The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave Part 33

"Right after Ah done stick 'im. Soon's Ah let 'im hab de knife he done commence thras.h.i.+n' 'round somethin' terrible. 'Fore Ah could get out ob his way he done hit me a swipe wid dat ol' tail ob his an' dar yo' see it." Sam indicated his shoulder, which was still bleeding, though not as freely as before.

"Well, all I can say is," exclaimed Fred, "that you ought to have a medal. I swear I don't see how anyone could have the nerve to fight a shark in the water. Why, I'd be afraid of one lying half dead on the beach."

"So should I," said Grant. "How big was that fellow anyway, John?"

"Oh, I don't know. He must have been nearly eighteen feet though."

"Come on here," said Fred skeptically, "you can't make us believe a thing like that. Eighteen feet; why, that's three times as long as you are."

"I know it is. I realized that when I said it."

"Is he right, Sam?" demanded Fred. "Was the shark as big as that?"

"Ah should say he was jes' about dat size," replied Sam seriously.

"All right," laughed Fred. "I won't argue with you, but that's easily the biggest fish story I ever heard."

"It was the biggest fish I ever saw," said John grimly. "Whew!" and he shuddered at the recollection.

"What did you think when you saw him first?" asked Grant curiously.

"I was nearly scared to death," said John so solemnly that everybody laughed. "I was swimming along easily and just taking my time when I suddenly had a feeling that something was near me. I looked around and sure enough, over the top of a little wave, I saw that fin. I tell you it gave me the creeps and I honestly thought my last day had come. I knew it was only a question of time before he attacked me and I watched him pretty closely, I can tell you. All the while I kept trying to get in nearer to sh.o.r.e, but I was afraid to swim fast for I knew that if I did I couldn't watch the shark and that he would get me from behind."

"A nice feeling," remarked Fred grimly.

"I should say so. Well, in a minute I saw him coming and I began to kick and splash with all my might. I didn't think it would be of any use, but I had to do something. Imagine my surprise when I saw him veer away from me. I knew he'd be back though and sure enough he was, and again I scared him away, but I knew it couldn't last forever. He was getting more determined and closer to me each time and Sam got there none too soon I can tell you."

"How did you know what was happening, Sam?" demanded Grant. "I thought you were on watch up by the flag."

"So Ah was. Ah could see jes' the same, couldn't Ah?"

"I guess you could," laughed Grant. "It's lucky you could too."

"Maybe a s.h.i.+p has pa.s.sed while we were down here," remarked Fred.

"A fine chance," said John skeptically. "No s.h.i.+ps ever pa.s.s here."

"This island reminds me of that old story about the farmer at the circus," said Grant. "He looked at the giraffe for a long time and then finally turned away in disgust. 'Oh, shucks,' he said, 'there ain't no such animal.' That's the way I feel about this island. There isn't any such place."

"It does seem so, doesn't it?" laughed Fred. "At any rate all the boats seem to avoid it. We may never get a chance to use that signal."

On the summit of the hill near the spot where George's s.h.i.+rt did duty as a flag the boys had prepared a great pile of driftwood. The moment a s.h.i.+p was sighted this pyre was to be lighted to attract the attention of those on board the boat.

"Dey's plenty ob people wot would lak to find dis island all right,"

said Sam confidently. "Ah knows piles ob sailors wot would gib dere eye teeth to see dis yere island wid de sha'k rock on it."

"Well, we found it all right," exclaimed Grant, "and from the look of things it is just as hard for us to get away from it as it is for most people to find it."

"We've done better than most of them anyway," said Fred. "We've found the island but we can't find the treasure. Most people can't even find the island."

"It hasn't done us any good so far," said Grant. "Now that we're on this wonderful island what are we going to do about it?"

"Solve the code," replied Fred promptly. "Once that is done the rest is easy."

"The same old cry," exclaimed Grant. "That code is beginning to haunt my dreams. I think of it all day and I dream of it all night."

"Perhaps you'll find the answer to it in a dream some time," suggested John.

"If I only could," sighed Grant disconsolately. "Come on," he added, "let's go back to the cave. Have you fixed your shoulder up all right, Sam?"

"It am as good as ebber," replied Sam cheerily.

They made their way along the bank of the little stream that flowed down from the spring. A soft breeze stirred the palm trees and the tropical foliage was brilliant. It would have been difficult to find any more beautiful spot than this little island, set like a jewel, on the bosom of the sparkling sea. The spell of it affected every member of the party and few words were spoken as they walked along.

Soon they came within sight of the cave.

"There's Pop," exclaimed John. "It's about time he got back."

"He'll certainly be excited when he hears about the shark," said Grant.

"I wish he had been there with us."

"He's been up to something himself probably," said Fred. "You can trust him for stirring things up, no matter where he is."

"Well, I guess he has been up to something," exclaimed John. "Look at what he's got up there."

CHAPTER XXI

A NEW MEMBER

"Come on," cried John excitedly. "Let's get up there and see it."

"How do you suppose he ever did it?" exclaimed Grant. "He's a great one, all right."

Scrambling and hustling up over the rocks George's four companions vied with one another as to who should be the first to reach the cave. John's long legs would ordinarily have won the race for him, but he was weakened by the effects of his experience in the water, and Grant outdistanced him. The rest were close behind, however, and all arrived almost together.

"Where did you get it, Pop?" demanded Grant eagerly.

"Oh, down at the other end of the island," said George evasively.

His face was wreathed in smiles, however, and he was very proud of his exploit.

"I don't see how you did it," exclaimed Fred.

"I'm clever."