CHAPTER XXII
A DESPERATE ATTEMPT
Doright was standing near the door. Rowdy's excitement now increased toa high pitch. He dashed madly to and fro in the cabin.
"I saw the fellow's face for a minute," cried Jack. "Open the door,Doright, and let Rowdy out. He wants to meet his friend."
"Go on, dog!" whispered Doright, obeying Jack's order.
Quick footsteps sounded on the wharf. A man was running away. Rowdy lostno time in scrambling on deck and from there to the wharf. In a momentcame a shriek, followed by a shot. The boys shivered in apprehension.Their pet was alone in the dark and a shot had been fired. It seemed asif they must go to his assistance.
Not many minutes passed before the boys felt the Fortuna rock as a bodylanded on the deck. Rowdy burst into the cabin.
"Look at the boy!" shouted Arnold. "Good old Rowdy! Good dog!"
"What's that he has in his mouth?" inquired Charley.
"That, my friend," explained Arnold, who sat near Rowdy, "is what everydog gets when he runs fast--pants."
"Stop your joking, Arnold," cautioned Jack. "Look at that bloody ear ofRowdy's. He's been shot. That's some of Lopez's work."
At once a rush was made for the white bulldog. Rowdy seemed to paylittle attention to the lacerated ear, pierced by the outlaw's bullet,but paraded the cabin exhibiting the cloth proudly.
"I do believe he got a piece of Lopez's trousers!" declared Jackexultantly. Then giving Rowdy an approving slap he continued, "There'sone time Lopez got a reminder his presence wasn't wanted."
"True enough," agreed Frank, "but he may return when things have quieteddown, and when he comes back he may be prepared to do serious damage.That gang is desperate and will hesitate at nothing."
"Let 'em come," boasted Arnold, jumping up from his position on a lockerwhere he was trying to cajole Rowdy into parting with the souvenir whichhe had brought aboard the Fortuna.
"Yes, let 'em come," stoutly agreed Harry. "There are enough of us hereso we can stand watch and watch tonight and be prepared to keep off allintruders. And we'll use force, if necessary, too."
"It's a problem," Jack said thoughtfully. "I'm sure I don't know what todo. Those fellows may contemplate and execute serious damage to theFortuna and to her crew. Again, they may be so near the treasure they'llonly think of remaining near that to guard it."
"By the way, Jack, where is this fort? Rather, where was it?"
"As nearly as I am able to determine just now, it was located on thenorth side of that point that lies on the east side of the bay. There'sa bayou sets up to the eastward from that point and it is on the charthere as 'Fort Bayou,' so I think that must have been the place. Anyhow,that's the place to which I have been directed."
"Here it is," cried Charley, who had been examining the chart. "Here itsays, 'Old Spanish Fort.' It's just where you said it was."
"Then we'll go over there in the morning, if you like."
"Let's go over there tonight," urged Tom. "There's going to be a finemoon and we're all interested, so we won't sleep any."
"Sure! That would be fine," scorned Harry. "All of us go across the baylooking for this old treasure and Wyckoff will have a free hand to comein and sink the good ship Fortuna."
"We can draw straws and leave a watch here," suggested Tom.
"And Wyckoff or Lopez throw a stick of dynamite over on deck and up inthe air they'd go! Why not take the Fortuna along?"
"I don't think there's water enough over there," Jack objected.
"Well, then, I'll tell you what we'll do," began Harry, "we'll all of ushold an election. Let Doright in on it and Carlos and--"
"Yacht Ahoy!" came a hail from the wharf.
"Answer him, Tom, you're nearest the door," suggested Jack.
"Ahoy there, what do you want?" called Tom.
"Is that the Fortuna?" queried a heavy voice.
"Yes, sir," answered Tom. "What do you want?"
"I'll come aboard, if you please!" replied the stranger.
"Better wait a minute until we can size you up," cried Jack, steppinginto the pilot house and switching on the searchlight, which he trainedupon the man standing on the wharf. "We're not unprepared for callersand we want to make sure, you know. What do you want?"
"I guess when you see this," laughed the man, exhibiting a star underhis coat, "you won't object to my coming aboard. I am sorry to say," hecontinued in a tone of mock seriousness, "I am a United States Marshal.May I come aboard now?"
"Yes, sir, you may," declared Tom. "But you must excuse us for ourprecaution. We've been through some trying experiences and it's nowonder we feel we must protect ourselves."
"Got away from Pascagoula in a hurry, didn't you?" smiled the strangerintroducing himself as Roger Harrison.
"Yes, we did," stated Jack, introducing the other boys. "We got wordfrom Doright, here, that our friends and our friends' friend had beenshanghaied aboard a schooner and so we went after them and got them,too," he proudly stated.
"Well, boys, it seems to me it would have been real easy to stop and payyour shipyard charges when you were coming back."
The boys all gasped. In the excitement of rescuing their chums thematter of settling their bill at the shipyard had been crowded out oftheir minds. All were amazed and regretful.
"What can we do?" questioned Jack. "I'll jump on a train and go rightback there and pay them. When is the next train?"
"Don't be in a hurry. Hear the rest," said the Marshal.
"Is there anything worse?" wailed Jack. "I feel real cheap."
