CHAPTER XVII.
A CAVE AND A SNAKE.
"Now we are in for it, Sam. They won't give us a second chance toescape."
A groan was the answer, coming from out of the darkness of the hold ofthe _Peacock_. Sam was too much stunned and bruised to reply tothe words from his brother.
The two boys had been hustled on board of the schooner with scantceremony, and now they found themselves bound and handcuffed, so thatit was next to impossible for either of them to move. Hour after hourhad passed, yet nobody had come near them.
"I reckon they are going to starve us to death for what we did," wenton Tom, after a long pause.
"If only I had a drink of water," came at last from his youngerbrother. "My mouth is as dry as a chip, and I seem to have a regularfever."
"Make the best of it, Sam," returned Tom soothingly. "This state ofthings can't last forever. If they--Oh!"
The schooner had suddenly tacked in the strong wind, and the bowlingover of the empty craft had caused Tom to take a long roll. He struckup against his brother, and the pair went sliding to the end of thehold, to hit a jug of water which had been left there in the darkness.
"Hurrah, some water!" cried Tom, as some of the fluid splashed over hishand. But, alas! how were they to get at what was left of the contentsof the jug, with their hands tied behind them?
But time was no object, and at last they solved the problem. At firstTom backed up to the jug and held it, though clumsily, for Sam todrink, and then the youngest Rover did the same for his brother. Thewater was warm and somewhat stale, yet both could remember nothingwhich had ever tasted sweeter to them. They drank about half of whatthe jug contained, then set the rest carefully away for future use.
The _Peacock_ was bowling along at a speed of seven or eight knotsan hour, and the creaking of the blocks attested the fact that CaptainLangless was making every effort to reach his destination as soon aspossible.
Once the boys heard somebody at the forward hatchway, and presently thehatch was lifted for a few inches.
"Hope you are enjoying yourselves down there," came in the sarcastictones of Dan Baxter. To this they made no answer, and the hatch wasclosed as quickly as it had been opened.
"The brute," muttered Tom. "I'd give a good deal to be able to punchhis nose!"
"He evidently thinks himself on top to stay," came from Sam, who hadpropped himself up against an empty cask. "Oh, if only we knew what hadbecome of Dick!" he went on.
"Dick must have escaped. I don't see how it could be otherwise."
"But if he did, why didn't he notify the authorities?"
"The _Peacock_ must have given the river police the slip; that'sthe only answer I can make, Sam."
"But they could have telegraphed to different points."
"Well, I can't make it out, and we'll have to take what comes."
"Where do you suppose we are bound?"
"I haven't the least idea."
Hour after hour went by, and still nobody came to them. It did, indeed,look as if they were to be starved to death. But just as Sam was almostfainting for the want of food, the door to the cabin passageway wasflung open, and Captain Langless appeared with a lantern, followed byArnold Baxter, who carried a tray containing a plate of bread and twobowls of beef stew.
"Hungry, I'll wager," said the captain laconically. All thepleasantness he had previously exhibited had vanished.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves to let us starve so long,"replied Tom, who never hesitated to speak his mind.
"Hi! don't talk that way, or you shall have nothing," cried ArnoldBaxter. "We are masters, and you must understand it so."
The captain set down the lantern and released the right hand of each ofthe prisoners. Then the tray was set upon an upturned box, and theywere told to eat what they wanted, the captain and Arnold Baxtersitting down to watch them.
There was no use to "stand upon then dignity," as Tom afterwardexpressed it, so they fell to without protest, and it must be confessedthat the stew was just what their stomachs, in that weakened state,needed. It did not take long to get away with the larger portion of thebread and all of what the bowls contained.
"You can thank your stars that you got meal," said Arnold Baxter. "Youdon't deserve it."
"According to you, I suppose we don't deserve anything but abuse,"replied Tom. "But, never mind, Arnold Baxter; remember the old saying,'He laughs best who laughs last.'"
"I'm not here to listen to your back talk," growled Arnold Baxter."Come, captain, let us be going," and he arose.
