J. Duffield - The Radio Boys Under the Sea: or, The Hunt for Sunken Treasure стр 7.

CHAPTER VI

THE SUNKEN TREASURE

Phil put away the atlas and the boys redoubled their attention.

Its a thing to be noticed all through these papers, Benton went on, that the old pirates prayers for vengeance were on the souls of his enemies. That was because their bodies had passed beyond the reach of vengeance. For within a couple of hours after his comrades had marooned him, Santos had the satisfaction of seeing the pirate ship, the Sea Rover, as it was named, go down in a hurricane with all hands on board.

Just listen to this:

God be praised, he read, for what mine eyes this day have seen. For scarce had Cerillos sailed, after he had landed me on this accursed island and jeered at me as I sat in my misery on the beach, than a hurricane sprang up, one of the fiercest and most sudden that I have ever known in all my voyaging on the Main. It caught him unaware, and before ever he could furl sail the ship careened and went down less than a mile from shore. Never a man escaped, though for days after bodies floated to the beach. Among them was that of Cerillos, which I spat and stamped upon. How I danced! How I shouted! How I cheered! The devil had got his own. May their souls roast in flames for all eternity!

The old boy was certainly a good hater, remarked Phil.

He sure was, laughed Benton, and he never got over it. Ravings like that are scattered all through the papers. But only second to that is the old fellows regret that so much treasure should have been swallowed up by the sea. He rejoiced in the fate of the crew but would have liked to save the ship, for from what he says it seems to have been a floating mint. And he isnt speaking from guesswork either, for he had been on it all through its last voyage and knew what it contained. See what he says here:

It irketh me sore, the writing ran, to think that all that noble treasure lieth at the bottom of the sea. For never had we taken such goodly prizes as on that last scouring of the Main. There was the plate on the galleon Santa Maria that we cut out of the squadron off the Isle of Oruba, and the gold louis from the Cité de Marseilles that cost us so dear in blood and the treasure that came from the sacking of Port au Prince doubloons and pieces of eight that it might take a man a day to reckon. Yet now it is nought or as good as nought, though had I a lugger and a dozen lusty fellows at my back I might een yet run my fingers through it. For it lieth not far from shore, and the waters be so shallow that had the mast not snapped they might yet be seen.

Then followed wild imprecations on the fate that had doomed him to be marooned on that desolate island, while just beyond his reach were riches almost beyond the dreams of avarice.

Other parts of the writings were in calmer mood and abounded in plans that he purposed carrying out for the recovery of the treasure, if he were ever rescued. But as time passed on, he seemed to have abandoned hope, and it was evident that his mind was giving way, for certain scraps of paper were full of incoherent exclamations and vague maunderings.

When Benton came to the last of them and gathered them up the room was so silent that the boys could almost hear the beating of their hearts. Their thoughts were in a tumult.

Benton was the first to break the silence.

Theres just one thing to be added, he said. The old Spaniard who gave me these papers told me that the family tradition, as it had come down to him, was that his ancestor had finally been rescued, but only when his mind was almost gone. But he still had sense enough to guard jealously these papers, which he bequeathed to his son with injunctions to go and find the treasure. Nothing however had ever come of it, I suppose from time to time some of the family had vague notions of doing something about it, but they never materialized.

Now to sum the thing up. It seems to me perfectly clear that these things actually happened. The papers on their face bear evidence of their truth. This old pirate lived and sinned and cursed and suffered and died on an island somewhere about latitude 14, longitude 81 in the Caribbean Sea. He saw the sinking of the Sea Rover a little way off from the island. The ship was laden with a large amount of treasure. The waters where it sank were comparatively shallow.

Theres the story, and the only living people that know anything about it are gathered at this moment in this room.

Except perhaps Ramirez, put in Phil reflectively.

Oh yes, Ramirez, corrected Benton with a slight start. But he just got a hint of it. He hasnt the papers and hes probably forgotten most of what he did read. Hes just a worthless, ignorant half breed anyway. I think we can dismiss him from our calculations.

Ive told you now all I know. What about it?

Lets go! cried Phil.

Im with you, exclaimed Dick.

Count me in, added Tom.

Benton jumped to his feet.

Hurrah! he cried, as he shook hands with each in turn. I knew I wasnt making a mistake. Youre all wool and a yard wide-fellows after my own heart a red-blooded bunch of young Americans who are not afraid to take a chance!

CHAPTER VII

A HAZARDOUS VENTURE

And now, said Benton, after the excitement had somewhat subsided, glancing at his watch, Ive kept you fellows up till the wee sma hours, and I guess weve had enough for one night. Well sleep over it and get together to-morrow and see how things look in the cold grey dawn of the morning after.

Mind, he continued, as he gathered up his papers and made ready to depart, I dont want to sweep you fellows off your feet. There are a whole lot of things to be considered, and while Im tickled to death by the way you feel about it, I dont hold you to the decision that youve made tonight. I take that just as the statement of your personal attitude toward the matter. If on thinking it over more carefully you should change your minds, Id be horribly disappointed, but I wouldnt feel a bit sore. In other words, I want the decision to be not a matter of momentary enthusiasm but of cool judgment, after youve considered all the pros and cons.

Its bully of you to feel that way about it, responded Phil warmly, but weve got used to making rather quick decisions, and so far weve won out. Besides our decision wasnt made at the minute you asked for it. It had been forming in our minds all the time we were going through those papers. Of course well have to talk with our folks about it, but weve persuaded them before to let us have our way in these matters, and I guess we can again. At any rate if we dont, it wont be for lack of trying.

One other thing, broke in Dick. Theres a pal of ours named Steve Elwood. Just at present hes in New York. Hes no end of a good fellow, and Im sure hed like to go along with us. Would you have any objection?

Not if hes like the rest of you and you will vouch for him, replied Benton with a smile. Were rather shorthanded as it is, and five wont be too many.

Well vouch for him, all right, said Phil, and the others seconded him enthusiastically. He was with us in Florida and Mexico, and he just eats up danger.

Thats the kind we want, replied Benton. Go to it then and get in touch with him as soon as you can. So long, fellows. See you tomorrow, and well get busy on the question of ways and means.

There was very little sleep for any of the Radio Boys that night. They had been too stirred up by the vista opened up by their interview with Benton. And when toward morning they dropped off into a troubled slumber, their dreams were a jumble of pirate ships and lonely islands and tumbling waters and coins that gleamed and shimmered in tropical sunlight.