CHAPTER IX
PRISONERS
At Tom's astounding announcement Frank sank limply onto a thwart. Butthe next instant he was up, and seizing the resonance coil, hastilyconnected it to the set in place of the aerial.
"Now signal or tell me when you get them," he said, as, holding thecoil horizontally, he commenced moving it in a wide circle. For a timeTom was silent, motionless, listening with every sense and nerve taut;then, as the coil pointed to the right, he raised his hand.
"There!" he whispered.
Presently he took off his phones. "It's no use listening," he declared"we can't tell what they're saying. Oh, thunder, why isn't Smernoffhere?"
"Well, we can call to the folks and tell them and they can letSmernoff listen," said Frank.
"Silly!" cried Tom petulantly. "If we called them, these Russianswould hear and either clear out or shut up. And, besides, I don'tbelieve they could hear them on the submarine. I'll bet that's beenthe trouble all along. They've been too far off."
"Well, what can we do then?" demanded Frank. "If we call for help toget back, these fellows will hear us too. We're in a nice fix justfrom chasing that confounded old manatee. First we get lost and thenwe hear this talking and can't even tell about it."
"We might row along until we lose these fellows and then call thesub," suggested Tom, "if we get so far away we can't hear them thechances are they can't hear us. Come on."
There seemed nothing else to do and so, choosing a channel that ledaway from the direction whence the sounds had come, the boys rowedsteadily for some time. Then they ceased rowing and picking up thecoil Frank held it while Tom listened at the set.
For a space no sounds came to his ears and then he started soviolently that Frank was almost upset.
"Gosh all crickety, Frank!" he exclaimed. "Something's wrong. Theysound nearer than ever."
Puzzled and not knowing what to do, the boys sat motionless andspeechless. They seemed to be surrounded by the voices coming fromboth directions.
"Hello," ejaculated Frank presently, "We're moving. Look at thosetrees!"
Tom glanced up. It was perfectly true, the trees were slowly butsteadily slipping past them. They were drifting with the current.
"It must be the tide," declared Tom. "If 'tis we'll be out of heresoon and if we reach the bay----"
"Hurrah, there's the bay now!" cried Frank.
A few hundred yards ahead they saw the sheet of open water through thetrees and with light hearts grasped the oars and started to rowforwards, but before they had taken a stroke Tom uttered a smotheredcry, grasped Frank's arm and pointed a trembling finger at the openwater visible through a space between the mangroves.
"Look, Frank! Look!" he whispered
Less than two hundred yards distant, plainly visible and moored closeto the edge of the swamp was a big submarine! No second glance wasneeded to verify Tom's first suspicions; the shattered conning towerleft no doubt as to the craft's identity.
Frank was too surprised and dumbfounded to speak and stood gazing withunbelieving eyes at the submarine so near to them and so totallyunexpected.
"Quick!" whispered Tom. "If we don't watch out we'll be drifting insight on that open water. Grab a root or a branch while I push theboat in."
Seizing his oars, Tom pushed and pulled, forcing the boat close to thetrees until Frank could grasp one of the swaying, descending roots andmade the boat's painter fast to it.
"No wonder we heard 'em," remarked Tom when the boat was secured."That creek must turn around a corner and we didn't notice it. Say,what are we going to do now? We can't wait here all night and we don'tknow where to go and we can't call our folks without those fellows onthis sub hearing us."
"And if we could call your father or Mr. Rawlins we couldn't tell themwhere this submarine is because we don't know ourselves," repliedFrank.
"It's awful funny we should find it by getting lost after they've beenhunting for it night after night," said Tom, "and now what good doesit do? I don't see but what we'll have to go back the way we came andtrust to luck."
"Huh!" snorted Frank, "and get lost worse than ever. If this sub camein here there must be deep water leading to sea and if we could sneakout we'd be sure to find the entrance to the bay and then we couldcall our people or hunt along the shore till we found that beach withthe coconut grove."
"Yes, and a swell chance we have of sneaking out!" Tom reminded him."Just as soon as we went out of here they'd spot us, sure."
"Well we'll have to wait until dark, that's all," said Frankresignedly. "Of course they'll worry, but like as not they'll call forus and we may hear 'em. Then if these chaps hear, it wont be ourfault. I know your father said not to hesitate to use radio if we hadto, but he didn't think we'd be alongside this submarine when weneeded to. It's not going to hurt us to wait here a while and we maysee something."
