Part 27 (2/2)
The skipper read a rough, explanatory scrawl from the back of the paper
It purported to have been written by one of the lads who had been in San Joseph on a Spanish shi+p since the departure of the _Golden Boar_ He explained that he wished his countrymen to know that the treasure had never been found by the Dons, and added that he had bribed the native to give the paper to them if they came back He would not affix his na his faith and nationality
The tale was plausible enough and cunningly set forth Less credulous er adventurers would have been deceived by it The English was rough, hoht well have been written by one of the lads One thing was certain--it could not have been written by a Spaniard It ritten, indeed, by the renegade Basil
Needless to say the bait ed The _Golden Boar_ made a hurried departure fro the coast towards the Isthalleon so the body of troops fro on all sail to enter a cunningly laid trap
Apparently fortune was going to favour thehted a Spanish shi+p They had voar against everything Spanish, and were resolved not to go home with an empty hold The helm was put about, and they bore down on their prey
The vessel was not a large one, but it ell , the captain replied with a well-directed shot The vessels closed A sharp fight ensued, and the adventurers won The prize was a good one, and the bold band, deeh and honourable one, loudly thanked God for His goodness Then they sailed on, eager for fresh conquests
Even the least hopeful man cast away his doubts and fears Hitherto they had searched for what nofor a treasure whose position was definitely set forth, and, moreover, they were on the beaten track where sofellow-countrymen had found fortune Spanish shi+ps they mustto do--they must capture them To their reawakened spirits the lorious sea, too, had washed the fever froers sang, the fiddlers played, and Master Jeffreys, Nick and Ned Johnson told their tales afresh The generous fellows reain the treasure they were going to carry off so easily As far as the memory of the survivors would allow, a list of Oxenham's creas drawn up; their hoainst their names, and it was resolved that half of what they recovered should go to the relatives of the dead ainst the decision; it see to do: there were no craven or selfish hearts aboard the _Golden Boar_
And so the eager days sped on No hted, and the tier looked seawards at all The shi+p was hugging the shore, and Nick Johnson or his brother spent hours at thefor a familiar landmark More than once was the anchor dropped, and a boat sent up a proht one Failure after failure was reported, but the search only grew the keener The adventurers were deterth caave a frantic hurrah frohted the bare bluff, the wooded background, and the narroinding inlet His brother was quickly beside hi opinion to the expectant cooal was reached at last!
There was no need to send an exploring boat this tientle breeze took the _Golden Boar_ into the sheltered anchorage The trees encircling the little inland bay shut her in just as the sun went down behind thee mixture of pirate and patriot--piously and whole-heartedly bared their heads and thanked God for His bounteous mercies!
Chapter XL
A HAVEN OF PEACE
The night passed; a night of happy contentroups on the deck the coht of the tropical night The sentry tramped the deck, listened to the cries from the forest and the salty pool, watched the fireflies as they darted to and fro, and called out the hours and the state of the night whenever the shi+p's bell sent itsfro the denizens of the forest around A bird sang in the grove, tuning its lay to reproduce the notes of every songster that had warbled during the daytime The scents from the masses of flowers, that clustered the banks and wound their tendrils round the giant trees, floated fragrantly on the night air There was peace in the heavens above and the doard glances of the quiet-eyed stars; there was peace in forest and pool, and sweet sounds and fragrant odours; the shi+p rocked gently on the flowing tide in a haven that ht have been a harbour on the shores of a paradise And the sleeping men dreamed pleasant dreams, for the scents of the flowers ca of the bird beat rhythhed softly and entleman murmured a beloved name, as the face of the one beloved passed by in a sweet vision of the night In his sleep many a one was already at the holittered on the faave this to one and that to another, hung a chain on a fair young neck or pressed a ring on a dainty finger Johnnie Morgan stood by the river, exactly as he had stood on that bright March ed for a reconciliation She caulls flew over the sands, and the sun shone war
The feathered singer in the tree ceased his singing, and hid his head under his wing as his bright-plued fellows had done The stars paled; nature stirred in her sleep; the sailor on the deck felt the treh the aniorously A breeze h the trees; the ripple of the water wascroaked sleepily to his fellows, and got no answer for a while A yellow band stretched across the eastern horizon; it tinged the heaving waters, it flecked the trees with gold The whole forest rustled and twittered A bird flen to the water A parrot screamed noisily; a sleeper started up from his hard couch The sentinel cried the hour, and announced a fineThe world heard his Overnight nothing had been done, and no one ashore The decks were cleaned, prayers said, breakfast eaten, and the rough plan of Oxenha-place nailed down on the compass-box, where all could see it Then Captain Drake and the gentlemen of the company went ashore with Nick and Ned Johnson Hearts beat excitedly in the shi+p's boat, and hearts throbbed in unison ast those aited on the deck The party landed
They clarowth, so their swords in order to ainst awooden and hollow; he has not lighted upon an e rily TheHe shouts aloud; the others come up What has he found? The ruins of one of Oxenhanizes it ”I worked to help build it,” he says softly ”The Dons cah fellow uncovered his head
The adventurers gazed with a strange interest upon the relic of a former bold adventure They turned it over almost reverently ”Brave John Oxenham!” murmured Captain Drake
But sentimental recollections were soon swept away The discovery of the half-finished boat put aside all doubts as to the identity of their anchorage with that of Oxenhaer question
”Just out of the tide-way in the heart of a cluster of est tree,” answered Nick He looked around ”Yonder's the spot,” he cried All followed hietation had enwreathed the trees with gay creepers, but Nick soon found the rowths choked up the gaps between the trunks of the trees, but a couple of axes cleared a path The round was hard and overgrown, and certainly had not been touched for a long tiround had never been disturbed since Oxenhaet to work at once He rowed back to the shi+p, ordered the pickaxes and shovels to be brought up fro of sailors and soldiers to go ashore and coht to suffice for the securing of the treasure
The in They rowed ashore, stripped the one another on with boisterous jests Captain Drake remained aboard Sir John Trelawny and so Ti the strea of the larder Nick Johnson pointed out a spring, and others of the co the barrels with fresh water All were animated, and occupied in some useful way or other