"You've brought this treatment on yourselves," said the captain, with ashrewd look into the boys' faces. "I was of a mind to treat you kindlybefore. You know that."
"Come," insisted Arnold Baxter, and caught the captain by the arm."Don't waste words on them. There will be time enough to talk when wereach the island." And then the two walked off, closing and locking thepassageway door after them.
"The island?" repeated Sam. "Then they intend to take us to some lonelyisland, Tom!"
"I wouldn't be surprised. I've noticed by the shafts of light comingthrough the cracks overhead that we are sailing northward. We must bein Lake Huron by this time."
"One satisfaction, they left our right hands free," continued theyoungest Rover. "And I must say that stew just touched the spot."
Again the hours drifted slowly by. The boys had really lost all trackof time. They dozed off and did not awaken until some time later.Whether they had slept through a night or not they did not know.
Presently they heard the sails being lowered and an anchor gooverboard. Then a boat put off from the _Peacock_, and for a whileall became silent.
"We must be close to some landing," was Tom's comment. "Perhaps it'sthe island old Baxter mentioned."
Another half hour slipped by. Then the door to the cabin was opened,and both Baxters, Captain Langless, and the mate of the schoonerappeared.
"Get up," ordered the captain, and when they arose he saw to it thattheir lower limbs were released, but that their hands were bound moretightly behind them than ever.
"We are going ashore," said Arnold Baxter, "Remember we want notreachery nor any attempt to run away. If you try either, somebody willget shot."
With this caution they were marched into the cabin and then on deck. Atfirst the strong light blinded them, but soon they became accustomed tothis, and made out a small bay just ahead, surrounded by cedar treesand various bushes. Back of the trees was a hill, and off to thesouthward a rocky elevation ending in a needle-like point. It was thiselevation which gave to the island the name of Needle Point. By theIndians of days gone by the island was called Arrow Head.
A rowboat was in waiting beside the _Peacock_, and into this theprisoners were placed. The captain of the schooner and the Baxters alsowent along, and soon the rowboat had passed over the waters of thelittle bay and grounded on a bit of shelving beach.
"Now we'll go ashore," said Captain Langless, and glad enough for thechange, Tom and Sam leaped upon the beach. The others followed, andtying up the boat, the master of the _Peacock_ led the way throughthe trees and brush to the hill previously mentioned. Here there was aslight path, winding in and out among a series of rocks.
"Where are you going to take us?" said Tom.
"You'll find out soon enough," returned Arnold Baxter. "March."
"Supposing I refuse?"
"We'll knock you down and drag you along," put in Dan Baxter, anxiousto say something.
"You had better come along quietly," said Captain Langless. "To kickwill only make you worse off."
The march was resumed, and now they dove straight into the interior ofthe island, which was about a mile and a half long and half as wide. Atsome points the path was choked with weeds and trailing vines, and theyprogressed with difficulty.
It must be admitted that Tom and Sam were very uneasy. They had feltthat the authorities might follow the _Peacock_, but how wouldanybody ever discover them in such a lonely place as this? Bu
t therewas no help for it, and on they went until Captain Langless called asudden halt.
They had gained a cliff running out from one end of the hill. The rocksarose in a sheer wall, thirty or more feet in height. At the base werea spring and a small pool of water. To the left of the spring was acave-like opening, partly choked with brushwood.
"Here we are," said the captain. "Watch them."
He moved toward the opening and soon had a portion of the brushwoodtorn aside. Then he lit a lantern he had brought along and disappearedinto the opening.
He had scarcely passed from view when he let out a yell of fright.
"A snake! Look out for him!"
The words just reached the ears of Sam and Tom when the reptileappeared. He was all of five feet long and as thick as a man's wrist.
"A snake!" screamed Dan Baxter, and took to his heels without waitingto see what the creature might do.
Arnold Baxter was less frightened, and snatching a pistol from hispocket, he took hasty aim and fired. But his aim was poor, and thebullet flew wide of its mark.
The snake was a dangerous one, and very much shot, and came straightfor Tom and Sam. An instant later the savage reptile was coiling itselfaround the youngest Rover's left leg!