by Carol Norton
CHAPTER XV.
A DESPERATE PLAN.
"I DON'T see that your plan is any better than mine," Walter objected.
"To tarry along while they remove the gold would give them time enoughto remove us one by one," Charley replied, "While by doing as I havesuggested they will have but little chance for treachery, and, althoughwe will be sure to have trouble with them as soon as we order them toget up anchor, I think we can manage to keep the upper hand of them forthe short time it will take to reach Tarpon."
"Golly, dis nigger plum hates to run off an' lebe all dat gole," Chrisobserved.
"We'll come back for it," Charley declared. "As soon as we have paidoff the Greeks and got rid of them, we'll pick a crew of Americans andhurry back."
"And while we are wasting time in getting a new crew, the Greeks willhave spread the news and a dozen boats will be here before we can getback."
"You forget that the captain is the only one who knows where we areby the latitude and longitude. Without knowing that, fifty boats mighthunt for a month without seeing that little buoy. It would be likelooking for a needle in a haystack."
"Hang that pesky Greek," exclaimed the captain. "He asked me thismorning for the schooner's position, an' I gave it to him."
Charley's face fell, "That fellow seems to think of everything,"he sighed. "But it's hard to get an exact position by latitude andlongitude alone, isn't it, Captain?"
"A navigator is lucky if he hits within four or five miles of the placehe's aiming for. Of course it can be done if one is extra careful, butI could not swear to our exact position on the chart now, 'though Ireckon I could come within a couple of miles of it."
"Good," Charley exclaimed, "I guess, we can make it impossible for themto find the wreck again, if they should manage to get back before us.It will mean a little change in my plan, though. Instead of gettingoff to-morrow night, we will have to wait until the next morning." Hehastily outlined his amended plan, which, after they had discussed itcarefully, his companions agreed was as promising as any they couldthink of.
They had hardly finished their discussion when there came a knock atthe cabin door and Manuel entered, smiling.
"I wished to enquire if the young gentlemen intend to go down in thesuits again to-morrow?" he said, suavely.
"We haven't decided yet," Charley said, carelessly, "Why do you wish toknow?"
"Because, if you are, the air hose had better be greased. If it is leftdry for long the rubber sometimes cracks and makes leaks."
"Then have it well greased," the captain ordered.
"I guess he's afraid of being shot if anything happens, an' is takingevery precaution," chuckled the captain when the Greek had retired.
"Perhaps," agreed Charley, doubtfully, "but, I confess, I am afraid ofthat fellow. I'll certainly look over that hose carefully before I godown to-morrow."
When they ascended to the deck, which they had forgotten to havewatched in the excitement of their discussion, they found Manuel andtwo of the divers busily engaged in greasing the rubber air hose withbacon slush from the cook's galley.
Charley's was the first watch on deck and, long after his companionshad retired to their bunks, he paced back and forth aft of the mainmast pondering thoughtfully over the plan he had suggested. It wasthe best he could conceive under the circumstances but he realizedthat its execution would be attended with the gravest dangers. Mostof all, he dreaded the proposed descent to the bottom for the gold.He was convinced that Manuel had hit upon some scheme to get rid ofhim and Walter without danger to himself. Again and again the lad'sthoughts came back to the greasing of the hose. If the operation wasso important, why had the divers not done it before--They were not thekind of men to take any unnecessary risks in their dangerous work belowthe surface. He had often noted the care with which they had examinedhose and pump before each descent.
But, while the lad puzzled over the matter, he did not neglect tokeep a watchful eye upon the three or four Greeks who lingered on theforward deck. If he had needed any reminder of the peril of theirsituation, it would have been found in the sight of those watchful,restless figures.
Near the end of his watch, he gave vent to a low exclamation--He haddiscovered the reason for the greasing of the hose. For a few minuteshe was appalled by the cunning fiendishness which had prompted theact. The two hoses lay coiled close together in great heaps on deck.Sauntering over to them, the lad stooped over each pile for a second,then, straightening up, he resumed his slow steady pacing.
At midnight he awoke Walter to take his place. "I've solved it," hetold him.
"Solved what?" asked Walter, sleepily.
"Their reason for greasing the hose."
"What is it?"
"To attract sharks and lead them to bite it in two."
"The fiends!" Walter cried as the devilish ingenuity of the plot dawnedupon him. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing, until we are ready to descend," his chum replied, "then itwill be too late for them to practice another surprise for us."
"Are you sure you are right," asked Walter, doubtfully. "They are notsure that we are going to descend, you know."
"I think Manuel feels pretty confident that we will. If we fail to doso, he likely will find some excuse for replacing the greased hose withnew ones. You can bet, he's got it all figured out. He is the brainiestvillain I ever met up with. Better hurry on deck now, and keep a closewatch out. There's no telling what other scheme he's got hatched up."
Although he retired to his bunk at once, Charley lay long awake. Themorrow would be filled with danger and his nerves were already growingtense for the struggle which he foresaw. The Captain had relievedWalter on deck before he at last fell into a troubled slumber fromwhich he awoke just as day was beginning to break.
By the time it was light enough to see, he was up and dressed andmaking preparations for the carrying out of his hazardous plan. Fromthe lazerette, he procured a long coil of light rope which he placedin one corner of his cabin. He next opened up his valise and got outthe ammunition he had purchased in Tarpon and a small, but excellentpocket compass. These he placed in his bunk where they would be handyif needed quickly.
When breakfast was over, the diving boat was brought alongside and allgot on board except the cook and four men left to take care of theschooner and clean the sponges gathered the previous day.
"We have decided to go down and have one more look at those seagardens," Charley told Manuel when the sponging ground was reached."They are beautiful enough to invite another visit."
The Greeks' face expressed satisfaction. "They are beautiful," heagreed, "but the young gentlemen are rash to go down. Let the diverstake the risks--they are paid to do it."
"We will be very careful," Charley said, cheerfully. "Walt, we hadbetter look over the hose before we go down, the divers always do."
The greased hose had been recoiled in the tubs and the boys proceededto overhaul them, foot by foot, searching them closely for cracks orpunctures.
Walter was puzzled to comprehend his chum's plan. After what he haddiscovered, surely he did not intend to risk using the dangerousthings, but he was well enough acquainted with Charley's shrewdnessto hold his tongue and keep his face from betraying his uneasiness.He felt sure that there was a good reason for his chum's actions. Hehad but just reached this decision when he came upon a gapping hole inthe hose. It looked much as though it had been cut in two with a sharpknife.
"Here's a bad place," he announced. "It's lucky I found it. Air can'tbe pumped through this thing."
"And here's a hole in mine, too," Charley declared in accents sosurprised that no one would have dreamed that he had made both slitsthe night before to serve as an excuse for the rejection of thedangerous hose. "We can't use either one of them, we'll have to get outthe new hose."
Manuel's face for a second was a picture of bewilderment and baffledrage, but in a moment he was again suave and smiling. "I don't see whatcan have made those cuts," he declared.
"They can be patched in a fewminutes, however. It would be a pity to throw away such hose, it is asgood as new except for those two little places which can be speedilyfixed."