Part 45 (1/2)

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 s.h.i.+powner'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, flouris.h.i.+ng 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 s.h.i.+p's cannon, and it came from the direction of the sh.o.r.e!” 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.