The Boy Chums in the Gulf of Mexico
Page 11
CHAPTER XI.
A MYSTERY.
THE two boys kept well apart from the crew, and watched closely forany signs of threatened trouble, but, although the men looked sullenand ugly enough for any kind of act, they seemed much subdued and wentabout their tasks quietly saying little, even to each other.
"I guess we are giving ourselves a lot of worry without cause," Walterremarked, softly. "Those fellows seem quiet enough now. It was theliquor that made them act as they did last night, but they have drankit all up now and I do not believe we will have any more trouble withthem."
"I wish I could agree with you," his chum said, gravely, "but I can't.I believe in the old Latin proverb--'in vino veritas'--there istruth in wine. I've always noticed that when a man gets intoxicated,he reveals just the kind of man he really is. If he is naturallyquarrelsome when sober he is sure to want to fight when drinking. If heis good-hearted and kind when sober, he is generally good-humored whendrunk. Liquor seems to destroy a man's caution and make him reveal hisreal character. Now these fellows showed plainly their feelings towardsus last night when they were drinking. To-day they are sober and morecautious, but I believe they feel just the same towards us. It onlyneeds some real or fancied wrong to bring their hatred to the surfaceagain. I believe if we had a clash with one of them now we would have afirst-class mutiny on our hands; but, I guess, we had not better do anymore whimpering. They will suspect that we are discussing them and itwill not improve matters any."
For awhile the sponges came up from below every half hour, but towardsnoon a full hour went by without the basket making its appearance. Thelads, at last, became somewhat alarmed at the delay.
"Do you suppose they are in any trouble down below?" Charley enquiredof Manuel.
The Greek shook his head. "They would have signaled if anything hadbeen wrong. There, they are signaling now."
There came several jerks on the life-lines and the Greeks in charge ofthem pulled the divers up and into the boat. The men had been belowfor only an hour and the boys were puzzled to account for their comingup before their time had expired. When their head-pieces were removedthe lads could see that the divers were greatly excited. They spokerapidly to those around them, and a hum of excited conversation arosefrom the before listless crew.
"What's the matter?" Charley demanded of Manuel, who seemed to be themost excited of all.
"It is nothing," was the quick reply. "The men grew faint for a minutebut they will be all right soon. That often happens to one when diving."
The Greek's excitement was too great for such a trivial cause andCharley decided promptly that he was lying.
In a few minutes the divers resumed their head-pieces and prepared todescend again. As they stood on the ladders one of the crew handed oneof them a coil of light rope to the end of which was attached a pieceof light wood.
"What does he want with that buoy?" Charley demanded, sharply.
"There's a bad hole in the bottom which he wishes to mark so that therewill be no danger of his blundering into it," replied Manuel promptly,but, again, Charley decided that the fellow was lying.
"There's something in the wind," he remarked to Walter. "The crew seemgreatly excited, and Manuel, I am sure, is lying."
A strange change had suddenly taken place in the crew's manner. Before,they had been silent, sullen and listless, now, they were animated,their eyes glittered with excitement, and they chattered back and forthlike so many magpies.
Manuel evidently noticed that the boys were watching them closely,for he addressed them in a low tone and their chattering ceased. Theyresumed their work with something like a return of their former manner,but it was easy to see that their sullenness was now assumed.
The lads turned their attention to the course the diver was taking, andwatched for the appearance of the buoy which would show the whereaboutsof the bad place on the bottom. The bit of wood soon floated into viewnot a hundred feet from the boat.
Apparently, the divers were still suffering from their faintness, forit was a long time after they descended before the first basket load ofsponges appeared, and it was nearly an hour before the second one washoisted aboard.
"We are not getting many to-day," Walter grumbled. "If we don't dobetter pretty soon, we had better move and try another place."
"There is something queer doing," Charley declared. "Just watch thoselife-lines and see what you make of it."
The ropes which were fastened to the divers showed plainly thedirection taken by the men below. The lines were kept faintly tautto permit of the signals being clearly felt, and their slant gave anaccurate idea of just where the divers were working.
Walter watched for awhile, a puzzled frown gathering on his face.
"Why," he exclaimed, "they are right on that bad part of bottom, andthey haven't stirred for the last fifteen minutes."
The lads continued to watch the tell-tale lines. For another fifteenminutes the ropes remained motionless, then from their twitching itbecame evident that the divers were once more moving around. In a shorttime thereafter, the usual signal was given and two baskets of spongeswere hoisted up.
"That's got me puzzled," said Charley, as the peculiar performance wasrepeated. "I guess we had better appear not to have noticed it. Thecrew is not looking at us in a very friendly way."
The attitude of the Greeks seemed to be growing hostile. Many were theunfriendly glances they cast at the two lads and the boys could heartheir names repeated in the low-toned conversation going on.
The two lads retired to the bow where, though they effected to betaking their ease, they kept on the alert for the first signs oftrouble.
Though nothing happened to further arouse their fears, it was a tryingsituation and both were glad when the time came to return to theschooner.
They found the captain and Chris both tired from a hard day's laborcleaning sponges. The wounded sailor was sitting back by the wheel,looking somewhat pale and haggard, but not a great deal the worse forhis many wounds.
"His troubles' been sorter praying on his mind all day," said thecaptain. "He got a hold of my pad and pencil this morning an' he's beendrawing pictures of the fight and other things--here's one of them."
The old sailor produced a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
Walter examined the sketch closely. It was not without a certaincleverness and was better than one would expect of a humble sailorbefore the mast. It depicted a struggle between two groups of men. Inone of the groups, the lad could recognize some of the faces of theGreeks, who, armed with knives and clubs, were assailing the otherparty. As the lad bent over to examine the other group more closely, heuttered an exclamation of surprise. At first glance there was nothingstartling about those whom the Greeks were fighting, but a secondglance showed something familiar about the figures composing it. Hepassed the sketch to Charley.
"What do you make of it?" he asked.
"Why, that little group is intended to represent us," his chumexclaimed. "See they are just four in number. That big one with thebeard is meant for the captain and the little one for Chris, the othertwo are you and I. Why, the likeness to us is quite striking when youlook at it closely."
"I believe he intended this for a warning to us," Walter declared."Where are the rest of the things he drew, Captain?"
"I threw them all away, I didn't reckon they meant anything," the oldsailor replied, regretfully.
"Well, never mind," said Charley cheerfully, "we will get him to drawthem over again. He seems a very intelligent fellow. I wish he couldtalk so as to tell us what the crew are saying now. Just look at him."
The strange sailor was leaning forward listening eagerly to the buzz ofconversation going on between the Greeks. The diving boat's crew seemedto have conveyed the excitement under which they had been laboring allday to their shipmates who had remained aboard the schooner. Groups oftwo or three were gathered here and there, talking eagerly together.
Walter called the little Greek lad to him.
The little fellow hesitated before replying. It was plain that he wasgreatly troubled and frightened. "They talk about nothing much," hestammered.
Walter was pressing him with further questions when his chum interfered.
"It's hardly fair to make him tell," he said. "It might cause him a lotof trouble. His uncle is glaring at him now, as though he would like tokill him."
There was nothing to be learned by watching the crew's actions, so,signing to the wounded sailor to follow them, the four chums descendedto the cabin where the Greek cook had supper waiting for them.
Charley was unusually quiet during the meal, but when the Greek cookand Ben had at last retired carrying the dishes with them, he arose andclosed the cabin door.
"Captain," he said as he returned to his companions, "I am going downin a diving suit to-morrow."