Stratemeyer Edward
Dave Porter on Cave Island: or, A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission

CHAPTER XXV – LINK MERWELL’S STORY

Down and down and still down went Dave, with Link Merwell in front of him. Daylight was left behind with a suddenness that was appalling. The brushwood scratched our hero’s face and he could not repress a cry of alarm. Merwell screamed loud and long and an echo came back that was weird and ghostlike. Then came a mighty splash, and both boys went into the water over their heads.

Dave was a good swimmer, and as soon as he entered the water he struck out to save himself. He came up in almost utter darkness, so he had to go it blindly, not knowing in what direction to turn. Then he heard a wild spluttering and knew the sounds came from his enemy.

“Merwell!”

“Oh, Porter! Sa-save me, please!” gasped Link Merwell.

“Why don’t you swim? – that is what I am doing.”

“I – I – struck my head on a rock! Oh, save me!” And then came a gasp, and the scamp disappeared under the surface.

Dave was close by and knew the direction by the noise. Taking a few strokes, he bumped into Merwell, who promptly tried to catch his would-be rescuer by the throat. But our hero was on guard and turned him around.

“Keep quiet, or I’ll let go!” he ordered, as he began to tread water. As Merwell obeyed, Dave struck out to where he saw a faint streak of light. He made out a shelving rock, and after some difficulty, reached this. Here the water was only up to his waist, and he waded along, half carrying his enemy, until they reached another series of rocks, where both crawled up to a spot that was dry. From somewhere overhead came a faint streak of light, testifying to the fact that there was an opening beyond, even if it could not be seen.

“Oh, my head!” murmured Link Merwell, and put up one hand to a lump that was rising on his forehead.

“I got struck myself,” said Dave. “But it didn’t amount to much. I told you to stop. If you had done so, we wouldn’t have gotten into this pickle.”

“Whe-where are we?” asked Merwell, and there was a shiver in his tone.

“Down at the bottom of that hole.” Dave tried to pierce the darkness. “Looks like some underground river to me.”

“The water is salt.”

“Then this place must connect with the ocean.” Dave drew a deep breath. “Merwell, tell me truthfully, what did you do with those jewels?” he questioned, eagerly. Even in that time of peril he could not forget the mission that had brought him to Cave Island.

“Who – who said I had the jewels?” faltered the other.

“I know you and Jasniff took them – it is useless for you to deny it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Never mind now. Answer my question. Have you the jewels, or did you give them to Jasniff?”

“I didn’t give Nick anything.”

“Then you have them.”

“How do you know?”

“I am not here to answer questions, Link Merwell. I want to know what you did with the jewels.” Dave’s voice grew stern. “Answer me at once!” And he caught Merwell by the arm.

“Don’t – don’t shove me into the water!” cried the scamp, in alarm, although Dave had no intention of doing as he imagined. “I – I – we – er – we divided the jewels between us. But Nick got the best of them.”

“And what did you do with your share?”

“I’ll – er – I’ll tell you when we get out of this hole.”

“You’ll tell me right now, Merwell!” And again Dave caught the culprit by the arm.

“I – I put my share of the jewels in my money-belt,” he faltered.

“Have you it on now?”

“Yes. But Nick has the best of the jewels – I got only the little ones,” went on Link Merwell, half-angrily. It was easy to surmise that he and Jasniff had not gotten along well together.

“How is it Jasniff got the best of them?”

“He had the jewel-case when we were about to leave the bark during the storm. Everybody was excited, and he said we couldn’t carry the case – that it wouldn’t be safe, for we might drop it and all of the jewels would be lost. He said we had better divide them and put them in our belts. We had bought belts for that purpose in Jacksonville. So we took the jewels out of the case and threw the box away. I thought I had my share, but after we got to this island, and I had a chance to look, I saw he had the lion’s share, about three-quarters, in fact, and all the big ones.”

“And he has them now?”

“Yes, – that is, he did have them just before we saw you.”

