CHAPTER XXIV—JASNIFF AND MERWELL

“They wanted to rob me—and they did rob me!” answered Giles Borden. “Oh, help me out of this wretched hole and give me a drink of water! I am dying from thirst!”

Not without difficulty the man was freed of the rope and helped to get out from between the rocks. Then Dave and Roger half carried him down to the cave proper. The crowd had a canteen of water and the man drank, eagerly.

“So your friends robbed you?” said Captain Sanders, curiously.

“Do not call them friends of mine!” returned Giles Borden. “They are not friends—they are vipers, wolves! Oh, if ever I meet them again at home I’ll soon have them in prison, or know the reason why!”

“Hadn’t you better tell us all about it?” went on the master of the Golden Eagle.

“Wait a minute!” cried Dave. “Do you suppose those men are anywhere near here?”

“I don’t know. They said they would be back, but they did not come.”

“They may have seen us and skipped out,” ventured the senator’s son.

“More than likely,” groaned Giles Borden. “Now that they have my money they won’t want to stay here. They’ll take passage on that ship as soon as she comes in and leave me to shift for myself.”

“Tell us your story, so we can understand what you are talking about,” said Captain Sanders.

In a disconnected manner the Englishman related his tale, pausing occasionally to take another drink of water. He said he was from London and had met Geswick, Pardell, and Rumney less than six months before. They had come to him with the story of a wonderful pirates’ treasure said to be hidden on Cave Island, and had asked him to finance an expedition in search of it.

“I had just fallen heir to five thousand pounds through the death of my father,” he went on, “and I was anxious to get the treasure, so I consented to pay the expenses of the trip, taking the three men along. They had the chart that you saw on shipboard and some other particulars, and they made me bring along a thousand pounds extra, stating that we might have to pay some natives well to get them to show us where the particular cave we were seeking was located.”

Then had followed the trip to Florida and the one to Barbados. At the latter island a schooner had been chartered to take them to Cave Island, where they were landed on the eastern shore. The schooner was to come back for the Englishmen a week later.

“As soon as the treasure hunt began I suspected that I was being hoaxed,” continued Giles Borden. “For all I knew, we were alone on the island. We found several huts, but they were all deserted. We visited a score of caves, but saw nothing that looked like a treasure. Then, one afternoon, Geswick asked me about the extra thousand pounds I was carrying. I grew suspicious and tried to hide the money between the rocks. The three caught me at it and pounced on the money like a pack of wolves. Then, when I remonstrated, they laughed at me, and told me to keep quiet, that they were going to run matters to suit themselves.”

“They must have intended to rob you from the start,” said Dave.

“You are right, and I was a fool to trust them. As soon as they had my money, one of them, Rumney, tore up the chart and threw the pieces in my face. That angered me so greatly that I struck him with my fist, knocking him down. Then the three leaped on me and made me a prisoner, binding me with the rope. I tried my best to get away, but could not. That was at night. In the morning they went off, saying they would come back later and give me something to eat. But that is the last I have seen or heard of them.”

“If we hadn’t found you, you might have starved to death,” murmured Captain Sanders. “They ought to be punished heavily for this—and for robbing you!”

The Englishman was glad enough to get something to eat, and then said he felt much stronger.

“But what brings you to this island?” he questioned, while partaking of the food.

“We are after a pair of criminals,” answered Dave, as the others looked at him, not knowing what to say. “Two young fellows who ran away with some valuable jewels. I suppose you saw nothing of them.”

“No, as I said before, we saw nobody.”

“They are on this island.”

“Then I hope you catch them. And I hope you’ll aid me in catching those other scamps.”

“We’ll certainly do that,” answered Captain Sanders.

A little later the whole party left the cave, and Giles Borden pointed out a number of other caves he had visited.

“The island is full of them,” declared the Englishman. “And one has to be careful, for fear of falling into a hole at every step.”

The middle of the afternoon found the party once more at the water’s edge. They had seen no trace of Jasniff and Merwell, or of the rascally Englishmen. All were tired out and content to rest for a little while.

“Looks like a wild goose chase, doesn’t it, Dave?” remarked Roger.

“Oh, you mustn’t grow discouraged so quickly, Roger,” was Dave’s answer. “Unless Jasniff and Merwell have a chance to leave this island we’ll be sure to locate them, sooner or later. What I am worried about mostly is the question: Have they the jewels or did the gems go to the bottom of the ocean?”

“Yes, that’s the most important question of all.”

