CHAPTER XXIV
DEFEATED BY GREED
Loaded with men, a boat was approaching from the westward. Standing inthe bow were Wyckoff and Lopez, the two principals in the efforts todrive our friends from that neighborhood.
Although the moonlight rendered outlines indistinct to the extent thatit was impossible to see the exact expressions on their faces, the boyscould all determine from their tense attitudes that they were intenselywrought up by their mission there.
A warning hand was extended by Wyckoff toward the rowers. One of thenegroes had been clumsy with his oar. The noise of the splash evidentlygrated on Wyckoff's nerves. His very attitude bespoke a nervous energypent up and on the point of bursting forth.
By his side stood Lopez, his trusty rifle in hand. As they saw theweapon, the boys who had seen him use it in times past knew that hisskill with the firearm was marvelous indeed. They knew it would fare illwith anyone upon whom he trained it.
"Wonder why they've brought their gang," cautiously whispered Harry intoJack's ear. "They've been mighty exclusive until now."
"Hush," cautioned Jack in a very low voice. "These others are simplynegroes they have picked up somewhere to do the digging. These are notmen who might thwart the Wyckoff and Lopez purpose."
"Better be careful about your talking," cautioned Harrison. "If all thestory is true it will be necessary to dig the treasure in silence if itis to be recovered at all. Any noise breaks the spell if it occursbefore the chest is fully out of its cache."
"We won't make any noise, you can be sure of that," declared Harry."We've seen that man Lopez shoot. We know how he does it."
Evidently the men approaching the shore had been fully cautioned inregard to the necessity for quiet. The crew sprang out and dragged thecraft high and dry on the sands, then removed the shovels.
"They mean business all right," declared Arnold in Harry's ear. "See howLopez herds those field hands along with that rifle."
"He just poked one fellow in the back with it," answered Harry. "The ladjust stumbled a little and Lopez jabbed him in the back. I'll bet thatfellow's too scared to dig much."
"Look at the fellow," excitedly whispered Jack. "He's going right to thespot where we located the treasure. He's got the map in his head, allright. He knows just where to dig."
"Gee," shivered Tom, "I'm mighty glad this clump of palmettos here isbetween us and them. With the bright moonlight they'd see us a mileaway. Wouldn't Lopez have a fit if he saw us?"
Luckily Lopez and Wyckoff were too much occupied with their own affairsto investigate the neighborhood for possible spectators. Theyimmediately put the men shoveling sand at a great pace.
"I hope they don't dig it up all at once," declared Tom. "Look at theway they go at it," he cried. "See them spear their shovels into theground without using their foot at all."
"Hark your loud noise," hoarsely whispered Jack in a warning tone."You'll have the whole gang down on us if you're not careful."
"I forgot," explained the humbled Tom. "But that's a funny way to dig.Don't you think so, Mr. Harrison?"
"That's the way they dig down in this country of pure sand."
"Well, all I've got to say is that when I dig--"
What Tom said might have been interesting if it had been heard. But justat that instant a shot rang out from the group of workers. The boysstared in amazement horrified at the thought of what might havehappened. In an instant their worst fears were confirmed.
Their startled eyes beheld the negroes dragging one of their number fromthe excavation under the watchful eye and threatening muzzle of Lopez'sdeadly rifle. One of the unfortunate negroes had thoughtlessly brokenhis resolve and had spoken. He had paid dearly for his mistake. Underthe stern command of the rifle muzzle the others renewed their task,glancing apprehensively at the man behind the grim weapon whosemessengers were all messengers of swift and certain death. They werevisibly affected.
Instinctively the boys drew their automatics while Harrison possessedhimself of his revolver and made ready to use it if necessary in selfdefense. No one could guess the result should Lopez discover theirwhereabouts. Their position was now seen to be a most dangerous one, forthey lay but a few yards beyond the rim of the excavation in which themen were working. Lopez was opposite.
"If that man ever sees us here," whispered Harry, "we're gone."
"You're right, we're gone," declared Arnold. "That man don't think anymore of shooting a man than he did of shooting that big snake. He'sabsolutely bloodless, I believe."
"Look at Wyckoff down in the excavation walking back and forth andaround," Tom said pointing to the figure mentioned.
"He surely isn't going to let anything get past him," agreed Jack. "Hewalks round and round and round as the men dig."
"And they are digging at a rapid pace, too," Frank put in. "At that ratethey ought to get the treasure before long."
"I'm a little afraid," Harrison dissented. "It looks bad."
"What looks bad? The two men may quarrel."
"There's always a possibility of that," agreed Harrison, "but I wasn'tthinking of that. It looks to me that the sand will probably be softenedby the rising tide. If so, they can't remain in the excavation to digfor the treasure at all. They must quit."
"If that happens, I can see some more dead niggers," Tom asserted. "Thatman Lopez seems to be itching to shoot someone. If he is foiled in hislast desperate attempt to get that treasure, I can see trouble ahead forsomeone who is near him when it happens."
Wyckoff now came out of the hole to join Lopez on the rim of the cratermade by the toiling negroes. Without saying a word he evidently askedLopez for something to drink, for he made a motion as if drinking from acup, Lopez without taking his eyes off the workers jerked his head inthe direction of the boat.
