Stratemeyer Edward
Young Hunters in Porto Rico: or, The Search for a Lost Treasure

CHAPTER XXIV
THE CHAMBER OF BONES

On they went, the flooring under their feet showing that a good deal of the rain had washed into the cavern.

Robert Menden was ahead with one torch, while old Jacob brought up in the rear with the second light.

Between, the boys were spread out in a semicircle, each looking with all his might for anything that might resemble a long, flat stone, with a cross and the three M's cut upon it.

Along with Dick trotted Dash, his ears up, as if as ready as any of them to make an important discovery, did it lay in his power.

A quarter of a mile was covered, when they reached the branch for which they were searching. In the meantime Robert Menden had left a trail of crushed rice, that they might thereby find their way back.

They now found it necessary to climb over jagged rocks as high as their heads and higher – laborious work which soon put all in a state of perspiration.

"I guess this is about as hard as working in a coal mine," said Don. "I hope the rocks come to an end soon."

"This flooring has been thrown up by an earthquake," observed Robert Menden. "We must be careful, or somebody may fall through some fissure. And don't wander away, whatever else you do."

The boys promised to be careful. But Menden's warning was not needed, for in that gloomy spot they were perfectly willing to keep close to one another and could not have been hired to separate.

"I believe we are coming to the end of this branch," said Dick, half an hour later.

"There is a small opening to the left," replied the Englishman. "We will try that;" and as before, he led the way.

A narrow passageway was passed, and they came into a round chamber fifty feet or more in diameter. From overhead the water dripped constantly, and curious spiders and black bugs ran hither and thither, as the party approached with their torches.

"Oh, my! Look!"

The cry came from Don, and was taken up by several of the others.

"We've struck a cemetery of bones," said Bob; and he was right. On all sides of the chamber were piles of bones, with here and there a row of skeleton heads!

"There must be nigh onto a thousand o' 'em," muttered old Jacob, as he surveyed the scene. "Never saw sech a tarnal sight in my life!"

"It's certainly a grim spectacle," returned Robert Menden. "I wonder how they happened to place these bones here?"

No one could answer that question. They hunted around for bits of clothing and jewelry, but none came to sight.

"This ain't to my taste," said old Jacob – "let us go on;" and on they went to a small cavern beyond.

Here the air was foul and unwholesome, and even the torches refused to burn, saving with a yellow, uncertain light.

"We can't stand much of this," said Leander. "I feel as if I was in a tomb."

He had scarcely spoken when Dick pointed out some bones lying in a corner of the chamber. Coming closer, they made out the skeleton of a man. Beside the bones lay several patches of clothing and a pair of old-fashioned iron-rimmed spectacles.

"That man lost his life here, sure," said Bob. "Look; one of his leg-bones is broken in half."

"More than likely he broke his leg and found it impossible to walk further," said Don. "And then I suppose his light and food gave out, and he starved to death. Horrible!"

"I don't want to see any more of it," said Don, shuddering. "I guess he was an old man, otherwise he wouldn't have had those iron-rimmed spectacles. I suppose that skeleton has been here for a dozen years."

Dick was bending down over the bones, having seen something shining near one of the fleshless hands. He picked the object up and found it to be a long, flat, brass key.

"A key!" cried Robert Menden. He took the thing from the youth, and held it close to the torch. "By the queen!"

"What's up?" came in a chorus.

"See! The key is marked M. M. M. on one side!" And he pointed out the initials.

"It must belong to the treasure box!" ejaculated Dick.

"Hurrah! We're gittin' closer to dat prize!" burst out Danny, and shook his bullet-like head enthusiastically.

All examined the key with interest. It was a little rusted at one end, but still good enough to use if the cedar box was brought to light, as Dick declared.

"We are on the right trail; I feel certain of it," said Menden. "For that old Spaniard mentioned a pile of bones to me."

"I wonder if Farvel has been here yet?" said Don.

"I think not – and I hope he doesn't come."

They moved on more slowly than ever. The foul air was now left behind and they gained a chamber where there was a steady current of cold air which made one and another shiver.

"What's that?" said Don, of a sudden.

He had heard a strange sound, and now they all noticed it.

"Is it somebody moaning?" gasped Leander.

"It certainly sounds like it," said old Jacob.

"Perhaps it is Farvel in trouble," suggested Bob.

The moaning rose and fell, as if a person was in great pain and unable to cry out loudly.

"Where does it come from?" was Dick's question.

No one was able to answer, and they stood in a mute crowd, looking at each other. Danny gave a shiver.

"I don't like dat nohow," he whispered.