“Did you sell or pawn any of the jewels?”

“Only a few small ones. We were afraid to offer the big ones, so soon after the – well, you know,” and Link Merwell stopped short, looking everything but happy.

“You mean so soon after the robbery,” said Dave, bluntly.

“Yes.”

“Link, whatever – but never mind that now,” continued our hero, hastily. “Hand over the money-belt.”

“What, now?”

“Yes, at once. I’ll not trust you to carry those jewels a minute longer.”

“Can’t you wait till we get out of this wretched hole?”

“I might, but I am not going to. Hand it over and be careful that none of the jewels are lost. Your father may have to pay for the others.”

With fingers that trembled from fear and chilliness, Link Merwell slipped his hands under the light clothing he wore and took off the money-belt that encircled his waist.

“There is some money there that belongs to me,” he began, hesitatingly.

“You’ll get back what is yours, never fear,” answered Dave, and took the belt. He saw to it that it was tightly closed, then fastened it around his own waist.

“Remember, Nick has the best of the jewels,” went on Merwell, rather spitefully.

“I am not likely to forget it,” answered Dave, grimly. “Now, the sooner we get out of this hole the better.”

Merwell was just as anxious to see daylight, even if he was to be held a prisoner, and together the boys hunted around for some exit from the underground watercourse. But the only way out seemed to be far overhead, and to climb up the smooth, sloping rocks proved impossible.

“Oh, what shall we do?” groaned Merwell, after they had attempted to climb up and had failed. “We are caught like rats in a trap!”

“Perhaps we’ll have to swim for it,” answered Dave. “This water is very salt, which proves it comes from the ocean. Moreover, it is gradually going down, showing it is affected by the tide. Let us follow the stream for a short distance and see where it leads to.”

Merwell demurred, but he did not want to remain behind alone in the semi-darkness, so he followed Dave, and both waded and swam a distance of several hundred feet. Here the underground river made a turn around the rocks, and both boys were delighted to see a streak of sunlight resting on the water.

“An opening of some sort!” cried our hero. “Come on!” And he swam on boldly and Merwell followed as quickly as he could.

Soon the pair reached a break in the cave. On either side were walls of rocks, uneven and covered with scanty bushes and immense trailing vines. The opening was about a hundred feet in length, and beyond it the stream of salty water plunged into another cavern, undoubtedly on its way to the ocean.

“Well, we are out of the cave in one way but not in another,” observed Dave, as he stood on the dry rocks and gazed about. “It’s going to be a stiff climb to get out of here.”

“Ca-can’t you wait till I – I get my breath,” panted Merwell.

“Yes, for I want to get my own breath back. Perhaps we’ll have to go through that next cave to get out,” he continued, after a pause.

“Oh, I hope not! I hate it underground!” And Merwell shivered. “Besides, it’s cold,” he went on, to cover up the tremor in his voice.

“Yes, it is cold,” returned Dave, shortly.

He sat down to rest, and Merwell followed suit. On all sides were the rocky walls and trailing vines, while at their feet ran the silent, mysterious stream of salty water.

Dave looked at the walls and the stream, and then looked at Merwell. The face of the other youth was a study. He was downcast to the last degree.

“Link, what made you do it?” he asked, in a voice that was not unkindly.

“I didn’t do it – that is, it wasn’t my plan!” burst out the culprit, passionately. “Oh, I know they’ll hold me for it, just the same as they’ll hold Nick, if they catch him! But I’ll tell you honestly, Dave, it wasn’t any of my planning. I’m bad, and I know it, but I am not as bad as that. It was Nick who got the whole thing up. You know how mad he has been at you ever since he had to leave Oak Hall. Well, it was his plan to make you a prisoner first and then make it look as if you had robbed the jewelry works. You ask Doctor Montgomery if that isn’t so. Well, the first part of the plan fell through, for you got away. Then he got me to go to Crumville, and found out where we could get the dynamite. I got scared then and wanted to back out, but he said if I did he’d throw all the blame on me, and so I stuck to him. I wish I hadn’t done it,” concluded Merwell, bitterly.