"Now what?" asked Frank in wonderment. "Is he thirsty?"
"I don't think so," replied Arnold. "I believe he's going aftersomething to stimulate the shovelers. They look as if they were gettinga little winded. See them slacken down."
Wyckoff returned shortly carrying a jug. This he passed down to the menin the pit. Eagerly they reached for the jug, draining great draughts ofits contents as they paused briefly.
With renewed vigor the work was again taken up.
"If this keeps up," declared Arnold fretfully, "those fellows will haveall the coin in a minute and not leave any for us."
"Keep your temper," Jack cautioned. "Something may happen--"
The lad was interrupted by a blinding flash, followed by a roar as ifone of the old Spanish cannons had exploded beside them.
A shower of sand fell over the boys concealed behind the clump ofpalmettos. Instinctively they all drew closer their fellows.
The ground shook beneath them while all around it seemed to be rainingsand. As they looked at the spot again they could make out but twofigures standing. Wyckoff and Lopez were on opposite sides of the pit.The negroes were nowhere to be seen.
Wyckoff's face was cut and bleeding while Lopez seemed to have had hisclothing bodily torn from the upper part of his body.
"What do you know about that?" queried Jack. "What was it?"
"An earthquake," suggested Charley, "or a volcano."
"Volcano nothing," stoutly corrected Arnold. "That was the dynamite thatWyckoff planted on the Fortuna in Pascagoula and Jack stumbled over itand brought it here and we planted it a moment ago."
"I shouldn't wonder if you're right," agreed Harrison. "It must be thatone of the negroes struck it just right with his shovel."
"But where are the negroes?" asked Frank.
"I can't see a one. How many were there in the first place?"
"Six," answered Tom. "I counted 'em. One was put out of the way by thevillain Lopez. That left five in the pit."
"I wonder where they are now," speculated Harry. "They have gone out ofsight anyhow. Maybe they're all killed."
"If they are, I wonder just how much we'll be at fault," Jack musedsoberly. "I think we should ha
ve warned them that we had put thedynamite there," he added thoughtfully.
His words had a depressing effect upon the whole party. They felt keenlythe possible responsibility for the death of the five men who had beenstriving to earn an honest dollar by hard work. Seeing the effect hisexpression was having upon his comrades, Jack endeavored to correct it,but the boys were all very sober.
Rowdy, who had been trying to make himself very small indeed, nowemerged from his hiding place again to join the watchers.
"I wonder if the explosion has enlarged the hole any," Tom ventured. "Ifit has it may make the work lots easier for us."
"You speak as if we were going to be next on the program," Arnoldlaughed quietly. "Don't be too sure. Things may slip."
"Well," disputed Arnold, "suppose that Wyckoff doesn't do as Lopez wantshim to do, what then? What's to hinder Lopez shooting Wyckoff andgetting the treasure chest himself? Tell me that."
"How does that let us in?" queried Frank.
"Well, if they are down and out, don't we get busy?"
"I suppose so, but I believe this treasure has had enough blood spilledover it now. I'm getting rather scared about it."
"Look there," cried Jack in a tone that was almost audible to the twomen at the pit. "It looks as if Wyckoff were going to dig. He's a pluckychap all right. We must give him credit for that."
Wyckoff had searched the vicinity and found a shovel. This he was nowpreparing to put to use. He was in the pit in another moment and beganthrowing the sand out. Then he paused!
"That sand's wet," declared Arnold, who had observed closely.
"Tide's away up and probably has seeped through the little sandintervening," declared Harrison. "I expected it."
"Why, look at him," hoarsely urged Frank. "He seems to be flounderingabout. Can it be he's in trouble?"
"It would look that way," declared Tom. "I wonder why Lopez don't cometo his rescue instead of standing there with his rifle."
"He isn't in any danger," declared Arnold. "He's just wading around inthe soft sand that was loosened by the explosion."
"Don't you believe it," urged Tom rising to his feet. "I believe theman's in serious trouble. It looks like quicksand."
"If Lopez would let us, I'd be in favor of helping him."
"I'll tell you what I'll do," volunteered Tom. "I'll make a runningnoose in this line I brought along. You boys cover Lopez with your gunsand I'll go as close as I can and lasso Wyckoff. We can all get hold ofthe line then and maybe we'll be able to pull him out. It wouldn't beright to leave him there to go down."
At that moment Wyckoff seemed to realize his danger. He was, indeed,caught in the treacherous quicksand. No doubt the sand had been loosenedby the explosion to such an extent that although quiet heretofore, itwas now "quick," and was working to draw into its depths any objectunfortunate enough to be in its grasp.
Like a thing of life the sand sucked and pulled at Wyckoff's feet. Hefelt himself being drawn into the terrible danger.
"Help. Help," he cried, flinging his arms toward the firmer ground."Pete, give me a hand! I'm going down."
For answer Lopez flung his rifle up. A spurt of flame was his answer.Horrified, the boys expected to see Wyckoff drop. To their amazementLopez had missed. Then they saw Wyckoff throw his knife straight atLopez. It struck the man in the forehead.