"No more do I like it," muttered Leander. "It sounds like a ghost!"

"Don't say dat, or I'll be fer runnin' away!" cried the Irish lad.

Dash put up his nose and added a long whine.

"Where is it, Dash?" said Dick. "Show it to us, old boy!"

The dog started forward, then stood stock still and showed his teeth.

There was another moan and then a hiss, and out of the gloom ahead shone two fiery eyes, moving slowly from side to side.

"Some beast!" shouted Robert Menden. "Have your pistols ready!"

He had scarcely uttered the words when a big cat shot past him and landed on Leander's left shoulder.

The creature was of the domestic specie, but evidently gone wild from hunger and loneliness.

"Help! take it off!" cried the boy, and tried to clear himself. But the cat hung the closer. Then it opened its mouth as if to bury its teeth in his arm.

A report rang out. Robert Menden had taken careful aim and fired. At once the cat gave a screech and tumbled to the ground, where it lay writhing and moaning. Another shot put it out of its misery forever.

The attack had taken Leander's nerve away from him, and the boy sank down on a rock and shivered, while turning as white as a sheet.

"It was terrible!" he murmured. "Say, I'm for getting out of this!"

"Oh, don't talk that way, Len!" cried Bob. "The cat's dead now, you know."

"But there may be more of them."

"I think not. She probably got in here by accident."

"And then that dead body, too!"

"I don't believe there are any more of those either."

"To be sure, it was very unpleasant," put in Robert Menden. "But it will have to be something far worse to turn me back."

"And me," added Dick. "I am going to stick to the hunt to the end."

And five minutes later the whole party went forward once more. But Leander kept close to old Jacob, and carried his pistol where it could be brought into instant use if required.

CHAPTER XXV
THE TABLET OF STONE

By consulting a watch they found that it was after six o'clock; but they had brought supper along and ate this in preference to making their way out of the cave to their camp on the mountainside.

"Farvel must not be allowed to get ahead of us in this search," declared Robert Menden. "If he once got the treasure in his possession, the jig would be up, so far as we are concerned."

"It's queer we haven't seen anything of him to-day," said Dick. "He must be in the cave somewhere."

"There are so many branches we can easily keep apart," said Don. "It is like the branches of a great tree lying flat underground."

"And we are like ants looking for the right branch," laughed Bob.

"I feel it in my bones that we have the right branch here," put in Robert Menden.

"An' I feel thet way myself," added old Jacob. "I think we'll have thet treasure in forty-eight hours, or sooner."

Both torches had burnt low, and now they lit fresh ones, which threw a brighter light on all sides. They were moving along in a row when the Englishman called a sudden halt.

"There is a wide crack in the rocks ahead," he declared. "Look out that somebody doesn't tumble into it."

"Does it lead to the lower caves?" asked Dick.

"I'm sure I don't know, Dick. We can throw down a stone and see."

Robert Menden was about to look around for a suitable stone, when a cry from Bob caught his ears.

"The tablet!" yelled the boy. "Look! look!"

All rushed to his side and gazed in the direction that he pointed out. Sure enough, there on the very brink of the crack Menden had located, was a long, flat stone. At one end of the stone they saw that a rude cross had been carved. At the other end were the much sought-after initials, M. M. M.

"Hurrah! the treasure at last!" cried Dick, and felt like dancing a jig for joy.

"Where is the cedar box? I'm crazy to see how much it has in it!" put in Don.

"I guess we're all crazy for that," laughed Leander, his scare having been forgotten.

"It ought to be under the tablet," said Robert Menden. "Can the thing be lifted by hand?"

He examined the tablet, which rested on several rocks set in the form of a square, one side at the very opening just mentioned. The flat stone was a heavy affair, weighing all of six or seven hundred pounds.

"Ye can't budge thet by hand," said old Jacob, who was almost as excited as the rest. "It will take a block and fall, or a long lever, to do it."

"And we have neither!" groaned the Englishman.

They stared at each other blankly. What was to be done?

"Perhaps we can pull it away from the back," said Dick. "That is, if there is any way of fastening the rope."

As he spoke he reached across the tablet from the front, and felt in the back.

"By ginger! the back's hollow!" he burst out.

"Hollow?" came from several of the others.

"Yes, hollow. Here, give me one of the torches and I'll take a look for the chest."

The light was speedily thrust forward, and while the others held him by the legs to keep from sliding down into the crack beyond, Dick made an inspection.

"The hole under the tablet is empty!"

A groan went up.

"Empty? Impossible!" said Robert Menden, and his face grew as white as a sheet.

"Yes, the hole is empty."