Tom's sharp "Hisst!" caused Frank to wheel about. A small boat was nowbeside the submarine and several men were climbing into it. Presentlythey pushed off, the men took to the oars and to the boys' horror andamazement the boat headed directly toward their hiding place.
"Gosh now it's all up!" whispered Tom in terrified tones, "if theyspot us or our boat it'll be good night for us!"
Breathlessly the boys crouched in their craft, shaking with fright,while nearer and nearer came the boat from the submarine. Then, whenthe two trembling boys felt that their hour had come, that in anotherinstant they must be seen, the other boat swung to one side anddisappeared in a narrow channel among the mangroves not fifty feetfrom where the boys were concealed. In a few moments the sound of theoars and the voices of the men grew faint in the distance and the boysraised themselves and with relieved, fast-beating hearts exchangedglances.
"Did you see them?" exclaimed Tom. "My, weren't they a tough lookinglot!"
"Regular pirates!" agreed Frank. "Did you see that big fellow with thered beard?"
"You bet, and that thin one with the upturned blonde mustache! Gosh,he looked like the Crown Prince of Germany!"
"That dark man was the worst," declared Frank. "That Indian or niggeror whatever he was--the one with the earrings. Gee, I'd hate to havethem get us."
"I never knew Russians were such ugly looking people," said Tom, "andI thought they were all light. That fellow with the earrings wasalmost as black as Sam."
"They're not all Russians," Frank reminded him. "Don't you rememberMr. Henderson and your father saying they were 'reds' from every pointof the world and that the big chief of the lot isn't even a Germanalthough he worked for Germany. And there was that man that died inNew York, he was Irish."
"Yes, that's so," agreed Tom, "but say, let's get out of here now.They're gone and maybe we can sneak away. I don't believe any one'saboard the sub."
"Well, I do," replied Frank, "I vote we turn back and see if we can'tfind another channel that leads out below here. We can tell the rightway to go by the tide flowing."
"Golly, that's so," assented Tom. "All right, but we've got to becareful."
Unfastening the boat, the two boys pulled slowly up the creek againstthe current, searching the mangroves on either side for an openingthrough which the tide was flowing. At last they sighted one and withelated minds turned into it. As they pulled along, Tom noticed thatthe mangroves were giving place to other trees, that the soft mudbanks had changed to sand and that the shores were getting higher.
"We must be getting out of the swamp," declared Tom. "See! the banksare high and there are trees. We'll soon be out."
The stream they were following was now running with quite a swiftcurrent and the boys noticed several side branches or smaller creeksflowing into it. They had just passed one of these and were about toturn a bend when with one accord they stopped rowing, their eyes grewwide with fright and they sat listening breathlessly. From ahead hadcome the sounds of human voices! Just around the bend were men!
To go on meant certain discovery. What should they do? For a briefinstant they had thought it might be some o
f their own party, but thenext second they knew better, for the words that came to them were ina harsh guttural tongue--the same tongue they had so often heardthrough their receivers.
Then, a sudden desire, an overwhelming curiosity to see the speakers,to learn where they were and what they were doing swept over Tom. Withsigns he motioned to Frank and an instant later they had run theirboat into the side creek, had beached it noiselessly upon a narrowstrip of soft earth and like snakes were wiggling silently up the bankamong the trees. For some strange psychological reason they were nolonger afraid; no longer did thoughts of the risk they ran enter theirheads. Their entire thoughts were centered on seeing these men, onlearning what they could, for they realized instinctively that theyhad stumbled upon the secret of the gang's hiding place, that they hadfound what their friends had been searching for night after night andthat, did they ever regain their own submarine, their knowledge wouldbe invaluable.
But they were cautious. They had no intention of being either seen orheard and before they reached the summit of the bank they carefullyraised their heads and peered between the bases of the trees beyond.They had no means of knowing what lay beyond that bank. It might beopen land, it might be brush or woods or it might be water. They knew,however, that the men must be close at hand and yet, when they peeredthrough, they could scarcely repress surprised exclamations at whatthey saw.
