“It will take us some time to dig for them, for we don’t know exactly where to look,” I continued, reflectively, “so our best plan will be to go down to the beach and discover what has become of Daggett and his crew, and whether they’re liable to come back here before night.”
The black readily agreed to this, so we at once left the cave and continued along the ledge until we reached the sand.
The path became quite broad in this part, and our descent was therefore concluded very rapidly.
Once on the shore we walked briskly along until we had turned the bend in the beach, which curved to follow the lines of a little bay. Here we paused, for a long stretch of the beach was now opened to our gaze.
From this point the shore widened out, for the precipitous mainland shrank backward and decreased gradually in height until, a half mile or so further on, it reached the level plain and merged into a deep forest which grew almost down to the edge of the sea.
No human being was in sight, so we naturally concluded that the robbers had entered the forest.
Being curious to discover what they were doing, without hesitation we decided to follow them, and their path was easily traced by the footprints in the sand. These led straight to the forest, and although somewhat fearful that the enemy would discover our presence, we proceeded to walk boldly around the shore of the little bay until we came to the edge of the trees.
A sound of voices, mingled with the strokes of the axes, now guided us, and stealthily creeping among the thick underbrush we soon discovered the robbers busily at work.
Judson and Dandy Pete were trimming the branches from a fallen tree-trunk, while the others were rolling and dragging another big log toward the sea, the glistening waters being perceptible but a few yards away. Evidently the men were intending to build a raft, and after listening for a few minutes to their disjointed conversation we learned that the raft was designed to convey them and their stolen wealth to the ship.
While Daggett, Larkin and Bry tugged and dragged at the log, Nux and I crept away to the shore, where we found two big logs already lying upon the sands. Also we could now plainly see, sheltered in another bay, the “Flipper” lying quietly at her anchorage, as Nux had wisely predicted.
The schemes of the robbers were now fully explained. Under cover of the forest by day, and hidden in their cave by night, they intended to complete the raft, and when it was ready it would not be difficult to steal away to the ship with the treasure, under cover of darkness, hoist the sails, and creep out to sea, bidding defiance to the Major and his comrades and leaving the miners and the “Flipper’s” crew to perish on the lonely island.
But the construction of the raft would require time—several days, at least—for after getting the logs to the shore they must be fastened together by cross-strips secured with wooden pegs, since there was not enough rope in their possession to bind the tree-trunks together.
Once more returning to a part of the underbrush near which the men were employed, Nux and I settled ourselves to listen attentively to their conversation.
Presently we heard Daggett say:
“This rate we’ll have the raft ready by Saturday, and Saturday night we’ll take the ship.”
“It’s beastly hard work!” growled Dandy Pete, brushing with his sleeve the sweat from his brow.
“Yes; but it means liberty and riches to every one of us,” said Daggett, and that was an argument none cared to deny.
Just then I was startled at hearing low voices just beside me and instinctively I touched the black’s shoulder and we crouched lower in the bushes. Nux, indeed, with a woodsman’s instinct, was quite flat upon the ground, lifeless and invisible, and I strove to imitate him.
“It’s as easy as can be,” said the voice, which I recognized as that of Larkin. “We’ll let the fools work until the raft is finished, and then we’ll put our knives in their hearts, and have the gold for ourselves.”
“How about Bry?” asked Judson, hoarsely whispering to his murderous comrade.
“Oh, he won’t interfere any,” was the reply. “And we need the nigger to help us work the ship.”
“Can three of us manage the vessel?”
“Of course, with good weather. We’ll have to take our chances of a storm, but the fewer there are to divide up, the bigger our fortunes will be. We won’t give the nigger a cent, but go halves on the whole thing. Perhaps we can sell the ship, too, for a good sum.”
“All right; I’m with you!” declared Judson, with an oath; and then the two conspirators crept away and rejoined the others, unconscious that their diabolical plot had been overheard.
CHAPTER XII.
WE RECOVER THE GOLD.