"But – but – " began old Jacob.

"The bottom of the hole slopes toward the crack," went on Dick. "I'll wager that when the flooring parted, the cedar chest fell down to the bottom of the split."

There was a murmur of relief at this. Perhaps the treasure was not lost after all.

"Let us throw a piece of torch down and see," said Bob; and his advice was speedily carried out. But the torch went down so far, its light revealed little but grotesque shadows, which might be treasure boxes or something else.

The crack in the flooring was eight to ten feet wide; but taking a run, Robert Menden cleared the distance, and aided by a rope, several others followed.

From this side they could look into the hollow under the tablet with ease. But this gave them little satisfaction, for the opening was as empty as Dick had mentioned.

"I've a good mind to try my luck with the rope," said Robert Menden. "We brought it along for the purpose of getting down holes, you know."

"Well, we'll let ye down as carefully as possible," answered old Jacob.

A noose was made and slipped around Menden's body, under his arms. Then a smooth spot was selected, where the rope might run without scraping, and the Englishman climbed down over the edge.

"Now, lower away," he called out. "But go slow, and don't let me slip away from you."

He had a torch in one hand, while with the other he kept himself from striking on the various sharp projections which he encountered. He went down twenty, thirty, forty feet, and then to the very end of the line.

"A little lower!" he cried, as those above stopped and held fast to several knots previously inserted in the rope.

"Can't put out any more," called down old Jacob. "Ain't ye reached the bottom?"

"No; it's about ten or fifteen feet below this point."

"Can ye see anything?"

"See a lot of loose rock and – Yes, a corner of a box. I think the fall broke the chest all to pieces."

"We'll haul ye up and git a longer rope," returned the Yankee tar. "He's found the treasure right enough," he added, to the boys gathered around him.

It was no easy task to bring Robert Menden up to the flooring again, but at last it was accomplished, and the Englishman untied himself, none the worse for his trip to the region below.

All greatly regretted there were no more ropes at hand.

"If we had them we might get at that treasure this very night," declared Dick.

"Never mind; it's late," said old Jacob. "We'll go back to camp and rest, and bring the other ropes in by daylight. I reckon it won't hurt the treasure to rest another twenty-four hours."

"But we want to know how much is there, Jacob," said Bob.

"So we do – but we'll have to be patient."

"Yes, we had better go back," put in Robert Menden. "But first let us cover that tablet with loose rock, so if Joseph Farvel comes this way, he won't discover it."

This was considered good advice, and as loose stones were plentiful they soon succeeded in hiding the tablet entirely from view. Then the spot was carefully marked by another means, and they started once more for the outer air.

The climb over the rough flooring tired them thoroughly, and by the time the mouth of the main cave was gained they could scarcely drag one foot after the other.

"I'll sleep to-night, no matter if it does blow," said Don. "But I guess I'll dream of a lot of shining Spanish gold, too," he added, with a smile.

All were in the best of spirits, and several of the boys began to whistle as they set off for the camp on the mountainside. But this Robert Menden stopped.

"We want to do this thing as quietly as possible," he said. "Remember, we have both Joseph Farvel and the Porto Rican brigands against us. Even if we get hold of that treasure, we'll have a job to get it safe to the city or on board of the Dashaway."

Bob was in advance, knowing the trail pretty thoroughly by this time.

No sooner was the shelter under the rocks gained than he let out a wild howl.

"The things are all gone! Somebody has robbed us!"

Bob was right. During their absence the camp had been visited by some thief, and now everything, including the ropes and the cooking utensils, as well as their supply of food, was missing.

CHAPTER XXVI
LOOKING FOR THE CAMPING OUTFIT

For the moment, all stood aghast over the discovery which had been made.

"This is Joseph Farvel's work!" cried Robert Menden, when he could speak. "He means to make us quit the search and go back to San Juan."

"The pesky rascal!" muttered old Jacob. "Jest wish I could lay hands on him, thet's all!"

"What is we ter do?" queried Danny. "I can't git no supper wid nuthin' ter work wid."

"This is certainly a bad fix," said Don. Then he looked at Dash. "Too bad, eh, old boy?"

"I forgot Dash!" cried Dick. "I wonder if he can't follow the trail of the thief?"

"To be sure he can," ejaculated Leander. "Can't you, Dash?" And the dog wagged his tail.

"Do we want to follow him?" questioned Menden.

"We want our stuff back," answered Dick, determinedly. "Besides, we can't do anything in the cave without those other ropes."

"Yes, let us follow the trail right now – if we kin do it," said old Jacob.