“It will be poor consolation to catch Jasniff and Merwell and not get the jewels,” put in Phil. “I reckon, Dave, you’d rather have it the other way around—get the jewels and miss Jasniff and Merwell.”

“Indeed, yes, Phil.”

“In case we don’t——” began the senator’s son, and then stopped short. He had seen Captain Sanders leap up and start inland.

“What did you see, Captain?” asked Dave.

“I saw somebody looking at us, from behind yonder trees!” cried the master of the Golden Eagle.

“One of the Englishmen?” queried Phil.

“No, it was somebody younger—looked a little like that picture of Link Merwell!”

“Come on—after them!” cried Dave, and started on a run in the direction the captain indicated.

All were soon on the way, climbing over some rough rocks at first and then crashing through the heavy undergrowth. Then they entered a forest of tropical trees and vines.

“I see them!” exclaimed Dave, after several hundred feet had been covered. “Jasniff and Merwell as sure as you live! Stop! Stop, I tell you!” he called out.

“You keep back, Dave Porter!” yelled Nick Jasniff in return. “Keep back, or it will be the worse for you!”

“Jasniff, you had better surrender!” cried Roger.

“We’ll be sure to get you sooner or later!” added Phil.

“You’ll never catch me!” answered the other. “Now keep back, or maybe somebody will get shot.”

“Do you think he’ll shoot?” asked Captain Sanders, in some alarm, while Giles Borden stopped short.

“Possibly,” answered Dave. “But I am going after him anyway,” he added sturdily. “I came here to catch those rascals and I am going to do it.”

“And I am with you,” said Phil, promptly.

“Scare ’em with your gun, Dave,” suggested the senator’s son.

“I will,” was our hero’s reply, and he brought the weapon to the front. “I’ve got a gun, Jasniff!” he called out. “You had better stop! And you had better stop too, Merwell!”

“Don’t yo-you shoot at us!” screamed Link Merwell, in sudden terror. And then he ran with all speed for the nearest trees and dove out of sight. The next instant Jasniff disappeared, likewise.

Dave was now thoroughly aroused, and he resolved to do his best to run the rascals down and corner them. Shifting his shotgun once more to his back, he ran on in the direction the pair had taken, and Roger, Phil, and the captain and the Englishman followed.

Listening occasionally, they could hear Jasniff and Merwell crashing through the undergrowth and at the same time calling to each other. Evidently they had become separated and were trying to get together again.

As they advanced into the forest, Dave caught sight of Merwell. He was behind a low fringe of bushes and an instant later disappeared.

“Stop, Merwell!” he called out. “It won’t do you any good to run. We are bound to catch you, sooner or later.”

“Yo-you let me alone, Dave Porter!” spluttered Merwell. He was almost out of breath, so violent had been his exertions.

Dave kept on and soon reached the low bushes. Then he saw Merwell again, this time leaping for some brushwood between two tall rocks.

“I’ve got you now!” he said, sharply. “You may as well give in!”

“Oh, Porter, please let me——” commenced Link Merwell, and then Dave’s hand caught him by the shoulder and whirled him about.

As this happened something else occurred that filled both pursued and pursuer with alarm. The grass and brushwood under their feet began to give way. Then of a sudden Link Merwell sank from sight, and Dave disappeared after him!

In the meanwhile Phil and the others kept on in the direction Nick Jasniff had taken. Twice they caught sight of the former bully of Oak Hall, but each time he was further away than before.

“You’ll not catch me!” cried Jasniff. “You might as well give up trying.” Then he dove into another section of the forest and they saw no more of him.

“What has become of Dave?” asked Phil, when he and Roger came together, a little later.

“I thought he was with you, Phil.”

“And I thought he was with you.”

“He went after that other chap,” put in Captain Sanders. “Perhaps he caught him. They were over in that direction,” and the captain pointed with his hand.

All proceeded in the direction indicated. But they did not catch sight of either Dave or Merwell.

“Well, this is strange, to say the least,” remarked Phil, after they had called out several times. “What do you make of it, Roger?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, Phil. They can’t have gotten so far away but what they could hear us call.”

“Maybe they fell into one of the caves,” suggested Captain Sanders.

“If they have, we had better hunt for Dave at once,” returned Roger.

CHAPTER XXV—LINK MERWELL’S STORY

“I—I—struck my head on a rock! Oh, save me!” And then came a gasp, and the scamp disappeared under the surface.

Dave was close by and knew the direction by the noise. Taking a few strokes, he bumped into Merwell, who promptly tried to catch his would-be rescuer by the throat. But our hero was on guard and turned him around.