“Did you go direct to Jacksonville after the robbery?”

“No, we went to Washington first and there we pawned one diamond for sixty dollars. Then we went to Jacksonville. There we met Luke Watson, and both of us got scared to death. We had paid for our passage on the Emma Brower, and we kept out of sight till the bark sailed. After the storm we landed here with those four sailors, and were waiting to sight some passing ship when you and your crowd turned up.”

“What were you going to do at Barbados?”

“Keep quiet until this affair blew over and then take some English vessel for England. There, Jasniff said, he could get a certain pawnbroker to take the jewels and give us a good price for them. You’ll remember, he was in England some time.”

“Yes, I met him there. But, Link, didn’t you realize what a crime you were committing?” went on Dave, earnestly.

“I did – after it was too late. Many a time I wanted to back out, but Nick wouldn’t let me. We had a quarrel in Washington, and another in Jacksonville, and on the ship I came close to exposing him to the captain. I think I should have done it, only the hurricane came up, and then we had to hustle to save our lives.”

A silence followed, for each of the boys was busy with his thoughts. Dave felt sorry for his former schoolmate, but he knew Merwell thoroughly, and knew that the fellow was more sorry because he was caught than because he had committed a great wrong. He belonged to the class of persons who are willing to repent when it is too late.

The day was drawing to a close, and already the sunlight had disappeared beyond the high rocks. With a deep sigh Dave arose to his feet and stretched himself, and Merwell followed suit.

“What are you going to do?” asked the former bully of Oak Hall.

“I am going to try to climb up those rocks.”

“They are terribly steep!”

“I know it, but those vines look strong and we can use them as ropes, Link. But you need not try it, if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, if you try, so will I, Dave.”

After that but little was said, both lads saving their breath for the task before them. Dave went up first, testing each vine with care as he advanced. Twice he slipped back, and once Merwell came to his aid and held him. It was a little thing to do, but it pleased our hero, and his face showed it.

At last they were out of the hollow and each threw himself on the ground to rest. Then Dave walked to a near-by hill and gazed in every direction. Not a human being was in sight anywhere.

“Well, we’ve got to find them somehow,” he said to Merwell. “Come ahead.” And side by side they set off through the forest in the fast-gathering darkness.

CHAPTER XXVI – THE COLUMN OF SMOKE

“Well, we are lost, that is all there is to it. And I am so dead tired I can’t walk another step.” And thus speaking, Link Merwell sank down on a tree-root to rest.

He and Dave had been plunging along through the forest and across several clearings for the larger part of an hour. They had found what looked to be a trail, but it had suddenly come to an end in front of a small cave that looked to be the lair of some wild animal, and they had gone on once more. Now the darkness of the tropics shut out the surrounding landscape.

Link Merwell certainly looked the picture of misery. His clothing was much tattered and still wet, and his forehead was swollen from contact with the rocks. One of his shoes was so cut that his bare foot was exposed.

“It looks as if we were lost,” replied Dave. “In this darkness it will be difficult to go much further. But I had hoped, by keeping in a straight line, that, sooner or later, we’d reach the shore of the island.”

“I reckon we didn’t walk in a straight line – most folks that get lost in a woods don’t.”

“You are right in that, but I kept as straight as I could, Link. However, that is neither here nor there. If we have got to stay here all night we may as well try to make ourselves comfortable. But I wish the others knew I was safe.”

“Can’t you fire your gun? It ought to be dry by now.”

“I’ll try it.”

Dave sat down and commenced to work over the fowling-piece. In a few minutes he tried it. Bang! went the gun, the shot echoing far and wide through the forest and among the rocks. Then both boys listened for a reply.

“Nothing doing,” muttered Merwell, after a minute of utter silence.

“I am sure the others would fire a shot in return if they heard that,” said Dave. “We must be further from them than I expected. Well, I don’t see what we can do excepting to try to make ourselves comfortable. We might climb one of these tall palms and take a look around.”

