"And the more months, the more money, eh?"
But there was no grumbling. Even little Sneyd, the Acting Paymaster, forbore to growl.
The Captain studied the chart, and sailed east and away with a point or two of south in it after they rounded Australia. Making all calculations, he believed he could reach the island some days at all events before the Fortuna, who must already have reached the straits of Java, or be about the south end of Borneo. No one could guess what the mate, who was now, of course, captain of the sail-search-of-fortune barque might do.
Now that they were fairly away at sea, there was no harm in all hands knowing the meaning of the enterprise.
It was not merely a voyage they were making, but they were engaged in a great ocean race, and there was therefore a good deal of excitement fore and aft. But all felt sure of winning.
The engineers were advised to make the best of each day's journey, but to exercise the greatest care. For to breakdown in these seas might prove a terrible calamity from every point of view.
The engines worked splendidly under the almost continual attention of the engineer-lieutenant. They were beautiful pets, these of his. He was never happier than when he was down among them, talking to them and touching them as if they were sentient beings, things of life as well as beauty.
Once or twice during the long, long voyage the engines had been suddenly stopped, and the hearts of those on board seemed to stop with them. When they went on again, however, no sweeter sound ever fell upon their ears than the hum of the polished wheels.
They were delayed for a time by a circular storm. In just such a hurricane many and many a good ship has foundered with all hands, and never more will be heard of them till the sea gives up its dead. But all was soon right again.
When in the South Seas constant watch had to be kept from the mast-head for shoal water, and greater caution had to be observed by night.
This was a trying time in a great ocean race like this.
But the depth of the sea increased at last, and they were now quite out of the ordinary ocean highways, though they at times crossed them and met ships.
They hailed every one of them in the usual way. They spoke them, as sailors say.
They might have been about three days' steam from the islands they were in search of.
Adolph had most carefully retained the position of Great Snake Island, but still there might have been an error in calculation made by the first mate of the Wampiri. He was a steady man then, though drinking when off duty, and so this was improbable.
He tried to be steady during the present voyage of the Fortuna, and touched no spirits nor wines for a time. He knew right well how much he had at stake, and was cautious.
He himself, moreover, saw to all calculations and made reckonings, and on the whole, as his two Jewish owners remarked, a more trustworthy and reliable sailing master could not have been found. This for the first five weeks.
The broadswords of the Breezy began to be a little anxious when next day passed and no Fortuna hove in sight. She must have already found the islands, and her crew by now must have commenced the work of diving.
But about an hour after sunrise next day every heart was gladdened by the appearance, far away on the weather bow, of a barque under steam and easy sail, answering exactly to the right build of the Fortuna. They overhauled her easily. Indeed, they were coming up hand over hand in her wake, then keeping off a point or two, the Breezy hailed her.
"What vessel is that?"
Everyone on the Breezy held his breath to listen.
"The Fortuna!"
At the word a little cheer had to be repressed on board the man-o'-war.
"Bound for the Horn, and home."
"So are we. We'll be there before you, though. Can we take letters?"
"No, thanks."
"Bon voyage then."
"Bon voyage!"
"Hurrah!" said Wynn. "No doubt we'll be there before her in more ways than one."
But next day, no ship being then in sight, the glass indicated a depression, the clouds rolled up till the horizon was close aboard of them, and somehow or another the broadswords' hearts went down with the falling glass. In dirty weather like what was coming anything might happen to mar their success.
It really gave the Fortuna almost as good a chance of reaching the island first as the Breezy.
The gale was at its height when the sable plumes of night trailed over the sea.
The Breezy was making good knotage, but, fearful that she might pass the small islands in the darkness, they were obliged to stop ship.
Yet this storm appeared to have driven the Breezy out of her way. There were both winds and currents to reckon with.
It was terribly tantalising, and just so near game too. But towards the middle of the morning watch sea and wind went down, the stars shone out, and the red fire of the rising sun opened a splendid day.
Probably this storm and the fact of the Breezy having been drifted to leeward saved the situation, for there--not two miles ahead--was the Island of Snakes itself, and no Fortuna in sight.
They sailed round this that they might recall the wrecked Macbeth, and enable Kep and Adolphus to take their bearings.
They found the spot, but the ship of death lay crushed and broken among the rocks.
It was easy for Kep now to point out the route to the little inlet where the treasure ship had been sunk, and in a couple of hours they had reached it.
No time was lost in sending a boat on shore.
It was the captain's gig, Captain Breezy himself on board her, with Kep and Adolph and McTavish. Everything above seemed precisely the same as when Kep and his comrade had left it years ago.
"But how about the treasure ship?" said Captain Breezy.
"Well, sir," replied Kep, "she ought to be just down there among the weeds. But I can soon see. I can dive down as I did before."
"But is there not a danger of your becoming entangled among the deep sea weeds and drowned?"
"I was entangled last time, sir, though I did not tell Adolph when I got up; so maybe, sir, I might have a bit of a life-line round me this time. I don't want to die to-day, sir, anyhow."
