In addition the three men took turns at climbing to the summit of the look-out hill. This they did every four hours in calm weather, and every two hours when the wind blew with any strength, so that no sailing vessel4 could close with the island between those intervals5 without first being sighted in the offing.
On the morning of the fourth day Jasper called Burgoyne's attention to a rectangular object lying on the top of a low-lying part of the reef. The tide had fallen exceptionally, and more of the reef was exposed than they had seen before.
"I believe it's our water-tank," declared Alwyn. "That's about where the boat broke her back."
"So I thinks, too, sir," agreed Minalto.
"In that case we'll have the thing ashore7," declared Burgoyne. "It would never do to leave such a monument to our mishaps8 lying in such a conspicuous9 position."
"How would you bring it across?" asked Mostyn.
"It looks as if it is lying on its side," replied the Third Officer, shading his eyes with his hand. "We'll have to up-right it and let the rising tide float it off. A couple of us could easily swim over there and push it across the lagoon11. No, not yet. We'll have to wait for the young flood to make. Meanwhile it's your turn, Jasper, to climb the hill. Nothing like exercise before breakfast."
Minalto swung off, and hurried to perform his task of look-out man. In less than a quarter of an hour he was back again, breathless with running.
"A sail!" he announced pantingly. "Away to nor'ard."
"Dash it all!" exclaimed Burgoyne.
The information disconcerted him. For the sake of his companions both on Swan Island and in the hands of the pirates at the secret base, he would have welcomed the intelligence if he knew for certain that the strange craft was a friendly one. But an instinctive12 feeling told him that the craft was manned by some of Ramon Porfirio's ruffianly crowd, and that the object of her voyage was to recapture the four fugitives13.
Without undue14 delay all hands hurried to the summit of the hill, Alwyn pausing only to scatter15 the burning logs over which the morning meal was boiling, Hilda suffering the interruption of her culinary task without protest.
From the elevated look-out post the vessel could be seen fairly clearly. The morning was bright, with no sign of haze16, and the craft appeared nearer than she actually was. In spite of the light breeze she was approaching rapidly, so that it was evident that she was equipped with a motor.
She was then about a mile and a half or two miles off the northern part of the island, shaping a course for the eastern side. She was a fore-and-aft schooner17, carrying jib-headed top-sails, and was of about eighty tons displacement18. She flew no colours.
"What would I not give for my prism binoculars19?" sighed Alwyn. "Seen her before, Minalto?"
Jasper nodded. He was still rather breathless.
"Yes," continued Burgoyne, "unless I'm much mistaken she was one of those small craft lying in the pirates' harbour; but I'm hanged if I noticed whether any of them had motors. Well, we'll have to get a move on, Miss Vivian. I'm sorry to say that your wish of a few days ago will have to be complied with. We must hide in the cave, perhaps for several days. I don't suppose those rascals20 will abandon the search until they've examined every visible part of the island."
"How about the water-tank?" asked Mostyn.
"Too late, now, I'm afraid," replied his chum. "It will be as much as we can do to transfer ourselves and our traps to the cave.... This way down; in case they've a glass bearing on us."
Keeping to the south slope of the hill until the tree-tops shut out the sight of the approaching vessel, the fugitives returned to the camp.
There was much to be done in a very short time. The tent was levelled and packed up in the smallest possible compass. The canvas between the two upturned parts of the broken life-boat was removed. The hot embers of the dying fire was carefully scattered21, lest they might kindle22 into flame and smoke. Then, heavily laden23 with stores and provisions, the four hastened towards the cave.
"One minute, sir!" exclaimed Jasper, stopping short in his tracks and setting down his burden. "If us ain't forgotten the li'l ole cask o' rum."
Burgoyne glanced behind towards the lagoon, a small portion of which was visible through the glade24.
"Too late, now," he replied. "The schooner's passing through the reef. Yes, she has an engine right enough. The water-tank must have given us away. Come along, Jasper; you've seen the last of your li'l ole cask, I'm thinking."
There was a stubborn look on Minalto's bronzed and bearded face as he reluctantly re-shouldered his burden. It went sorely against the grain, this tame surrender of what he considered to be his property by finding.
"Come along!" repeated Burgoyne sternly.
"Ay, ay, sir," replied Minalto; then under his breath he added: "an' I hope th' li'l ole cask'll poison the lot o' they."