Thinking over the matter, I decided to return at once to the cave. The thieves would doubtless be occupied in the forest until sundown, and such a chance as this to secure possession of the gold might never occur again. For if Daggett or his men chanced to see our footprints in the sand, or suspected they were being spied upon, they would be liable to leave a guard in the cave thereafter.
So we softly crept from the forest and made our way back by the same route we had come, taking care to tread in the trail made by the robbers, so that our footprints could be less easily distinguished. We did not feel entirely safe from observation until we had regained the column of rock which towered into the air beside the precipitous cliff; but once our feet were on the narrow ledge both I and my faithful Sulu breathed easier, and with more deliberation accomplished the ascent to the cave.
“Now,” said I, “we must work carefully, so that no spot of sand can escape us; for the thieves have taken care to disturb the surface everywhere, in order to throw any chance visitor to this hiding-place off the track. But we know the gold is buried in this cave, Nux, so it ought not to be a very hard job to find it.”
Nux nodded, with his usual complaisance.
“We begin in back,” he suggested, “and work front.”
This seemed sensible, so I followed the black to the far end of the cavern, and falling upon our knees we immediately began digging with our hands into the soft sand.
For nearly an hour we steadily worked, finding nothing at all. Then, as I stopped to rest, I cast a careless glance along the rocky sides of the cave and thought that I saw a white mark upon the wall, a few feet toward the front. Springing to my feet I approached this point and discovered that a small cross had been made with a piece of chalk or a bit of white limestone.
“Here we are, Nux!” I cried, joyfully and at once began digging in the sand beneath the mark. A few minutes work proved that my sudden suspicion was correct; for Nux, who had straightway joined me, dragged one of the sacks to light, while I discovered another just beside it.
It was part of the stolen gold, sure enough, and my heart beat fast with excitement as I realized that the precious hoard was once more in my possession.
Only a part had been hidden in this place, we found; but now we had an unmistakeable clew to guide us, so that we had little difficulty in finding a second secret mark that resulted in the discovery of the balance of the treasure, as well as the sacks of provisions.
When all had been unearthed Nux asked:
“What we do now, Mars Sam?”
“Why, carry it away, of course,” I answered, joyous and elate.
“Where?” enquired the black, simply.
I looked at him in surprise, and then realizing the meaning of the question, grew thoughtful again.
“You’re right, Nux,” said I. “It’s going to be a harder task than I thought. We can’t pass by the forest with it, that’s certain; for Daggett and his followers would be sure to see us. On the other side, the cliff rises straight out of the sea, and there’s no way to escape around it. All we can do, then, is to carry the gold to the top of this rock.”
“Hm!” granted the Sulu. “Dat no good, Mars Sam.”
“Why not?”
“No way to get off top of rock.”
“True; but we can hide there, ’till the thieves go away to the ship. It isn’t likely they’ll climb up there again, for this cave is a better place to sleep in.”
Nux seemed unconvinced, and I had none too much confidence in my own assertion.
“Tonight,” said the black, in a dismal tone, “dey hunt for de gold. All gone. Robber very mad. Dey look ev’rywhere; den dey find us on rock. Den dey kill us.”
“That’s a pretty tough prophecy, Nux,” I returned, as cheerfully as I could. “And it sounds likely enough, I confess. We’ve got the gold again, to be sure; but the robbers have got us; so we’re worse off than we were before.”
Nux took a lump of bread from a provision sack and begun to munch it leisurely. Noticing the action, and remembering that I also was hungry, I proceeded to follow the black’s example.
While we ate, however, my Sulu was busily thinking, and so was I. As a result I presently gave my leg a delighted slap and began to laugh.
Nux looked at me with a grin of sympathy upon his black features.
“What’s matter, Mars Sam?”
“Nux,” said I, checking my amusement and trying to look grave and impressive, “there’s an old saying that ‘there’s never a lock so strong but there’s a key to fit it’. In other words, while there’s life there’s hope; never give up the ship; every sky has a silver lining!”
Nux looked puzzled.
