Part 26 (2/2)
At last we came to the piece of beach aimed for. We took the anchor in a small boat well in to sh.o.r.e, so that as the tide rose the bow of the schooner was pulled more and more on the sand. It would be well toward noon of the new day, before the tide will have reached its height, and so begin to recede, and leave the _Pearl_ showing gradually more and more of her hull above water.
We found time to discuss the situation and the probable means employed for our undoing; for no one of us was in any doubt that it was Duran who had done this thing.
”He send one black weeth the augur, or brace and bit, an' drill holes in thee hull,” said Captain Marat. And he pointed to a loop of rope still hanging on a starboard bowsprit stay. It was by that rope that the worker had swung himself, while he bored holes into the hull below water-line.
”And to think he sneaked up on me in broad moonlight and did that thing!” said Grant Norris.
”Well, you see,” I offered, ”the swimmer approached on the opposite side from the _Orion_; and the waves helped hide his head. We none of us dreamed of his trying anything like that.”
”We should have done even more than ever dream it,” wailed Norris. ”And now he'll have at least twenty-four hours the start of us, the best we can do.”
CHAPTER XIX
WE STEAL A MARCH ON THE ENEMY
”What I'd like to know,” said Robert, ”are we going to let that--that--”
”Kidnapper-voodoo priest--cannibal--son-of-a-polecat,” prompted Ray.
”What I'd like to know,” continued Robert, ”are we going to let him beat us after all?”
”Not if I have to go after him single-handed,” declared Grant Norris.
”But he's making direct for that gold mine,” said Robert.
”There's only one thing to do,” Julian offered. ”Some of us will have to go overland.”
”Yes, that ees it,” said Carlos. ”We beat him there!”
”What!” said Ray. ”Jump over those mountains!” He looked up to those peaks towering many thousands of feet; the morning sun had just set his glow on them.
”Yes,” I said. ”There are roads over the pa.s.ses, and the distance can't be over two hundred miles.”
”Id is thee only chance,” said Captain Marat, ”I get thee chart.”
The chart was spread on the table.
”Id take anyway five day for the _Orion_ to sail round to thee places,”
said Captain Marat, making measurements, ”if she have most favorable wind.”
”It won't take over four days to make it overland,” I offered, ”if we make only thirty miles a day with horses.”
”Just so,” agreed Captain Marat, verifying my measurements.
”What is more,” Robert added, ”we know pretty accurately where Duran will land to go to the gold mine.”
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