CHAPTER VII
THE MYSTERIOUS JAR
Dave Fearless had saved the day. The young ocean diver knew this themoment he glanced at the faces of those about him.
The wretch Tompkins shrank and cowered in a guilty manner. Thesqueamish crew looked relieved. The governor's physician and hismilitary companion affected a profound astonishment, but secretly wereoverwhelmed with confusion and chagrin.
Captain Broadbeam's eyes opened wide in amazement at the first. Then ashe guessed it out that a plot against him had been attempted they blazedwith wrath.
"Put that man in irons," he roared out.
"Pardon, captain," interrupted Silverado, stepping forward, "we will dothat. There is some grave mistake here."
"Mistake?" shouted Broadbeam. "Villainy, a conspiracy. Why----"
"The governor will investigate this matter thoroughly," said Silverado.
Dave had glided to the captain's side. In a quick undertone he advisedhim to smother his wrath for policy's sake. They allowed their visitorsto hustle Tompkins into their boat. To the last Silverado wore a suavemask of forced politeness.
"You vile scum," broke out Broadbeam, shaking his fist after thedeparting yawl. "It's hard to keep the bit between my teeth and saynothing when I know that all hands from the governor down are in thisdirty plot."
The old salt bestowed an approving look on Dave and hustled to theforecastle, calling the crew around him.
"Dave, how did you ever come to think of it?" marveled Bob Vilett.
"Why, it was simple--putting two and two together. I remembered thepilot's talk about paint," replied Dave. "Hear that! Captain Broadbeamis on his mettle."
Both boys listened to the sonorous voice of the commander of the_Swallow_. He was greatly aroused. They heard him give orders to havethe entire armament of the _Swallow_ put in active commission. A standof rifles was to be set ready for use. To Mr. Drake was delegated thetask of furbishing up two old brass ten-pounders from the hold.
"We sail to-morrow," announced the captain. "Look out for tricksto-night. These villains won't let us go without meddling further ifthey can help it. My men, I ask you all to stand by me if there's ascrimmage, and there will be one if those fellows try to block my way."
Dave came in for a good deal of attention from the captain, DoctorBarrell, and his father, when affairs had quieted down somewhat. Theyall realized that his good memory and shrewd forethought had saved thema vexatious delay and no end of further trouble from the treacherousgovernor and his cohorts.
"I will be glad when we get clear of the island to-morrow," said Dave,as Bob turned in for the night.
It had been a busy, exciting day, and Dave was glad to have a fewmoments to himself to think over affairs in general.
He stretched himself on a heap of canvas in the shadow of the rearcabin, overlooking the creek and the beautiful moonlit expansestretching out beyond it.
Dave mused, dozed, woke up, and stretched himself. He heard thenight-watch laughing and talking in low tones amidships.
"I'll join them, listen to one or two of their wild yarns, and then turnin for the night myself," he decided.
Half-arising, however, Dave came to a rigid pose. He stared hard beyondthe rail and down into the still waters of the creek.
Everything was so calm and still that the least sound or movement wasvividly distinct to ear and eye.
Dave's eye had detected a ripple in the quiet waters. Then momentarilya human head had protruded into view.
It bobbed down under water again. It came up ten feet nearer to the_Swallow_. It disappeared once more, and this seemed to carry it pastthe watcher's direct range of vision.
"Someone, and up to something," declared Dave to himself. "Hark, now."
He bent his ear keenly. A soft drip-drip sounded just beyond the rail.Then a black hand glistening with water clutched the rail itself.
Slowly, cautiously the body of a dusky native, attired only in swimminggarb, came into view. This was the person Dave had detected swimmingunder water.
Straddling the rail, the intruder crouched, looking all about the deck.Then he lifted both feet over onto the planking.
Dave now noticed that the man carried under one arm quite a bulkypackage done up in black oilskin.
The intruder glanced sharply at the forecastle. Just abutting it was abox-like section into which all kinds of odds and ends of canvas andropes were bundled. Its door was half-ajar. Dave saw the strangerglide to this, thrust his package inside, glide back to the rail, slipover it, and drop into the water.
A minute later the ripples in the creek showed where the fellow wasmaking his retreat under water. His head came up to the surface once ortwice. Then he arose at a distance down the stream and disappearedamong the dense shrubbery lining the creek.
"More mischief," instantly decided Dave Fearless.
Dave made a rush for the forecastle cubby hole. He pulled its door wideopen and groped about. His fingers closed about a dripping objectthere.
"Hard and heavy," said Dave. "Wrapped in the oilskin to protect it.What can it be?"
Dave arose to his feet. Suddenly a thrill passed through his frame.
"Put here for a purpose," he thought. "Can it be an explosive!"
Internally Dave became immensely excited. Coolly, however, thoughcarrying the dubious object as though it were an egg, he proceeded tothe ship's rail nearest the shore.
Dave set the object gently on the rail, climbed over, took it up again,and, holding it above his head in one hand, dropped into the water.
The splash, slight as it was, aroused the watch. Two men came hurryingto the rail.
"Hold on, there," challenged one of them.
"It's only me--Dave Fearless," came the retort promptly, "cooling off--alittle swim, that's all."
"You pick a fine time for it."
Dave laughed. He liked water, and swam with one hand, came ashore, andwent past its fringe of brush to a clearing.
"Now then," said Dave, with a great sigh of relief, at a safe distancefrom the ship, "burst, if you want to!"
Dave had set the object he carried down on the ground. He stepped backa few feet and surveyed it suspiciously.
"A bomb?" he questioned himself. "How am I going to find out? Perhapsit's some infernal machine loaded with phosphorus. Then those villainsintended to burn the _Swallow_. Certainly this means some blackmischief."
Dave roamed about till he found a stout long reed. Then he began topoke at the object he had brought from the ship. He finally managed toremove its oilskin covering.
"It's a jar, a stone jar," he said, "queer and foreign-looking, like weget snuff or preserved ginger in. Labeled, too, and seals across thetop. It don't look very dangerous, for all the sinister way it cameaboard."
Dave did not belie his name. He dallied with the situation no longerand now took up the jar fearlessly.
Its label resembled the covering used on a package of firecrackers. Theseal was of tin-foil stamped with similar characters in red.
"Chinese, that's sure," thought Dave. "Shall I risk it?" he questionedhimself, his fingers surrounding the jar cover.
Dave snapped the seal and removed the cover. A layer of tissue papershowed. He pulled this out. A dense stench was emitted by the jar. Hepoked his finger down into the contents. They were solid and sticky.
"Why," said Dave, a good deal puzzled, sniffing vigorously, "it'sopium."