the next morning, when guy and his two companions started for the island, their faces were bright with hope and expectation. they felt that success was at hand.
they never doubted the truth of the statement which they had read in john wolf’s memorandum book. there had been times when they had been despondent, but all fear of failure was now removed.
they were too much absorbed in their own thoughts to notice the rather remarkable demeanor of the captain, who stood on the deck, silent and watchful, while his three passengers were taking their places in the boat.
they were provided with a pickaxe and a shovel. these guy had brought with him from home, in the hope that they would be required in unearthing the treasure of which he was in search.
hitherto they had not carried these implements on their daily trips to the island, but the time had now come when they would be of use.{268}
captain john richmond smiled cynically as he watched the boat lowered and the three explorers entering it. probably no one of the sailors noticed his expression except frank low, on whom it produced a feeling of uneasiness.
“i wonder what the captain’s thinking about,” he said to himself.
captain richmond stood silent and thoughtful till he saw the party land on the island beach. then he waited quietly till the boat returned.
he waited longer, and through the glass saw guy and his companions plunge into the forest.
then he called the mate, and gave him an order which was received with intense astonishment.
“surely, captain richmond,” he said, “you are not in earnest!”
“mr. forbush,” said the captain, sternly, “i’ll thank you not to question my orders.”
“but, captain richmond, you are surely not going to put out to sea, leaving your three passengers on the island!”
“that is just what i am going to do,” said the captain, with an oath.
“but, sir——”
“do you understand, mr. forbush, that i am the captain of this vessel?”
“yes, sir.”{269}
“i understand my business, and i don’t choose to have my orders questioned.”
“but, sir, this is monstrous!” protested the mate.
“another word, sir, and i will put you in irons!”
the mate looked at the captain, and saw that he was almost beside himself with rage. evidently he was in no condition to be expostulated with.
it seemed necessary to give in to him for the present, and the mate called the boatswain to pipe the crew to duty.
there was more than one perplexed and wondering face as the sailors prepared the ship for setting sail. they all asked themselves what it meant, and whether the three men on the island were to be left behind.
but no one dared to ask the captain, who, stern and resolute, kept his place on deck, and personally saw that his orders were carried out. perhaps the one who felt the deepest grief and dismay was frank low, who saw that what he had most feared was about to take place.
he knew, too—for guy had got a chance to tell him—that the scheme was all but discovered, and that this would be the last day upon the island.
poor frank! unwillingly enough he was compelled to take his part in getting the ship ready for a start.{270}
had he dared, he would have made a personal protest to the captain, but he knew that while this would bring swift punishment to him it would do his friends no good. so with a perplexed brow and sinking heart he bore his part, and kept silence till the mate chanced to be standing near him. then he felt he must speak.
“mr. forbush,” he said, “what does this mean? are we going to desert guy fenwick and his men?”
it was a breach of discipline to say as much as this, but he knew that the mate felt kindly toward him and toward guy.
“heaven only knows,” replied the mate, in a low voice. “i have done the best i could to prevent him, but the captain won’t hear a word.”
“they will die!” said frank, in a faltering voice.
“not a word more now; the captain is coming!”
captain richmond came up, looking stern and forbidding, and watched with a lynx-like glance all that was going on.
the mate determined to make one more remonstrance.
“captain richmond,” he said, “does guy fenwick know of your intention of putting to sea?”
the captain looked as if he were about to indulge{271} in a burst of furious anger, but he restrained himself, with a sudden thought.
“yes,” he said, “he understands. we are coming back for him,” he added, after a pause.
mr. forbush looked skeptical. he did not believe a word of this.
he was about to speak again when the captain added, peremptorily: “i wish to hear no more on this subject, mr. forbush. i know what i am about.”
after this it would not do even for the mate to say more.
still, the latter regarded the captain fixedly, which appeared to anger him.
“don’t look at me in that way, mr. forbush!” roared the captain. “i repeat that i know what i am about!”
“i am glad you do, sir,” said the mate, coolly.
captain richmond glared at him, but did not reply.
within an hour the osprey, under full sail, for there was a good breeze, was speeding away from the island.
we must now follow guy and his two friends, who had gone ashore in high spirits, feeling that success was within their grasp. they did not loiter on their way, but made all haste to reach that part{272} of the island indicated as the repository of the treasure.
as they walked they talked cheerfully and hopefully of the future.
“guy,” said abner, “you are entitled to credit for your enterprise and pluck. it isn’t many boys of your age that would have done so much.”
“i don’t know about that, abner,” said guy, modestly; “but i have done the best i could.”
“and you will be well paid.”
“i hope so. not so much for my own sake as my father’s. i want to make his latter days comfortable.”
“why, he isn’t so old! he’s only about ten years older than i am.”
“true; but you know as soon as a minister has passed middle life some are anxious to turn him off and put a younger man in his place.”
“is that the case in bayport?”
“yes. there is one of the congregation—deacon crane—who is anxious to get rid of him. i don’t think there are many who agree with him, but i know he will do all he can to bring about a change.”
“it’s a lucky thing luke came across that memorandum book. i don’t believe we should any of{273} us have thought of going to the other end of the island.”
“it would have been a good while, probably, before we did.”
“and captain richmond would have got tired of waiting. did you drop him a hint that we were on the right track?”
“yes; but i don’t believe he put any faith in my words.”
“he will have to believe it when we carry the treasure on board.”
at length, following the directions of wolf, the unfortunate sailor, they reached the locality specified.
there stood the six trees, arranged in the shape of a cross. there were no other trees within two hundred feet, and this made them conspicuous.
“if we had ever come this way we could not have failed to discover them,” said titcomb; “and after all, the pirates were wise to select this place, rather than one in the heart of the woods.”
they lost no time in digging between the second and third trees, according to directions.
“i hope no one has been here before,” said luke clark, between the strokes of his pickaxe.
“there was no one to come here except john wolf, and he would have had no object in it.”{274}
in a very short time abner titcomb’s pickaxe struck something hard.
“that’s the chest, i surmise,” he said.
the three redoubled their efforts, and, sure enough, they soon laid bare the chest which for so many years had been buried in its secret hiding place.
it proved to be locked, but by good luck guy, who had with him the key of his uncle’s chest in the attic of his home in bayport, was able to open it.
the sight dazzled them. there were vases filled with gold and silver coin, and three or four wallets stuffed with bank bills, besides watches—there looked to be fifty or sixty of these—and jewelry.
“well! well! this is a find!” said abner titcomb. “you are rich for life, guy!”
guy’s face flushed with pride and joy.
“mr. saunders will be satisfied, i think,” he said, simply. “the question is now, how shall we get the chest to the beach?”
“i think we shall have to wait till to-morrow. i doubt if we can carry it so far. we can bring some of the sailors with us to help.”
“won’t there be a risk in leaving it?”
“there is no one on the island. still, we had{275} better cover it up and get back to the beach, although it is yet early.”
it was at least four miles to the beach. when they arrived there their hearts were filled with dismay, for looking out to sea, they could see nothing of the osprey! she had mysteriously disappeared.