“That’s a lovely pair of trousers you’re wearing, Nux,” I continued, in a jocular strain. “They’re made of the stoutest cloth Uncle Naboth could find in San Francisco, and I gave them to you out of the ship’s stores only three or four days ago, because your old ones were so ragged.”
Nux glanced at his wide-legged blue trousers and nodded.
“Now, old man,” said I, “you’ve often told me you used to go bare-legged and bare-backed in your own island, so I’m going to ask you to go bare-legged a little while now, and lend me those trousers.”
“Wha’ for, Mars Sam?”
“To put the gold grains in, of course. The robbers may look for the sacks of gold, when they come back, but they’re pretty sure not to open them. Therefore, my friend we’ll fix it so that they’ll think their gold is all safe.”
“How, Mars Sam?”
“By filling the sacks with sand, and burying them again where we found them.”
Nux looked at me admiringly, and grinned until his mouth stretched from ear to ear and displayed every one of his white teeth.
“Good, Mars Sam!” he cried, and at once stripped the trousers from his legs.
I now hunted in the pockets of my jacket and brought out several small bits of cord, which I knotted firmly together. Then I tied the legs of Nux’s trousers tightly at the bottoms, thus transforming them into a double sack of great capacity.
It did not take us long to transfer the gold dust from the canvas bags to the trouser-legs, and as soon as this task was accomplished we refilled the bags with sand and tied up as before. I was obliged to tear away a part of my own shirt to get material with which to tie the upper part of the trousers, for I did not wish to deprive poor Nux of his entire apparel. The Sulu looked funny enough, dressed only in his shoes and shirt, with his black legs between them, and more than once I was obliged to pause and laugh heartily at my comrade’s appearance. But Nux didn’t seem to mind, and soon the seriousness of our position and the necessity to hasten caused me to forget the queer costume of my follower.
We abstracted but a slender supply of provisions from the sacks, for we did not wish to arouse suspicion by taking too much. The next task was to bury the sacks of sand and the provisions exactly as they had been before, and to smooth over the surface of the sand and trample it down just as we had found it when we first entered the cave.
This being accomplished to our complete satisfaction, Nux lifted the heavy gold over his shoulder, one leg hanging behind his back and one in front, and started to mount the narrow ledge of rock with his burden, while I followed close behind to render any assistance I could.
The Sulu was a wonderfully strong man; but his task was a difficult one; although I tried to relieve him in the worst places by lifting a part of the heavy load.
Our progress was slow, for poor Nux had to stop frequently to put down his load and rest, and it was while we were on the outer surface of the rock, which faced the sea, that we were suddenly startled by hearing sounds that assured us the robbers were returning from the forest. Much time had been consumed in the cave, searching for the treasure and securing it, and now I began to fear we had delayed too long.
A hazardous climb.
Just at this time the men could not see us; but as soon as they mounted the ledge and began to wind around the tower of rock, they would be sure to catch sight of our forms, and then our fate would be sealed.
“Nux,” I whispered, “pick up the gold and be ready to start. As soon as the thieves get back to the ledge we must go on, and keep the rock always between us and them, or we shall be lost.”
Nux nodded, and obeyed without a word. It was often hard to tell, by the sound of their voices, just how far up the ledge the men had progressed; but fortune favored us, and only once did we lag behind enough for the first of the robber band to espy us. But that first person, by good luck, proved to be Bryonia, and the clever black at once pretended to stumble and fall, and so held the men that followed him in check until Nux and I had escaped around the crag.
Soon after this the robbers reached the cave, which they entered, thus enabling us to reach the top of the crag at our leisure.
Nux was nearly spent when at last he threw the laden trousers upon the flat top and tried to draw his tired body after them; but I gave him a hearty boost from behind, and then scrambled to the top unaided, nerved by the excitement of the moment.
For several minutes neither of us spoke. The black man lay panting for breath, with the perspiration streaming from every pore of his body, and I, filled with gratitude at our escape and the successful accomplishment of our plan, sat beside my faithful friend and fanned him with my straw hat.