They were all out of humor, being tired and hungry, and had Joseph Farvel crossed their path just then, it would have gone hard with the man. But our friends had made a great mistake, as we shall presently see.

It took some little time to make Dash understand what was wanted. But when Bob took a bone and pointed at the fire, and at one plate that had been left behind, the canine knew what was wanted, and set off on a trot that made them all hustle to keep up with him.

The trail led over the very top of the mountain and to a little bamboo shack on the other side.

Nobody was in sight and they rightfully guessed that the bamboo shelter was deserted.

Entering, they found all of their traps piled up in a corner, together with some things which did not belong to them.

"Here's our stuff, and more," cried Don. "Good for Dash! He makes the best kind of a detective."

While they were sorting out their goods, old Jacob, who was at the doorway, announced that somebody was approaching.

"It's a man, but who, I can't tell, it's that dark," he said. "Better prepare to give him a surprise."

"I believe it's Farvel, and that this other stuff is his," said Robert Menden.

But as the newcomer came closer, all were surprised to see, not Joseph Farvel, but Bumbum, the good-for-nothing Carib.

"We've made a big mistake," murmured Menden. "I'd almost forgotten about this fellow."

"Well, I've not forgotten him," said Leander, grimly.

"Nor I," added Dick. "If he took this stuff, let us bring him up with a round turn."

It was agreed to hide, and they did so without delay, behind a bush back of the hut.

Bumbum approached rapidly, and lighting a torch, entered the clumsy shelter.

Then taking a rope he began to tie together all the articles belonging to the Dashaway's party, as well as the other things.

"Drop those, you rascal!"

The command came from Dick, and turning, the Carib found himself confronted by two men, five boys and a dog.

The articles in his hands fell to the dirt flooring with a bang, and he staggered back in terror.

"Americano– " he began, but could get no further.

"So we've caught you in the act," said Leander. "Pretty business for you to be in, isn't it?"

"Bumbum no understand," stammered the native.

"You stole our outfit," came from Robert Menden.

"Bumbum no steal anyt'ing, señor. Bumbum find t'ings on de mountain."

"You can't make us believe that yarn," cried Bob. "You knew the things belonged to us when you took them. You're a first-class sneak."

"Bumbum very honest, señor – nefer take not'ing, nefer!" And the Carib nodded earnestly.

"You took our ten dollars fast enough," said Dick. He turned to the others. "Hadn't he better give that money up?"

"Yes, make him give it ye back," said old Jacob. "He don't deserve a cent." And the others agreed with him.

When the Carib was made to understand what was wanted, his face grew as dark as the night outside. "You rob poor man – dat no fair," he muttered.

"You are a rascal and ought to be in jail," answered Robert Menden. "Give the boys their money back and be quick about it."

But Bumbum was a miser, and rather than part with a single peseta, he determined to try running away. With a bound he reached the outside of the shack and started to run, when Don tripped him up and sent him headlong.

A short struggle ensued, but the Carib was speedily overpowered, and then his hands were bound behind him. In his pocket he had not only the money Dick and Leander had been forced to give him, but also the wallet stolen from Joseph Farvel.

"Here is your money, lads," said Robert Menden, as he handed the silver to the two boys. "I must say I don't know what to do about Farvel's wallet."

"Keep it, until you have the chance to give it back to him," suggested Bob; and this advice was acted upon.

"And now what's to do with this critter?" put in old Jacob.

"He ought to be handed over to the authorities."

This was certainly true, but the nearest alcalde was the one located at Aguas Buenas, over five miles distant and they had no desire to make such a trip that night.

"Let him go," said Leander, at last. "Boot him out of camp, and tell him we'll have him arrested if he ever shows up again."

"All right," answered Robert Menden, and Bumbum was released. A sharp quarrel of words followed, and then the Carib slunk away in the darkness, more bitter against the entire party than ever.

"We want to keep our weather eyes open fer thet chap," was old Jacob's comment. "He's the sort as would knife ye in the back if he got the chance."

It was decided to remain at the bamboo hut over night, and a blaze was speedily started and supper prepared. Everybody was too tired to go hunting or fishing, and the evening meal was, consequently, a scant one.

It is doubtful if any of the boys slept very soundly that night. Each head was filled with visions of the golden treasure, and each tried to calculate mentally how much his share of the expected find would amount to, after the necessary expenses were paid.

Each had to stand guard for an hour, but nothing happened to disturb them, and by sunrise the camp was in motion.

"A hasty breakfast, lads," cried Robert Menden. "And then, ho! for the treasure."

"And may it prove to be twice as large as expected," added Don.