CHAPTER XXVII.--CAPTURED BY AeROPLANE.
During the short time that they had been in the city Ben Stubbs and histwo young companions had done wonders in the way of collecting equipmentfor the purpose of rifling the treasure which it was expected lay in thesubmerged hulk of the _Belle of New Orleans_. A diving suit with pumpingapparatus of the latest type, blocks and tackles and hand spikes wereamong the things laid in stock. Ben had also invested in a new device, asubmarine searchlight. The choice of this last was warmly approved byDr. Perkins.
"I was wondering how it would be possible to find one's way about thesunken ship without some such article," he said approvingly, and oldBen's rugged face glowed with satisfaction.
"Trust an old timer, sir, for remembering those things," he said.
"Indeed, nobody could have selected a more complete outfit," rejoinedDr. Perkins.
The inventory of the goods was taken the next morning, and hiring a boatthe stuff was transported to Algiers, where the _Sea Eagle_ had beenlooked after over night by a couple of darkies.
As they crossed the river in a hired boat they noticed how swiftly thecurrent ran and how discolored it was. The negro who rowed themcommented on it, too.
"Dey be po'ful big flood befo' long, genelmen," he opined, "an' when oleman Mississip' git up on his hind lags ain't nuffin' kin stop him. Demlebees dey go jes lak so much straw er hay."
"All the more reason for our making haste," said Dr. Perkins, addressingthe others; "it would be hard fortune indeed if Ben were to be robbed ofhis fortune by a flood."
The shed which had sheltered the _Sea Eagle_ overnight was close to thewater's edge so that the goods were soon transported on board. All wasfound to be in good shape, and the two darkies, who had watched the aircraft overnight, received an extra gratuity for their pains. Theadventurers had been particular not to give out any details of theirflight, and it was expected that they would stay in New Orleans for somedays before proceeding, so that no curious crowd, only a few negroes andstragglers, were on hand to see them start.
Dr. Perkins had an excellent chart of the river, showing distinctly thelocation of Black Bayou, which lay back from the river amidst a maze ofother wriggly creeks and water courses. The _Belle of New Orleans_ hadbeen on her way to a "far back" plantation to pick up cotton, when sheblew up, which accounted for the wreck being submerged in such an out ofthe way place.
As they flew along the river, but far above it, they could see humanbeings, busy as ants, working along the levees, strengthening themagainst the dreaded floods which already had devastated whole sectionsof country in Ohio and farther up the mighty stream. At length thecourse of the _Sea Eagle_ was changed till she was flying over a perfectmaze of water courses and bayous, winding in and out of a dense forest.From above, it looked like a lace work of water overlying a piece ofdark green plush.
But the map showed a landmark for Black Bayou. Harry's plan was marked"Ruined plantation house and sugar mill." Frank was the first to spy outthis important "bearing." The _Sea Eagle_ was at that time not very farup, and the gaunt walls and desolate overgrown buildings of the onceprosperous place could be seen clearly. "Giant cypress with threeforks," was the next marking, and, sure enough, on a little patch of anisland, not far from the ruined plantation, they presently saw a gauntdead tree answering this description.
"Bayous and bullfrogs! We're getting hot now!" cried Pudge excitedly."Ben, I believe that that rascal was telling the truth after all."
"I'm inclined to think so, too, Master Pudge," rejoined Ben; "andlook--look there--that must be the Catfish Island marked on the plan. See,it's just the shape of one of them critters."
"So it is, Ben," cried Frank, peering down. "Goodness, this _is_exciting, though. Just think, in a short time we shall know if ourflight for a fortune is----"
"A fizzle or not," interrupted the slangy Pudge.
"Right off Catfish Island two points to the north," read out Harry.
Dr. Perkins glanced at the compass and slightly altered the direction ofthe _Sea Eagle;_ then he allowed the great craft to drop gently to reston the waters of Black Bayou.
Harry referred to the plan again.
"North a hundred yards to the Lone Pine Island."
"There it is," cried Frank, indicating a small spot of land on which adead pine reared its bare trunk.