The sun was sinking fast, by this time, and the shadows of the three tall pine trees that grew upon this isolated peak fell upon the spot where we rested, and cooled our sun-parched bodies.
Although at times a rough laugh or a shouted curse reached our ears from the cavern below, there was no indication that Daggett or his band had yet made the discovery that the place had been visited in their absence, and the treasure for which they had risked so much abstracted from its sandy grave.
When twilight fell I arose and with some difficulty rolled the trousers to a place nearer the center of the rock, where there was a small natural hollow; and then Nux and I sat beside it and ate again sparingly of the food we had brought.
It was while we were thus occupied that an incident occurred that filled us with sudden panic. For before our faces a man’s head appeared above the edge of rock, and two dark eyes glared fixedly into our own.
At the moment I almost screamed with fright, so unnerved had my recent adventures rendered me; but Nux laid his broad hand across my mouth and arrested the outcry.
“It’s Bry,” he whispered, and even as he spoke the newcomer drew himself over the edge and crept on all fours to our side. I had no trouble in recognizing the friendly features then.
“Oh, Bry!” I said—softly, so as not to be heard by the robbers below—and clasped the black hands fervently in both my own.
Bry squatted beside us, his kindly face wreathed in smiles.
“Dey send me up here to see if anyone ’round,” he whispered. “In a minute I go back and say ‘no.’”
“Can’t you stay with us, Bry?” I asked, pleadingly.
“Not yet, Mars Sam. Dey very bad mans, down dere. Dey kill you quick if dey find you.”
“We’ve got the gold, Bry!”
“I know. I see you in de wood; I follow your footprints all way home; I see you climbin’ up rock. Den I see de sand been dig up, so I knew you got gold.”
“Did they suspect us at all, Bry?”
“No, Mars Sam. Dey too busy tryin’ to kill each other. All want to have gold for himself, so all try to kill everyone else. Very bad mans, Mars Sam.”
“They’re going to take you on the ship, and make you sail it,” said I.
Bry laughed, silently.
“I stay with them now, so they not find you,” he said. “But when right time come I steal away an’ come back to you. Did you fill sack with sand, Mars Sam?” glancing enquiringly at the stuffed trousers.
“Yes.”
“That good,” said Bry, approvingly. “They dig up one, when they come back, to see if all safe. Then they hide it again. Very good way to fool bad mans.”
“But we can’t leave here until they go away,” I remarked.
“No. Must be careful. Tomorrow they finish raft. Tomorrow night they go to ship. You stay here and hide till then. After de bad mans go, I come back to you, and we go to camp again.”
“All right, Bry,” said I, as cheerfully as possible.
Then the black bade us good-bye and returned to the cave to report to Daggett that no one was to be seen anywhere about. And now Nux and I, wearied by the adventures of the day, but buoyed by the hope that we might finally escape with the recovered gold, lay down upon the rocky eminence and, bathed by the moon’s silver rays, slept peacefully until morning.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CATASTROPHE.
I was awakened by the voices of the robbers, who were leaving the cave early in order to complete their raft by nightfall. It was evident that they had not suspected our intrusion into their retreat, or the fact that their stolen treasure had been taken from them. Indeed, they seemed in high spirits, especially Larkin and Judson, who were doubtless eager to carry out their nefarious plan of murdering their comrades as soon as the work on the raft was finished. Daggett might also harbor a conspiracy to secure the bulk of the treasure and probably all the members of the evil band were looking forward to this coming night to end their suspense and give them an advantage one over the other. “Honor among thieves” has often been quoted; but in this instance, as in many others that could be mentioned, the thieves were as lacking in honor as they were in honesty.
From my elevated perch I watched them file along the ledge to the sands, and upon reaching the level set off toward the forest. Not till they were well out of sight did Nux or I venture to rise upright and stretch our limbs.
The morning was warm and sultry. The sun gleamed hot in a cloudless sky and not a breath of air stirred the leaves of the three tall trees that stood at the edge of our towering rock.
“It’s going to be a roasting day,” I said to Nux, “and we won’t get any shade from those trees until afternoon. Do you suppose we dare go down to the cave for a while.”