“Keep quiet, or I’ll let go!” he ordered, as he began to tread water. As Merwell obeyed, Dave struck out to where he saw a faint streak of light. He made out a shelving rock, and after some difficulty, reached this. Here the water was only up to his waist, and he waded along, half carrying his enemy, until they reached another series of rocks, where both crawled up to a spot that was dry. From somewhere overhead came a faint streak of light, testifying to the fact that there was an opening beyond, even if it could not be seen.

“Oh, my head!” murmured Link Merwell, and put up one hand to a lump that was rising on his forehead.

“I got struck myself,” said Dave. “But it didn’t amount to much. I told you to stop. If you had done so, we wouldn’t have gotten into this pickle.”

“Whe-where are we?” asked Merwell, and there was a shiver in his tone.

“Down at the bottom of that hole.” Dave tried to pierce the darkness. “Looks like some underground river to me.”

“The water is salt.”

“Then this place must connect with the ocean.” Dave drew a deep breath. “Merwell, tell me truthfully, what did you do with those jewels?” he questioned, eagerly. Even in that time of peril he could not forget the mission that had brought him to Cave Island.

“Who—who said I had the jewels?” faltered the other.

“I know you and Jasniff took them—it is useless for you to deny it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Never mind now. Answer my question. Have you the jewels, or did you give them to Jasniff?”

“I didn’t give Nick anything.”

“Then you have them.”

“How do you know?”

“I am not here to answer questions, Link Merwell. I want to know what you did with the jewels.” Dave’s voice grew stern. “Answer me at once!” And he caught Merwell by the arm.

“Don’t—don’t shove me into the water!” cried the scamp, in alarm, although Dave had no intention of doing as he imagined. “I—I—we—er—we divided the jewels between us. But Nick got the best of them.”

“And what did you do with your share?”

“I’ll—er—I’ll tell you when we get out of this hole.”

“You’ll tell me right now, Merwell!” And again Dave caught the culprit by the arm.

“I—I put my share of the jewels in my money-belt,” he faltered.

“Have you it on now?”

“Yes. But Nick has the best of the jewels—I got only the little ones,” went on Link Merwell, half-angrily. It was easy to surmise that he and Jasniff had not gotten along well together.

“How is it Jasniff got the best of them?”

“He had the jewel-case when we were about to leave the bark during the storm. Everybody was excited, and he said we couldn’t carry the case—that it wouldn’t be safe, for we might drop it and all of the jewels would be lost. He said we had better divide them and put them in our belts. We had bought belts for that purpose in Jacksonville. So we took the jewels out of the case and threw the box away. I thought I had my share, but after we got to this island, and I had a chance to look, I saw he had the lion’s share, about three-quarters, in fact, and all the big ones.”

“And he has them now?”

“Yes,—that is, he did have them just before we saw you.”

“Did you sell or pawn any of the jewels?”

“Only a few small ones. We were afraid to offer the big ones, so soon after the—well, you know,” and Link Merwell stopped short, looking everything but happy.

“You mean so soon after the robbery,” said Dave, bluntly.

“Yes.”

“Link, whatever—but never mind that now,” continued our hero, hastily. “Hand over the money-belt.”

“What, now?”

“Yes, at once. I’ll not trust you to carry those jewels a minute longer.”

“Can’t you wait till we get out of this wretched hole?”

“I might, but I am not going to. Hand it over and be careful that none of the jewels are lost. Your father may have to pay for the others.”

With fingers that trembled from fear and chilliness, Link Merwell slipped his hands under the light clothing he wore and took off the money-belt that encircled his waist.

“There is some money there that belongs to me,” he began, hesitatingly.

“You’ll get back what is yours, never fear,” answered Dave, and took the belt. He saw to it that it was tightly closed, then fastened it around his own waist.

“Remember, Nick has the best of the jewels,” went on Merwell, rather spitefully.

“I am not likely to forget it,” answered Dave, grimly. “Now, the sooner we get out of this hole the better.”

Merwell was just as anxious to see daylight, even if he was to be held a prisoner, and together the boys hunted around for some exit from the underground watercourse. But the only way out seemed to be far overhead, and to climb up the smooth, sloping rocks proved impossible.

“Oh, what shall we do?” groaned Merwell, after they had attempted to climb up and had failed. “We are caught like rats in a trap!”

“Perhaps we’ll have to swim for it,” answered Dave. “This water is very salt, which proves it comes from the ocean. Moreover, it is gradually going down, showing it is affected by the tide. Let us follow the stream for a short distance and see where it leads to.”

