CHAPTER X
IRA SMALL’S REVELATIONS
“Andy, I never knew you could cry so cheerfully,” remarked Jack, when the boys were once more by themselves and were sure that no outsiders were observing them.
“He’d make a hit on the vaudeville stage,” came from Spouter. “Gosh! when he first started I thought he was really crying.”
“So did I,” added Gif. “And I didn’t know what to make of it, for Andy isn’t built that way.”
“Now we’ve started to appear as if we are half scared to death, I suppose we’ve got to keep it up,” remarked Randy.
“Sure we’ve got to keep it up,” answered Jack, promptly. “It’s a good stunt. We have to hand it to that sailor, Small. He certainly had the right idea.”
“Maybe he isn’t as crazy as some people think,” said Fred. “Lots of people are peculiar, but that doesn’t make them insane.”
“Well, we didn’t find out anything about the things that were stolen,” remarked Ralph.
“If we leave the schooner, we’ll probably have to leave those things behind,” said Fred. “It’s a shame! I’d like to sneak into the cabin some time and take a look around.”
“So would I!” came simultaneously from the twins.
“I don’t blame you,” answered Jack. “Just the same, please remember that if we want to get away from this schooner soon, we’ve got to be mighty careful about what we do. If they discover us in any underhand work, they’ll come down on us like a thousand of brick.”
While the boys talked the matter over near the bow of the schooner, Captain Gilsen, Ferguson and Letts held a conference in the cabin of the Hildegarde.
“That sounds pretty good to me,” said the mate, after Ferguson had unfolded the plan already broached to the captain. “Of course, we might have a lot of trouble communicating with those boys’ folks, and more trouble getting them to pay up, but I think it could be done.”
“Of course it could be done!” replied Captain Gilsen, tugging on his moustache as usual. “I’ve been thinking it over hard, and I’m sure I know just where we can take ’em; a small island off the coast of Porto Rico. From there we can easily get into communication with the mainland and send out telegrams to their folks.”
“Those boys may cut up pretty wild when they understand what is going on,” remarked the mate.
“I don’t think they will,” answered Ferguson. “We’ve got ’em pretty well cowed.”
“How you going to keep them from pestering us about going ashore with the motor boat?”
“We’ll concoct a story that the revenue cutters are after us, and that we’ve got to keep pretty well out to sea,” was the reply. “We can tell ’em that it’s too rough ’way out there for the motor boat and that they’ll be safer aboard the schooner.”
Thereafter the three men went into an earnest discussion of the subject and finally decided that they would go into the scheme on equal shares and that each would assume an equal risk.
“We can easily buy up the whole crew,” said Letts. “I think a hundred dollars to each man will fix it up.”
“There’s only one fellow I don’t trust, and that’s Small,” said Captain Gilsen. “He’s a first-class hand, but there’s something about him I don’t like.”
“Oh, don’t worry about Small. We can easily manage him,” sneered the mate. “Why, that fellow is half crazy. He’s talking about pirates’ gold and that sort of rot all the time. Just promise him that you’ll go after that treasure after this affair is taken care of, and he’ll be all right.”
Then the three men discussed the subject of whether or not it would be advisable to treat the boys better than had been done.
“They’re not common sailors, or anything like that,” remarked Letts. “I suppose it galls ’em to be herded in the fo’castle. Maybe they’d take it better if we gave ’em accommodations in the cabin, although how we’re going to crowd ’em in, I don’t see.”
“Not a bit of it!” howled Ferguson. “I don’t believe in bein’ nice to ’em! Treat ’em rough—that’s my way! Treat ’em rough!”
“I think Bill is right,” said the captain. “If we continue to treat ’em rough, they’ll be easier to handle when it comes to writing letters home in order to obtain their release. We’ll scare them out of their wits.”
“And on the other hand, if they agree to do everything we tell ’em, we can promise that they’ll get back everything we took away from ’em,” added Ferguson. “Of course, we don’t have to give the things back, but we can promise it,” and he leered wickedly at his companions.
However, there was one thing the plotters did do, somewhat to the boys’ surprise. When the call came to dinner they found that Captain Gilsen had given orders that they have one of the tables in the forecastle to themselves. And on this the meal served was a decided improvement over those previously supplied.
“This is something like,” said Randy, as he tasted the stew and then sipped some of the coffee. “It shows the cook knows his business when he wants to.”
“Those men have got something up their sleeve or they wouldn’t be giving us this food,” returned Jack, suspiciously.
“Perhaps they’re getting a little bit scared over what may be coming to them,” said Gif.
“No, I don’t believe it’s that, Gif,” returned the young major.
It was not until late in the afternoon that Letts came up to where Jack and Ralph were standing and smiled rather dubiously at them.
“We’re in a hole, and you fellows have got to stand for it,” said the mate. “We thought we could run closer to land and let you take your motor boat and go ashore. But we saw some signals a while back, and we’ve got to change our plan entirely.”
“Signals?” queried Ralph. “What sort of signals? I didn’t see anything.”
“No; because you weren’t looking in the right direction and because you didn’t have a spy-glass,” returned Letts. “The captain got signals that two revenue cutters are searching for us. So instead of going inshore we’re going out.”
“What do you mean—out on the ocean?” demanded Jack, quickly.
“That’s it, lad. And we intend to keep out until we’re sure the coast is clear. Besides that, we’ll be better off outside, I think, because another storm is coming.”
