CHAPTER XIV.
THE DISCUSSION.
THE chums looked at each other in silent comprehension. There was nota doubt in the mind of either that the sailor had been made away withduring their absence from the ship. They recalled Manuel's talk withthe cook before they left the schooner and the look of satisfaction inhis face when he learned that they were all going on the diving boat.Even the captain was not slow to grasp the horrible truth.
"It's a terrible business, but don't let on that you suspect them," hewhispered. "We've got to have a long talk and decide what it's bestto do." To Manuel, he said, curtly, "I reckon, it's the fellow's ownbusiness if he wanted to drown himself, so you ain't got no cause togrieve. Better divide his things up amongst the crew."
Although they were eager for a talk alone, the four lounged carelesslyabout the deck, striving to appear unconcerned, until the Greek boysummoned them to supper below. They talked cheerfully until the cookhad retired bearing the empty dishes with him. Then Charley arose andnoiselessly closed the cabin windows and door so that their words wouldnot reach the deck. Returning to his seat, he called the pale-facedlittle Greek lad to him, and, resting his hand on his head, said kindly,
"Ben, we are not going to repeat anything you say to us, and we wantyou to tell us just what has been troubling you the last few days."
The little lad burst into tears, "They'll kill me," he sobbed, "they'llkill me."
"They will never know you told us," Charley assured him. "We will neverlet anyone know you told us."
"They are going to kill you all," faltered the boy as soon as he couldcontrol his sobs.
"Why do they want to kill us," Charley questioned.
"My uncle makes them mad. When you give orders he adds lots of badnames and swear words to them. He tells the crew that you always takethat sailor's part. He tells them you're going to have them all put injail when you get back to Tarpon. He tells them you love that sailorand hate Greeks."
"But why did they hate that sailor so?" Walter questioned.
"He Turk," explained the lad. "Greeks hate Turks."
The chums glanced at each other in swift comprehension. They knew ofthe deadly hatred that existed between the two races. A hatred thathad led to the bitter war in which the Greeks had been badly beaten.They understood now why the handsome sailor had been shunned by allhis shipmates. They could see, too, how the wily Manuel had used theirdefense of the man to arouse the crew's resentment against them. Thecunning Greek had woven about them a net of lies which it would beimpossible to explain away.
"Then they find gold," Ben continued, "that makes them crazy. Manueltells them to leave you alone if you don't find out about the money,but kill you if you do."
"The infernal rascal," exploded the captain. "He goes in irons and downin the hold to stay 'till we get to port."
"Don't do that!" cried the alarmed Greek lad. "They kill you right offif you do."
"One thing more," said Charley, as the little fellow's tears began toflow afresh. "Who killed that sailor?"
But Ben did not know although it was evident that he did not doubt thatthe man had been killed.
Charley waited until the lad had dried his tears, then let him go withthe caution to tell none of the crew that he had told them.
"We are in the tightest fix of our lives," he declared, when Ben hadgone. "It seems, from what he says, that we are safe so long as theydo not suspect that we know anything about the gold but I fancy thatManuel suspects that we have found it and I do not believe we can counton their being willing to let us reach port alive. The question is,what had we better do."
"I don't understand all this talk about gold," said the captain.
The boys hurriedly told of the discovery they had made while the oldsailor listened with sparkling eyes.
"Boys," he exclaimed, when their tale was concluded, "you've found whatwill make rich men of us all. I remember the excitement caused by theloss of that ship. It happened twelve years ago. For months tugs andsteamers were scouring the Gulf searching for her. She had cleared fromNew Orleans for New York with two million dollars in gold aboard."
"She might as well contain two million toothpicks so far as we areconcerned," said Charley, impatiently. "I'd give up every cent of itwillingly to be safe in port this minute."
The captain, brought abruptly back to a realization of their desperatesituation, thought deeply for several moments before he spoke. "We hadought to be able to hold our own against them fellows," he, at last,observed. "We are well armed and I don't believe they have got anyweapons except their sheaf knives which ain't no good except at closequarters."
"It is not open violence but treachery that I fear," Charley explained."We have had two samples already of the way they work. First in thatstoppage of the air hose and, second, in the making away of thatsailor. No, that Manuel is too cunning a rascal to risk open rebellionwhen he can accomplish his ends without any personal risk."
"Why not let them continue to get up the gold and hide it as they havebeen doing?" Walter suggested. "We can pretend that we do not know whatis going on. Then when we get to port we can turn them over to theauthorities and recover the money without any trouble."
Charley shook his head doubtfully. "That will not do," he said. "I amas convinced as I am that I am living, that we would never reach portalive. Manuel is too wise to take any chances and he knows that theycould not remove such a large amount of gold from the schooner withoutarousing suspicion. I believe he has entrusted the crew to spare us forthe present only because he thinks that some of the fleet might happenalong and grow curious if we were all missing. Besides, it is doubtfulif any of them know enough about navigation to sail the 'Beauty' home.Us boys, he probably will not hesitate to remove at any time if he cangive the act the appearance of accident, like what occurred to-day.The captain, he will likely permit to remain alive until near port. Hewill have a long story made up to account for our disappearance and thegold will likely be well hidden amongst the ballast from where he canremove it without exciting comment so long as we are not on board."
The lad spoke confidently for he was putting himself in the placeof the cunning Greek and reasoning just what he would do in a likeposition.
"I've got it," exclaimed the captain in triumph. "When they are asleepwe'll batten down the forecastle hatch on them and keep them thereuntil we get to port. We four can work the schooner in, I guess."
"I tell you, you don't realize what a cunning rascal that fellow is,"Charley declared in reluctant admiration. "He has provided against justsuch an attempt. I did not understand the reason for it last night, butI noticed that all during my watch on deck there were three or four menhanging around the deck up forward. It's a great stake they are playingfor and they are not taking the slightest chances."
"I noticed the men hanging around," admitted the captain, "but I didn'tthink much of it at the time. Let's have your plan, if you've got one,lad."
"I'm afraid we can't get out of this hole without some violence anddanger," Charley replied. "I have been thinking over it all day andthis is the only thing I can think of that seems to offer any hopeof success. First thing in the morning Walter and I must descend tothe wreck again and bring up enough gold to pay off the men when weget to port. It's a risky thing to do, but it is necessary to carryout my plan. You see," he paused to explain, "the men were shipped forthree months and they could demand pay for that time. We haven't gotthe money and we have not gathered up enough sponges yet to make up solarge an amount. They could tie the schooner up for their wages andmake us a lot of trouble and expense, a thing Manuel would be sure todo."
"But they have got a lot of gold which belongs to us, already," Waltersuggested.
"We would have hard work to prove that it is ours, and it would mean alot of delay," replied his chum quickly.
"Go on with your plan, lad," said the captain, who perceived thatCharley had thought over all sides of the question with his usualclearness.
"After we have brough
t up the money. We will use their own plan forbringing it up without its being noticed--we will hang around and letthem go on with the work as usual all day, for it would not do to fightit out on the diving boat. When we get back to the schooner at night,we will bring matters to a head. We will make them get up anchor andsails and head back for Tarpon. There's bound to be trouble and plentyof it but we'll be prepared for it and Tarpon is only two days' sail.What do you think of the plan?"
He did not have to wait long for a chorus of objections.