"Is that all?"
"That"s all, sir," answered Wingate, and touching his cap he slouched off. Then he turned back. "Sorry if I disturbed anybody," he added.
"Oh, I suppose it is all right," returned d.i.c.k, but he was by no means satisfied, although he could not tell exactly why. There was something about the new deck hand that did not "ring true." At first he thought to speak to his parent about the occurrence, but then concluded not to worry his father.
Knowing that it was now a race between the _Rainbow_ and the _Josephine_ for Treasure Isle, Captain Barforth crowded on all steam. The course of the steam yacht was fairly well laid out, but it contained many turns and twists, due to the many keys located in these waters.
"We don"t want to run on any hidden reef," said the master of the vessel. "If we do we may go down or be laid up for a long while for repairs. These waters are fairly well charted, but there is still a great deal to be learned about them. From time to time they have had earthquakes down here, and volcano eruptions, and the bottom is constantly shifting."
On the second night out from Na.s.sau, Sam, for some reason, could not sleep. He tumbled and tossed in his berth for two hours, and then, feeling that some fresh air might do him good, dressed in part and went on deck.
It was not a very clear night, and but few stars shone in the firmament. In the darkness the lad walked first to one side of the steam yacht and then to the other. Then he strolled toward the bow, to have a little chat with the lookout.
As he walked along the side of the cabin he became aware of a figure leaning over the rail, gazing far down into the sea. By the man"s general form he made the fellow out to be Walt Wingate. The deck hand had hold of something, although what it was Sam could not tell.
At first the youngest Rover was going to call to the man and ask him what he was doing. But he remained silent, and stepped into the shadow of the cabin as Wingate left the rail and crossed to the other side of the yacht. From under some coils of rope the deck hand brought forth something, lifted it over the rail and dropped it gently into the sea.
Then he leaned far over the rail as before, and this lasted two or three minutes.
"He is certainly up to something out of the ordinary," thought Sam. "I wonder if he is fishing? If he is, it seems to me it is a queer way to go at it."
As Wingate left the rail he walked directly to where the boy stood.
When he discovered Sam he started back as if confronted by a ghost.
"Oh--er--didn"t know anybody was up," he stammered.
"It was so hot in my stateroom I couldn"t sleep," answered Sam. "I came out to get the air."
"It"s almost as hot on deck as it is anywhere," said the deck hand, and his tone had little of cordiality in it.
"I think I"ll go forward and try it there."
"Yes, it"s a little breezier at the bow, sir. By the way, did you--er--see me trying to catch some of those firefish just now?"
"I saw you doing something, I didn"t see what."
"I thought I might get one, but they are all gone now," answered Wingate, and slouched off, whistling in that peculiar manner of his.
Sam walked slowly to the bow. As he did this, Wingate turned to look at him in a speculative way.
"Wonder if the young fool saw what I was up to?" he muttered. "If he did I"d better go slow. I don"t want to get caught. They might treat me pretty roughly."
The watch on deck was changed and Wingate went below. Asa Carey was in command of the yacht and he, too, wanted to know why Sam was up at such a late hour. The boy told him, but said nothing to the mate of Wingate"s strange actions.
When Sam turned in, d.i.c.k wanted to know if he was sick.
"No, only restless, d.i.c.k," he replied. "By the way, I saw something strange," he continued, and he related the occurrence.
"We must look into this, Sam. It may mean nothing and it may mean a great deal," was the eldest Rover boy"s comment.
The boys did not go on deck until after breakfast. Then they walked to the starboard rail and stopped at the spot where Sam had first discovered the deck hand.
"I don"t see anything," said d.i.c.k, gazing over the rail. "Perhaps he was fishing, after all. He may have thought--Hullo!"
"What is it, d.i.c.k?"
"Some kind of a line down here--a wire, fastened to a hook!"
"Can you reach it?"
"Hardly. I might if you"ll hold my legs, so I don"t go overboard."
"Hadn"t we better tell Captain Barforth of this first? The wire may belong there."
"I don"t know what for. But we can tell the captain. Here he comes now."
"Good morning, boys," said the master of the steam yacht pleasantly.
"What can you see over there?"
"Something we think unusual," said Sam. "Please take a look and tell us what it is."
Captain Barforth did as requested.
"That wire has no business there," he declared. "I don"t know how it came there."
"I can tell you how it got there, and I guess you"ll find something like it on the other side," answered Sam, and told what he had seen Wingate do during the night.
"Humph, I"ll investigate this," muttered the captain, and went off for a boathook. When he returned he caught the hook into the loop of the wire and tried to bring the end of the strand to the deck. He was unable to do it alone and had to get the boys to aid him. Then all three ran the wire around a brace and gradually hauled it aboard. At the end was an iron chain, fastened into several loops, and also the anchor to one of the rowboats.
CHAPTER XIX
TREASURE ISLE AT LAST
"So this is the work of that new deck hand, eh?" cried Captain Barforth, grimly. "A fine piece of business to be in, I must say!"
"Let us see what is on the other side?" suggested d.i.c.k.
This was done, and they brought up another wire, to the end of which were attached two small anchors and some pieces of sc.r.a.p steel from the tool room.
"He put those overboard for drag anchors," explained the master of the steam yacht. "He did it to delay the _Rainbow_."
"Yes, and that was done so the _Josephine_ could get ahead of us,"
added d.i.c.k.
"In that case he must be in league with Sid Merrick," came from Sam.