Hardly had he spoken when a canoe shot round a bend in a small bayoujust ahead of them, and a wild-looking man, who had been paddling it,checked his frail craft. His unkempt whiskers covered him almost to hiswaist, and his clothes were ragged to a degree. But none of them thoughtof this as the swamp dweller so unexpectedly came into view.
"Is this the Black Bayou?" they cried almost in chorus.
The other nodded and stared wildly and half in alarm at thestrange-looking craft that confronted him.
"_Oui!_ Thees Black Bayou," he rejoined in soft, broken accents; "whatyou want, eh?"
"Did you ever hear tell of the _Belle of New Orleans?_" asked Ben, in avoice that shook with suppressed excitement.
To his astonishment the Acadian--for the weird figure in the boat was oneof those strange dwellers of the cypress swamps--burst into a loud laugh.
"Oh ho! Oh ho!" he cackled; "what you want wid zee _Belle of NewOrleans_, eh? What you want weez her?"
Ben hesitated, and before he could reply the other burst into anotherweird cackling laugh, and held up a small object.
"You want zee pearl, zee gold, hey? Zey all gone! See, I have one. Zeemen who come here two day ago give it me for help zem. Adieu!"
Before anybody on the _Sea Eagle_ could utter a word the fellow gave adeft stroke of his paddle and his canoe shot off into the tracklesspaths of the swamps.
"Well, what under the sun!" burst out Frank, while Pudge weaklyejaculated:
"Centipedes and spongecakes!"
"It's all clear enough," exclaimed Ben bitterly. "Those ruffians gotahead of us. That 'Cadian took them to the scene of the wreck andthey've rifled it."
"That was undoubtedly a black pearl he held up," said Dr. Perkins in afaint voice. "I suppose they gave him that for guiding them here."
The sudden shriek of a high-crested kingfisher made them look upsuddenly. The bird was darting from tree to tree on an island at alittle distance. Suddenly something that lay at the foot of a treecaught Ben's sharp eyes.
"What's that? That glittering thing yonder?" he exclaimed, pointing.
"Easy enough to see," said Dr. Perkins, starting up the _Sea Eagle_ forthe little island.
"It's a diving helmet!" cried Frank as they drew closer to the object,"just look, the rascals must have left it there after they got thetreasure out of the sunken wreck. I guess they thought that as they wereso rich they need not bother with it."
They landed on the island as disconsolate and downcast a band oftreasure hunters as ever set foot on the site of a treasure trove.Abundant evidences of a camp were all about them. The ashes of a fire,and scraps of food and paper. One of these caught Frank's attention. Itwas a fragment of newspaper, and what had challenged Frank's notice wasthat a band of red ink had been drawn around some printing on it. Frankread the marked portion with a somewhat vague curiosity. For the momenthe did not realize what an important clew he had stumbled upon. Then itrushed upon him with full force.
Ben and the others were on the shore of the island pointing down intothe muddy waters of the bayou.
The earth was trampled in the vicinity, and showed plainly that themiscreants who had stolen the treasure had carried on their operationsfrom that point of the bank.
"Down thar somewhar' lies the wreck of the _Belle of New Orleans_," saidBen, shaking his head dolefully, and pointing into the black current;"but it ain't going to do us no good, mates. It ain't going to do us nogood; them sea skunks has got ahead of us for fair."
It was at this point that Frank's shout interrupted them.
"What is it?" cried Dr. Perkins.
"This paper. Come here. I think it's a clew to where the
y have gone."
They crowded about him while Frank read out from the marked paper.
"'The new South American Commerce Company's steamer _Buenos Aires_ sailsto-morrow for the latter port. She is a fast, capable craft and willmake a direct run to the Argentine. The inauguration of this service isa distinct addition to the commercial importance of New Orleans andestablishes new trade relations with South America.'"
"Very pretty," said Ben; "but what does it prove?"
"Yes, I don't see much of a clew in that," put in Harry.
But Frank raised his hand to command silence.
