CHAPTER XXI.
CHARLEY GETS A TELEGRAM.
THE tired-out boys slept soundly until awakened by the rays of themorning sun. Rising, they enjoyed a good swim in the cool waters ofthe lake, and then, stirring up the dying embers of the campfire, theywarmed up and ate what remained of their feast of the night before.As soon as it was finished, they saddled up their ponies, and, with aparting look at the beautiful lake, headed back for camp.
They had not gone far before the sky became overcast, and soon therebegan to fall a fine, drizzling rain, that soaked their thin clothingand chilled their bodies. There was no shelter to get under, so theycould only ride on and take it as it came. When they came to the placewhere they had stopped the day before Walter wanted to halt and lookfor more treasure, but Charley objected.
"Our matches are all wet, so that we cannot make a torch," heexplained, "and we could not do much searching without a light.If there is any more treasure in that hole there is no danger ofanyone finding it. We, ourselves, would never have found it but foran accident. We had better wait until we can come back with a properoutfit of ropes, candles, etc. To tell the truth, I want someone elsealong with us next time. If one of us should get hurt in any way itwould be a bad fix for both so far away from camp. See how near I cameto joining you in that hole yesterday? Two is not enough where there isdanger of that kind. We will bring the Captain and Chris next time."
Walter, still mindful of his experience in the black hole, was notoverly anxious to repeat it, and they rode on in the drizzling rain.Before they reached the Indian camp the rain ceased and the sun cameout again with a warmth grateful to their chilled bodies. On reiningin at the camp, they were astonished to see the chief sitting out inthe sun in front of his wigwam. He was thin as a skeleton, but appearedbright and cheerful. The Indian, Willie John, who had furnished themwith the ponies, stopped them when they started to unsaddle.
"No, no," he said, "ride ponies on to big camp. Turn 'em loose. Theycome back all right."
The boys tried to pay him for the use of the animals, but he refused totake any money.
"Young pale-faces friends. No take money from friends," he saidgenerously.
"Very well," Charley said, "but friends may give gifts to friends.Soon I go to town and get plenty of red and blue and yellow cloth andmuch beads. Two sleeps (nights) from now you come to big camp and getthem. They will be a gift from the palefaces to their Seminole brother."
"It is well," said the Seminole, gravely. "Two sleeps I come to bigcamp."
"There is something noble about the Seminoles," said Charley, as theyrode on. "Now that fellow knows the value of money, and he knows he canget with it many things that he desires, but his code forbids him totake it from a friend."
"I like them," agreed Walter emphatically. "They are so different fromour slovenly tribes of Western Indians. They are so clean, honest,generous, and truthful. I doubt if a white race put in this awfulcountry would retain so many virtues."
"And they have never waged an unjust war," Charley added. "When theyfought it was to save themselves from being crushed out of existence.But, when they did have to fight, they fought bravely. During theSeminole war, not so very many miles north of here, a party of Indiansencountered a company of soldiers. The soldiers stood their grounduntil the last one was killed and the Seminoles victorious, but, afterthe battle was over, not a dead soldier was scalped according to savagecustom. Not one was touched. Even their guns and equipment were leftlying where they had fallen. It was a silent tribute the Seminolespaid to a brave enemy, and, to my mind, there was something fine in theact."
This conversation had brought the lads to the jungle, and they fellsilent as they rode through its gloomy depths.
It was after noon when they came in sight of the machine, which theywere pleased to see was still working steadily, showing that nothingserious had occurred during their absence. When close to it, Charleyreined in his pony and hailed the engineer.
"Hello!" he called. "How are they coming?"
Kitchner stopped the machine, and clambering down, walked up to him."Not so bad," he said, in answer to the question. "But we've only gotenough carbide to run the light to-night. Have to have some more beforeto-morrow night, or we will have to quit night work."
Charley frowned slightly. "That carbide light costs like fury," hesaid. "I brought out a big lot of it the last time I went to town. Atthe rate it has been used up, that light costs us about $5.00 a night."