Nux shook his head.
“We all safe now, Mars Sam,” he replied. “Better not run no risk wid dis yeah gold dust.”
Thoughtfully I gazed toward the forest.
“Those fellows will be cool and comfortable enough in the shade,” I remarked, rebelliously, “and I don’t believe they’ll come back through the hot sun until it’s time to get the treasure. Let’s go down to the sea and take a swim.”
Nux was unable to resist the temptation; so, leaving the trousers full of golden grains resting on top of the rock, we made our way cautiously along the narrow, winding ledge until we reached the shore.
There was not a ripple on the sea. It lay as still and inert as a sheet of glass; but the water was cool, nevertheless, when compared with the stifling atmosphere, and so I and my black companion paddled in it for more than an hour, feeling much refreshed by our luxurious bath.
Afterward we ate our simple breakfast and then climbed the ledge as far as the mouth of the cave, where we sat down in the shade. Even that slight exertion quite exhausted us.
“We will be sure to hear them if they should by chance return,” said I, “and we’ll certainly be roasted if we get on top of this rock, where the sun can strike us. I believe it’s the hottest day I ever knew.”
Meantime the men in the forest were finding their work far from pleasant, as Bryonia afterward told us. They were shaded from the sun, it is true; but the air they breathed was as hot as if it came fresh from an oven, and the least exertion caused the perspiration to stream from their pores. So there was considerable grumbling among them and a general shirking of work that made their progress slow. Even Bryonia, who was fairly heat-proof, found he had little energy to swing his axe, although he made a pretense of working as industriously as ever.
“Never mind, boys,” said Daggett, when noon had arrived and they were eating the luncheon they had brought in their pockets. “The raft will be big enough to carry us and the gold to the ship, I’m sure, for the sea is as still as a mill-pond. We’ll just get these two logs to the shore, and fasten them to the others, and call the thing a go. What do you say?”
They agreed with him readily enough. As a matter of fact the raft might suffice to carry them all, but none of them believed that all five would embark upon it, so many murderous schemes were lurking in their minds.
Wearily they dragged the two logs toward the sea, but much time was consumed in this operation, and the day was far spent before the raft was complete and ready to launch.
Most of the men had stripped themselves naked, to work more comfortably, for the heat was well-nigh unbearable; but now, as they stood ready to push the raft into the water, the sun suddenly disappeared and a cold chill swept over them.
“We’re going to have a storm,” cried Daggett, looking curiously into the sky. “Better leave the raft where it is, my lads, and make for the cave.”
The warning was unquestionable. Already a low, moaning sound came to their ears across the sea, and the sky grew darker each moment.
With one accord the men seized their clothing in their arms and ran along the beach toward the cave, while tiny points of lightning darted here and there about them, casting weird if momentary gleams upon their naked forms.
Nux and I sitting half asleep by the mouth of the cave, were warned by the first chill blast that swept over us that the weather had changed and a storm was imminent. Springing to my feet I looked fearfully at the darkening sky.
“What’ll we do, Nux?” I asked. “This will bring our enemies back here in double-quick time.”
“Better climb on top de rock, Mars Sam,” advised the Sulu.
“But it’ll rain—floods and torrents, probably—and thunder and lightning besides.”
“’Spect it will, Mars Sam. But rain wont hurt us much.”
“And Daggett’s gang will, if they catch us. I guess you’re right, Nux. Come along.”
As we started along the ledge the wind came upon us in sudden gusts, and the sky grew so dark that we almost had to feel our way. It was necessary to exercise great care, both to find a secure footing and to cling fast to the face of the rock, to prevent our being blown into the abyss below; but we struggled manfully on, and presently reached the top, where Nux hoisted me over the edge and then scrambled after me.
By this time the lightning was playing all around us, and we were obliged to crawl carefully on hands and knees to the little hollow in the center of the rock, where we were to an extent shielded from the fierce gusts of wind. Even then I feared we would be blown away; but Nux shouted in my ear to hold fast to the gold, which served as a sort of anchor, and enabled us both, as we lay flat in the hollow, to maintain our positions securely.
