The Pirate Shark Part 17

"Is the wreck there, Jerry?"

For a moment Jerry made no reply, but stared around helplessly, and his jaw dropped. His head went up, and he searched the ladder and bulwarks above, until both Bob and Mart gave a shout of laughter.

"No use, Jerry," cried Bob cheerfully. "Your friends are gone, and there's a set of irons waiting for you up for'ard. Come, get out o' that suit and step lively, now."

Jerry gasped, then cried feebly:

"Gone? My mates gone? Hey, Dailey! Birch! Yorke! Where are you, mates?"

The terror and consternation on his face sobered the boys instantly. He tried to get up, the veins standing out on his forehead, his eyes straining frantically, but Mart swiftly pushed him back and faced him.

Helpless though the old man was in his heavily-weighted diving suit, there was something terrible in his aspect that made both boys feel a sudden fear of his unleashed fury.

"Sit back there," ordered Mart peremptorily. "No use calling for your mates, Jerry. They can't help you now, and you're in for it."

"Eh?" Jerry stared up, his face working horribly, his fingers twining and untwining. "You--you've killed 'em? You've killed poor old Borden, lad, and Dailey--and Birch--"

Mart could stand it no longer.

"No, n.o.body's killed, Jerry," he said kindly, sympathizing with the old man's terrible agitation. "We've marooned your men on the island, and they're helpless and unarmed. The _Seamew_ belongs to us now, and I think it'll be best for all concerned that you go in irons. We can't trust you, Jerry, and that's flat."

Slowly the old quartermaster comprehended his defeat. A look of anguish flitted across his face, his eyes lost their keen sharpness and became old and bleared once more, and with a groan he lowered his head on his breast and his white hair fell around his features in the sunlight.

Mart caught a pitying glance from Bob, but he knew too well that Jerry was not to be trusted, and drew his chum aside to the ladder.

"Look here, Holly," he whispered earnestly, "we can't get soft-hearted now. Jerry ain't half as simple as he looks, take it from me. We got our work cut out for us, too. Your dad's over there in the jungle, remember, and them Malays have got 'most all the crew pris'ners. That's goin' to be a mighty hard nut for us to crack. We've got to put Jerry in irons, that's all."

Bob nodded, his eyes roving over the water.

"Look there, Mart," he said, pointing to the island. "The boat's gone back to the sh.o.r.e."

Mart glanced across to the island, and saw that the boat had indeed drifted back to the beach and lay slowly stranding as the tide dropped.

However, he forgot about the matter instantly, as Jerry's voice came to them.

"Look here, lads," and the old man's voice came softly, appealingly. "I got a proposition to make. You've got me fair and square, lads, fair and square--but I want to get down to that there wreck again."

Mart eyed him keenly, but the old man was evidently in earnest.

"Let's hear your proposition," he said curtly.

CHAPTER XIV

A TRUCE

Jerry collected himself with an effort. It must indeed have been a bitter pill for him to swallow, reflected Mart as he watched the old quartermaster, while Bob stood at his elbow. Jerry had gone down leaving his gang in full possession of the yacht; he had evidently found the wreck untenanted by the Pirate Shark; and he had returned to the surface to find all his fine schemes shattered by the two boys.

Undoubtedly the old man was a villain, and he had showed that morning that he cared nothing for human life so that his plans were carried out; but now he looked so helpless, sitting there in the blazing sun with his white hair falling over his neck, that the boys could not help feeling a touch of sympathy for him.

"Lads," he said slowly, gazing up at them with his gentle blue eyes, "I found that there wreck, and she's split apart so's her cargo can be got at easy. There's gold a-lyin' there for the pickin' up, lads!" His voice grew hoa.r.s.e with eagerness.

"Eight fathom down she lies, lads, eight fathom down! I got to go down again, lads--I been waitin' too long for this chance! I just want to get my hands on that there gold, I do. The Pirate Shark ain't around, lads--don't be hard on old Jerry! You've got me, lads, you've got me.

Don't put me in irons yet, lads. Let me go down once more, just to get my hands on that there gold--"

"Calm down, Jerry," broke in Bob, as the quartermaster's voice grew hoa.r.s.er still, his old face working almost hysterically. "We're not going to hurt you. I tell you what. Wait till dad gets back with Swanson and the crew, then we'll get up that treasure for you--"

"No!" Jerry's voice rang out clear and strong, a feverish anxiety in his face. "I want to do it myself, lads! If the Pirate Shark's there I want to get at him with that there kris!"

"Where is the kris, by the way?" interjected Mart.

"Stickin' in the side o' the wreck," replied Jerry in a calmer voice.

"She's layin' over on her side, hard and fast in the coral. I felt around a bit, lads, and I seen a box there--it's rotten, it is, and it's full o' gold! The mystery o' the sea, lads, the mystery o' the sea! The gold's down below, and us up here above--and fish tell no tales, lads!

Let me go down once more, lads, and I'll not say another word, or cause any more trouble, that I won't!"

The boys looked at each other irresolutely. After all, reflected Mart, there could be no risk to themselves in letting Jerry go down again. He was plainly in a high state of excitement at having found the wreck and possibly the treasure, and it would possibly be more injurious to restrain him than it would be to let him continue his work.

Of course, there was danger from the Pirate Shark, and a terrible danger it was. But as Jerry had said, once he stood with his back against the wreck and the kris in his hand, he would be able to hold his own. The great danger came from the chance that the shark might catch him going down or coming up, overturn him in the water, and snap him off.

"I don't know," said Bob slowly. "Of course, if that shark wasn't there--"

"I can take care o' him," broke in Jerry eagerly, clutching at his helmet. "He allus snaps off the lifelines first, they say, lads. If the lines or the hose breaks, why, haul up on whichever's left. But he ain't there, lads, he ain't there! You'll let old Jerry go down again! Come an' help me up, lads."

"Hold on," exclaimed Mart as Bob impulsively started forward. "We don't aim to let you start any rough-house with us, Jerry. I don't trust you a little bit. Bob, you stand by while I help Jerry get his helmet on, then get the pump goin' while I slide him over the edge of the platform."

The quartermaster broke into a flood of eager words, which Bob abruptly cut short.

"Look here, Jerry! What about dad? Are they holdin' him prisoner on sh.o.r.e, like you said, or--or--"

He paused, and Jerry chuckled as he glanced up, his head on one side like that of a bird, his blue eyes suddenly bright again.

"No, no, lad! He's just taken care of, that's all. Mebbe we'll make a compromise yet, lads--you holdin' me and the yacht, and me holdin' your father, eh! Well, we'll see. Birch can get him off, lads. Birch talks the lingo, he does, and if anythin' happens to me, you talk to him."

This speech relieved the minds of both boys immensely. Half their fears had been for the men who had gone so trustingly into the jungle, to be held prisoners by the Malays, and now that they were sure no harm was being done Captain Hollinger, they felt much more inclined to deal gently with old Jerry.

"So when you promised dad that you'd have gold on board when he came back," said Bob with a slow grin, "you meant the treasure, eh?"

Jerry chuckled and nodded.

"Aye, lads, just that. But you'll mind the pumps, eh? You'll not let old Jerry go without air?"

"Sure not," Mart rea.s.sured him. "We'll take care of you fine, Jerry."

The quartermaster reached out for his big helmet, and Bob sprang forward to a.s.sist him. At the same instant, however, they were startled by a hail from the sh.o.r.e, and looked up to see Birch standing beside the stranded boat.

"_Seamew_ ahoy!" he called again.