by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XVII MARCHING ON THE CASTLE
Old Samatan was not asleep. He was only thinking. After a time he openedhis eyes wide, to stare at the dark shore where drums still beat outtheir message.
"Make _wanga_," he said to Johnny. "Always when trouble, my people make_wanga_--make prayer to Voodoo gods. Gods help good natives winvictories."
"Great!" exclaimed Johnny. "Then we shall win!"
"Yes. Win," the old man said, softly.
Then Johnny told Samatan of the green arrow trail that Mildred had saidshe would follow. He told of the suddenly broken message he had picked upfrom the green arrow.
Thinking deeply, Samatan declared they should go very soon--at least afull hour before dawn.
"Shall Dave go, too?" Johnny asked.
"Plenty men on shore," the old man waved an arm. "We go--tell Kennedy.That all. Dave? Better Dave stay."
Half an hour later, Johnny wakened Dave to tell him what was going on. Atfirst Dave was determined to go with them and have a hand in the affair.But after sober thought he decided it best to stay with the ship.
"The ship may be needed before this thing is over," he said.
"Yes, it may," Johnny agreed.
So, guided by native fires on the beach, Johnny and Samatan headed forshore.
Johnny was steeped in gloom as he pictured the golden-haired littlebeach-comber, the prisoner of unscrupulous spies.
"Nothing could be worse," he groaned. "I should have warned her never togo, alone!"
But the moment their boat touched shore, Johnny's mood changed quicklyfor the better. Seldom had he witnessed a more inspiring sight. In twoshort hours, more than a hundred, dark-faced, half-clad, natives hadgathered at the call of their beloved Kennedy.
They were squatting around the fires, roasting small fish or strips ofpeccary meat and gulping cups of bitter, black coffee.
"They will go for a whole day on this," Kennedy told him, "and still bewith us when the day is done."
When Johnny told of the green arrow's message and the trail Mildred hadsworn to follow, the old man's brow wrinkled.
"I suspected something of the sort," he rumbled, "but this is worse thanI figured. There may be a number of those spies--all well armed. Andwe--" he went on, with a touch of sadness, "these people here are notwarlike. We have two heavy rifles of ancient make, half a dozen light,hunting rifles, two or three shotguns, and a hundred machetes. But thesenatives--" There was a rumble of admiration in his voice. "You should seewhat these men can do with those two-foot blades of theirs! There are twogrindstones out behind the house--and they haven't stopped turning forhours!"
Johnny felt a tingle course through his veins as the old man finished. Itwas, he thought, like the days of old, like something he had read in abook. They were to storm an ancient castle to rescue a fair lady!
There were men among that loyal throng who knew every trail leading tothe old castle.
"The men say it will take about three hours to reach the place," saidKennedy, when just after dawn, they prepared to break camp. "We shallhave to march in silence, as sound travels far. I only hope," his browwrinkled, "that these spies did not guess the meaning of those drums. Ihated that. But there was no other way to get the men together, nor," headded in an undertone, "to put the real, fighting spirit into them. Formore than a hundred years, the beating of these drums has meant battle!"
"And how they respond to it!" Johnny enthused.
"Yes, Johnny," the old man rumbled. "These are faithful, loyal people.Think what it would mean to have these islands taken over by a foreignpower--cannon and bombing planes everywhere. If war came, think how thesebeautiful islands would be torn to bits by bursting bombs! Just thinkJohnny! Try to imagine it!"
For a moment after that, there was silence. Kennedy's voice was huskywhen he spoke again. "Johnny, my boy--I've come to like you a heap.Promise me, Johnny, that if anything should happen to me this day, you'llsee the girl safely back to her own land where she rightly belongs."
"Nothing can happen to you," Johnny declared, stoutly. "You could handlefour of those cowards, single-handed."
"Promise me," the old man insisted.
"I promise." Johnny put out a hand that was at once caught in a grip ofsteel.
And so they marched away into the golden, tropical dawn.
* * * * * * * *
Those on the _Sea Nymph_ were on deck early that morning. Coffee andmuffins were served in the forward cabin. After Dave told what washappening on land, a silence fell over the party. Active, happy, alwaysfriendly, Mildred had found her way into all their hearts.
"Dave," said the professor at last, breaking the silence, "since thatfine old man Kennedy is in a good way to lose his granddaughter--"
"Oh, but he won't!" Doris broke in. "Not with Johnny Thompson on thetrail of those spies. I had a letter last week from an old friend,Marjory Morrison. She's known our Johnny a long time, and she says he's amarvel!"
"No doubt," said the professor. "But spies, my dear!"
"Spies are cowards," Doris exclaimed. "Just the same--I'd like doingsomething for those Kennedys!"
"Just what I was about to suggest," the professor beamed. "Manifestly, wecan't sail this ship up that mountain but we can go in search of theirsunken schooner!"
"Oh, yes!" Doris sprang up. "Let's do that! Anything to help!"
"I know the spot, within a mile," said Dave. "Kennedy showed me on themap. It's not over three miles from here."
"Good! We shall weigh anchor at once," exclaimed the professor. "In thesteel ball, Dave, you should be able to locate the schooner in a veryshort time."
"And then?" asked Dave.
"One problem at a time," smiled the professor, who during his long lifehad solved many a problem.
Fifteen minutes more and they were away.
"Do you think we shall be able to find their sunken schooner?" Dorisasked, as she and Dave stood in the prow, looking at the hills. "Thatdepends," said Dave. "Just now, another problem interests me more."
"And that?"
"Whether that girl, who seems the very spirit of the island, ever willsail that schooner again."
"Never doubt it," said Doris. But in spite of her high hopes, she herselfwas in grave doubt.
* * * * * * * *
Johnny was never to forget that silent march up the tropical islandtrail. Before him glided a native guide. Behind him, taking each steepascent with the quiet, steady breathing of a boy, came the giant Kennedy.
After these marched a silent throng. Their faces and machetes shining inthe morning sun, they were a band of simple, honest natives, in whosemidst Kennedy long had stood out as king.
A monkey chattered from a tree, but no rifle was aimed at him. A parrotscreamed, and over in a narrow ravine, a drove of wild pigs scamperedunmolested over the dry moss of the jungle.
"We're seeking bigger game, today," the boy thought, grimly.
Finally they arrived at a point not far distant from the turn, beyondwhich lay the castle. Kennedy held up a hand, and the men gatheredsilently about him. In low tones he gave them final instructions.
There were, he said, three trails to the ancient castle. They woulddivide into three groups. John Puleet, a stalwart native, with hisfollowers, would circle the hill to the right. Teratella, another burlyleader of the islanders, would go to the left with his men. Time would begiven them to take their positions. When this had been done, a "wildparrot" would scream from the right, another from the left--and theywould all move forward.
"We'll take the trail straight ahead, with old Samatan," he said toJohnny. "It's the toughest of them all, if we are attacked."
"O.K." Johnny murmured, gripping his light hunting rifle.
Silently, one by one, a hundred men crept into the brush. After that,save for the chirp of some small bird and the faint sound of a dashingstream, all was silent. It was, Johnny thought, the dead si
lence thatcomes before a storm.
Stooping suddenly, he picked something from among the leaves by thetrail. It was Mildred's lost handkerchief. He held it out for Kennedy tosee, but neither said a word.