CHAPTER XXIII.
THE BAXTERS ARE FOLLOWED.
"Well, I never!"
Dick gazed at the silver, the map, the daggers and the skull withmingled surprise and horror.
How had those things come there, and what was the mystery concerningthem?
Coming closer, he picked up several of the dollars and examined them.All were dated thirty to forty years back.
Then he picked up the dagger, a beautiful affair of polished steel witha curiously wrought handle of buckhorn.
The skull he left untouched.
The map was covered with dust, some of which he endeavored to blowaway. Beneath he saw that there were odd tracings of many kinds, andlettering's in a language which was strange to him. Then his lightbegan to go out and he shouted for Peterson to join him.
The sound echoed and re-echoed throughout the cavern, showing that theplace was even more roomy than he had anticipated. He waited severalminutes, then saw Peterson's light.
"What's up?" demanded the lumberman as he approached. "Find anythingimportant?"
"I should say so," answered Dick. "Look there."
Peterson did so, then gave a cry of astonishment.
"Silver, lad, silver! And a skull!"
"There is some story hidden in this affair," said Dick soberly. "Canyou explain it?"
"I cannot." Peterson picked up the dagger. "That's a French weapon."
"But the dollars are U. S. money."
"Right. It is a mystery and no error. How much money is there here?"
The two counted the pile and found it footed up to two hundred andforty dollars.
"Not a fortune, but still a tidy sum," said Peterson. To a man in hisstanding two hundred and forty dollars was quite an amount.
"A fair share of it is yours," said Dick. "Let us investigate somemore."
The lumberman was willing, and lighting a fresh torch, they movedaround the circular chamber. At one point they saw an opening leadinginto a second chamber. Here were a number of boxes and casks, allcovered with dust and dirt, the accumulation of years. Prying open oneof the boxes which was handy, they discovered that it contained cannedvegetables. A second box contained dress goods, and a third somecandles. A cask close at hand was marked "Cognac."
"This was a regular smugglers' hangout," said Peterson. "Those boxesmust contain stuff of some value. Rover, we have made a haul by cominghere."
"Yes, but I am forgetting all about my brothers," added Dick hastily."Let us leave this alone for the present. I guess it is safe enough."
"No doubt, since it has rested undisturbed so many years."
They left the storeroom, as it may properly be termed, and returned tothe circular chamber.
At first they could find no further opening, but then Dick saw a thinshaft of light coming from a corner. Here there was a flat rock whichwas easily pulled aside. A broad opening led upward to the outer world.
"Safe, so far as getting out is concerned," remarked Peterson. "Alltold, I reckon we had quite a lucky tumble, after all."
"If Larry's ankle isn't too bad."
They hurried back to where Larry had been left, and found him stillnursing his ankle, which had swollen to the size of his knee. He triedto stand upon it, but the pain was so great he was glad enough to sitdown again.
He listened in open-mouthed wonder to what Dick had to tell. "Atreasure cave!" he cried. "Who would have dreamed of such a thing onLake Huron!"
Now that Larry could not move, the others were in a quandary as to whatto do. Dick was impatient to be after the _Peacock_.
"The folks on the schooner may take it into their heads to sail away,if they caught sight of the steam tug," he said. "And if they give usthe slip I won't know where to look for them."
"I guess I'll be safe if left alone," said Larry. "I have water and thefire, and my pistol. You go ahead, and come back for me when it isconvenient. Only don't leave the island without me."
"Leave without you? Not much!" answered Dick.
"You forget the treasure," put in Peterson, with a laugh. "We are notgoing to let that slip."
"That's so," said Larry. "All right; I'll remain as the guardian of thetreasure." And so it was arranged.
It was no easy matter to gain the outer air once more, for thepassageway was choked with dirt and brushwood which the wind had blownin. When they came into the open they found themselves close to thelake shore at a spot surrounded thickly with trees.
"A fine cove for a smuggler to hide in," observed Peterson. "No wonderthey made this cave their rendezvous."
"Where is the bay in which the _Peacock_ disappeared?"
"To the westward, Rover. Come, I'll show the way."
"Be careful that we don't get into another trap."
"I've got my eyes open," responded the lumberman.