And now the lightning began to be accompanied by sharp peals of thunder, while the wind suddenly subsided to give place to wild floods of rain. At intervals could be heard the shouts of the robbers, who had reached the rocks and were creeping along the ledge to their cave. All the elements seemed engaged in a confused turmoil, until I was nearly deafened by the uproar. I tried to ask a question of Nux, but could not hear my own voice, and gave up the attempt. The thought crossed my mind that we had been very foolish to climb to this peak of rock, where we were exposed to the full fury of the storm, and I wondered vaguely, as I clung to the sack of gold we had risked so much to secure, how long it would be before the wind swept us away, or we would be annihilated by a bolt of lightning.
Presently an arm was laid across my back, as if to protect me, and raising my head I saw by the light of a vivid flash that Bryonia had joined us and was lying in the hollow at my side.
I wondered how the daring Sulu had ever managed to reach us; but the strong arm gave me a new sense of security, and impulsively I seized the black man’s hand and pressed it to express my gratitude and welcome.
An instant later a terrible crash sounded in my ears, while at the same time a blast of fire swept over the rock and seemed to bathe our three prostrate figures in its withering flame. Again came a crash; and another—and still another, while the crisp lightning darted through the air and made each nerve of our bodies tingle as if pricked by myriads of needle points.
Half bewildered, I raised my head, and saw the great rocking-stone sway from side to side and then plunge headlong into the gulf that lay between the precipice and the solitary rock whereon we reclined. And I felt the mighty column of rock shake and lean outward, as if about to topple into the sea, while the impact of the fallen mass reverberated above the shriek of the wind and the thunder’s loudest roar.
Instinctively I braced myself for the end—the seemingly inevitable outcome of this terrible catastrophe; but to my surprise no violent calamity overwhelmed us. Instead, the lightning, as if satisfied with its work of destruction, gradually abated. The blinding flashes no longer pained my closed eyes with their vivid recurrence, and even the wind and rain moderated and grew less violent.
CHAPTER XIV.
BURIED ALIVE.
Terrified beyond measure by the awfulness of the storm, I gave little heed to the fact that the rocky hollow in which I lay with the two faithful blacks had filled with water, so that our bodies were nearly covered by the pool that had formed. My head still rested on the trousers packed with gold, and one arm was closely clasped around a leg containing the treasured metal grains. So I lay, half dazed and scarcely daring to move, while the rain pattered down upon us and the storm sobbed itself out by degrees.
I must have lost consciousness, after a time, for my first distinct recollection is of Bryonia drawing my body from the pool to lay it on a dryer portion of the rock, where the overhanging trees slightly sheltered me. The sky had grown lighter by now, and while black streaks of cloud still drifted swiftly across the face of the moon, there were times when the great disc was clear, and shed its light brilliantly over the bleak and desolate landscape.
Within an hour the rain had ceased altogether, and stars came out to join the moon; but still we lay motionless atop the peak of rock, worn out by our struggles with the elements and fitfully dozing in spite of the horrors we had passed through.
Bry was first to arouse, and found the sun shining overhead. There was no wind and the temperature of the morning air was warm and genial. The black’s legs pained him, for in his terrible climb up the rock during the storm a jagged piece of rock had cut his thigh and torn the flesh badly. He had not noticed it until now, but after examining the wound he bathed it in the water of the pool and bound it up with a rag torn from his shirt.
While he was thus occupied Nux sat up and watched him, yawning. They spoke together in low tones, using the expressive Sulu language, and had soon acquainted each other with the events that had occurred since they separated. Their murmured words aroused me to a realization of the present, and having partially collected my thoughts I began to rub my eyes and look wonderingly around me.
The top of the rock was no longer flat, but inclined toward the sea. The three tall trees also inclined that way, instead of growing upright, and the neighboring cliff of the mainland seemed further removed from us than before. Something appeared to be missing in the landscape, and then I suddenly remembered how the rocking-stone had leaped into the gulf during the storm.
