Dutch the Diver Part 27

"I heard nothing," said the captain, softly. "I'm afraid, Dutch Pugh, that we have frightened ourselves rather too much. All we need fear now is the weather. Perhaps we might have a little trouble with the Indians if they found us out; but we could easily keep them at bay."

"I certainly heard an unusual sound," replied Dutch. "Let's walk quietly forward."

They walked towards the bows, and as they did so a dark figure that had been lying a couple of yards from Dutch, close beneath the bulwarks, glided softly away, like some huge snake. So dark was it that it was hard to distinguish the outlines, and to trace where the figure went, while its movements were so silent that the two watchers saw nothing.

They went and spoke to the man leaning over the bows, who proved to be d.i.c.k Rolls.

"Heard anything?" said the captain, going up so silently that the man started.

"Lord's truth, capen, don't do that!" he exclaimed, in an injured tone.

"It's skeary enough here listening to the things creeping about in the wood there. No, I ain't heard nothing else."

"Keep a sharp look-out," said the captain, and the man uttered a growl.

Walking softly aft, they found the man on the watch to be Bob Lennie, who was seated on the bulwarks, making a sort of humming noise to himself, under the impression that he was singing. He, too, allowed himself to be so closely approached that they almost touched him before he spoke.

"No," he said, slowly, "I ain't seed nor heered anything; only the lights over yonder in the woods, and the black things crawling in and out of the water where that there patch o' yaller sand is."

"You must have been mistaken, Pugh," said the captain. "All's right; let's go and turn in."

Dutch followed him down the cabin stairs, and the deck was left to the watch.

For quite half an hour all was perfectly still, except when some strange forest cry arose, and then two figures stole softly out from under the bulwarks, and went forward, to find that d.i.c.k Rolls had joined his fellow-watcher for company's sake.

That was sufficient. The next minute the falls were seized, and the little dingy which hung from the davits was softly lowered into the water; two men slid down the ropes, unhooked the boat as it rose with the swell, and, without attempting to use the sculls, let the current drift them slowly away into the bank of darkness that closed the vessel round.

Before dawn every man was on deck waiting for the rising of the sun, for there was not one who did not look forward with great excitement to the coming day, which might bring large wealth to some, and to all an increase of pay, besides which there was a certain fascination in the search. The mystery and uncertainty of the adventure had their charms, while to the more ignorant there was a thrill of excitement in the superst.i.tion with which their minds mingled the project. Those who had in their lives toiled hard to obtain the treasure must, they felt, return to the place in spirit where it was lost, and try to guard it from sacrilegious touch.

The subject had been well discussed in the forecastle, and there was hardly one who did not feel the childlike desire, mingled with dread, that is felt by the ignorant over some ghost story--the shrinking and the desire to know.

It was, indeed, felt to be an eventful morning, and Mr Parkley looked pale as he stood on deck in the cool grey mist talking to Dutch, and wondering whether good fortune was to attend their venture. As for Oak.u.m and 'Pollo, they, too, were both on their mettle, for on them depended a good deal; while old Rasp also appeared among the excited group on deck, where he had been seen but little during the voyage after the first few days, for he had spent most of his time below, polis.h.i.+ng helmets and oiling and re-oiling valves in the cabin he shared with Oak.u.m, and where they had squabbled and disagreed all through the voyage.

There was a complete change in Rasp as he came up to where his employers stood, for his listless way was thrown off, and a look of importance overspread his features as he gave a side glance at Oak.u.m, which plainly said, "There, your reign is over, and mine has begun."

"Shall I be getting up the tackle, Mr Pug?" he said, "so as to be well ready."

"No, Rasp, we shall not want you yet," replied Dutch. "Wait till we get to the spot."

Oak.u.m gave a chuckle which made Rasp turn upon him angrily; but the old fellow's face was as hard and solid as if carved out of wood, and with not the vestige of a smile thereon; but 'Pollo, who stood close by, was showing his white teeth to the fullest extent.

"What are you grinning at, old ebony?" snarled Rasp, glad to have somebody upon whom he could turn.

"I just tink, sah, dat as I go to be berry busy find de treasure s.h.i.+p 'long o' Ma.s.s' Oak.u.m, you like to come and 'joy yourself, poke de galley fire all day."

"Yah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Rasp, angrily; and he walked to the side, and began spitting viciously at the rippling waves under the schooner's counter.

"How is it that boat's down in the water?" exclaimed the captain, suddenly, as he crossed to where the dingy was swinging by her painter.

"I left her hanging to the davits last night," said the mate. "Do you know, Oak.u.m?"

"Wasn't my watch," said that worthy, "but the skipper's. d.i.c.k, 'Pollo, and Bob Lennie was on deck for one spell."

"Do you know why the boat was lowered?" said the captain, turning to the men, who had just left their hammocks.

Bob Lennie the quiet shook his head, and d.i.c.k Rolls' eyes nearly disappeared under the thick bridge of his nose as he stared down with his head first on one side, then on the other.

"No, I dunno," he growled. "I never knowed it was lowered."

The question was pa.s.sed round, but no one knew anything about it; and the men shook their heads, and seemed to think it was very mysterious.

For there seemed to be no reason why it should have been let down. Had it been missing altogether, and a man or two with it, the cause would have been plain; but every man of the crew was on deck, and one and all denied knowledge of the boat having been touched.

This excited the suspicion of the captain again; but the busy events of the morning chased the feeling away, and it was soon forgotten.

