Part 38 (1/2)

”Wild pigeons!” exclaimed Dave. ”And hundreds of them! Shall I give them a couple of barrels, captain?”

”Might as well, lad. Wild pigeons are good eating, especially when you are hungry. Get as many of 'em as you can.”

Dave approached a little closer and took aim with care. Bang! went the shotgun, and a wild fluttering and flying followed. Bang! went the second barrel of the weapon, and then, as the smoke cleared away, the boys and the captain saw seven of the pigeons come down to the ground.

Several others fluttered around and Phil caught one and wrung its neck, and Roger laid another low with a stick he had picked up.

”Fine shots, both of them,” declared Captain Sanders. ”Now load up again, Dave, so as to be ready for anything else that shows up.”

”I am afraid I have scared the rest of the game,” declared our hero, and so it proved, for after that they saw nothing but some small birds.

They pa.s.sed through a thick woods and then came rather unexpectedly to a wall of rocks, all of a hundred feet in height. At the base of the wall was an opening leading into a broad cave. Near the entrance was the remains of a campfire.

”Somebody has been here and that recently!” cried Phil, as he examined the embers.

”Must be Merwell and Jasniff!” cried Dave. ”For if they were strangers they would come out and see what the shooting meant.”

”Shall we go into the cave, or continue on the way to the sh.o.r.e?”

questioned the senator's son.

”Oh, let us take a peep into the cave first,” cried Phil. ”It looks as if it was inhabited.”

The others were willing, and lighting a firebrand that was handy, they entered the cavern. In front they found the opening to be broad and low, but in the rear the ceiling was much higher and there were several pa.s.sageways leading in as many different directions.

”What an island!” murmured Roger. ”Why, one could spend a year in visiting all the caves!”

”It's like a great, big sponge!” returned Phil. ”Holes everywhere!”

”Take care that you don't slip down into some opening!” warned Captain Sanders.

In one of the pa.s.sages they came across the remains of a meal and also some empty bottles. Then Dave saw some bits of paper strewn over the rocky floor.

”What are they, Phil?” he asked, and then both commenced to pick the pieces up. Roger helped, while the captain held the firebrand.

”Well, of all things!” cried the s.h.i.+powner's son. ”Now what do you make of this?”

”The chart!” cried Dave.

”Yes!”

”What chart?” queried the master of the _Golden Eagle_.

”The treasure chart those four Englishmen had,” answered Dave. ”Now what made them come here with it and tear it to pieces?”

”Hum!” mused the captain. ”One of two things would make 'em do that, lad. Either they got the treasure and had no further use for the map, or else they found the whole thing was a fake and in their rage they tore the map to shreds.”

”They must have gotten the gold!” murmured Roger and Phil.

”No, I think they got fooled,” said Dave.