Frontier Boys in the South Seas Part 33

Thus saluted, and with further manifestations of regard, esteem and affection the two men grasped hands, and with the other hand upon each other's shoulders, stood thus for a full minute.

It was the professor who first bethought himself of the surroundings, and with a recognition that they were not alone upon the scene, he cried:

"Here, boys, and Berwick. Here is my old and well regarded friend. Let me make you acquainted, Jranvin, with Jo Darlington and his brother Tom and Mr. Berwick."

Greetings were exchanged, the islanders indifferently looking on, and the professor undertook to hastily satisfy the curiosity of his friends.

There was little he could say, however, and explanations had to come naturally from the chief, for such he announced himself to be.

"It's not a long story," he said, "my being here, and very briefly, in a nutsh.e.l.l, it is this----"

"Why," broke in the professor, "when I last saw you in London, you were ill, had been ill for a long time, and in truth I may say, I never thought to see you again on this earth."

"That's the starting point," said Mr. Jranvin. "I was condemned, given up to die, by slow and harrowing processes, but chance, if there ever be such a thing in this world, started me on a voyage to j.a.pan. That's some years ago. To j.a.pan I never got."

"Shipwrecked?" questioned the professor.

"You hit it. Shipwrecked, and right upon this island. And over here on our island of Rarihue we have lived ever since. My health is restored and my life is lived among my friends here, who made me their chief,"

and he waved his hand to the party of islanders grouped about. "My friends they are, and as true as steel."

"Then do you never intend to go back to your home and country?" ventured Jo.

"Home I have none, nor country. This is my world and none other am I likely to seek."

"You do not live then on this island?"

"No, but now and then I send here or come for a supply of the waters of this wonderful mineral spring. It possesses health-giving properties that would be recognizable by any expert. Here is a chance for you, my dear friend, to make a fortune," he said, laughing. "By the way, you have not told me yet what brought you to this far off quarter. Going to settle down and live a life that's worth while?"

"We are looking for a fortune, and a mineral one, but not a mineral spring."

Mr. Jranvin, or the chief, as they soon learned to call him, glanced quickly at the party and for a moment studied each face.

"All willing to jeopardize your lives for gold, and when gotten what do you do with it?"

"Why, live in comfort," laughed the professor, "as you do."

"Yes, as I do _without_ it," returned the other, smilingly.

"Perhaps, though, you can help us in our search, since having no need, we cannot be robbing you."

"You will find no treasure on this island," was the firm response. And then he again looked intently into each of the three faces before him, ignoring only that of the professor.

"You have looked for the treasure yourself," questioned the professor, "and there was none here?"

"There _was_," replied the chief. "But _it is gone_."

"The fortunes of war," said the professor lightly. "Really, though, while we have been talking we may have been devoting to you time we owe to one of our party, for our expedition this morning is one of search of a missing member of our company."

The chief was then told of Jim's probable capture by the captain of the Marjorie.

"Beauchamp, eh? So he is around again. Well, we on Rarihue concern ourselves but little with the outside world. Rarihue has no harbor and only small boats can effect a landing. Excepting for Bohoola the island we are on, and one other uninhabited island, there is no other land within two hundred miles. We are not a fighting people, and have no real need to be. I've taught them to fight only for their homes. But if I can help you in any way, be a.s.sured of my willingness."

The professor told of his own ship, and the harbor where it was anch.o.r.ed. The "North" harbor, the chief recognized it to be. Could information be given as to the probable anchorage of the Marjorie?

"Surely. In the South harbor, which is less than a half dozen miles away, on the other side of the island. Wait a moment," added the chief.

"I will speak with my men." This he did, and promptly reported. "Yes, there is a ship at anchor there. It is quite certainly your objective point."

Censuring himself for the long delay, the professor now gave the order to press on. The two old time friends, thus oddly thrown together, grasped hands and made promises to meet once more before the great oceans should separate them again.

"Tell Beauchamp," the chief cried after them, "if you see him, that he too is too late. The treasure is gone."

CHAPTER XXIV.

ON BOARD THE MARJORIE.

Jim had a restless night. He was sadly disappointed with himself, that he should have so carelessly allowed his enemies to triumph over him. He could not imagine for what purpose he was now detained, and he was very determined upon seeking an early opportunity to escape.

In the circ.u.mscribed quarters of the brig in which he was confined, he could move about but little. There was a small porthole, but far too small for any possibility for escape through the opening.

The night was hot and little air astir. He gazed purposelessly through the porthole, dozing anon till far after the middle of the night, he was aroused to active interest by seeing the lights of another ship. From his viewpoint, the harbor's opening toward the sea was visible.

There was commotion now over his head, the running about of sailors, calling the captain to the deck. The mate and others of the crew all a.s.sembled on the deck above, and very near Jim's compartment.

The first exultant thought in Jim's mind was that the professor with the Storm King had come to his rescue. The more logical reasoning determined that it would have been quite impossible to have accomplished any such result in so short a time. Furthermore such a move would have been foolhardy and impractical. No, there must be some other explanation to be sought.

The mysterious arrival was puzzling Captain Beauchamp and his company, who, indeed, took the new arrival to be the Storm King. This Jim readily determined by the talk of those leaning against the deck rail.

"Are you sure that no lights are showing below?" It was Beauchamp's soft voice.

"There are no lights lit on board, sir. Your orders were that none should show in this harbor."

"Then they can't locate us in the dark. Before dawn have all the guns looked over and everything made in readiness for an attack."

"Is that young fellow worth fighting for?" asked the mate.

"I thought to keep him while we looked for the cave, and his party don't know that we have got him."

"But they will soon find out. Any one of those Frontier Boys can follow even a rabbit trail."

"So? I never thought of that. Well, we will make a d.i.c.ker with them. If they find the treasure, and divide fairly, we will----. Say, it's beginning to rain. Let's get under cover. When it rains here it's a deluge."

Jim had listened interestedly to the conversation, and was cognizant now of the heavy downpour.

"It will make the atmosphere a little cooler," he mused, "but it will also wash out the trail."

With the first gleam of light, the storm having ceased, the deck was again peopled with interested spectators, and Jim, listening, was treated to a surprise that, figuratively speaking, nearly took his breath away.