"It is expensive," agreed Kitchner, "and that is not the worst featureabout it. It's dangerous to use on a job like this, where the men donot understand it. There is always some escaping gas from the tank,which is easily set afire by a spark from the engine or the carelesslighting of a match close by. One of the firemen was burnt some lastnight. The gas caught fire from his lantern. An electric light would befar better, less dangerous, and save its own cost in the long run."
"We'll get a dynamo and fix up an electric light, then," said Charley."I'll go in to-night and order one. It will likely take several days toget it here, so I'll bring back enough carbide with me to run the lightuntil it comes."
This settled, the boys rode on into camp, where Charley paused longenough to wash and change his clothes, then got out the truck andheaded for town, where he arrived in time to catch the train for PalmBeach. He carried with him the gold and rings they had found in theold fort, for the boys had decided that it would be unwise to keep thetreasure at camp, and that the sooner it was turned into money andsafely deposited in the bank the better it would be. Once at the Beach,the lad sought out the leading jeweler in town, and showed him therings and coins, and asked if he thought he could dispose of them forhim.
The jeweler examined the rings with the greatest interest. "Some ofthese rings are very valuable," he declared. "Just how valuable, Iwould not like to say, offhand. If you care to intrust me with thedisposal of them, I will get all the money I can out of them for you.The gold coins you will have no trouble about. Your bank will acceptthem at nearly their real value."
Charley quickly accepted the jeweler's offer, and turned over the ringsto him and received a receipt in return. At the bank he had no troublewith the gold coins, the cashier readily accepting them and creditingthe value to his account.
His business transacted, the lad bought a paper, and, securing a roomin a nearby hotel, stretched out on the bed to read and rest, for hewas thoroughly tired out by the long day he had put in. He scannedthe headlines with mild interest, but at last he came to a paragraphthat he read and reread with growing excitement. The brief item ran asfollows:
"Among the bills that will come up before the legislature when it meetsnext month is one to give to a wealthy New York company a grant of onethousand acres of land, just east of Indiantown, for the nominal sumof $1 per acre. There is but little doubt that the bill will pass,for this land is so remote from transportation that it is consideredof little or no value. The New York company, it is said, intends todevelop the entire tract. They certainly seem very eager about it, formuch money and influence is being used to secure the desired grant."
For a long time the lad lay back and considered this short notice, butcould see nothing in it to account for the many attempts to stop theroad building, for certainly a good road would be of vast value to thedevelopment company. At last he gave up puzzling over the matter, andturning out his light, prepared to go to sleep; but, he had no soonerstretched out, than there came a thumping at his door. "Wait a minute,"he called to the knocker, as he turned on the light and slipped on hisclothes. He opened the door, and in stepped a little, freckled-facedmessenger boy.
"Gee, Mister," he said, "I've had a peach of a job finding you. Been toevery hotel and boarding-house in town. Got a telegram for you. Signright here."
"Wait a minute," said Charley, as the youth turned to go. "There may bean answer to this."
Hastily tearing open the envelope, the lad read:
"Better get back as soon as you can. Bunch of New York
toughs or gunmenjust got off train. Met by wagons. Gone out direction of your camp. SawJones talking to some of them. Bad-looking characters."
There was no name signed to the message, but the lad knew it was fromthe friendly agent at Jupiter, and, turning it over, he wrote on theback.
"Can't get up until morning train. Many thanks."
He gave the message to the boy, together with a half dollar to pay himfor his trouble, and, as soon as the boy had departed, he undressedand went again to bed, where he lay awake half the night, worrying overthe agent's message.
He was waiting at the sheriff's office next morning when that officerarrived, and to him he laid bare the whole story of their trials sincehe and his chums had bought the machine.
The sheriff listened with deepest interest, and when the lad concludedhe said to him frankly: "I would like best in the world, lad, to helpyou, but you have no direct evidence against anyone, and I can make noarrests without proof. I would advise you to see a good lawyer. Maybehe will be able to untangle this mess for you."