It was now a slow and cautious business getting the stores and gear into the cave, and in spite of every care Burgoyne noticed with concern that the tracks under the scrub were by no means covered. A keen Malay tracker would be able to find their retreat with little difficulty. The only hope lay in the fact that the crew of the schooner were unskilled in woodcraft, and that the broken twigs25 and brushwood would escape notice.
"Here's our present abode26, Miss Vivian," announced Burgoyne, when the four and their portable property were inside the cave, a couple of candles lighted, and a double sheet of canvas hung across the entrance to screen any gleam from within.
"It reminds me of London during an air-raid," observed Hilda. "I had to spend several nights in a cellar—I was made to go down, but I would have much preferred to stop in an upper room. But there is nothing to be afraid of here as far as bombs are concerned."
"No; silence is the chief consideration," cautioned Alwyn. "I don't suppose they've sent a boat ashore yet, but I think I'll find out."
"Don't run unnecessary risks, please, Mr. Burgoyne," said Hilda.
"Trust me for that, Miss Vivian," declared the Third Officer earnestly. "Risks, yes; unnecessary risks, no. I've no use for the fellow who goes out asking for trouble."
"I'm going with you, old son," said Peter.
"My festive27 Sparks, you are not," decided28 Burgoyne. "For the present this is a one-man show. You stop here, and don't stir outside till I come back. All being well, I'll return in twenty minutes, if not before."
Withdrawing the cartridges29 from his revolver, Alwyn carefully tried the mechanism30 of the little weapon. Then, after reloading, he thrust the revolver into his hip-pocket, and, with a wave of his hand, disappeared behind the canvas hanging.
It was a tedious wait for the three who remained. Without means of knowing the time, the minutes passed very, very slowly. Peter tried to gauge31 the interval6 by observing the burning down of one of the candles. The others waited and listened intently for any sounds that might reach their ears from without the cave. Even the practical Hilda Vivian looked anxious and worried. Mostyn, not usually observant of people's characters, noticed that, and wondered whether the girl was anxious on Burgoyne's account or merely because of the peril32 that threatened her.
At length Minalto stood up, stretched his huge arms and picked up the cutlass, which Mostyn had brought to a state bordering on perfection, for the blade had been cleaned and sharpened, and the hilt shone like a convex mirror in the candle-light.
"I'm going to look for 'e," he declared in a hoarse33 whisper.
"You're going to stay here," said Mostyn firmly. "Officer's orders, you know."
Minalto was about to frame an argumentative reply, when a chorus of raucous34 voices sounded in the distance.
Without further delay Jasper pulled aside the canvas screen, only to collide violently with Alwyn Burgoyne.
"Ssh!" exclaimed the latter warningly. "Get back. They're ashore."
"The pirates?" asked Mostyn.
"Yes, unfortunately," replied Burgoyne. "They brought up off the little creek35 and hoisted36 Yankee colours. Thought they'd have us cold, but it didn't come off. I waited under a bush—rather longer than I intended, perhaps; but, you see, I wanted to make sure of their little game. After a bit they got tired of seeing the Stars and Stripes at the main truck, so they hauled the bunting down. Up to that point I'd seen only three men aboard; but by this time they'd come to the conclusion that we weren't having any. So they launched a boat and rowed ashore: eight men armed with rifles, and our old friend Strogoff sporting a pair of automatics. I thought it high time to sheer off, so I crept back for about fifty yards and again watched developments."
"Eight of 'em, not a-countin' Black Strogoff, were you sayin', sir?" inquired Minalto thoughtfully. "Sure, 'tes long odds37, wi' only a pistol an' a cutlass 'twixt three on us. Was there more on 'em left aboard, sir?"
"I cannot say, Jasper. More than likely there were, but I didn't see them. They'd hardly all go ashore."
"Ef us could slip along, like," resumed Jasper, "an' swim off to the schooner—— When all's nice an' dark like."
"They'll probably go on board again to-night," said Burgoyne. "We'll have to think things out a bit. But when I left them they were smashing up our happy home just out of sheer mischief38. When they've got tired of that they'll begin searching the island, so we had better lie low and keep quiet."
Presently the four fugitives heard the sounds of men forcing their way through the undergrowth, uttering fierce oaths in half a dozen different languages and occasionally firing their rifles. During intervals between the din10, Black Strogoff's voice could be heard shouting an ultimatum39 to the objects of his search, to the effect that if they gave themselves up without further trouble, "including the young woman" ("so they know," thought Alwyn), their lives would be spared. Otherwise he, Strogoff, would search the island from end to end and shoot the men down without mercy.
