CHAPTER XVI.
DIAMONDS GALORE.
Before Carl climbed downward through the conning tower of the_Grampus_, he shook the fragments of the idol's head out of his coatupon the rounded deck of the submarine and heard them glide off andsplash into the water.
"Dere vill be some foolishness among der fishes, I bed you!" hechuckled; "aber, all der same, it vas goot-py to Obboney! Und maynodding like him efer come oudt oof Africa again."
Cassidy, mate of the _Grampus_, was the only one of the crew aboard. Hehad had no idea of the perils through which Townsend had passed, nor ofthe troubles encountered by the boys. He knew, of course, that the boyshad arrived, for all up and down the river front the _Hawk_ was thetopic of conversation.
In the conning tower of the _Grampus_, that evening, there was aspread. Cassidy opened canned goods and made coffee on an alcoholstove. The guests at the "feed" sat around with their tin plates intheir laps, and while they ate they talked over recent exciting events.
Carl offered information of value by telling how the iron chest hadbeen stolen from Townsend, placed on a boat in the river, and had thenvanished while Jurgens and Whistler were dodging the watchmen.
"That boat must have been adrift on the river for two days!" exclaimedTownsend. "Strange that some one else did not find the chest instead ofyou boys."
"I reckon she caught in the eddies below the town and drifted back andforth until she finally got out in the current," surmised Dick. "That'sthe only way you can account for the fact that she wasn't picked up."
"You vas bot' wrong," asserted Carl, solemnly. "Dere vas a gaptain ondot rowpoat all der time. It vas Captain Obboney, in der chest. Noddingcould habben py dot poat mit dot itol's headt apoard."
"There may be something in that," observed Townsend, half smiling andhalf serious. "This New Orleans affair appears to be wrapped up ina great deal of occultism. Personally, I never took much stock inoccultism, but I don't know how I can dodge the facts developed bythose smoke pictures."
"And then there's a whole lot more to Yamousa than just those smokepictures," said Dick. "Whistler went to see her to find out if shecouldn't tell him what had become of the chest."
"Voodooism used to be quite strong in New Orleans, among credulousblacks and superstitious whites," said Townsend. "Of course, there'snothing in voodooism as it is usually practiced, but this Yamousa seemsversed in many peculiar things. Really, I don't know what to think ofher."
"Well," asserted Carl, "she makes a misdake vonce in a vile."
"How so, Carl?"
"Vy, she gave Matt a charm vich vasn't no charm ad all, but a hootoo.I tried it oudt, und I know. Tick," and here Carl faced his chum, "dotdried frog don'd vas any goot as a luck pringer. It got me indo lodsoof drouple. I safed dot from you, bard," and Carl shifted his gaze toMatt.
"Where is that charm now, Carl?" inquired Matt.
"Pangs dook it avay from me," chuckled Carl, "und I bed you somedingfor nodding dot it made all der drouple for Pangs, Jurgens undWhistler."
"We might just as well explain it that way as in any other," saidTownsend. "Many things have happened which defy explanation, so Carl'sguess is just as good as any one's else."
"I can tell you somet'ing vich ain'd a guess," continued Carl, "und dotiss dot Jurgens hat a feller vatching Cassidy, und ven Cassidy sent dotdelegram to Modor Matt, Jurgens' man vas aple to findt oudt vat vas init. Dot's der vay Pangs habbened to be on der levee ven der air shipcome down on der dock. He knowed dot ve vas coming."
"Where were you this afternoon, Cassidy?" inquired Matt.
"I took the _Grampus_ over to Algiers yesterday," answered the mate,"and didn't get back until about four this afternoon."
"That's the reason we didn't see you," put in Dick. "If you had beenaround the levee Bangs would never have been able to pull off that gameof his."
"I told Cassidy to drop over to Algiers if he thought best," saidTownsend. "It was unlucky that he happened to be there at just the timehe might have been of service to Matt and his friends. However, as Itold you in the rooms over the antique shop, it's just as well eventsturned out as they have. We have won out against Jurgens and Whistler,and if they know when they're well off they'll steer clear of all of usin future."
"Dose fellers hat two hang-oudts," remarked Carl. "Vone vas adRigolette's blace, vere der chest vas dook from der tock, und derodder vas ofer der antique shop. Vone, I reckon, vas vere dey dook usin, und der odder vas vere dey viped us oudt. But der itol's headtfooled der lod oof us. I vish, py shinks, you couldt haf seen Jurgensund Pangs ven der chest vas obened und dey saw nodding more as sawdust!"
Carl threw back his head and laughed till he shook.
