CHAPTER XXV
THE TREASURE
Lopez staggered back a pace. His rifle fell from his grasp as hetottered backward and lay prostrate beside the spot where also lay thenegro that had earlier suffered at his hands.
Wyckoff's desperate aim had been true. The knife had sped straight toits mark and buried its point in Lopez's brain. He was beyond all help.But Wyckoff still struggled frantically.
Tom had been busy meanwhile with the length of line brought from theboat. It had not been intended for such a purpose, but now the boys wereglad they had brought it with them.
All with one consent dashed from their position and ran toward theunfortunate outlaw, now nearly frantic. As they approached he looked upat them. Seized with a fit of coughing, he fell partly forward. Then theboys knew from the blood that gushed from his mouth that Lopez's lastbullet had found its mark.
Tom, undaunted, prepared to throw his lasso. As he did so Wyckoff againstraightened in a mad effort to tear himself from the terrible sands.Then the boys witnessed a curious sight.
It seemed that the depression into which they looked formed a sort ofbowl partly full, like a bowl of porridge, with Wyckoff struggling in itat the side nearest their position. As they looked, the contents of thebowl seemed to heave and boil, then turn over and over. Wyckoff starteddown more rapidly while the boiling sands at the other side seemed torise.
Tom quickly flung his noose. His aim was distracted, no doubt, by theexcitement through which he had just passed. Instead of encircling theunfortunate wretch below, he threw the noose beyond. It fell spreadwidely on the boiling sands. It was in such a position that Wyckoffcould not reach it. He made a despairing effort to grasp the rope andthen, as the sands about him were boiling and seething, he sank lowerand lower. At last with a shriek he disappeared and the boys saw him nomore.
Tom groaned. His effort to save the man who had done so much to bringdisaster upon himself and his chums was now beyond his reach. AlthoughTom had been doing all that he possibly could to help Wyckoff, he stillfelt keenly the humiliation of his defeat.
Jack, who stood near, laid a consoling hand upon Tom's shoulder. Hisemotion was equal to that of his comrade. All were awed.
It was Carlos who brought them to attention again.
"Look there," he cried. "Look at that chest."
The boys stared in spellbound amazement at the curious sight.
Exactly in the center of the noose of rope lying now half buried in theboiling sands rose the end of a box or chest. It plainly showed evidenceof age. A gasp of astonishment went around.
"Pull in on the line," urged Carlos. "There's your treasure."
Like one in a trance, Tom obediently pulled on the line. The noosetightened about the chest. Tom dragged with all his might but was unableto move the object. He glanced at the others. They seemed unable tomove, but gazed with staring eyes at the sight.
"Tail on here, my hearties," cried Tom. "Give us a hand."
Almost instantly the others awoke to the situation and now every handwas grasping the line and all were pulling manfully.
Inch by inch they gained. The chest was dragged slowly through theboiling sands to the pitside, where it was necessary to raise it tofirmer ground. The boys dared not go close to the edge for fear ofstarting the sand caving. Their backs were straining under the burden.Their hands were burning from their grasp on the line.
"Pull!" gasped Tom, throwing every ounce of his weight into the work."Pull," he gasped again.
The games in which his comrades had indulged hardening their muscleswere now becoming of benefit to them. The tugs-of-war were showing theirpractical value. No similar number of boys of equal weight could haveexerted the power that this group did with their trained ability to pullall together and keep pulling all the time.
But even as they pulled and felt victory nearly within their grasp theyrealized that the sand was mightier than they. Their strength could lastbut a little while, whereas that of the quicksand was constant. Thestrain was telling on them. It seemed as if only a few more pounds onthe rope would swing the balance in their favor. And that help was near.
Dashing from the clump of palmettos where he had remained, Rowdy camebounding over the intervening space. His fear was now gone and when hesaw the boys at the pit he seemed to overcome his terror that had beenso apparent at the time of the explosion.
To his canine mind the boys were playing a game that he liked. A tug ofwar was his pet diversion. Losing no time, Rowdy dashed for his favoriteposition at the end of the rope.
Seizing the line in his strong teeth he settled back on his haunches andpulled and growled in an ecstasy of glee. His aid was of no smallmeasure. A great mass of active muscle, he lent much to the effort thatwas being applied to the line.
"Hurrah," cried Tom scarcely above a whisper. "It's coming. Just alittle more now and we'll have it. Pull, boys, pull."
The lads needed no urging. Every one was doing his best. And they wererewarded by seeing the end of the chest appear above the rim of the pit.It slid over the mound of sand and settled on a firm spot. Rowdy caperedand leaped among the boys who had flung themselves prostrate on thesand. His joy was unlimited.
