CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE SMUGGLERS AGAIN.
WHILE his chums were making up the sleep they had lost, Walter took theRoberts launch and ran over to Palm Island. Brief as had been theirstay on the little isle, he had grown quite fond of it and his angerrose as he viewed the work of the wreckers. The vandals had done theirwork well. Not a stick remained standing of the former cozy, littlecabin. The wharf, too, was gone, even its posts had been hacked shortoff at the surface of the water.
Leaving the scene of the ruin, Walter hobbled slowly over the littleisland looking all about with thoughtful interest. At last, he made hisway back to the launch and returned to the Roberts camp.
His companions were awake and stirring about. Chris was busily engagedin cooking dinner, while the rest were applying salve and bandages totheir sore hands.
Charley greeted his chum with an affectionate smile. "How's the foot?"he inquired.
"Coming on all right," said Walter, cheerfully. "How about you, feelingbetter?"
"Feeling fine and dandy," declared the other, "and I am as hungry asa wolf. I remember you had some bad news to tell me. Let's hear it. Ifeel able to face all kinds of trouble now."
"I don't know as it is exactly bad news for us," said his chum. "Ina way it doesn't concern us at all, unless we want to make it ourbusiness."
"You are getting my curiosity aroused," Charley laughed. "Let's hearthis news of yours."
"The night you all left me in Clearwater, I did not go to a boardinghouse to stop. It had cost quite a bit to have my ankle fixed up andI did not have much money left and I was afraid to spend what littleI had, for I knew, if you fellows were not successful in your trip,there was going to be mighty hard times ahead. I went out on the dockand looked around but I didn't quite fancy sleeping there so I wentback uptown and hung around until the stores closed. I was gettingpretty sleepy by this time, so I went down again to the bay and lookedaround until I found what I wanted, a skiff pulled up high and dry onthe sand. There were some old nets in the bottom and I crawled in,stretched out on one of the nets, and pulled the other one over me,getting my head under a seat to keep out the dew. I went to sleep ascozy as a bug in a rug. I don't know how long I had slept when I wokeup to the sound of voices. Four men were sitting on the edge of myskiff talking together. It was too dark to see their faces but I knewone of the voices. It was Hunter's and you can bet your life I laidmighty still and listened.
"They were talking about us at first and it made my blood boil to hearthem chuckling over the harm they had done us, but there was nothing Icould do but lay quiet and stand it. They talked about the cache andwondered where we had hidden the liquor. At last they came to what, Iguess, was the real object of their meeting where no one could hearthem. Having disposed of us, as they thought, they have arranged tobring in another large lot of aguardiente."
"When?" Charley demanded, eagerly.
"To-night. They expect the schooner at the island at about midnight.They talked it over and arranged all the details of the job before theyseparated."
"To-night at midnight," Charley mused. "We had better go right over andtell the sheriff."
"That was the first thing I thought of," Walter said. "I was up at hishouse by sunrise the next morning but it was no use. His wife told mehe was very ill and could not be seen."
"Queer, he is never around when that smuggling is going on," observedCharley, suspiciously. "I wonder if it can be that he is standing inwith the smugglers for a share of the profits."
"Not Sheriff Daley," spoke up Bill Roberts, warmly. "He is as squarea man as ever lived. Queer, though," he added, slowly, "I saw him justthe day before and he looked the picture of health, but then, it may beappendicitis or some such sudden illness that's struck him."
"It's too bad," said Captain Westfield. "It leaves those rascals freeto carry out their devilment. Of course, it's none of our business, butit seems wrong to have such things going on."
"No, of course it is none of our business," Charley agreed,hesitatingly. "How many of them are there in it, Walt? Did you hear?"
"Only the four that met," his chum replied. "They were discussinggetting a couple more men to help, but Hunter objected as it would meanmore division of the profits. He said the schooner's crew could helpland the stuff."
"Did he say how many were on the schooner?" Bill Roberts inquired.
"Four men and a boy," replied Walter.
"Well, as you have all said, I reckon it is none of our business," Billobserved.
They sat in thoughtful silence for a few minutes.
"It would be hard on Hunter's wife, if he was caught," Charley said,finally.
"It would be the best thing that could happen for her," Bill declared."She is a good woman. She works like a slave to support them both.Hunter blows in all the money he makes and lives on her earnings. Hebeats her like a dog, too."
"The brute!" Walter exclaimed, hotly.