Merwell demurred, but he did not want to remain behind alone in the semi-darkness, so he followed Dave, and both waded and swam a distance of several hundred feet. Here the underground river made a turn around the rocks, and both boys were delighted to see a streak of sunlight resting on the water.

“An opening of some sort!” cried our hero. “Come on!” And he swam on boldly and Merwell followed as quickly as he could.

Soon the pair reached a break in the cave. On either side were walls of rocks, uneven and covered with scanty bushes and immense trailing vines. The opening was about a hundred feet in length, and beyond it the stream of salty water plunged into another cavern, undoubtedly on its way to the ocean.

“Well, we are out of the cave in one way but not in another,” observed Dave, as he stood on the dry rocks and gazed about. “It’s going to be a stiff climb to get out of here.”

“Ca-can’t you wait till I—I get my breath,” panted Merwell.

“Yes, for I want to get my own breath back. Perhaps we’ll have to go through that next cave to get out,” he continued, after a pause.

“Oh, I hope not! I hate it underground!” And Merwell shivered. “Besides, it’s cold,” he went on, to cover up the tremor in his voice.

“Yes, it is cold,” returned Dave, shortly.

He sat down to rest, and Merwell followed suit. On all sides were the rocky walls and trailing vines, while at their feet ran the silent, mysterious stream of salty water.

Dave looked at the walls and the stream, and then looked at Merwell. The face of the other youth was a study. He was downcast to the last degree.

“Link, what made you do it?” he asked, in a voice that was not unkindly.

“I didn’t do it—that is, it wasn’t my plan!” burst out the culprit, passionately. “Oh, I know they’ll hold me for it, just the same as they’ll hold Nick, if they catch him! But I’ll tell you honestly, Dave, it wasn’t any of my planning. I’m bad, and I know it, but I am not as bad as that. It was Nick who got the whole thing up. You know how mad he has been at you ever since he had to leave Oak Hall. Well, it was his plan to make you a prisoner first and then make it look as if you had robbed the jewelry works. You ask Doctor Montgomery if that isn’t so. Well, the first part of the plan fell through, for you got away. Then he got me to go to Crumville, and found out where we could get the dynamite. I got scared then and wanted to back out, but he said if I did he’d throw all the blame on me, and so I stuck to him. I wish I hadn’t done it,” concluded Merwell, bitterly.

“Did you go direct to Jacksonville after the robbery?”

“No, we went to Washington first and there we pawned one diamond for sixty dollars. Then we went to Jacksonville. There we met Luke Watson, and both of us got scared to death. We had paid for our passage on the Emma Brower, and we kept out of sight till the bark sailed. After the storm we landed here with those four sailors, and were waiting to sight some passing ship when you and your crowd turned up.”

“What were you going to do at Barbados?”

“Keep quiet until this affair blew over and then take some English vessel for England. There, Jasniff said, he could get a certain pawnbroker to take the jewels and give us a good price for them. You’ll remember, he was in England some time.”

“Yes, I met him there. But, Link, didn’t you realize what a crime you were committing?” went on Dave, earnestly.

“I did—after it was too late. Many a time I wanted to back out, but Nick wouldn’t let me. We had a quarrel in Washington, and another in Jacksonville, and on the ship I came close to exposing him to the captain. I think I should have done it, only the hurricane came up, and then we had to hustle to save our lives.”

A silence followed, for each of the boys was busy with his thoughts. Dave felt sorry for his former schoolmate, but he knew Merwell thoroughly, and knew that the fellow was more sorry because he was caught than because he had committed a great wrong. He belonged to the class of persons who are willing to repent when it is too late.

The day was drawing to a close, and already the sunlight had disappeared beyond the high rocks. With a deep sigh Dave arose to his feet and stretched himself, and Merwell followed suit.

“What are you going to do?” asked the former bully of Oak Hall.

“I am going to try to climb up those rocks.”

“They are terribly steep!”

“I know it, but those vines look strong and we can use them as ropes, Link. But you need not try it, if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, if you try, so will I, Dave.”

After that but little was said, both lads saving their breath for the task before them. Dave went up first, testing each vine with care as he advanced. Twice he slipped back, and once Merwell came to his aid and held him. It was a little thing to do, but it pleased our hero, and his face showed it.

At last they were out of the hollow and each threw himself on the ground to rest. Then Dave walked to a near-by hill and gazed in every direction. Not a human being was in sight anywhere.

“Well, we’ve got to find them somehow,” he said to Merwell. “Come ahead.” And side by side they set off through the forest in the fast-gathering darkness.