The boys did not know whether to believe the mate of the Hildegarde or not. However, there was nothing they could do to improve matters, so they did not argue with him. They had already noted that the sun was going under some heavy clouds and that the breeze was freshening.
“They’ve certainly got something up their sleeve regarding us,” said Jack, when he and Ralph were telling the others what the mate had said.
“Well, it doesn’t look as if we can do anything about getting away to-night,” said Fred. “I just had a chance to talk to Ira Small, and he said it wouldn’t be any use—that we’re too far out on the Atlantic and that the storm is coming up fast.”
“I wonder what they’ll do with the motor boat if the storm gets very heavy!” cried Ralph. “Maybe they’ll cut it adrift!”
“They won’t want to throw away such a valuable craft unless it becomes absolutely necessary,” returned Jack. “I think those fellows are out for every dollar they can get—their robbing us proves it!”
By the time the boys went to supper the wind was blowing strongly and the Hildegarde was pitching and tossing on the broad bosom of the Atlantic.
“It’s goin’ to be a real storm, to my way o’ thinkin’,” said Ira Small, when he had a chance to speak to the lads. “You kin be thankful you’re not out in it in your motor boat. That craft couldn’t make much headway in sech a sea as the wind is kickin’ up.”
“Have they done anything about the motor boat?” questioned Ralph.
“Yes, they’ve covered her with a tarpaulin and hitched her on with a cable that’s twice as long and three times as strong as the first one was. I reckon they’re goin’ to save her if they possibly kin, no matter how hard it blows.”
“Where do you think we are, Small?”
“We’re jest about east o’ Cape Hatteras. An’ lemme tell you, that’s some place to be in when a storm comes.”
“Yes, we’ve heard all about Cape Hatteras and the awful storms they have in that vicinity,” said Fred. “Gee, maybe this old tub will go to the bottom!”
That night on the Hildegarde proved to be one the boys never forgot. The wind seemed to blow stronger and stronger until the vessel was rolling and pitching in a manner that made it dangerous to cross the deck. Nearly every stitch of canvas had been taken in, only enough being left set to give the schooner steerage way. There were several showers, but nothing in the way of a heavy downpour, and what little there was of thunder and lightning kept in the distance.
“Well, I’m mighty thankful we’re not out in the motor boat,” remarked Randy.
“So am I,” answered Fred. “I don’t believe we could do a thing in such a wind as this.”
“Do you notice that it is not as cold as it was?” remarked Jack. “This breeze is quite warm.”
“That’s because it is coming from the south,” answered Spouter. “You must remember that the farther south we go, the warmer it’s going to be.”
“If we’re off Cape Hatteras we’re a good way from home,” put in Ralph. “Hang the luck, anyhow! Why did we have to run into these miserable bootleggers?”
By midnight the storm was at its height. Sleep for the boys was out of the question, and they huddled together near the door of the forecastle, talking in low tones and wishing for daylight to come.
“It sure is a humdinger of a night!” exclaimed Ira Small, when he came in from his watch on deck. “The sea is gettin’ worse an’ worse ev’ry minute.”
“How long do you think this storm will last, Small?” questioned Jack.
“Can’t say, lad. It may blow itself out by mornin’, and it may last two or three days. We ain’t in the worst of it—the worst seems to be farther down the coast.”
To the dismay of the boys, the storm at daybreak was as bad as ever. The sea was now running strong and the Hildegarde could hardly keep on her course despite the fact that some sail was set and the auxiliary engine was being used.
The storm seemed to have a bad effect on the sailors. As much as possible they remained in the forecastle, and three or four of them insisted upon drinking heavily. Soon there was a violent quarrel, and one man was hit on the head with a bottle and knocked unconscious. Then the captain and the mate were called in, and two of the sailors were placed in irons until they could sober up.
“I must say I’m disgusted with the bunch sailing with me,” said Captain Gilsen to Ferguson, after the quarrel had quieted down. “If we can make that bunch of money we spoke about out of those kids, I’ll be willing to discharge every one of them.”
“Well, we’d better hold ’em together the best we can until we’ve put our plan through,” answered Ferguson.
All day long and the following night the wind kept up, and the Hildegarde had all it could do to keep on its course. But to the delight of the boys, they learned that the motor boat was still in tow and right side up.
“The tarpaulin kep’ most o’ the water out,” explained Ira Small. “I think she’ll be as good as ever when the storm clears away.”
“Let’s get what sleep we can,” said Jack, to his chums. “All of the others on board the schooner will be worn out because of the storm. Then, when it calms down, they’ll want to sleep, and that maybe will give us a chance to see what we can do.”
It was not until the following afternoon, when the storm had subsided and matters were running fairly smooth, that Ira Small sidled up to Jack, Ralph and Gif, who chanced to be standing near the forward rail.
“I’ve got hold o’ that gasoline, and I know how I kin git some grub and water,” whispered the lanky sailor hoarsely. “How about it? Do you want to make a try for it to-night?”
“Do you think it would be safe, Small?” questioned Ralph.
“You know more about that there motor boat nor I do, but if I was you boys, I’d not stay on this here schooner a minute longer’n I had to. I jest heard somethin’ that you young fellows might like to hear.”
“What is that, Small?” asked Jack.
“If I tell you, will you promise not to give me away? If they found out I told you, they might kill me.”
“We won’t say a word,” said Gif, quickly. “What have you learned?”
“I’ve learned that they ain’t goin’ to let you go nohow,” answered the lanky sailor. “They’re goin’ to take you to some island where they’ll hold you prisoners till your folks pay a whole barrel o’ money to ransom you.”