"Listen a minute," he said. "Of course, I may be altogether wrong, butit seems to me that the reason this paragraph is marked is because thosefellows meant to sail on this very boat."
Ben brought his hand down on his knee with a resounding whack.
"By hookey, lad!" he roared; "that's reason. That's solid sense andreason."
"What is the date of that paper?" asked Dr. Perkins.
"Luckily the paragraph was torn off from the top of the page," saidFrank, "and the date of the issue is legible. It is dated yesterday."
"Then the _Buenos Aires_ sailed this morning?"
"Yes; that's the way it looks."
"And while we are wasting time here she is heading down the river forthe open sea," groaned Harry.
"Can't we wireless to New Orleans and find out?" asked Pudge.
"That's a mighty good idea, Pudge," said his father, "but the set wehave on the _Sea Eagle_ wouldn't carry as far as that."
"Then let's get on board again and fly back as quickly as possible. Weare only wasting time here," said Frank.
His suggestion was quickly acted upon, and the voyagers reembarked. Theywere a very different party from the pleasantly excited expedition thathad set out that morning so full of hope and enterprise. Frank alonekept up his spirits. He sat constantly at the wireless as they wingedtheir way back to New Orleans, incessantly trying to get intocommunication.
At last he caught the operator of the Harbor Master's office. Instantlyhe flashed his query:
"Did _Buenos Aires_ sail this a. m.?"
"Yes. Ship sailed early to-day."
"Where will she be now?"
"About off Fort Jackson, near the mouth of the river," came the reply."She has wireless, but it is out of order, so that I can't tell youexactly where she is right now."
"Thanks!" flashed Frank and disconnected.
He quickly communicated his tidings, and immediately a hasty, excitedconsultation followed. The result of it was that Dr. Perkins decided toground the _Sea Eagle_ in Algiers. This done, Ben would swear out awarrant before the most available justice, and then, if they could finda deputy nervy enough to make the trip, he was to be taken on board the_Sea Eagle_ and the _Buenos Aires_ overtaken before she got beyond thejurisdiction of the State.
But after landing in Algiers these plans were changed. It was decidedinstead to swear out a federal warrant, as there was grave danger of theship getting out of the State's power before they could overtake her. Onthe extraordinary circumstances being related to him, the U. S.Commissioner at New Orleans readily granted the warrant for the arrestof all three of the rascals. It now remained only to find a Deputy U. S.Marshal courageous enough to make the trip through the air.
The only one available seemed a bit doubtful.
"A trip in an aeroplane!" he said. "I've never taken such a journey andI'm scared of the blessed things. You see, I've got a wife and family,and----"
"Don't be afraid. There's really no danger, and we'll be over water mostof the way," urged Dr. Perkins.
The deputy seemed to come to a sudden conclusion. His eyes snapped andhis lips tightened.
"All right, I'll go with you!" he suddenly cried. "Wait till I 'phonethe missus and I'm your man. Those rascals played you a mean trick, andI'd like to see you win out."
The hearts of the adventurers gave a bound of hope. There was a chanceof seeing justice come into its own, after all.
* * * * *
The _Buenos Aires_, a fine ship of five thousand or more tons, droppedrapidly down the river. She had few cabin passengers, and of these onlythree were on deck. The remainder were in their cabins putting theirbelongings to rights.
These three men were the elder Daniels, his loutish son and Duval. Butthey all wore smart new clothes, and Duval had shaved off his mustache.As for the two Daniels, it is an example of what clothes can do to saythat they looked more like prosperous, rather countryfied commissiondealers than rugged fishermen from Maine.
"Let's have a look at them pearls again," Daniels was saying, after hehad given a cautious glance about him to make sure they were notobserved.
Duval reached into his pocket and drew out a canvas bag. From it hepoured out a number of black, lustrous objects, catching them in acupped hand.
"Twenty of the beauties," he exclaimed; "twenty black pearls--the rarestgems that come out of the ocean."
"What are they worth again?" asked the elder Daniels, licking his lipsanticipatively.