The pirates were evidently following a trail, which turned out to be the well-trodden path leading to the summit of the look-out hill. So keen were they on the obvious track that they failed entirely40 to notice the tell-tale broken brushwood concealing41 the mouth of the cave.
After the sounds of the pursuit had died away in the distance, Jasper proposed that he should go out and see what was happening in the lagoon.
"No, you don't," said Burgoyne decidedly. "Ten to one you'll play straight into their hands, if you did. I shouldn't be at all surprised to know that they had posted snipers at various intervals to pick us off if we ventured out. Patience and discretion42, Jasper. That's our motto for the present. How about grub?"
Another candle was lighted. They were of a kind known in the Royal Navy as "candles, lantern, ship's police ", and in their present condition might be reckoned upon to burn four or five hours; so with the stock at their command the fugitives were not likely to be compelled to sit in the darkness.
Slowly the long day passed. At intervals the voices of the pirates could be heard, as they returned to the boat apparently43 to hold a council as to the next course to pursue. Black Strogoff had abandoned his delivery of an ultimatum. He was still sanguine44 of success, since the discovery of the wreckage45 of the life-boat and the hot ashes of the camp-fire proved almost conclusively46 that his quarry47 was on the island and unable to leave it.
At last night fell upon the scene. Although it made no visible difference to the interior of the cave, the darkness was noticed by the four fugitives mainly by the change of temperature, and the fact was confirmed when Burgoyne cautiously drew the screen and looked out.
"We'll have to be jolly careful with that light now," he observed. "A glimmer48 escaping and shining on the brushwood would give the show away in a brace49 of shakes. Put the candle in the old chest, Jasper; that will screen it a bit."
After a cold supper Hilda and Mostyn dropped off into fitful slumbers50. Alwyn and Jasper remained on watch, straining their ears to catch any sound that might indicate the presence and occupation of their pursuers.
Soon there were no doubts on the matter. The rogues51 had not gone on board the schooner but were carousing52 on shore. Some of them in wanton mischief and with the lust53 of destruction had fired the brush-wood. The roaring of the flames outvoiced that of the pirates, but fortunately the nor'east wind kept the fire from spreading towards the mouth of the cave.
"They're going it strong," remarked Burgoyne. "It must be long after midnight. They've started to quarrel now, I think."
"An' the li'l ole cask," said Minalto broodingly. "Ef I'd but taken ut away...."
The distant pandemonium54 waxed and waned55 according to the temper and excitability of the roysterers. The ribald singing was succeeded by a volley of oaths and rifle-shots and blood-curdling shrieks56.
Minalto jogged his companion's elbow.
"That's fine!" he exclaimed with marked approval.
For the next hour the loud roar of the flames, as the fire overwhelmed the coco-palms, completely muffled57 all other sounds, but when at length, towards morning, the conflagration58 burnt itself out, there was a strange uncanny silence.
"Have a caulk59, sir," said Jasper. "I'll be wide awake, if you'm of a mind to sleep."
"I think I will, then," replied Burgoyne gratefully, and for the next two hours he slept like a log.
The slanting60 rays of the sun were penetrating61 the brushwood when Alwyn awoke and lifted the canvas covering the entrance to the cave. The air was thick with pungent62 smoke.
"Wake up, Peter!" exclaimed Burgoyne. "Stand by till we return. We're going out to see what's doing."
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1
evaporation
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| n.蒸发，消失 | |
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taro
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| n.芋，芋头 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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4
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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7
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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8
mishaps
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| n.轻微的事故，小的意外( mishap的名词复数 ) | |
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9
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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10
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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11
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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12
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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14
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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15
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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16
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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18
displacement
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| n.移置，取代，位移，排水量 | |
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19
binoculars
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| n.双筒望远镜 | |
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20
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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21
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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24
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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26
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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29
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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30
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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32
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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33
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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34
raucous
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| adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的 | |
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35
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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36
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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38
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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ultimatum
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| n.最后通牒 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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42
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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43
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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44
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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45
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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46
conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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47
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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48
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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49
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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50
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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51
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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52
carousing
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| v.痛饮，闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 ) | |
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53
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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54
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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55
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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56
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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57
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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58
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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59
caulk
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| v.堵缝 | |
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60
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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61
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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62
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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