On they went once more, over the rocks and through a tangle ofbrushwood. It was now almost dark, and Dick was beginning to think theywould lose their way when Peterson called a sudden halt.
"Here we are," he whispered and pointed ahead. There, through thetrees, could be seen the waters of the tiny bay, and there lay the_Peacock_ at anchor.
Only one man was on deck, a sailor Dick had seen several times.Otherwise the craft appeared deserted.
"Do you suppose the Baxters and the others have gone ashore?" askedDick.
"No telling yet, lad. Let us watch out for a while."
They sat down and watched until the darkness of night began to hide the_Peacock_ from view.
At last they saw Arnold Baxter come on deck, followed by Dan.
The two entered a rowboat and a sailor took them ashore. They hadscarcely landed when Captain Langless appeared, coming along a pathwaybut a few yards from where Dick and the lumberman were in hiding.
At once a wordy war ensued between the Baxters and the owner of theschooner. What it was about Dick and Peterson could not make out,although they realized that it concerned Tom and Sam.
"Your men are a set of doughheads," cried Arnold Baxter. "They are tobe trusted with nothing."
"Never mind, we'll come out ahead anyway," retorted Captain Langless."I reckon you've been tripped up yourself before this."
"I warned you to be careful."
"It wasn't my fault."
"What's to do now?" put in Dan Baxter. "Shall we stay on the island,dad?"
"Certainly," grumbled Arnold Baxter. "But I don't know exactly what todo," and the man scratched his head in perplexity.
"Let us go up to the cave."
"That won't do you any good," growled Captain Langless. "I know what Iam going to do."
"What?"
"I'm going to sail around the island and find out if any other boat isnear. I don't want those boys to signal another boat."
"A good idea," said Arnold Baxter. "But Dan and I can remain on shoreanyway."
"Just as you please," and Captain Langless shrugged his shoulders.
The rowboat was still at the shore, and the captain returned to the_Peacock_ with the member of his crew, leaving the Baxters tothemselves.
Dick nudged Peterson in the side.
"Can it be possible that Tom and Sam have escaped?" he whispered.
"It looks that way," answered the lumberman. "Anyway, something is verymuch wrong or these rascals wouldn't fall out with each other."
"Hadn't we better watch the Baxters?"
"I think so. The _Peacock_ will not go far, I'm pretty sure ofthat."
The Baxters now passed along the footpath leading to the cave in whichTom and Sam had been placed.
Noiselessly Dick and Peterson followed. As Dick advanced he drew hispistol.
Quarter of a mile was covered and they were close to the cave, whenArnold Baxter suddenly halted.
"Dan, supposing Captain Langless doesn't come back," he exclaimed, loudenough for Dick and his companion to hear.
"Doesn't come back!" ejaculated the bully. "Why, he's got to comeback."
"No, he hasn't."
"But I don't u
nderstand----"
"You know well enough that the Rovers tried to bribe the captain."
"Yes, but they ran away----"
"Perhaps it's only a bluff, Dan. The boys may have been taken toanother part of the island, from which Langless can transfer them tothe schooner later."
"What, and desert us!" groaned the bully.
"Yes, and desert us. I think we were foolish to leave the_Peacock_ without taking the captain or Cadmus along. I won'ttrust any of them any longer."
"Well, what shall we do, dad; go back?"
"It's too late now. The _Peacock_ has gotten under way long ago."
"Well, let us try to get on the track of the two boys. Perhaps we canfollow them up from the cave. If all of the footsteps point this waywe'll know the captain has been deceiving us."
Again the Baxters moved on, and so did Dick and Peterson. The way wasrough and made Dan grumble a good deal.
"We ought to have kept this game all in our own hands from the start,"said the former bully of Putnam Hall. "We made a rank mistake to takeCaptain Langless into our confidence."
"I won't care if only we make Anderson Rover pony up that money,"answered the father. "I'm afraid the mine scheme will have to fallthrough."
"What did you strike him for in cash?"
"Ten thousand dollars."
"You ought to have made it fifty."
"I wanted to get ten first and double that afterward. If I struck himtoo high first I was afraid he wouldn't try to meet me, but put thedetectives on the track without delay."