CHAPTER XXVIII--IN WHICH THE ENEMY SAILS AWAY
It was a startling discovery, and for the moment Dave and the othersdid not know what to do.
"Do you see anything of Captain Sanders, or Smiley?" questioned ourhero.
"Not a thing," returned the senator's son. "It's strange, too."
"Oh, cannot we stop them in some manner?" pleaded Giles Borden.
"Come on--we'll do what we can!" cried Phil.
"That's the talk!" put in old Billy Dill. "Oh, for a gatling gun thatwe might train on 'em!" he added.
All were calculating the distance to the shore. Between them and thewater was a slight hollow, overgrown with brushwood and vines. Howlong would it take to find a path through that hollow?
"No use in staying here," was Dave's comment. "We'll get theresomehow. But keep out of sight, if you can. We don't want them todiscover us until the last minute." All moved forward toward thehollow. By walking well over to the left they managed to keep adistant row of palms between themselves and those who were at thewater's edge.
But progress was slow, as all soon discovered. The hollow was atreacherous one, full of soft spots and pitfalls. Less than a hundredfeet had been covered when two of the sailors went down up to theirwaists, and a second later Roger followed.
"Hold on, Roger! I'll help you!" cried Dave, and he and Phil ran totheir chum's assistance. They did not dare to go near the soft spotand so all they could do was to throw the senator's son a stout vinefor use as a rope, and then haul him out by sheer strength. In themeantime the others went to the rescue of the two sailors, and theywere hauled out in similar fashion.
"This island certainly is the limit!" gasped Roger, when he was onfirm ground once more. "I wouldn't live here if they made me a presentof the whole thing!"
"That's right," returned Phil. "Because, if you lived here, you mightsome day find yourself buried before your time!" And this quaint wayof expressing it made all of the boys grin in spite of theirexcitement.
Beyond the hollow another difficulty confronted them. Here were somesharp rocks, with deep cuts between. They had to climb over the rockswith extreme care and do not a little jumping, all of which consumedmuch valuable time.
"They'll be off before we can reach them!" groaned Dave. "Oh, dohurry, fellows!"
"I'm coming as fast as I can!" answered Phil.
"So am I," added Roger.
"You ought to shoot at them, if they won't stop," put in Merwell.
"I'll do what I can," answered our hero. He was wondering how far thepresent situation would justify the use of firearms.
At last the rocks were left behind, and the crowd found themselves inthe fringe of palm trees lining the sandy shore.
"Do you see them?" queried Phil, who was getting winded from hisexertions.
"No, I don't," returned Dave. He had looked up and down the sandystrip in vain for a sight of the Englishmen and Jasniff.
Beyond the beach was the reef with the ever-present breakers and farbeyond this the ship they, had before sighted. The schooner lay-towith all sails lowered.
"There they are!" suddenly shouted Billy Dill. "Too late, boys, toolate!"
"Where? where?" came in a shout from the lads and from Giles Borden.
"Look out there, by the reef. Don't you see the small boat in thebreakers?" went on the old sailor, pointing with his bronzed hand.
All gazed in the direction he indicated, and Dave and Giles Bordencould not repress a groan of dismay. For, riding the swells of theocean, could be seen a small boat, manned by two sailors. In the boatsat four passengers.
"That's Jasniff, I am sure of it!" cried Phil.
"And those three men are the fellows who robbed me!" muttered GilesBorden. "Oh, what luck! Ten minutes too late!"
"Can't we follow them in some way?" asked Roger.
"I don't see how," answered Dave. "Our rowboat is on the other side ofthe island. Besides, even if we had a boat, I don't believe we couldcatch them before the schooner got underway. Oh, isn't it a shame!"And Dave fairly ground his teeth in helpless dismay.
"If we had a cannon!" murmured old Billy Dill. "A shot across the bowo' that craft would make the cap'n take warnin', I'm thinkin'!"
"Do you suppose any other boat is handy?" asked the Englishman.
"We might look," returned the senator's son.
All were about to run out on the beach when Dave suddenly called ahalt.
"Don't do it," he said. "If we can't follow them, it will be best forthe present not to show ourselves."
"How's that?" demanded Giles Borden. "It's a bloody shame to let themgo in this fashion."
"If they see us, they'll know we are after them and they'll sail awayas fast as possible," went on our hero. "If they don't see us, theymay take their time in getting away, and that will give us so muchbetter chance to catch them."
"Dave is right!" cried the senator's son. And the others agreed withhim, and all kept concealed behind the row of palms and the brushwoodand rocks. From that point they watched the small boat graduallyapproach the schooner until it was alongside. Then a rope ladder waslowered and the passengers mounted to the deck, after which therowboat was drawn up on the davits.