"Dar's five hundred dollars to be gib to de one what catches de boozesellers, ain't dey?" Chris inquired. "'Pears like hit would be apowerful good thing for some one to cotch him an' send all dat money todat poor woman."
Captain Westfield looked from one to the other with a sheepish grin."Thar isn't any use of our saying it's none of our business," he said."Down deep in his heart each one of us knows it is his business. It'salways a _man's_ business to stop wrong-doing."
"Right you are," agreed Bill Roberts, with gruff heartiness. "I know weare all thinking about the the same things. It isn't so much that thisman and his gang are breaking the law that counts, it's the misery andsuffering which he causes that calls for action. There have been tenmen killed in the fish camps here the past year, and what caused thekilling? Rum, rum brought in and sold by Hunter. And that isn't all themisery he's caused. Think of the beaten wives and neglected children.It's time there was a stop put to it."
"Yes," Captain Westfield agreed. "We are as much our brother's keeperas in the days of Cain."
"I guess we are all pretty well agreed," smiled the practical Charley."The question is, how are we going to take them. There are nine ofthem and only seven of us. Of course one of them is only a boy, butthen, Walt is pretty well crippled up."
"I'll be right there when the fun begins," his chum said, determinedly."What if they are two more in number. We will be well armed, and surelya surprise counts for something. I went over the island while you wereall sleeping and planned it all out. There is only one piece of thebeach where a boat can land safely. There is a group of palmettoesclose to it. Now what I planned is this. We had better start out inthe launch early and run straight out of the pass as though we weregoing out to the reef. Once we get behind the island, and out of sightof Clearwater, we'll skirt the shore and run around to the north end.There's a little cove there where the launch will be hidden from boththe gulf and the bay. When dark comes we can hide in the clump ofpalmettoes and wait. When they get to work in earnest, we can slip outand take them by surprise. Then five of us can keep them quiet with therifles, while the other two tie them up. Once we have got them secure,we can load them into the launch, carry them straight to Tampa and turnthem over to the sheriff there. How does that strike all of you?"
"It sounds simple enough," Charley said, doubtfully, "too simple, infact."
"What fault can you find with it?" Walter demanded.
"None," his chum answered, "only I have a hunch that Hunter is tooclever and cunning a rascal to be caught so easily."
"Have you any better plan to suggest?" Walter asked.
But Charley had not, nor did any of the others, so, after somediscussion, Walter's plan was adopted.
As soon as dinner was over, some lunch was packed into a basket,and storing it and the loading rifles in the launch, they steeredboldly out of the inlet. As soon as the island was between them andClearwater, however, they shifted helm, and hugging its shore, ran downto its northern end.
Here they found the little cove Walter had mentioned. Running thelaunch into it, they
anchored and waded ashore. They placed theirlaunch and rifles in the clump of palmettoes, and then there wasnothing to do until the coming of night, except to pass the time awayas best they could. By keeping on the gulf side of the island, therewas no danger of their being seen from Clearwater, and this they werecareful to do. A swim in the clear, warm water and the picking up ofcurious shells on the beach served to while away the balance of theafternoon. As soon as dark came, they retired within the clump ofpalms. With the going down of the sun came the rising of the moon.It was nearly full and its rays lit up the little island almost asbrightly as day. Our little party welcomed its tropical radiance for itwould allow them to see without being seen.
The hours slipped slowly away. At first some attempt was made atstory-telling and conversation, but soon all lapsed into a thoughtfulsilence. Each realized that they were about to engage in a desperateundertaking. In fact, it was almost a foolhardy act they contemplated.The smugglers had all the advantage in point of force. They were eight,able-bodied men beside the boy, and it was more than likely that all ofthem would be armed. Of their own party, the three Roberts boys werereally the only active men. Charley, though unusually strong for hisage, was only a boy, while the captain, vigorous though he still was,was getting well along in years. Walter was practically helpless withhis broken ankle, while Chris was too small to be of much help wherestrength was required. But for the advantage that would lie in takingthe smugglers by surprise, they were more likely to be the capturedthan the captors.
These reflections and the long, expectant waiting were beginning totell on their nerves, when they heard the welcome put-put of a distantlaunch.
"They are coming, at last," said Charley, with a sigh of relief. "I canrecognize that exhaust. The Hunters launch is the only one that soundsjust like that."
"The schooner must be somewhere near but I don't see her lights,"Walter observed.
"Why, thar she is," exclaimed the captain, "sneaking inshore like athief in the night."
The Boy Chums Cruising in Florida Waters Page 33