CHAPTER XXVI—THE COLUMN OF SMOKE

“It looks as if we were lost,” replied Dave. “In this darkness it will be difficult to go much further. But I had hoped, by keeping in a straight line, that, sooner or later, we’d reach the shore of the island.”

“I reckon we didn’t walk in a straight line—most folks that get lost in a woods don’t.”

“You are right in that, but I kept as straight as I could, Link. However, that is neither here nor there. If we have got to stay here all night we may as well try to make ourselves comfortable. But I wish the others knew I was safe.”

“Can’t you fire your gun? It ought to be dry by now.”

“I’ll try it.”

Dave sat down and commenced to work over the fowling-piece. In a few minutes he tried it. Bang! went the gun, the shot echoing far and wide through the forest and among the rocks. Then both boys listened for a reply.

“Nothing doing,” muttered Merwell, after a minute of utter silence.

“I am sure the others would fire a shot in return if they heard that,” said Dave. “We must be further from them than I expected. Well, I don’t see what we can do excepting to try to make ourselves comfortable. We might climb one of these tall palms and take a look around.”

“Yes, that’s it!” exclaimed the other youth, eagerly. “Why didn’t we think of that before? But it will be hard work climbing one of those trees,” went on Merwell, gazing up at the straight trunk with the first of the limbs many feet above their heads.

“I’ll do it native fashion,” answered Dave.

He had seen the natives of the South Sea Islands climb tall trees by means of a vine-rope cast about the waist and the tree-trunk. Selecting several strong vines, he twisted them into a rope, and then passed the same around a tree-trunk and to the back of his waist. Then he took off his shoes and stockings and placed his bare feet against the tree. By “hiking” the rope a few inches at a time, he was able to “walk up the tree” with comparative ease.

As soon as the branches were reached, Dave discarded the rope and went up as far as the strength of the tree would permit. He was now close enough to the top to get a good look around, and he cast his eyes about eagerly, hoping to catch sight of some of his friends, or their campfire.

“See anything?” called up Merwell, eagerly.

“Not yet,” answered Dave, and then he turned around in the tree-top. He now made out the rolling sea.

“I see a light!” he cried.

“A campfire?” queried the youth below.

“No, it is on the water. I think it must be a light on a ship.”

“What kind of a ship?”

“A sailing vessel of some sort,” answered Dave, and he wondered if it could be the Golden Eagle, coming back after the storm.

“Maybe it’s the ship that was coming back for those Englishmen,” went on Merwell, for Dave had told him about the men. He heaved a mountainous sigh as he realized how affairs had turned against him. For a moment he thought of running away and trying to find Jasniff, but then the darkness and loneliness of the forest appalled him. He felt that he would rather be a prisoner than be alone in such a spot.

Dave watched the waving light for some time, as it rose and fell on the bosom of the ocean, but could learn nothing concerning the craft that showed it. Then he continued to look around the island. No campfire was to be located, and finally he rejoined Merwell.

“The light on that ship was all I saw,” he said. “Perhaps it might pay to walk down to the shore in that direction. But it is a long distance, and in the darkness we might fall into another of the caves.”

“Let us stay here,” answered Merwell.

“It will probably be as well. We can build a campfire and dry our clothing and then go to bed.”

“Wish I had something to eat,” grumbled the lad who had been caught.

“So do I, Link. But we haven’t anything, so we’ll have to make the best of it. Try to find some firewood. Luckily I have a waterproof matchsafe along and it is full of matches,” added our hero.

Fate was kinder to them than they had expected, for in hunting for firewood, Merwell found a hole containing what they took to be native hares. He killed two of the creatures, and at once set to work to clean and skin them. Then, when Dave had started the fire, the game was broiled while the boys had their clothing drying.

“Not much of a meal, but better than nothing,” said Merwell, and our hero agreed with him. They found some water in a hollow of the rocks, left there by the hurricane, and had a drink, after which both lay down to rest.

“Don’t you think we ought to stand guard?” asked the big youth.

“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Dave. “I am dead tired and so are you, and I don’t think anybody will come to harm us,—and there are no large wild beasts on the island. I guess we can take a chance,” and as soon as their clothing was dry, both turned in, on beds of vines and moss.

In the morning Merwell was the first to stir, and when Dave awoke he found the campfire burning merrily. The big youth was nowhere to be seen.

“Can he have run away?” mused our hero, and quickly felt to learn if the money-belt with the jewels was safe. It was still in its place and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he gave a call.