"Let's get at it, boys," cried Tom. "Bring me an axe and I'll knock itopen. I'm the original safe cracker."
"What if we put it into the boat and take it aboard the Fortuna beforewe meddle with it," suggested Jack. "We can't get anything more out ofthe pit tonight and I feel like getting away from this place. It seemsas if I can feel the ghosts of all the departed Spanish and Indians andothers who passed away at this spot during the last seven hundred years.I move we go back."
"Second the motion. It's carried," cried Tom. "Back we go."
The boys lost no time in securing their own skiff and felt nocompunction against using the boat brought by Wyckoff and Lopez.
Into the larger of these the chest was loaded. The boys of the Fortunawent along as personal bodyguard with Rowdy to share the honors.Harrison and Carlos with Doright took the smaller boat. In a short timethey were again on the west side of the bay and had the lights aboardthe Fortuna glowing.
"I guess, Mr. Harrison, we've been rather fortunate after all," beganJack. "It has seemed sometimes as if we were not going to get out ofsome of our troubles, but they all manage to end somehow. How can we getrid of that libel?"
"I think I can fix that for you," replied Harrison. "I haven't servedthe papers yet, you know, so if you get the money to the shipyard peopleearly in the morning, I'll hold off a while."
"Thank you," heartily responded the lad. "When we get this cover priedoff, we'll hand you a bucket or so of gold for the bill."
As the lads were prying off the cover of the wonderful chest a hail camefrom the wharf.
"Launch, Ahoy."
"Now what?" petulantly cried Harry. "Always some interruption."
"I think I know that voice," cried Jack. "Ahoy there, Dad."
"Hello, Jack. Have you got anything to eat?"
A hearty laugh followed the question. Jack's father, for it was indeedhe, knew the appetites of the Fortuna's crew.
"Sure we have," cried the delighted Jack. "When did you arrive?"
"Just now," declared his father. "Mr. Geyer and I came down to see ifyou needed any help and have just walked down from the railroad. Your'bus line," he added with a wink, "is not running."
"Oh, I'm so glad you got here," Jack replied.
"Are we in time?" queried Mr. Stanley.
"No, not in time to be of help when we needed you most," Jack answered;"but Rowdy took your place. Now we're just getting ready to count themoney. Want to help?"
"What?" questioned Mr. Stanley. "Surely there was nothing to that storyabout the buried treasure. Geyer," to his companion, "look at what theseboys have unearthed. Isn't that astounding?"
Introductions all round were followed by a hearty lunch of fish, sweetpotatoes, canned fruit, corn pone and coffee prepared by Doright, whohad been at once assigned to the task up
on the return of the treasurehunters.
Upon opening the chest it was found to contain a quantity of gold andother coins, as well as a number of jewels in settings. Mr. Geyer, theattorney, who was versed in those matters, informed the boys that thecoins were of great value because of their age and excellent condition.Collectors, he said, would be glad to pay far in excess of theiroriginal face or intrinsic value.
The gems were beyond his ability to estimate, although he felt sure theywould return a handsome sum.
"How much do you think we ought to get out of it?" Jack asked.
"Well, after I get my share for outfitting the venture," replied Mr.Geyer, "I think there ought to be as much as fifty or sixty thousanddollars--perhaps more."
"Hurrah!" shouted Tom. "That's pretty near ten thousand apiece. That'squite a bit of money."
"You mean fifteen thousand apiece," corrected Charley.
"I mean what I said--ten thousand," declared Tom. "If this crew ofpirates lets you and Frank get away without sharing the spoils, I'llnever sail with them again; so there!"
"Nor I," declared Jack.
"Nor I," stoutly agreed Harry.
"Nor I," chimed in Arnold. "Rowdy isn't saying a word."
So, laughing and at times half crying, the boys talked over the matterwhile they did ample justice to the meal Doright had prepared. Jack'sfather and Mr. Geyer offered to take charge of the recovered treasure,and with Mr. Harrison for a guard they felt safe in taking it to a placeof security after daylight.
With the treasure off their minds, and with the outlaws who hadattempted their lives out of the way, the boys tumbled into their bunkson the Fortuna and slept the clock around. Their nerves had been at hightension for some days and they welcomed the opportunity to rest andrecuperate from the strain.
Carlos was helped to a good position with a lumber company in which Mr.Stanley was interested, while the boys voted to buy Doright a cabin andpiece of land whenever he was ready to settle down.
There followed a couple of weeks of uninterrupted pleasure fishing andexploring the islands in the Gulf of Mexico. At length the boys startedon their way north by way of the Mississippi River, where the Fortunaand its crew met various interesting adventures.
What happened is told in the succeeding volume of this series, entitled:"Boy Scouts on the Big River; or, the Pilot's Revenge."