"What ship is that?" asked Phil.
"She is named the _Aurora_," answered Giles Borden.
"The _Aurora_!" exclaimed Billy Dill. "Do ye mean the _Aurora_, Cap'nJack Hunker?"
"Yes, that's the captain's name."
"Why, I know him!" went on the old tar. "Sailed with him once, in the_Peter Cass_,--afore he took command o' the _Aurora_. Say, Dave, heused to be a putty good man. I can't see how he would stand in withsech fellers as Jasniff an' them thievin' Britishers."
"Perhaps he doesn't know what scoundrels they are," returned our hero.
"Oh, they haven't told him the truth, depend upon that," said GilesBorden. "They have fixed up some story to pull the wool over his eyes.Most likely they'll tell him that I am the rascal of the party andthat is why I am to be left behind."
"If the captain of the _Aurora_ is all right, it may pay to signal tohim," mused Dave. "I wish I had known of this before."
"See! see! they are hoisting the sails!" cried Phil.
"If you are going to signal to the schooner, you had better do itpretty quick," advised Roger.
"I think I will. It can't hurt much--they are going to sail away,anyhow. Come on."
All ran out on the sandy beach, and Dave discharged his shotgun twiceas a signal. The others waved tree-branches and brushwood, and Phileven lit some of the latter, to make a smudge.
But if the signals were seen, no attention was paid to them. Those onthe schooner continued to hoist the sails, and presently the _Aurora_turned away, leaving Cave Island behind.
As the schooner moved off Dave's heart sank within him. On board ofthe craft was Jasniff, and the rascal had the larger portion of theCarwith jewels in his possession.
"It's a shame!" burst out Phil. "Oh, why didn't we get hold of Jasniffwhen you collared Link!"
"Where is your own ship?" asked Merwell. "Why don't you find her andfollow that crowd?" He felt as sour as ever over the thought that hehad been captured while his companion in crime had escaped.
"I wish the _Golden Eagle_ would come in," answered Dave. "I can'tunderstand what is keeping her, unless she suffered from that stormand had to lay to for repairs."
"And where do you suppose Captain Sanders and Smiley are?" put inRoger.
"I don't know. They may have fallen into one of the caves, or they mayhave been made prisoners by those who have sailed away."
"Prisoners? I never thought of that!" exclaimed Giles Borden. "Yes, itwould be just like Geswick and those other scoundrels to treat them inthat fashion."
"Well, it won't do us any good to remain here," went on our hero. "Wemay as well scatter and see if we can't locate the captain and theothers."
This was considered good advice and tired as the crowd was, all wenton the hunt, some up the shore and some down, and the others i
nland.
Dave and Roger walked down the shore, why neither could exactly tell.They passed the palms and brushwood, and leaving the sand, commencedto climb over some rocks. Then Dave began to shout.
At first no reply came to his calls, but presently he heard a groan,coming from behind the rocks.
"Let us see what it means!" he exclaimed to the senator's son, andthey hurried in the direction of the sound with all speed.
Back of the rocks was a grove of plantains, and in the center was theremains of a thatched hut, evidently built by natives years before. Onthe ground in front of this hut lay Captain Sanders and the sailor,Smiley. Each had his head bound up and each was nursing a bruisedankle.
"Captain Sanders!" cried Dave, in astonishment.
"Dave Porter!" returned the commander of the _Golden Eagle_, joyfully."My, but I am glad you have come!"
"You are hurt?"
"Yes. Those scoundrels attacked us from behind and knocked ussenseless."
"You mean those three Englishmen?"
"Yes, and that fellow Jasniff was with them."
"But your ankles are hurt, too?" went on Dave.
"We hurt them when we fell into one of the beastly caves, or holes. Wewere following Jasniff and the Englishmen, and also looking for youand the others. Then those rascals got behind us in some way, and thefirst thing I knew I got a whack behind the ear that knocked meunconscious."
"And I got the same," said Smiley. "Oh, I wish I had my hands on thosevillains!"
"They have sailed away," said Roger.
"Away!" cried the captain. "How?"
In a few brief words our hero and his chum told of the advance to thebeach and of what they and the others had witnessed. Captain Sandersshook his head, soberly.
"That's too bad," he said. "They've got a good start and it will behard to follow them."
"How can we follow them, when the _Golden Eagle_ isn't here?" saidDave.
"But she is here--on the other side of the island."
"Oh, are you sure?" cried our hero.
"Yes. I saw her coming in,--when we were on one of the hills. She wasminus her foretopmast, which shows she must have suffered some in thathurricane."
"If that's the case, let us get to her with all possible speed, goaboard, and follow the _Aurora_," returned Dave.