“Coming!” came from a distance, and in a few minutes Merwell put in an appearance, bringing with him some berries and fruits.

“One of those sailors who came ashore with me told me about these,” he said. “The berries we can eat raw and they are very good. The fruit we can slice up and toast. They make a pretty decent meal,” and so it proved, and both youths ate their fill. Then Dave announced his intention of climbing the tree again and having another look around.

“That ship is at the south end of the island,” he announced. “It is not the Golden Eagle, but a much smaller craft. Most likely it is the vessel the Englishmen engaged. If it is, those three rascals will have a chance to get away before Giles Borden can catch them and make them give up the money they took from him.”

“Oh, Dave, do you think——” And then Merwell stopped short.

“What were you going to say, Link?”

“I was thinking if it would be possible for Nick to go away with those Englishmen.”

“Why, yes, if he chanced to meet them, and they were willing to have him. But would he go and leave you behind?”

“He might, especially if he found out I was captured, or that I had let you have what jewels I was carrying.”

“If he went with those Englishmen he would be foolish to let them know about the jewels, for they would rob him, just as they robbed Giles Borden,” continued our hero, and then he realized that here was a new peril to face. If the Englishmen got their hands on the jewels it might be next to impossible to recover the gems, especially if the rascals managed to get away from Cave Island.

Presently our hero saw a column of smoke arising in another portion of the island. He watched it for several minutes and then gave a cry of satisfaction.

“I know where they are!”

“You mean your crowd?” queried Merwell.

“Yes. Phil is signaling to me, by means of a column of smoke such as some Indians out west use. We learned the trick when we were at Star Ranch. Come on, we’ll soon be with them. It isn’t very far.”

Dave had come down from his high perch in a hurry, and in a very short time was ready to leave the spot. Merwell gave a deep sigh, for he did not relish confronting his former schoolmates.

“It’s tough luck, but I suppose I’ve got to stand it,” he murmured, as he followed Dave, after the fire had been extinguished. “When a fellow makes a fool of himself he’s got to take the consequences.” And this remark was so true that Dave did not dispute it.

On they went through the forest and then over a rocky hill. Three times they came close to falling into the treacherous holes in which the island abounded, and the last time poor Merwell got a fall that almost sprained his ankle.

“We’ll rest a bit and you can bathe the ankle,” said Dave, kindly, and got some water from a nearby pool.

“I don’t wonder nobody is living on this island,” grumbled the injured one. “I suppose the natives around here are too afraid of falling into some of those holes.”

“They are afraid of the caves and also afraid of volcanoes,” answered Dave. “The mate of the Golden Eagle told me that. Sometimes the volcanoes break out here without warning and cover the rocks with hot ashes.”

“Is that so? Well, I hope no volcano breaks out while I am here.”

At last the boys reached a small rise of ground and at a distance saw the column of smoke, plainly. Dave put on extra speed and soon saw Phil, Giles Borden, and several sailors—the survivors from the ill-fated Emma Brower.

“Phil!”

“Dave! At last!” cried the shipowner’s son, joyfully. “Are you hurt?”

“Not a bit of it. How are you?”

“All right, although I had several tumbles while hunting for you. You disappeared in the strangest fashion.”

“I fell into a cave,—went down with Link Merwell.”

“Oh!” Phil gave a start. “Who is that in the bushes? Merwell, as sure as I’m alive!”

“Yes, Phil. And what do you think? I’ve got part of the jewels—Link had them in his money-belt.”

“Good enough! I was so afraid they had been lost out of that jewel-case. Did you make Merwell a prisoner?”

“Well, in a way. He might have run away a dozen times, but I guess he didn’t want to be alone. Besides, he has quarreled with Jasniff. I’ll tell you all about it later,” went on Dave, in a lower tone.

Merwell had halted and now he came shuffling into the temporary camp. He nodded sheepishly to the shipowner’s son and to the sailors.

“Got ye, did they?” said one of the tars, with a sneer.

“Yes,” answered the culprit, meekly.

“Humph! You’re a fine Dick to run away and steal jewels!” muttered the sailor, and turned his back on the youth.

“Where are Roger and Captain Sanders and the others?” questioned Dave.

“Gone after you, and after Jasniff and those three rascally Englishmen,” answered Phil. “I said I’d stay here and try that trick with a column of smoke. I thought you might remember and look for it.”

“It was a good thing to do, Phil,” answered our hero, “for it brought us straight to this spot.”

