Читать книгу The Secret Chart; or, Treasure Hunting in Hayti - Otis James - Страница 5

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It is not to be supposed that the boys escaped a severe attack of seasickness when the Day Dream was tossing about on the Atlantic swell.

Both had indulged in a certain amount of yachting in the river and sound; but the violent leaps and plunges of the schooner were something so entirely different from what they had been accustomed to, that all power of resistance was lost immediately giddiness and nausea seized their victims.

Therefore it was that the first two days out were not particularly enjoyed by the boys; but, at the expiration of that time, even the suggestion of fried salt pork failed to disturb them, and once more they were in a condition to speculate upon the possibility of finding a buried treasure.

That old Andy had not succeeded in going ashore they knew, because of having seen him several times; but his fears had not been allayed, as could be told by the expression on his face. He had the appearance of one who fancies he is menaced by a sudden and immediate danger, and glanced from time to time over his shoulder, looking, as Nelse expressed it, “as if he believed half-a-dozen pirates were trying to sneak up on him.”

Half-an-hour after their first appearance on deck since the yacht left Sandy Hook, the boys paid the cook a visit, and hardly were they inside the galley when he broached the subject uppermost in his mind by asking:

“Has you’se done gone tole de captin ’bout wha’s gwine ter happen ef dis yere schooner fools ’roun’ de shore ob Hayti?”

“We haven’t done much of anything else than attend to our stomachs for the last two days, Andy,” Gil replied, with a laugh. “Why don’t you speak to him about it?”

“I’se had ernough ob dat kin’ ob work. De night we done lef’ port I tole him as how dis nigger wouldn’t stay aboard, an’ by jes’ de po’est kin’ ob luck dere was a rope’s end handy fur him to grab.”

Andy rubbed his back, thus preventing any necessity for further disclosures, and the boys laughed heartily, thereby causing the old man to lose his temper.

“Dere ain’ no fun in dem tings, an’ de captin’s gwine ter fin’ out de se’rus side ob life ef he keeps dis yere craf’ headed like she am now.”

“It’s foolish for you to trouble your head about what we may find in Hayti,” Nelse replied, earnestly, “for even in case we should touch at the very spot where these voudoos hang out, you needn’t go ashore.”

“Dey kin cum at yer anywhere,” Andy said, with an ominous shake of the head, and then he turned so suddenly, in order to look over his shoulder, lest the phantoms of the pirates should be pursuing him, that he nearly toppled headlong.

As a matter of course, the boys enjoyed this hugely, and their mirth only served to kindle his wrath anew.

He closed his thick lips tightly, as if to say he would not allow himself to be coaxed into speaking again, and Gil was on the point of trying to soothe him, when a shout from above caused him to remain silent.

“The captain says the boys are to come on deck and see what we have picked up.”

Gil and Nelse obeyed hurriedly, and were not a little surprised at seeing nothing more than a dead bird lying on the main hatch.

“Did you shoot it?” Gil cried, in surprise, wondering how it happened that they had not heard the report of firearms.

“It was dead, floating, and we picked it up,” Captain Mansfield replied.

“What for?”

“I saw something red had been tied under the poor thing’s wing, and wanted to find out what it meant. By doing so, we shall be able to rescue several unfortunate men from considerable suffering, if not death.”

“What do you mean?” Gil asked, in astonishment, and in reply his father held up a small piece of brown paper.

“This was what we found wrapped in a tarred cloth, with a bit of red flannel to attract attention. The cord was a piece of gut, which has swelled until the messenger choked to death.”

Gil took the paper almost reverentially, and, as Nelse looked over his shoulder, read the following:

Shipwrecked men on Walker Key at the northern slope of Little Bahama Banks, dying from thirst.

This message from the sea, brought by a bird, and discovered only by the merest chance, caused the boys the most intense astonishment, and Gil asked, breathlessly:

“Do you believe it can be true, father?”

“People do not do such things for sport. It must have cost them considerable labor and ingenuity to catch this gull, and if they are yet alive, we’ll soon relieve their sufferings.”

“Are you heading for there now?”

“Yes, and it is very nearly a true course for us. We had only to shift the helm a couple of points.”

“When shall we arrive?”

“To-morrow noon, if this wind holds. Go into the cabin, and by looking at the chart which is spread out on the table, you will learn exactly where the sufferers were when this gull was set free.”

The boys went below, after looking once more at the bird which had performed its mission, even in death, and then it was not difficult to ascertain very nearly the position of the schooner, for the course had been traced in pencil on the chart up to that morning.

