CHAPTER XXVII--BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF VINES
An hour went by and during that time Dave drew Phil to one side andrelated the particulars concerning the doings of Merwell and Jasniff,according to the story told by the former of the two evil-disposedyouths.
"I think Link feels pretty sore," he continued. "So there won't be anyuse in rubbing it in."
"What do you intend to do with him, Dave?"
"I don't know yet. We'll talk it over later on. The thing to do now isto locate Jasniff and get the rest of the jewels. Don't forget that hehas the finest of the diamonds. That is one thing that made Linksore--Jasniff taking the lion's share."
"Well, that was the way Jasniff always did, even at school. Now you'vegot back I'm willing to start the search for him any time you say,"continued the shipowner's son.
"We'll wait a while and see if Roger and Captain Sanders return,"answered our hero.
He was glad to rest, and threw himself on a bed of moss the sailorshad collected. Merwell sat against a tree, tired out, but too muchworried to sleep. Evidently he was trying to decide on what to do nextand wondering how he was to get out of the awful situation in which hefound himself.
Presently a shout was heard, and Roger burst into view, followed aninstant later by Billy Dill.
"Hello, Dave!" cried the senator's son. "Got back, have you?" And thenhe stared at Merwell. "Oh, are you here, too?"
"Yes," returned the big youth, and that was all he could say.
"Dave, did you get the jewels Merwell had?" went on Roger.
"Yes. But, Roger, how did you know----"
"There is no time to talk it over now, Dave," interrupted thesenator's son, quickly. "We have got to act, and that at once! Thatis, if you want to get back the rest of the jewels."
"Why, what do you mean?" demanded Dave and Phil in a breath, and evenMerwell was all attention.
"Do you remember those Englishmen, the fellows who robbed Mr. Borden?Well, we traced them to their camp, and what do you think? They metJasniff in some way, and he is friendly with them."
"Did he tell them about the jewels?" demanded our hero.
"No, he was cute enough to keep the story of the jewels tohimself,--that is, we didn't hear him tell them anything about thegems. But he said he wanted to get away from the island as quickly aspossible, and without being seen by any of us, and he offered theEnglishmen a thousand dollars in diamonds if they'd help him. Theyagreed to it, and all hands are waiting for some ship to come here andtake them off."
"The ship I saw last night!" cried Dave, and told of the light on theocean.
"It must be that ship!" exclaimed Phil.
"They'll get away sure, unless you can stop 'em," put in Merwell, andhe seemed to be almost as interested as anybody. It galled himexceedingly to think that his companion in crime might escape.
"Roger, how did you learn this?" asked Dave.
"In a queer kind of a way. Billy Dill got on the trail of the threeEnglishmen first and we followed them to one of the caves. Then one ofthe Englishmen went away and after a while he came back with Jasniff,and all hands went to another cave, close to the shore. We got intoone part of the cave and overheard what the crowd said, through acrack in the rocks. We might have confronted Jasniff and demanded thejewels, but we saw that the Englishmen were all armed and they lookedto be in an ugly mood, and Captain Sanders wanted no bloodshed if itcould be avoided. So then Billy Dill and I said we would come backhere and get Phil and the sailors."
"I should think you'd do your best to capture Jasniff," said Merwell.
"Do you want him captured?" asked Roger, sharply.
"Why not? He didn't treat me fairly--and he planned the robbery in thefirst place."
"Well, if you want him taken you had better help us," put in Phil.
"Say, Dave, if I help you catch Jasniff and get the rest of the jewelsback, will you--er--will you let me go?" faltered Link Merwell,anxiously.
"I don't know--I'll see about it, Link," answered Dave, and that was asfar as he would commit himself, for he remembered that this case wasfor Mr. Wadsworth and the authorities to settle.
"I'll help you all I can--just to get square with Nick!" muttered thebig youth. "I'll show him that he isn't the only frog in the puddle."
"The sooner we go the better," went on the senator's son.
"I am ready now," returned Dave. "I'll not rest easy until Jasniff iscaught and the rest of those jewels are recovered."
A few words more were exchanged, and then it was decided that thewhole party should follow Roger and Billy Dill to the spot from whencethey had come.
"Borden is very anxious to have the three Englishmen held," said thesenator's son.
"I suppose he wants to get back his money," returned Dave. "I don'tblame him."
The path was through the forest and then along a rocky ridge. Herewalking was very uncertain, and Roger warned the others to be careful.
"An' if ye ain't careful ye'll go into a hole to Kingdom Come!" put inBilly Dill.
When the ridge was left behind they came to another patch of timber,and then walked through a small cave with a large opening at eitherend. In the center of this cave was a hole, at the bottom of whichflowed an underground river.
"If ever an island was rightly named, this is the one," observed Phil."It is caves from one end to the other."
"Listen! I thought I heard voices!" exclaimed Dave, suddenly, and heldup his hand for silence.
All listened closely and heard a faint murmur, coming from a distance.