“Yes, that’s it!” exclaimed the other youth, eagerly. “Why didn’t we think of that before? But it will be hard work climbing one of those trees,” went on Merwell, gazing up at the straight trunk with the first of the limbs many feet above their heads.

“I’ll do it native fashion,” answered Dave.

He had seen the natives of the South Sea Islands climb tall trees by means of a vine-rope cast about the waist and the tree-trunk. Selecting several strong vines, he twisted them into a rope, and then passed the same around a tree-trunk and to the back of his waist. Then he took off his shoes and stockings and placed his bare feet against the tree. By “hiking” the rope a few inches at a time, he was able to “walk up the tree” with comparative ease.

As soon as the branches were reached, Dave discarded the rope and went up as far as the strength of the tree would permit. He was now close enough to the top to get a good look around, and he cast his eyes about eagerly, hoping to catch sight of some of his friends, or their campfire.

“See anything?” called up Merwell, eagerly.

“Not yet,” answered Dave, and then he turned around in the tree-top. He now made out the rolling sea.

“I see a light!” he cried.

“A campfire?” queried the youth below.

“No, it is on the water. I think it must be a light on a ship.”

“What kind of a ship?”

“A sailing vessel of some sort,” answered Dave, and he wondered if it could be the Golden Eagle, coming back after the storm.

“Maybe it’s the ship that was coming back for those Englishmen,” went on Merwell, for Dave had told him about the men. He heaved a mountainous sigh as he realized how affairs had turned against him. For a moment he thought of running away and trying to find Jasniff, but then the darkness and loneliness of the forest appalled him. He felt that he would rather be a prisoner than be alone in such a spot.

Dave watched the waving light for some time, as it rose and fell on the bosom of the ocean, but could learn nothing concerning the craft that showed it. Then he continued to look around the island. No campfire was to be located, and finally he rejoined Merwell.

“The light on that ship was all I saw,” he said. “Perhaps it might pay to walk down to the shore in that direction. But it is a long distance, and in the darkness we might fall into another of the caves.”

“Let us stay here,” answered Merwell.

“It will probably be as well. We can build a campfire and dry our clothing and then go to bed.”

“Wish I had something to eat,” grumbled the lad who had been caught.

“So do I, Link. But we haven’t anything, so we’ll have to make the best of it. Try to find some firewood. Luckily I have a waterproof matchsafe along and it is full of matches,” added our hero.

Fate was kinder to them than they had expected, for in hunting for firewood, Merwell found a hole containing what they took to be native hares. He killed two of the creatures, and at once set to work to clean and skin them. Then, when Dave had started the fire, the game was broiled while the boys had their clothing drying.

“Not much of a meal, but better than nothing,” said Merwell, and our hero agreed with him. They found some water in a hollow of the rocks, left there by the hurricane, and had a drink, after which both lay down to rest.

“Don’t you think we ought to stand guard?” asked the big youth.

“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Dave. “I am dead tired and so are you, and I don’t think anybody will come to harm us, – and there are no large wild beasts on the island. I guess we can take a chance,” and as soon as their clothing was dry, both turned in, on beds of vines and moss.

In the morning Merwell was the first to stir, and when Dave awoke he found the campfire burning merrily. The big youth was nowhere to be seen.

“Can he have run away?” mused our hero, and quickly felt to learn if the money-belt with the jewels was safe. It was still in its place and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he gave a call.

“Coming!” came from a distance, and in a few minutes Merwell put in an appearance, bringing with him some berries and fruits.

“One of those sailors who came ashore with me told me about these,” he said. “The berries we can eat raw and they are very good. The fruit we can slice up and toast. They make a pretty decent meal,” and so it proved, and both youths ate their fill. Then Dave announced his intention of climbing the tree again and having another look around.