"Nothing that you can't get out of, I guess," replied Harrison. "Thosefellows were indignant when you slipped away so hurriedly and were aboutto telegraph Key West to look out for you when a man named Wyckoffapproached and said you were headed for Biloxi. They couldn't believe itbut he swore it was so."
"And so you came down here to get us?" queried Jack.
"I'm stationed at Gulfport, a short distance west of here," repliedHarrison. "They wired me there and wanted to libel your craft. You knowthe United States protects merchants and workmen by seizing the vesselif their bills are not paid."
"But we'll pay it!" stoutly protested Jack. "We have the money."
"I haven't the least doubt of it," declared Harrison. "It was only amatter of oversight under the exciting news you got. But tell me," hewent on, "how did Wyckoff know you were headed for this place? He seemedvery positive about your destination."
Then Jack gave Harrison the whole story. He omitted nothing that theboys considered of importance, even showing Harrison the map. At theconclusion of the recital Harrison looked serious.
"Well, boys," he said at length, "you've stumbled onto what seems to bea reality, but I always considered it a myth. For years the report hasbeen circulated that there was such a treasure and this man Wyckoff andLopez claimed to be blood descendants of the officer who buried it. Thename on that map would seem to bear them out. But tonight or tomorrownight will be the only time you'll have to get at the treasure foranother year, if the whole tale is true."
"How's that?" breathlessly asked the boys.
"I can't explain the whole thing, for I never attempted to memorizedetails, always believing the story a fairy tale, but as I recall it,the moon and tide must both be just right--something like the moon istonight and the tide will be in a short time--and then the ground aroundthe chest softens up and the chest comes to the surface for the rightfulheir to reach out and get it."
"If there's anything at all in that," asserted Jack, "I'll bet the thinglays in a bed of quicksand. When the tide is just right it softens upand boils. Then any solid substance may be thrown up to the surface.Maybe someone has seen a piece of log or some driftwood at some suchtime and that's the way the treasure story started."
"But I have the map," declared Harry excitedly. "What do you make ofthat? You'll have to go some to explain that."
"I guess that's so," sheepishly admitted Jack. "I forgot that."
"Until tonight,
" stated Harrison, "I never had much faith in the story,but this map as a climax to other things is convincing."
Rowdy, who had been lying on a berth with Arnold, now slipped to thefloor. His whole body became tense and rigid while the hairs on his backrose on end. A low, menacing growl issued in subdued notes from histhroat. His attitude was threatening.
"Watch the dog," whispered Jack. "Look at him."
"Someone's coming," announced Arnold. "He does that only when he getsnear someone who's a sneak or pirate or something."
"Goodness, I'm glad I'm not a pirate," declared Harrison.
"Get a leash on him," ordered Jack. "He's been shot once tonight andthat's enough. Get your guns unlimbered, boys."
"I'll keep a lookout on the water," volunteered Frank.
"And I'll watch the wharf," said Tom. "I wish, though," he continued,"that the lights were off. I could see better."
"Turn the switch, Charley," was Jack's request. "It's at your hand thereon the bulkhead. It's the middle one."
"I see him," whispered Tom. "It looks like Wyckoff."
"Slide the door open a crack," Harry suggested, "and get the drop onhim. If he starts anything, shoot him in the legs!"
"He's laying down a bundle," whispered Charley. "It's only a smallpackage. I wonder what he's going to do."
For answer, Wyckoff, for it was none other, deposited the small packagedescribed by the boy on the bow of the Fortuna. He knelt on the wharf amoment leaning over toward the boat. The boys were unable to see himwell because of the curving lines of the vessel.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Charley, starting from his post toward thebows. "He lit a fuse and has started away!"
"Come back from there," cried Jack in a tone of authority. "Come backfrom there! Do you want to get blown into bits?"
The boys rushed forward to seize their chum and drag him to a place ofsafety. He kept on undaunted. Harrison gazed in open mouthed terror fromone to the other. All seemed horror stricken at the situation. Rowdytugged fiercely at his leash.
All could now see clearly the sputtering fuse attached to the packagelying on the forward deck. From the gentle manner in which Wyckoff hadhandled it they guessed its contents. None knew better than the intrepidlad approaching the parcel what the result would be were he a second toolate. Even as he hurried forward a chill seemed to run through his veinswith the thought of what might happen were he not able to reach thepackage in time.
Harrison often declares that never to his dying day will he forget thecoolness and excellent nerve displayed by Charley as he approached thesputtering fuse on the other end of which lay lurking probable death forthe whole party. He says that out of all his varied experiences nonestands forth with more distinctness than does the one through which hepassed that night on the Fortuna.
Doright was paralyzed with terror and sank limply to the floor, restinghis head on a bunk and praying as he never had prayed before fordeliverance. His voice was gone, but his lips worked convulsively whilehis face took on a drawn and haggard expression seeming to visiblyshrink together, leaving great pouches beneath his eyes and linesthrough his cheeks. He gasped for breath.
In his haste Charley stumbled over the free end of the bow line, madefast to the deck cleat. It had been coiled loosely, leaving the free endtrailing across the deck. Quickly he was up.
Lunging forward again, his arm outstretched, the boy tried to grasp thepackage that was still just out of reach. He made a last fierce lungeand grasped the thing. He stood upright. A shower of sparks flew fromthe end of the shortening fuse.