"Thirty thousand dollars at the least."
"Jiminy! Hold me, some one!" sputtered Zeb.
"And that, counting the gold dust in the cabin, makes a fortune of closeupon seventy-five thousand dollars we got out of that old hulk, don'tit?"
"That's right," answered Duval; "you fellows did a good day's work foryourselves when you knocked me on the head in that hut."
"Waal, I should say so. Let's go below and look at that gold again. Ikin hardly keep my fingers frum touching it. We're rich, boys, we'rerich!"
The three worthies disappeared below after Duval had carefully replacedthe black pearls in their bag. It was some hours later when they came upagain and the ship was passing the Port Ead's light.
"We're safe now," exclaimed Duval in a low tone; "even if they dodiscover the trick we've put up on em, they could never catch us now. Inanother two hours we'll be out on the gulf and by to-morrow we'll be outof reach of any one in Yankeeland."
"Hulloo, what's up astern?" asked Zeb suddenly. "What are they allpointing at?"
"Pointing at? What do you mean?" demanded Duval, suspicious as are mostguilty consciences of anything unusual.
"Something in the sky. Hark! They are shouting!"
"_Something in the sky!_"
Duval's face went white. His knees shook. By a flash of guilty intuitionhe had guessed what that something was, even if the next minute a shouthad not split the air.
"An aeroplane! It's an aeroplane!"
Duval's knees quivered under him. He trembled like a man with the palsy.Old Daniels came up to him hastily.
"Duval, they've sighted one of them airyoplanes--you don't think----"
"No, I don't _think_. I know," choked out Duval, "they are after us.Hark!"
From the distance came the sound of shots high up in the air. In replyto the signal--for such it was--the _Buenos Aires'_ whistle emitted threelong, mournful toots. Her engines began to slow down. As Duval felt thesteamer's speed check he dashed below to his cabin. As for Daniels, hestood rooted to the spot, his lips moving, but no speech coming fromthem. Zeb was nowhere to be seen.
Up on the _Buenos Aires'_ lofty flying bridge her officers, in themeantime, had been almost equally excited. They had seen the aeroplanesome time before; but as nowadays such craft are a fairly common sight,they had not paid overmuch attention to it. It was not till the unusualsize of the craft was revealed that they scrutinized it closely.
Then, as the big winged man-bird swung above the steamer's masts, hadcome the quick six pistol shots. An imperative signal, rightlyinterpreted "Stop!"
The whistle had replied and the vessel's way been checked as thejangling signals sounded in the engine-room, and "Slow down" flashed upon the telegraph.
"What do you want?" hailed the captain through a megaphone, as the _SeaEagle_--for of course our readers have guessed the identity of the craftof the air--swung above him.
"We want to board you with a United States warrant!" came the startlingreply from midair.
"A warrant! For some of my passengers?"
"Yes; for three men whom we have reason to believe booked passage asDaniel Maine and son and another one who calls himself Francis LeBlanc."
"I have three such men on board and recognize the authority of theUnited States. How will you board me?"
"We'll come alongside."
The captain looked as if he didn't understand how this was going to bedone, but gave orders to stop the ship, drop anchor and lower thegangway. This was done, and the _Sea Eagle_ dropped to the wateralongside with perfect precision. In the meantime, the wildestexcitement reigned on board. Rumors flew thick and fast as to the errandof the men from the air.
Lest it should be wondered how Dr. Perkins and his companions knew thenames under which the three rascals had sailed, we had better clear thismatter up. Before embarking in the _Sea Eagle_ in pursuit of the _BuenosAires_, a passenger list had been obtained from the offices of thesteamship company. It will be recalled that Francis Le Blanc was thealias, or false name, which Duval had used when in the employ of Mr.Sterrett on the yacht _Wanderer_. This gave them a clew, and when theycame across the names Daniel Maine and son, booked for an adjoiningcabin, there remained small doubt that those names concealed the twoDaniels.