“We can’t be delayed very long,” Gil said, after they had gratified their curiosity, “for if the men are yet alive they’ll be ready to leave the key at a moment’s notice; but I suppose it will be necessary to put them ashore somewhere before we go to Hayti.”

“You are talking as if we knew exactly where to find the place marked out on the paper we found.”

“Well, don’t we?”

“I wouldn’t like to say that I do.”

“It doesn’t seem as if there could be any question about it. The piece of newspaper referred to what had taken place on the Tortuga de Mar, and the fragment of chart showed that island——”

“Yes, and a portion of Hayti as well.”

“But the drawing represents a small body of land.”

“Look at it again, and you’ll see that only a part has been shown. How do you know it does not represent the end of some other key?”

“The newspaper shows that.”

“I don’t think so,” Nelse replied, firmly. “What we read was the story of how buccaneering first came about, and, of course, it was necessary to speak of the small key where it had its birth.”

“If that was its only use, why did the owner of the things we found keep it so carefully?”

“Probably to show his shipmates that at least a portion of his story was true.”

Until this moment Gil had had but little time to speculate upon the supposed treasure, owing to the fact of his having been taken sick so soon after the discovery in the attic was made, and now a very unpleasant doubt came into his mind.

It no longer seemed such an easy matter to find the place designated, and he began to fear the treasure hunting would be brought to an end before it had really commenced.

“I shall believe the Tortuga de Mar is the place until we have searched over it pretty well,” Gil said, after a long pause. “Then, if nothing is found, we’ll say the drawing must refer to some spot on the island of Hayti.”

“But what about the voudoos which are causing Andy so much alarm?”

“What’s that?” a voice asked from the companionway, and an instant later Captain Mansfield was in the cabin. “Where did you boys ever hear anything about voudoos?”

“Andy says they’ll kill us if we attempt so much as to anchor near where any pirate hoard is supposed to be hidden,” Gil replied, with a laugh.

“So that is why he insists on being put ashore?” the captain said, half to himself.

“Is there any real reason why he should be afraid?” Nelse asked.

“Certainly not. It is true that there are a large number of negroes, more especially in Hayti, who believe in that sort of mummery; but you can hunt for the treasure just as long as you please without fear of being molested by any of them.”

“And you are willing we should make the attempt?”

“Dig away as much as you please; but I fancy a couple of days’ work will give you all the searching that’s needed.”

“Will you help us find the spot as shown by the drawing?”

“I’ll spend a short time at it, providing we have safe anchorage for the schooner.”

This was even more than Gil had dared to hope, and his spirits revived wonderfully.

“Then we shan’t have any trouble in bringing away a lot of gold,” he cried, and from that moment until it was time to retire, save when they were eating, he and Nelse studied the tracing on the piece of brown paper.

When the boys “turned in,” the wind was blowing steadily from the same quarter as when the message from the shipwrecked ones was received, and there appeared to be no doubt but that the Day Dream would make the key at the time set by Captain Mansfield.

Even the idea of the treasure did not prevent the boys from thinking very much of the sufferers, whom they hoped to be able to relieve, and on awakening next morning, the first question was as to whether the necessary rate of speed had been maintained.

“We’ll be there on time,” Captain Mansfield replied, cheerily. “Before twelve o’clock we shall have performed a good deed at the expense of but little trouble, or have the satisfaction of knowing we did all that was possible, under the circumstances.”

Old Andy seemed to have resolved that he would find cause for fear in everything which happened.

“We’se gwine straight to de debble,” he grumbled, when the boys spoke with him about the shipwrecked men. “Dere’s no use ter try an make me tink a bird knowed enuf after he was dead, to float alongside dis yere schooner so’s we could get de writin’, kase it don’ stan’ to reason.”

“That part of it was chance, of course,” Gil replied, “and I can’t see that there is anything strange in the men doing all they could to attract attention.”

“Wha’ men?”

“Those who have been shipwrecked.”

“Dere’s sumfin wrong ’bout de whole bizness, kase where’s de sailor man what kin ketch a gull? I’se tellin’ you, honey, dat de voudoos hab foun’ out whar we was gwine, an’ am beginnin’ to——”

He did not have an opportunity to finish the sentence, for at this point the boys literally roared with laughter, and he turned away indignantly, refusing to speak again until some one from the deck shouted:

“The key is in sight. If you boys want to get the first glimpse of the shipwrecked sailors, it is time you were tumbling up here.”