CHAPTER XXVII—BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF VINES

He was glad to rest, and threw himself on a bed of moss the sailors had collected. Merwell sat against a tree, tired out, but too much worried to sleep. Evidently he was trying to decide on what to do next and wondering how he was to get out of the awful situation in which he found himself.

Presently a shout was heard, and Roger burst into view, followed an instant later by Billy Dill.

“Hello, Dave!” cried the senator’s son. “Got back, have you?” And then he stared at Merwell. “Oh, are you here, too?”

“Yes,” returned the big youth, and that was all he could say.

“Dave, did you get the jewels Merwell had?” went on Roger.

“Yes. But, Roger, how did you know——”

“There is no time to talk it over now, Dave,” interrupted the senator’s son, quickly. “We have got to act, and that at once! That is, if you want to get back the rest of the jewels.”

“Why, what do you mean?” demanded Dave and Phil in a breath, and even Merwell was all attention.

“Do you remember those Englishmen, the fellows who robbed Mr. Borden? Well, we traced them to their camp, and what do you think? They met Jasniff in some way, and he is friendly with them.”

“Did he tell them about the jewels?” demanded our hero.

“No, he was cute enough to keep the story of the jewels to himself,—that is, we didn’t hear him tell them anything about the gems. But he said he wanted to get away from the island as quickly as possible, and without being seen by any of us, and he offered the Englishmen a thousand dollars in diamonds if they’d help him. They agreed to it, and all hands are waiting for some ship to come here and take them off.”

“The ship I saw last night!” cried Dave, and told of the light on the ocean.

“It must be that ship!” exclaimed Phil.

“They’ll get away sure, unless you can stop ’em,” put in Merwell, and he seemed to be almost as interested as anybody. It galled him exceedingly to think that his companion in crime might escape.

“Roger, how did you learn this?” asked Dave.

“In a queer kind of a way. Billy Dill got on the trail of the three Englishmen first and we followed them to one of the caves. Then one of the Englishmen went away and after a while he came back with Jasniff, and all hands went to another cave, close to the shore. We got into one part of the cave and overheard what the crowd said, through a crack in the rocks. We might have confronted Jasniff and demanded the jewels, but we saw that the Englishmen were all armed and they looked to be in an ugly mood, and Captain Sanders wanted no bloodshed if it could be avoided. So then Billy Dill and I said we would come back here and get Phil and the sailors.”

“I should think you’d do your best to capture Jasniff,” said Merwell.

“Do you want him captured?” asked Roger, sharply.

“Why not? He didn’t treat me fairly—and he planned the robbery in the first place.”

“Well, if you want him taken you had better help us,” put in Phil.

“Say, Dave, if I help you catch Jasniff and get the rest of the jewels back, will you—er—will you let me go?” faltered Link Merwell, anxiously.

“I don’t know—I’ll see about it, Link,” answered Dave, and that was as far as he would commit himself, for he remembered that this case was for Mr. Wadsworth and the authorities to settle.

“I’ll help you all I can—just to get square with Nick!” muttered the big youth. “I’ll show him that he isn’t the only frog in the puddle.”

“The sooner we go the better,” went on the senator’s son.

“I am ready now,” returned Dave. “I’ll not rest easy until Jasniff is caught and the rest of those jewels are recovered.”

A few words more were exchanged, and then it was decided that the whole party should follow Roger and Billy Dill to the spot from whence they had come.

“Borden is very anxious to have the three Englishmen held,” said the senator’s son.

“I suppose he wants to get back his money,” returned Dave. “I don’t blame him.”

The path was through the forest and then along a rocky ridge. Here walking was very uncertain, and Roger warned the others to be careful.

“An’ if ye ain’t careful ye’ll go into a hole to Kingdom Come!” put in Billy Dill.

When the ridge was left behind they came to another patch of timber, and then walked through a small cave with a large opening at either end. In the center of this cave was a hole, at the bottom of which flowed an underground river.

“If ever an island was rightly named, this is the one,” observed Phil. “It is caves from one end to the other.”

“Listen! I thought I heard voices!” exclaimed Dave, suddenly, and held up his hand for silence.

All listened closely and heard a faint murmur, coming from a distance.

“Sounds to me as if it was underground,” whispered Phil.

“Yes, but from what direction?” asked Roger.

“I think it comes from over yonder,” answered Dave. “Let us go there and make sure.”

They walked on, soon coming to a spot where a place between the rocks was covered with a matting of long vines, much intertwined.

“Keep quiet!” suddenly exclaimed our hero. “I know where they are—behind those vines. There must be a cave there, and the vines make a curtain for the entrance.”