A pole had been brought on shore with a British flag, in order that they might hoist it and so take possession of the island in the King of Britain's name.
This pole and flag would do capitally. In less than a minute Kep was back again with another bar of gold, which he placed at the captain's feet.
He was gasping a bit, but soon recovered.
"All is just as I left it, sir," he said.
Then there was a ringing cheer from the men on shore, responded to heartily by those on board.
"We'll hoist the flag-pole now," cried Breezy, and the men quickly drove the halliard through the pulley and set to work to step the mast. In a quarter of an hour all was ready for the ceremony.
But McTavish now boldly stepped forward. "I don't think, sir," he said, "that the flag should be hoisted till the sunken ship is cleared."
"And why, my worthy doctor?"
"Well, sir, so long as this island belongs to Keppel here and Adolph, they can do as they please with it and all in it and round it. But as soon as the Union Jack is hoisted the island becomes the King's--God bless him!--with all its appurtenances; all above ground and all below becomes treasure-trove, flotsam, jetsam, ligan, or whatever other puzzling names a man of law chooses to put on them."
Captain Breezy laughed. "You're right, doctor. Dash it, doctor, I'll take your advice; but I had no idea we had a sea-lawyer on board of the Breezy, else we could have consulted him in many a difficulty before now."
"Sail in sight!"
The hail came from the tops of the ship itself, but could be heard distinctly enough by those on shore.
"That's the Fortuna again. Let her come now we have anchored the Breezy on Keppel's Isle, and I don't think we'll sever till we see what is below yonder."
The Fortuna could be distinctly seen now coming at full speed towards the bay.
"We'll go on board and get things ready. Adolph, you may remain here for a short time. You are the man in possession, and we shan't forget you. Tumble in, boys!"
Once on board preparations to get to work were commenced immediately.
The great diving-bell was overhauled to see that everything was in perfect order.
"I guess," said little Sneyd, the A.-P., as he came bustling into the ward-room, "we're going to have some real good fun with that scoundrel of a skipper on the Fortuna." He continued, "Kep, my lucky youngster, you are to keep out of sight below and not appear until you get the signal. But you'd better be half way up the companion ladder so that you can't be seen. That's what your orders are, and if the skipper comes on board the rest of us are to be on the quarter-deck."
Two boats were called away, and, after being manned and armed, lay easily at the shore side of the Breezy. They might be wanted; if so, they had their orders, one under the charge of Guilford, the other commanded by a midshipmite.
There is no doubt the skipper of the Fortuna smelt a rat, but he determined to face every difficulty. The two Jews were nervous and excited. Indeed, they had already come to open rupture with Goddard.
"If, Captain G.," they told him, "you have fooled us, and we are foiled, we shall maroon you on the nearest uninhabited island, with a keg of rum and a small barrel of salt herrings. Won't we, Moses?"
The skipper took no further notice of the Breezy, but stepped into the boat he had lowered and, hoisting the red ensign astern, ordered his fellows to pull to the point within five hundred yards of Golden Inlet.
"Lieutenant Guilford," cried Captain Breezy, "be off now, and see that yonder fellow doesn't land with his flag. I think I know what he is up to, so bring them here, boat and all."
"Ay, ay, sir. Down oars lads. Cheerily does it, and this is race number two in the programme. The winner to receive a bottle of rum."
"Hooray!" Away they went.
But there were good British tars in the Fortuna's boat also.
"Up with her, lads; up with her with a will!" Goddard was heard shouting. "We'll beat the beggars yet."
Sturdy and strong as the man-o'-war's men were, they had twice as far to pull, and could never have done the distance, but away went a shot from the Breezy. It was splendidly aimed by Stormalong himself, and took the water close to the port bow of the Fortunes boat, treating all on board to a most disheartening shower-bath.
"Game's up!" cried Goddard. "In oars, boys. The next shot would sink us."
Then the war-boats got alongside.
"Whither away, my hearty," cried Guilford.
"I am the captain of the Fortuna. Yonder is my island, and I'm going to land there and take possession in the King's name."
"You may save yourself the trouble. We ourselves have virtually annexed it. But we've got to take you back to H.M.S. Breezy now, Mr. Master-mariner. Are you going to come quietly?"
"Suppose I must, but don't imagine I'm going to take it lying down."
"Don't care how you take it, skipper. You may take cold without, if you choose, or if you prefer it hot--you can have that."
"I shall not give orders to pull a stroke," cried Goddard.
Guilford pulled out two revolvers. "Up hands, in the King's name!" he shouted as he stood in the bows.
Up hands it was, and the boat was taken in tow, and soon her men were safe on board the Breezy.
"Show Mr. Goddard aft," cried Breezy. "Midshipman of the watch."
The middy was a merry little boy, and this is the polite way he showed the gentleman aft.
"Luff, you lubber," he cried, "and if ye dare to back sail or heave to before you stand before the captain of this ship, I'll stick a pin in your hip right up to the hilt. March!"