“That ship is at the south end of the island,” he announced. “It is not the Golden Eagle, but a much smaller craft. Most likely it is the vessel the Englishmen engaged. If it is, those three rascals will have a chance to get away before Giles Borden can catch them and make them give up the money they took from him.”

“Oh, Dave, do you think – ” And then Merwell stopped short.

“What were you going to say, Link?”

“I was thinking if it would be possible for Nick to go away with those Englishmen.”

“Why, yes, if he chanced to meet them, and they were willing to have him. But would he go and leave you behind?”

“He might, especially if he found out I was captured, or that I had let you have what jewels I was carrying.”

“If he went with those Englishmen he would be foolish to let them know about the jewels, for they would rob him, just as they robbed Giles Borden,” continued our hero, and then he realized that here was a new peril to face. If the Englishmen got their hands on the jewels it might be next to impossible to recover the gems, especially if the rascals managed to get away from Cave Island.

Presently our hero saw a column of smoke arising in another portion of the island. He watched it for several minutes and then gave a cry of satisfaction.

“I know where they are!”

“You mean your crowd?” queried Merwell.

“Yes. Phil is signaling to me, by means of a column of smoke such as some Indians out west use. We learned the trick when we were at Star Ranch. Come on, we’ll soon be with them. It isn’t very far.”

Dave had come down from his high perch in a hurry, and in a very short time was ready to leave the spot. Merwell gave a deep sigh, for he did not relish confronting his former schoolmates.

“It’s tough luck, but I suppose I’ve got to stand it,” he murmured, as he followed Dave, after the fire had been extinguished. “When a fellow makes a fool of himself he’s got to take the consequences.” And this remark was so true that Dave did not dispute it.

On they went through the forest and then over a rocky hill. Three times they came close to falling into the treacherous holes in which the island abounded, and the last time poor Merwell got a fall that almost sprained his ankle.

“We’ll rest a bit and you can bathe the ankle,” said Dave, kindly, and got some water from a nearby pool.

“I don’t wonder nobody is living on this island,” grumbled the injured one. “I suppose the natives around here are too afraid of falling into some of those holes.”

“They are afraid of the caves and also afraid of volcanoes,” answered Dave. “The mate of the Golden Eagle told me that. Sometimes the volcanoes break out here without warning and cover the rocks with hot ashes.”

“Is that so? Well, I hope no volcano breaks out while I am here.”

At last the boys reached a small rise of ground and at a distance saw the column of smoke, plainly. Dave put on extra speed and soon saw Phil, Giles Borden, and several sailors – the survivors from the ill-fated Emma Brower.

“Phil!”

“Dave! At last!” cried the shipowner’s son, joyfully. “Are you hurt?”

“Not a bit of it. How are you?”

“All right, although I had several tumbles while hunting for you. You disappeared in the strangest fashion.”

“I fell into a cave, – went down with Link Merwell.”

“Oh!” Phil gave a start. “Who is that in the bushes? Merwell, as sure as I’m alive!”

“Yes, Phil. And what do you think? I’ve got part of the jewels – Link had them in his money-belt.”

“Good enough! I was so afraid they had been lost out of that jewel-case. Did you make Merwell a prisoner?”

“Well, in a way. He might have run away a dozen times, but I guess he didn’t want to be alone. Besides, he has quarreled with Jasniff. I’ll tell you all about it later,” went on Dave, in a lower tone.

Merwell had halted and now he came shuffling into the temporary camp. He nodded sheepishly to the shipowner’s son and to the sailors.

“Got ye, did they?” said one of the tars, with a sneer.

“Yes,” answered the culprit, meekly.

“Humph! You’re a fine Dick to run away and steal jewels!” muttered the sailor, and turned his back on the youth.

“Where are Roger and Captain Sanders and the others?” questioned Dave.

“Gone after you, and after Jasniff and those three rascally Englishmen,” answered Phil. “I said I’d stay here and try that trick with a column of smoke. I thought you might remember and look for it.”

“It was a good thing to do, Phil,” answered our hero, “for it brought us straight to this spot.”