For Sam Oak.u.m was to all intents and purposes now captain of the schooner, and 'Pollo his mate, as the former took the direction, had the anchor heaved up, and, consulting again and again with the latter, the vessel was allowed to drift with the current a few hundred yards.

"Do you feel pretty certain, Oak.u.m?" said the captain, after a time, for the old sailor's actions did not inspire him with much confidence. In fact, after running half a mile with the current, he suddenly gave orders for a couple of sails to be hoisted, put the schooner about, and began to beat back.

"You let me alone," growled Oak.u.m. "I'm a-doing the best I can. You see, it's a good many years since I was here, and the bearings ar'n't so fresh in my mem'ry as they was."

The captain said nothing, only glanced at Dutch, who had heard every word, and as the eyes of these two met they seemed to say to one another, "Suppose that this--trust of ours should be a foolish one, after all."

Mr Parkley went up to Oak.u.m once and spoke, but he received so sharp a reply that the old fellow was left alone. It was evident that he was a good deal puzzled, for in the course of an hour he renewed his quid of tobacco half-a-dozen times, and literally sc.r.a.ped the perspiration off his face with his rough finger, as he stood by the wheel giving directions to the man who was steering.

It was a most interesting time to all on board; the pa.s.sengers were on deck, and even listless John Studwick stood leaning over the bulwarks, with his eyes brightening, and Mr Wilson and the doctor seemed to be as eager as the rest to find the buried treasure. Even the mulatto and the black sailor seemed roused from their slow-going apathy, and watched Oak.u.m as he changed the course of the vessel from time to time, running amongst rocks, now close in sh.o.r.e, and once so near to a point that the waving cocoanut and other palms almost touched the rigging, and Captain Studwick stood ready to seize the wheel himself, for it seemed as if the schooner would be run aground.

If the thirst for gold had been less strong, no one there could have failed to revel in the beauty of the scene; for now, in the ever-increasing heat of the morning suns.h.i.+ne, the black mystery of the forest seemed to be swept away, and they gazed upon a belt of wondrously tinted green, with leaf.a.ge of every variety and shape, seen beyond a narrow strip of golden sand, while sometimes, where rock took the place of the sand, the strange tropic trees waved right over the limpid sea which washed their roots. So close were they at times that the very veins of the great leaves could be traced, and the beauty of the various tints and lovely flowers of parasitic growth, which climbed up and then hung down their great trumpet-shaped bells with lavish prodigality to swing in the hot breeze, was reflected in the little creeks and inlets of the coast.

Wilson was in raptures, and wanted to form an expedition directly to go in pursuit of the gorgeously-feathered birds that came down to the edge of the forest, and then, uttering strange cries, flitted back into its shades. John Studwick looked earnestly at the leafy paradise, with its brilliant blossoms, and longed to lie and dream away his hours in the delicious shade, and even the doctor ceased to watch intently every motion of Bessy Studwick, and gazed with delight at the beauteous scene.

But there was the adverse side to the beautiful picture; for here and there in the inlets black, rugged, weird-looking forms could be seen lying apparently asleep on the sand, but ready to scuffle back into the water on the vessel's approach--alligators looking as dangerous as loathsome. There were dangers, too, in the sharp-edged rocks, around which the pale blue sea rose and fell so placidly; and a score of times it seemed as if the schooner's planks must be pierced by the sharp points that were so threateningly near. Always, however, in the most threatening times, a turn of the wheel sufficed to send the graceful vessel clear, and so skilfully was she handled that Captain Studwick grew more satisfied on that point, as he felt doubts of Oak.u.m's other knowledge grow stronger every hour.

His doubts were shared, too, by Dutch and Mr Parkley, and it was very evident that he was at fault, for 'Pollo was severely snubbed upon several occasions when he hazarded a remark, and the men began to talk in whispers as they saw the schooner retrace her path again and again.

"Can't you find it, Oak.u.m?" said Dutch at last, as he dragged his eyes from the group composed of his young wife, Bessy Studwick, and her brother, all seated in the mellow shade cast by an awning; for the sun was now sending down a shower of silvery, white-hot arrows upon the deck.

"Don't you be in such a mighty fuss, Mr Dutch," was the tetchy reply.

"These here things ain't done in a hurry. I'm a-working as hard as ever I can; its hereabouts somewhere, on'y the bearings don't seem to be the same."

"Can I be of any a.s.sistance to you?" said Dutch.

"Yes; just get out of the way, sir. There, be smart ahead there. Be ready to let go the anchor when I cry let go."

As he spoke he gave the man he had placed for the time at the wheel an impatient look, took the spokes in hand himself, ran the vessel in towards the sh.o.r.e, then gave the word; there was a dull splash, the chain rattled out through the hawse-holes, and was stopped; the sails flapped and s.h.i.+vered in the gentle breeze, and the schooner softly swung round, with a motion hardly perceptible, till she lay with her head to the current, now so slow that its effects on the vessel could hardly be seen.

"Is this the place, then?" cried Mr Parkley, eagerly, as he ran to peer over the side, where half the men were already similarly engaged.

"No 'taint," said Sam, crossly, as he let go the spokes, and, taking off his straw hat, began scratching his bald head in a vicious way. "It's somewhere about here, but the bearings is altered. There was four tall cocoanut trees on a bluff, and you had to bring them in a line with a bit o' rock sticking out o' the water like a wet monkey, and they're gone."