The _Sea Eagle_ was soon made fast, and Marshal Howell, followed by Dr.Perkins and the two Boy Aviators, sprang up the gangway. The others theyhad been compelled to leave behind, as, with the three prisoners tocarry back, the _Sea Eagle_ would have been overcrowded.
As they reached the top of the gangway Captain Stow and his officersadvanced to meet them.
"To what am I indebted for the honor of this visit?" asked the seaman.
The marshal showed his authority and his warrant.
"We don't wish to detain you longer than necessary, captain," he said,"so will you have us shown to their cabins?"
The captain himself led the way below, and conducted them down acorridor to the stern of the ship. As they reached the end of thepassage a door was thrust suddenly open and a bullet whizzed pastFrank's head. At the same instant Zeb's figure appeared in the doorway.
But before he could fire another shot the marshal had wrested the pistolfrom him and burst into the cabin. Frank was close behind him. At a porthole was Duval; he had something in his hand and was just about to hurlit out of the port hole, when Frank, in one bound, was at his side andhad his arm captive. With a snarl like a wounded wild beast Duval turnedon him, whipping out a knife as he did so. But before any harm could bedone, Dr. Perkins seized and disarmed him.
It was speedily found that the bag which Frank had saved was the onecontaining the black pearls which Duval, in his extremity, haddetermined to throw away rather than let any one else gain theirpossession. The Marshal slipped the handcuffs on Zeb and Duval, whosubmitted sullenly to arrest. It was not till then that their thoughtsturned to the elder Daniels. He was not in his cabin, and search of theship failed to reveal him. The mystery was soon to be explained,however.
A boat with a colored oarsman had been lying alongside the steamerwaiting to take off the pilot. In the confusion old Daniels had openedthe bag of gold dust, selected a packet, and, dropping into the boat,told the negro to row him ashore to secure help for the officers. Thenegro naturally supposed that he was acting under proper instructions,and put the old fisherman ashore. He was never heard of again.
Zeb and Duval sullenly refused to utter a word, but ultimately, aftertheir return to New Orleans, Frank had an interview with Duval in hisprison cell, in which he made a clean breast of everything. FromBayhaven they had hastened south by fast trains, stopping on the way tobuy diving dress. The Acadian whom the boys had encountered in theswamps had guided them to the scene of the wreck, receiving one blackpearl as his reward.
Of the voyage back from the _Buenos Aires_ with the two prisoners notmuch can be said. It was made at a good rate of speed, and both Duvaland Zeb were docile. Indeed, there was no use in their being otherwise.On account of his youth and the pleadings of Dr. Perkins and the boys,Zeb got a light sentence in a reformatory institution, and it is hopedthat he will prove a far better character when he gets out. Duval wasmore severely dealt with, but even he got off more lightly than hedeserved, thanks to the clemency of the people he had wronged.
And so ends the story of the Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune in themost wonderful aeroplane constructed up to date. But no doubt, in therapid march of events, even the _Sea Eagle_ will soon be surpassed.Already, while this book goes to press, plans are being made by no lessthan four separate aviators to dare the terrors of a transatlanticpassage. Whether they will succeed or not is in the lap of the future,but the author is certain that some day flights across "The Pond" atseventy or eighty miles an hour will be so common as to attract butsmall attention.
Some of my readers doubtless wish to know how Ben disposed of hisfortune. Well, part of it he wisely invested in real estate, and therest he is thinking of putting into the company Dr. Perkins has formedto manufacture _Sea Eagles_. Mr. Sterrett is a member of the company,and so are the Boy Aviators. Naturally Ben's keen wish to have themshare some of his good fortune was refused, for, as we know, the BoyAviators' adventures in the past had netted them a good share of thisworld's goods. Billy Barnes is publicity agent at a good salary for the_Sea Eagle_ Company, Ltd., and the work just suits his tastes. As forPudge, he is as hard a worker as anybody at the plant on Brig Island,learning the business "from the bottom up."
And so, wishing them well in their future undertakings, we will heretake leave for the present of our friends, until we hear of them againin the next volume, entitled "The Boy Aviators with the Air Raiders."
THE END.