“Who is it?” asked Merwell.

“I don’t know yet. Wait, all of you remain here, behind the rocks, while I investigate.”

As silently as possible, Dave crawled forward, keeping close to the rocks on one side of the cave’s entrance. Soon he was up to the curtain of vines, and cautiously he thrust his hand forward, making a small opening.

At first our hero could see little, but as his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he made out two forms lying on couches of vines, smoking. The forms were those of the two Englishmen, Pardell and Rumney.

“Well, Geswick ought to be coming back,” Dave heard Rumney say. “He said he wouldn’t waste any time.”

“Maybe he had some trouble with that young fellow,” returned Pardell. “Say, do you know he’s a queer stick? Where did he get those diamonds he offered for his passage?”

“I don’t know, but I rather think he stole them.”

“Then perhaps he has more of the jewels.”

“Just what I was thinking—and Geswick thought the same.”

“If he has many of them——” The man paused suggestively.

“We might relieve him, eh?” returned the other.

“Why not? We cleaned out Borden. Two jobs of that sort are no worse than one.”

There was a period of silence, and Dave moved back as quietly as possible to where he had left his companions.

“Rumney and Pardell are there, in a long cave,” he whispered. “They are waiting for Geswick and, I think, Jasniff.”

“But where are Captain Sanders and Smiley?” asked the shipowner’s son.

“I don’t know. Perhaps they are watching Jasniff and Geswick—or maybe they have captured those rascals.”

“Oh, let me get at Pardell and Rumney!” cried Giles Borden. “I’ll teach them to rob me!” And he started forward, flourishing a heavy stick he had picked up.

“Wait! wait!” returned Dave, and caught him by the arm. “Don’t go yet. Let us lie low until Geswick comes, and maybe Jasniff. We may be able to capture all of them.”

“Can we handle so many?” asked Roger.

“I think so. Anyway we can try. Remember, Captain Sanders and Smiley may be following Geswick and Jasniff, and if they are, they’ll come to our aid.”

“I’ll wait, but it’s a hard thing to do, don’t you know,” grumbled the Englishman who had been robbed.

“We had better set a guard, so that we are not surprised,” advised Phil. “Supposing we scatter around the rocks and in the vines?”

This was agreed upon, and it was also agreed that Dave should give a whistle when he wanted an attack made.

After this came a long period of waiting. All remained silent, until, of a sudden, everybody was startled by a distant cannon shot.

“What in the world can that mean?” cried Phil, who lay close to our hero.

“It’s a shot from a ship’s cannon, and it came from the direction of the shore!” returned Dave. “It may be some sort of a signal.”

“Do you suppose it’s a summons to Pardell and Rumney?”

“It may be. Wait, I’ll look into the cave again and see what they are doing.”

Losing no time, our hero crawled forward once more to the position he had before occupied. Then he pushed the vines aside and looked into the long cave.

He could not suppress a cry of consternation. The two Englishmen had vanished!

“They are gone!” he called to his companions.

“Gone!” repeated Phil and Roger.

“Don’t tell me that!” fairly shrieked Giles Borden. “I must catch them and get back my money!”

“Where did they go to?” asked Billy Dill, as he pushed through the curtain of vines.

“They must have left the cave by some other opening,” answered Dave. “Come on, we’ll soon find out!” And into the cave he rushed, his chums and the others in the crowd following.

“I see another opening!” cried Merwell, a minute later. “Look!” And he pointed down a passageway to the right.

“That’s the way they must have gone!” exclaimed Giles Borden. “After them, all of you! If I get back my money, I’ll reward you well!” And on he sped, with Merwell close at his heels and the others following.

“I don’t know if we are on the right track or not,” said Dave, to Phil and Roger. “This cave may have other openings.”

Hardly had he spoken when there came a yell from Giles Borden, followed by a cry from Link Merwell. Both had fallen into a small hole that was filled with water. Each was much shaken up, but unhurt.

“It’s a broken neck somebody will get if we are not careful,” said one of the sailors. “I’d rather be on the deck of a ship any day than on an island like this.”

Soon they were out in the open once more. They were on a rise of ground, and not a great distance away they could see the shore and the rolling ocean.

“A ship!” cried Roger.

“But not the Golden Eagle!” returned Dave. “It must be the vessel that was to stop for the Englishmen.”

“It is! It is!” bawled Giles Borden. “And look, there they are on the shore, ready to embark, all of them!”

“Yes, and Jasniff is with them!” added Dave, Phil, and Roger in a breath.