"Now, Mr. Goddard, I hope for your own sake you will not give trouble, else it will be your own fault if anything occurs. You came to look for a sunken treasure ship?" began Captain Breezy.
"Yes, Cap'n, and yonder is the treasure island on which I was landed for fruit. I was therefore first owner, and there I dredged up this bar of gold, therefore the rest of it is mine by rights."
The two stood now in the waist of the ship, confronting each other, with the rest of the officers near, and Goddard's own surly men looking on.
"Mr. Keppel Drummond!"
Kep was by the captain's side in two bounds.
"I'd be sorry," he said, "to use an ugly word on the deck of the King's ship, so I shall speak in the mildest and calmest language possible."
Goddard had turned pale.
Kep raised his fist and his voice at the same time. "Goddard," he yelled, "you are not only a liar, but a thief. Hand me the gold."
Goddard was crushed, and parted company with the nugget as a whipped schoolboy might have done.
"If you do not now apologise to this young gentleman," said Breezy, "for the injury you would have done him, I will lodge you in our cells, and hand you over to the police the moment we return to England."
Goddard tried to smile, but in vain.
"You see, young sir, you was eaten by cannybiles."
"Never one put a tooth in me," cried Kep.
"And was in consequence dead."
"I was never dead in all my life."
"And now," moaned Goddard, "I'm done for. My owners will maroon me."
He talked so sadly, that Captain Breezy felt a bit sorry for him.
"We'll take care they don't maroon you, Mr. Goddard. If you will lie to for a couple of days between the Isle of Snakes yonder and Keppel's Isle here, you may or you may not hear of something to your advantage. Please yourself, Master-mariner. Good day."
Everything was ready that day, a raft rigged and attached thereto the huge diving-bell, and at early morning, in the short twilight, for the island lies well down south, the men commenced work right gaily.
The Fortuna was hove to about three miles from the shore.
The men in the bell were as busy as bonnet-makers, Kep and McTavish roaming over the island accompanied by two bluejackets.
It was not snakes that the brawny surgeon was in search of this time, but Kep had suggested that the crew of the sunken treasure might have made some effort to get a portion of the gold on shore, and there was not a yard of the island anywhere within a mile of the creek or inlet that they did not search. But all in vain, and ere twilight fell, they were back to dinner on board the Breezy.
The news was most exhilarating. The bell had been most effective. The men could see everything, and work from inside with levers, or, entering a chamber beneath, get out and walk about the bottom of the sea itself. This work was first executed, and the old galleon, evidently Spanish, was cleared of weeds, and a space many yards all around her; then these were dragged away up the creek, and the divers had a clear field for investigation. No less a sum than £50,000 in gold bars and doubloons were sent up the first day, in boxes weighing about two hundred pounds each.
The Breezy spent seven days more at the work, during which time all the men did their duty well and heartily.
The ship was finally blown to pieces on the ocean's bed, and every piece of her was examined. In one box were many precious stones of great value.
On the third day Stormalong was sent to tell the skipper of the Fortuna about the wreck that lay on the other island.
The two brothers, the Jewish gentlemen, received him most affably. The skipper himself was sulky, and gave evidence that he had once more resorted to the rum cask to drown his sorrows and keep up his heart.
"But there are good men and true on board, only they are timid and over-awed by the bad hats among the crew." This is what Moses told Stormalong. "These are mutinous even already."
"If you want any help," said the gunner heartily, "I am sure that our Captain Breezy will be glad to let you have it."
"This voyage," the Jew said, "will almost ruin us. But we willingly accept your aid. It is thus with my brother and me: the only way we can save our lives after you leave is by destroying the brandy and the rum, leaving only enough for a smell for the captain and each man, to be doled out daily."
"Now," said Stormalong, "I see how it is. The men sailed, poor beggars, with high hopes of getting rich, and they think they will have to go home in ballast. But they need not. The derelict is worth a deal to you. Give the men work; break her up and load up her brass work and iron, her best timbers, and everything else of value."
"Goot! goot! goot!" cried Moses, forgetting his best English.
"Meanwhile, we will send an armed boat on board. We will take your grog and wine and pay you for it."
"Goot!"
"I'm only saying this, but I feel sure I will get leave to."
"Goot! goot!"
"You may also dredge the wreck yonder, and if you find more gold after we leave, you are welcome to it."
"Goot! goot! goot!"
The surgeon came off next time in an armed boat. With the men growling all around, they coolly lowered the grog into the steam launch.
When his back was turned, the skipper suddenly pulled out a revolver and began to shoot.
He was speedily secured and bound. Then they left him raving. For the time being the man was mad.
After returning to the Breezy the doctor reported what had happened. A bullet had cut the gunner on the shoulder, and so close had the revolver been fired, that part of the poor fellow's jacket was burned.
Breezy immediately gave orders that Goddard should be taken on board and placed in the cells. He died raving mad just three days after, and so that was the end of his story.