"If we do."
"You are not ready to give up yet, are you, Tom?"
"Oh, no. But finding that treasure isn"t going to be as easy as I thought."
"We ought to be able to find some trace of the cave pretty soon--the isle is so small. If the isle was large it would be a different matter."
They decided to advance, some of the party skirting the swamp in one direction and some in another. It was difficult work and they did not wonder that Merrick and his party had given up in disgust. Occasionally they had to wade in water up to their ankles and then climb through brushwood that was all but impa.s.sible. They tore their clothing more than once, and scratches were numerous.
The sun had been shining brightly, but now, as if to add to their misery, it went under some heavy clouds, casting a deep gloom over the jungle.
"We are goin" to have a storm," said Bahama Bill. "An" when it comes I reckon it will be a lively one. I remember onct, when I was on the island o" Cuby, we got a hurricane that come putty nigh to sweepin"
everything off the place. It took one tree up jest whar I was standin"
an" carried it "bout half a mile out into the ocean. Thet tree struck the foremast o" a brig at anchor an" cut it off clean as a whistle.
Some o" the sailors thought the end o" the world was comin"."
"They certainly do have some heavy hurricanes down here," remarked Anderson Rover. "But let us hope we"ll escape all such, even though we get a wetting," he added, as he felt a few drops of rain.
Soon it was raining steadily, and when they reached a spot clear of trees they got soaked to the skin. But as it was very warm they did not mind this.
"It"s like taking a bath without troubling about undressing," said Tom, and this remark caused a smile.
They were now in a bunch once more, with Bahama Bill leading them. The old tar was looking sharply ahead and soon he gave a grunt of satisfaction.
"What is it?" asked Anderson Rover eagerly.
"I know where I am now," was the reply. "And unless that earthquake knocked it skyhigh thet cave ought to be right ahead o" us!"
CHAPTER XXVI
A DISMAYING DISCOVERY
The announcement that the treasure cave must be just ahead of them filled the entire party with renewed energy, and regardless of the rain, which was now coming down heavily, they pushed on behind Bahama Bill in a close bunch, each eager to be the first to behold the sought-for spot.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THEY PUSHED ON BEHIND BAHAMA BILL.]
There was no longer any trail, and they had to pick their way over rough rocks and through brushwood and vines which were thick regardless of the fact that they had little or no rooting places.
"I guess we"ve got to earn that treasure if we get it," said Sam, as he paused to get his breath.
"It certainly looks that way," answered d.i.c.k, as he wiped the rain and perspiration from his face. "I wonder how much further we have to go?"
That question was answered almost immediately, for Bahama Bill, turning the corner of several extra large rocks, came to a halt with a grunt of dissatisfaction.
"Well, what now?" questioned Anderson Rover.
"It"s gone!"
"What, the cave?" asked several.
"Yes--she"s gone, swallowed up, busted!" answered the old tar. "Thet air earthquake done it an" no error," he went on. "It jest shook thet pile o" rock wot made the cave into a heap, and there"s the heap."
Bahama Bill pointed in front of him, where a large quant.i.ty of rocks lay in a scattered ma.s.s, many of them ten and twenty tons in weight. At one point was what he said had been the entrance to the cave, but this was completely blocked by the stones.
"Vot"s der madder, can"t ve get in?" queried Hans, with a look of real concern on his honest face.
"That doesn"t look like it," answered Fred. "Too bad, and after coming so far for this treasure, too!"
"We must get in there somehow!" cried d.i.c.k.
"Why can"t we blow up the rocks with dynamite," suggested Tom.
"We can--but it will take time," said his father. He turned to Bahama Bill. "About how far into the cave was the treasure placed?"
"Oh, at least a hundred feet--maybe two hundred."
Anderson Rover heaved a deep sigh, which was echoed by his sons. To get down into that ma.s.s of rocks a distance of from one to two hundred feet would surely be a herculean task, if not an impossible one. And then, too, there was a question whether or not the treasure had not dropped down through some hole in the bottom of the cave after the earthquake.
"I"ll have to think this over," said Anderson Rover, after an examination of the rocks. "We"ll have to try to locate the treasure and then see if we can raise enough dynamite to blow the rocks away. More than likely, if we undertake the task, it will take a long time--perhaps weeks and months."
"What, as long as that?" cried Sam, in dismay.
"Well, if the treasure is as valuable as reported it will be worth it,"
answered d.i.c.k.
"But in the meantime, what of Sid Merrick and his gang?" asked Tom.
"More than likely they will make us seven kinds of trouble and do their best to get the treasure away from us."
"We shall have to protect ourselves as well as we can," said Mr. Rover.
After that it rained so hard they were forced to seek shelter under a thick bunch of palms. The rain continued for half an hour longer and then the sun came out strongly, and the jungle became steaming hot.
With Bahama Bill to guide them, they walked around what had been the top of the treasure cave. From some landmarks which had not been totally destroyed by the earthquake the old tar felt certain that there could be no mistake and that the treasure must be buried beneath them.
"But how far down you"ll have to go to reach it I can"t tell," he added. "It"s like them ile well diggers--sometimes they strike ile near the top o" the ground, an" then ag"in they have to bore putty deep down. It"s my hope ye won"t have to roll away more"n two or three rocks to git into the hole an" put your hands on the boxes with the gold and jewels."
"If we only had to roll away two or three rocks I"d be for doing the rolling right now!" cried Tom.
"I"d like to see you roll a rock weighing ten or fifteen tons,"
observed Songbird. "You"d want about twenty horses to even start it."
Now that the first disappointment was over, the Rovers began to consider getting down into the cave from a purely practical point. They looked over all the big rocks with care, making a note of such as ought to be blasted away and of others that could be removed with the aid of a rope and pulleys.
"Let us see if we cannot gain the sh.o.r.e of the bay in a straight line from here," said Mr. Rover, after the examination of the ground had come to an end. "If we can it will make it so much easier to go back and forth from the steam yacht."