“All safe?” I asked, looking at my black friends gratefully.
“All safe,” answered Bry, smiling.
“It was a dreadful night,” I continued, with a shudder. “Have you heard anything from the robbers yet?”
“No, Mars Sam.”
“They’re probably sleeping late. Anyhow, they can’t have gone away on the raft yet.”
Bry shook his head.
“All very wicked mans, Mars Sam,” he said. “Even in big storm, while we climb up to cave, Mars Daggett tell me to go behind Pete an’ push him off rock.”
“The villain!” I exclaimed, indignantly.
“He tell me if I not push Pete off, he kill me,” continued Bry, with a grin.
“What did you do?”
“When they run into cave, I run by it, an’ come here. That’s all, Mars Sam.”
“You did well, Bry. If they climb up here after you, we’ll fight them to the death.”
“No climb rock any more, Mars Sam,” said Bry, soberly.
“Why not?”
“See how rock tip? Only fly can climb rock now.”
“I believe you’re right, Bry!” I cried, startled at this dreadful assertion; “and, if so, we’re prisoners here. Let us see what it looks like.”
I crawled rather stiffly down the inclined surface to the edge overlooking the sea, and one glance showed me that it would now be impossible for anyone to walk along the narrow ledge.
While I looked a sharp cry of horror from Nux reached my ears, and swiftly turning I hastened with Bry toward the place where the black was leaning over the gulf that separated the peak from the mainland.
“What is it, Nux?” I asked, anxiously.
But the Sulu only stood motionless, pointing with one finger into the abyss, while his eyes stared downward with an expression of abject fear.
We both followed his gaze, and one glance was sufficient to fully acquaint us with the awful catastrophe the vengeance of the storm had wrought.
The huge rocking-stone, weighing thousands of tons, which for ages had remained delicately balanced upon the edge of the chasm, had been struck by a bolt of lightning and torn from its base. Crashing into the gulf, a point of the great, wedge-shaped boulder had entered the mouth of the cave where the desperadoes sought shelter, and, crowded forward by its own weight, it had sealed up the robbers in a living grave, from whence no power of man could ever rescue them.
It was this mighty wedge, crowded into the space between the slender peak and the main cliff, that had caused the former to lean outward; and in one comprehensive look we were able to read the whole story of the night’s tragedy—a tragedy we had instinctively felt in the crash of the storm, but could only realize now.
“Poor fellows!” I whispered, softly, forgetting in my awe that they had been our relentless enemies. “It was a terrible fate. Perhaps they’re even now sitting in that dark hole, shut off from all the world and waiting for death to overtake them. Isn’t it dreadful.”
The blacks glanced at one another without reply; but I noticed that they exchanged a secret sign which their pagan priests had taught them when they were boys, and which was supposed to propitiate the demon of retribution. To their simple minds Daggett and his gang of cut-throats had been properly punished for their wickedness.
But for my part I am glad to remember that at the moment I ignored the fact that these men were wicked, and grieved that four human beings had suddenly been cut off in the prime of their manhood. The recollection of their crimes might temper my regret afterward, but just now my thoughts were all of sorrow and commiseration.
Nux roused me from my reflections by asking:
“What we do now, Mars Sam?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, despairingly. “If we can’t escape from this rock we are little better off than those poor fellows below us. See! the stone, as it fell, tore away the ledge completely.”
“No climb down, any way at all,” said Bry, squatting upon the rock and clasping his knees with his hands.
“We haven’t any rope, or enough clothing to make one,” I continued, striving to be calm and to force myself to think clearly. “But if we remain up here it won’t take us long to die of thirst or starvation. The aggravating thing about it is that the mainland is just too far away for us to leap across to it. We’re in a bad fix, boys, and no mistake.”
Bry gazed reflectively at the trees.
“If we had axe,” said he, “we chop down tree, and make fall across the gulf.”
“Ah! that’s a clever idea,” I cried; but my elation quickly subsided, and I added gloomily, in the next breath: “only we have no axe.”