"Sounds to me as if it was underground," whispered Phil.
"Yes, but from what direction?" asked Roger.
"I think it comes from over yonder," answered Dave. "Let us go thereand make sure."
They walked on, soon coming to a spot where a place between the rockswas covered with a matting of long vines, much intertwined.
"Keep quiet!" suddenly exclaimed our hero. "I know where theyare--behind those vines. There must be a cave there, and the vines makea curtain for the entrance."
"Who is it?" asked Merwell.
"I don't know yet. Wait, all of you remain here, behind the rocks,while I investigate."
As silently as possible, Dave crawled forward, keeping close to therocks on one side of the cave's entrance. Soon he was up to thecurtain of vines, and cautiously he thrust his hand forward, making asmall opening.
At first our hero could see little, but as his eyes became accustomedto the gloom, he made out two forms lying on couches of vines,smoking. The forms were those of the two Englishmen, Pardell andRumney.
"Well, Geswick ought to be coming back," Dave heard Rumney say. "Hesaid he wouldn't waste any time."
"Maybe he had some trouble with that young fellow," returned Pardell."Say, do you know he's a queer stick? Where did he get those diamondshe offered for his passage?"
"I don't know, but I rather think he stole them."
"Then perhaps he has more of the jewels."
"Just what I was thinking--and Geswick thought the same."
"If he has many of them----" The man paused suggestively.
"We might relieve him, eh?" returned the other.
"Why not? We cleaned out Borden. Two jobs of that sort are no worsethan one."
There was a period of silence, and Dave moved back as quietly aspossible to where he had left his companions.
"Rumney and Pardell are there, in a long cave," he whispered. "Theyare waiting for Geswick and, I think, Jasniff."
"But where are Captain Sanders and Smiley?" asked the shipowner's son.
"I don't know. Perhaps they are watching Jasniff and Geswick--or maybethey have captured those rascals."
"Oh, let me get at Pardell and Rumney!" cried Giles Borden. "I'llteach them to rob me!" And he started forward, flourishing a heavystick he had picked up.
"Wait! wait!" returned Dave, and caught him by the arm. "Don't go yet.Let us lie low until Geswick comes, and maybe Jasniff. We may be ableto capture all of them."
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bsp; "Can we handle so many?" asked Roger.
"I think so. Anyway we can try. Remember, Captain Sanders and Smileymay be following Geswick and Jasniff, and if they are, they'll come toour aid."
"I'll wait, but it's a hard thing to do, don't you know," grumbled theEnglishman who had been robbed.
"We had better set a guard, so that we are not surprised," advisedPhil. "Supposing we scatter around the rocks and in the vines?"
This was agreed upon, and it was also agreed that Dave should give awhistle when he wanted an attack made.
After this came a long period of waiting. All remained silent, until,of a sudden, everybody was startled by a distant cannon shot.
"What in the world can that mean?" cried Phil, who lay close to ourhero.
"It's a shot from a ship's cannon, and it came from the direction ofthe shore!" returned Dave. "It may be some sort of a signal."
"Do you suppose it's a summons to Pardell and Rumney?"
"It may be. Wait, I'll look into the cave again and see what they aredoing."
Losing no time, our hero crawled forward once more to the position hehad before occupied. Then he pushed the vines aside and looked intothe long cave.
He could not suppress a cry of consternation. The two Englishmen hadvanished!
"They are gone!" he called to his companions.
"Gone!" repeated Phil and Roger.
"Don't tell me that!" fairly shrieked Giles Borden. "I must catch themand get back my money!"
"Where did they go to?" asked Billy Dill, as he pushed through thecurtain of vines.
"They must have left the cave by some other opening," answered Dave."Come on, we'll soon find out!" And into the cave he rushed, his chumsand the others in the crowd following.
"I see another opening!" cried Merwell, a minute later. "Look!" And hepointed down a passageway to the right.
"That's the way they must have gone!" exclaimed Giles Borden. "Afterthem, all of you! If I get back my money, I'll reward you well!" Andon he sped, with Merwell close at his heels and the others following.
"I don't know if we are on the right track or not," said Dave, to Philand Roger. "This cave may have other openings."
Hardly had he spoken when there came a yell from Giles Borden,followed by a cry from Link Merwell. Both had fallen into a small holethat was filled with water. Each was much shaken up, but unhurt.
"It's a broken neck somebody will get if we are not careful," said oneof the sailors. "I'd rather be on the deck of a ship any day than onan island like this."
Soon they were out in the open once more. They were on a rise ofground, and not a great distance away they could see the shore and therolling ocean.
"A ship!" cried Roger.
"But not the _Golden Eagle_!" returned Dave. "It must be the vesselthat was to stop for the Englishmen."
"It is! It is!" bawled Giles Borden. "And look, there they are on theshore, ready to embark, all of them!"
"Yes, and Jasniff is with them!" added Dave, Phil, and Roger in abreath.