all will be wellwith those who have figured in the story of The Stone Chest.
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