Bry made no answer, but sat thoughtfully gazing around him. Presently he began to creep around the table of rock on his hands and knees, examining every part of its surface with great care.
At one place, where the edge of the rock was jagged and of a harder character than the rest, he paused to make a more thorough examination, and then he drew out his one-bladed jack-knife and began prying into the rock with its point.
Nux and I immediately crept to his side to see what he was doing, and soon Bry had loosened a piece of rock that weighed about five pounds. It was flat on the lower surface and of irregular circular form. This fragment the Sulu examined with great care, and struck it sharply against the rock without breaking it. It seemed to meet his approval, for he laid it carefully aside and at once attempted to pry up another portion of the hard rock. Then, when he had again succeeded, he sat down and began cautiously chipping one piece of rock against the other, until he had brought the first fragment to a wedge shape that resembled a rude axe.
“Ah! I understand now what you’re about, Bry,” I exclaimed, delightedly. “Do you think you can make it work?”
Bry nodded.
“That way we make axe in Jolo-Jolo,” he said, proudly.
He now handed the rude implement to Nux, who seemed to comprehend without words what was required of him, for he at once began rubbing the edge of the stone axe upon a rough portion of rock to smooth and sharpen it more perfectly.
Meanwhile Bry pried up more rock and formed a second axe-head, and so for several hours the men labored patiently at their task, while I, unable to be of assistance, sat watching them with breathless interest.
When the second axe was ready for Nux to sharpen, Bry climbed up the trunk of one of the tall pines and, selecting a branch of the size he desired, with much effort cut it from the tree with his knife.
Then he descended, trimmed the branch, and, began fashioning it into an axe-handle. He made no attempt to render it graceful or beautiful, you may be sure. The one requirement was service, and the wood was tough and strong enough to answer the purpose required.
By the time the handle was ready Nux had worn the edge of the first rude stone axe to a fair degree of sharpness, and with it Bry split the end of the handle far enough down to wedge the axe-head between the pieces. Then he bound the top together with strips of bark cut from a young limb, which was far stronger than any cord would have been.
A clumsy instrument it seemed to be, when it was finished; but Bry balanced it gravely in his hands, and swung it around his head, and nodded his full approval and satisfaction.
“Now we chop down tree,” he announced.
Of the three trees that fortunately grew upon the column of rock, two were evidently too short to reach across the gulf from where they stood. But the third was close to the edge, and towered well above its fellows; so this was the one Bry selected. A woodsman would probably have laughed at the strokes dealt by the Sulu; but Bry knew what he was about, for he had chopped trees in this way before. Too hard a blow would have crushed the stone edge of the weapon, and a prying motion would have broken it at once; so the black struck straight and true, and not with too much force, and slowly but surely wore through the stalwart trunk of the tree.
When the axe got dull he unbound the bark thongs and exchanged it for the other, while Nux re-sharpened it. This consumed a good deal of time, and the day was far advanced before Bry decided that the chopping was deep enough to allow them to fell the tree. This they did in a peculiar way, for Nux climbed into the high branches and then, aided by Bry and me, who pushed from below, he began swaying the tree back and forth, his own weight adding to the strain, until suddenly it gave way at the stump and—slowly at first, but with ever accelerating speed—fell with a crash across the gulf.
It looked like a trying and dangerous position for Nux; but the black cleverly kept on the outer side of the branches, which broke his fall so perfectly that even as the tree touched the cliff he sprang to the ground safe and uninjured.
“Hooray!” I shouted, in delight; for this bridge removed from my heart all terrors of starvation and imprisonment, affording us a means of leaving the islet of rock as soon as we pleased to go.
But the sun was even now sinking below the horizon; so we decided not to effect the crossing until morning. Nux climbed back over the swaying trunk, and after he had rejoined us we ate the last crumbs of food we possessed for our supper and then lay down to sleep.
Having passed the day in idleness I found I was not very tired or sleepy; but the blacks were thoroughly exhausted by their labors, and they welcomed the rest as only weary men can.