CHAPTER V.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PAST
"'What I dreaded has come to pass,'" read out the ensign; "'the menmutinied, but thanks be to Providence, we are safe. But a fearfulcatastrophe overtook the misguided fellows. Short handed as we were,having lost ten hands by scurvy and drowning in the South Seas, the crewmustered but eight men. Thus, with my two officers, we were threeagainst them. The attack came at midnight on July 27th, 1883. Luckily wewere on the watch, and as the men came aft we met them with firearms.Four went down at the first volley. Three died shortly, the other thenext day.
"'The remainder fled, but before I could stop them my officers had shotdown three, leaving only the cook alive. I saved his life. But as wewere examining the injured, one of them whipped out a knife and killedmy first officer. The next day we buried the dead and worked the ship asbest we could with three hands. Luckily the breeze was light, for in abrisk blow we could not have handled the ship.
"'Finding ourselves off the coast of the Carolinas, and despairing ofnavigating the ship to port, we ran in and anchored off a small desolateisland. On it grew a few scrub trees, but not much else. After aconsultation we decided to abandon the ship; but first we agreed, whilethe weather was fair, to bury the ivory on one of the islands. It was along, tedious task, but at last it was done, and the spot where it hadbeen secreted, marked.
"'This done, we rowed back to the ship to obtain my chronometers,papers, and so forth. I should have explained that we had but one boat,heavy seas off the Horn having smashed four of them, and a fifth wasbroken in a fight with a whale. I was some time below, getting papers,when suddenly I heard a splash of oars. By some inspiration, I guessedwhat had happened. Rushing on deck I was in time to behold my rascallysecond mate and the cook rowing from the ship with might and main.
"'I shouted, entreated, and raged. But it was all in vain. All therascals did was to laugh at me. I might have guessed their terriblepurpose to maroon me on my own ship, but I had paid no heed to somewhispering I had observed between them while on the island working atthe burial of the ivory. All this has been written since they abandonedme in so cowardly a fashion for the sake of the ivory. Their intent, Ireadily guessed. They would reach the shore ahead of me. Find somecapital, get a ship and seize the whole cache. I count myself lucky thatthey did not kill me outright.'"
By this time the boys were leaning forward, all else forgotten in thethrilling interest of the extraordinary narrative.
The ensign read on.
"I find no more entries till several days later," he said, "then comesthis one:
"'Since last I wrote I have encountered a fearful experience. The nightsucceeding the occasion on which the two villains left the ship, aterrific gale came up off shore. Unable to reef sail single-handed, Iwas compelled to cut the cable and head out for sea. For three days wescudded before the gale. The canvas was torn to ribbons, and one afteranother my masts went. I managed to cut the wreckage free with an axe.
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"'Some days later. What is happening to the ship? She is being drawn bysome strong but invisible current. There is no wind, but she is movingfairly fast. What can be going to happen to me? One thing is sure, I amout of the track of ocean vessels. Heaven help me, for I fear I ambeyond human aid!'"
"The poor fellow's mind evidently gave way soon after this," said theensign; "the entries grow disjointed and wild. He declares the cabin ishaunted. That the ghosts of the dead mutineers haunt the ship. At lastthey cease abruptly with the words, 'God be merciful to me, I am goingmad.'"
A silence fell over the party in the dead mariner's cabin. The mystery,the spell of the horror of it all, was strong upon them. In each lad'smind was a vivid picture of the unfortunate captain held in the grip ofa strange current, being driven day by day further from the track ofships, while his fevered mind pictured ghostly forms all about him.
"How do you suppose his death came?" asked Rob, after the silence hadendured some moments.
"I have an ugly suspicion which I shall soon verify," said the ensign;"you boys wait here for a time."
Alone he reentered the deck-house, where sat the dead seaman. When hereturned his face was very grave.
"Boys, my suspicions were correct," he said; "by the man's side I founda pistol. Undoubtedly, crazed by despair, he ended his life."
"After writing this strange paper?" asked Rob.
"Evidently. To judge from the jumble of figures, it was the product ofhis poor, demented brain."
"If you don't mind, I'll keep it, though," said Rob. "I've an idea aboutit."
"In what way?"
"Why, that it may not be what you think, after all. It bears theearmarks of an orderly cipher and is not scrawled at all as are thefinal entries in the log book."
"That's right," agreed the ensign admiringly, "you Boy Scouts havemighty keen minds. Well, my boy, keep it and study it at your leisure,although I am free to confess that I cannot think of it otherwise thanin the way mentioned."
"Perhaps you are right," said Rob, "but I'll have a try at puzzling itout, when I get time."
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