"I vasn't in der blace vere I could enchoy dot, at der time," he wenton, "but I can haf fun mit it now. Id vas a derriple tissapointment.Den, ven Jurgens kicked der headt oudt oof der sawdust, eferypody vasscart, including me. Yah, I vas as afraidt as anypody. Den, pympy, Itropped ashleep und I vasn't affraidt no more."
"You were tied, weren't you, Carl, while you were in that room atRigolette's?"
"You bed you I vas, Matt, handt und feet."
"How did you get clear of the ropes?"
"Dot vas some mysderies. I don'd know dot, onless I vorked meinselufloose ven I come to und vas grazy. Anyvay, ven I vas aple to know vereI vas I vas in der shdreed und dere vasn't any ropes on me. Vat you sayRigolette call dot monkey?"
"Joujou," replied Dick.
"Den I vas mooch opliged to Chouchou. How t'ings fall oudt mitdemselufs oof you leaf dem alone! Dere vas me, und Jurgens, und Pangs,lying in dot room mit der itol's headt, und passing oudt oof der gamepy inches, ven along comes Chouchou. He hat dook my hat, pefore dot,und I oxbect he vas looking for me to gif it pack. Anyvay, he leafsder hat und goes off mit der itol's headt, safing me, und dose odderfellers, aber killing himseluf in der oberations. Yah, Chouchou vas agoot monkey, I tell you dot. Dit you see der barrot?"
"No," said Dick. "Has Rigolette a parrot?"
"Yah, so, und dot barrot make some foolishness mit me aboudt der timeder monkey shdeal my cap. Vell, anyhow, it vas all ofer now, und I feeldot I can laugh at some t'ings vich ditn't blease me pefore."
"What will you and your chums do now, Matt?" inquired Townsend.
"We seem to have wound up our business in New Orleans in short order,"laughed Matt, "so I suppose we had better bear away for Atlantic City."
"You haven't helped me, yet, in the work for which I wired you to comeon here."
All three of the boys were startled.
"Wasn't it to help you recover that chest?" asked Matt.
"Not at all. At the time I requested Cassidy to send you the telegram,I had the chest safely in my hands and hadn't the least idea thatJurgens and Whistler were around and still had designs on it. You gothere in good time to be of invaluable assistance to me, and fate soplayed the cards that I couldn't have won out without you--but I wantedyou for something else."
"In that event," returned Matt, "we'll have to stay and give you ourassistance."
"The _Hawk_ has an excellent berth on the big dock and will be amplyprotected in case of high winds or bad weather; and, so far as I cansee, you and your friends will be as well off as though you were inAtlantic City. So far as profit is concerned, there will be diamondsgalore for all of you, and by this one trip to New Orleans you willhave cleaned up more than you could possibly have made in a dozen yearsat Atlantic City."
"Tiamonts galore!" caroled the Dutch boy. "Dot soundts goot. I liketiamonts pedder as anyt'ing else, und ven you ged a whole lod, all ina punch, it makes you feel like you vas somepody. I vould like to hafsome oof dem set in pins, und rings, und pud dem all ofer me. I vant tobe a prilliant feller," he grinned, "und I guess dot's der only vay vatI can be dot."
"To-morrow morning," went on Townsend, "I will hunt up this lady aboutwhom the Man from Cape Town told me. Following the division of thegems, I will call on this Rigolette and, if he has not already releasedBangs, will have him do so.
Then, when we have a clear slate, I willlay before you the business which I have in prospect."
"Iss it easy?" queried Carl.
"No, very difficult."
"Dot's vat ve like. Anypody can do der easy t'ings, aber it dakes ModorMatt to do der hard vones."
"Carl has an armful of bouquets, to-night," laughed Matt, "and he don'tcare where he throws them."
"Iss id t'rilling vork?" continued Carl.
"Likely to be," smiled Townsend, "and perhaps a bit dangerous."
"Den be sure und keep id for us. All vat I ask iss, dot you cut out derfoodoos. A leedle oof dose iss more as enough."
THE END.
THE NEXT NUMBER (14) WILL CONTAIN
MOTOR MATT'S PROMISE;
OR,
THE WRECK OF THE _HAWK_.
On the Levee--Mixed Identities--Double Trouble--Tricked--Motor Matt's Promise--Dashington Dashed--A Hot Starter--A Bullet from Below--The Wreck--The Unexpected--A Friend from the Enemy's Camp--The Bag of Diamonds--A Daring Plot--On the Road--A New Man Takes a Hand--Conclusion.
Motor Matt's Queer Find; or, The Secret of the Iron Chest Page 16