Within a dozen yards, a boat was lying beside the bank of the streamand just beyond, beneath a wide-spreading tree, two men stood talking.
One was the big, red-bearded fellow the boys had seen in the boat asit left the submarine. The other, who half leaned upon a repeatingrifle and who wore an immense automatic pistol at his belt, was tall,well-built and most striking in appearance. He was dressed in light,neat clothes and leather puttees; a broad-brimmed Panama hat was onhis head, his face was tanned but clean shaven, except for a small,sharply upturned, iron-gray mustache, and in one eye he wore amonocle.
So totally unlike his companions was he that the boys almost gasped inastonishment. There was nothing about him, nothing in his appearance,that spoke of lawlessness, of a thug or a criminal. Indeed, he was amost distinguished-looking gentleman, such a figure as one mightexpect to see at a meeting of scientists, at some state function, at adirectors' meeting in some bank or business house.
But when he spoke the disillusionment was complete. His voice had thestrangest sound the boys had ever heard. It was cold, grating,inexpressibly cruel and sent shivers down the boys' backs as theylistened. What he was saying they could not grasp, but that he wasangry, that he was reprimanding the giant before him, the boys couldtell by his tones, the hard reptilian glitter of his light gray eyesand by the expression of the red-bearded fellow.
The latter, with hat in hand, fairly cowered before the other. Hishead was bent, his eyes downcast, his face and neck were flushedscarlet and his replies came in a low, humble, apologetic tone.
Those in the waiting boat were silent, only the two uttered a singleword. For a space the boys watched, fascinated, and then it occurredto Tom that they must get away, that somehow they had taken the wrongchannel and that if they were to escape unseen they must leave atonce, retrace their way to where they had seen the submarine and fromthere try to reach the entrance to the bay.
Touching Frank's arm, Tom signaled for him to withdraw and as silentlyas they had come the two boys slipped down the bank, shoved their boatnoiselessly into the water and crept into it.
With fast beating hearts they paddled towards the larger stream andhad almost reached it, when, without warning, a flock of white ibisflapped up before them and with harsh croaks of alarm perched upon thetopmost branches of the trees.
The boys' blood seemed to freeze in their veins and their hearts tocease beating. Would the men suspect something or somebody was near?Would they sweep down on the boys?
Instantly, at the hoarse cries of the birds, the voices beyond thepoint had ceased and the boys knew the men were listening, strainingtheir ears for a suspicious sound. To go on would be to courtdisaster. The least rattle of oars or squeal of rowlocks would beheard and even if no sound issued from the boat the slightest movementwould again arouse the ibis overhead. There was nothing to do butwait, wait with panting, throbbing lungs and heart-racking fears forwhat might happen next.
But the boys did not have long to wait. From beyond the interveningbank came the rattle of an oar, a sharp, gruff order, the splash ofwater. The men were coming! To remain where they were meant capture!There was but one thing to be done and that was to turn and pull asfast as they were able into the small creek in the one faint hope thatthe others might pass it by and look for the cause of the birds'fright upon the main stream. Quickly the boat was swung round and withdeadly terror lending strength to their arms, the boys pulledfrantically into the trees that formed an archway over the tinywaterway. But their ruse was in vain. The noise of the splashing oarshad been heard. The disturbed water of the stream told the story oftheir flight to their enemies. Scarcely a score of yards had beencovered when the boys heard the other boat following, heard the roughSlavic voices, and the frightened cries of the ibis. Madly they pulledand then, so close that the boys could not avoid it had they wished,the creek came to an abrupt end in a mass of foliage.
Before the boys knew it was there they had bumped into it. Frank's hatwas swept off by a branch, sharp twigs and thorns tore their flesh,the boat rocked and grated, and realizing they were trapped the boysscreamed in terror. Then, ere they grasped what had happened, theirboat had shot through the screen of branches, they were in open waterand looking back they saw the fallen trees which had spanned thecreek. Before them the stream turned sharply to one side. Only a dozenstrokes of the oars would bring them to the bend. They had almostreached it when shouts and curses came from beyond the fallen trees,they heard a crashing of the branches, the sharp reports of revolversrang out and bullets whistled past the boys' heads.
The next moment the boat shot around the point and, driven todesperation, thinking only of outdistancing their pursuers, the boysrowed like mad, giving no heed to direction, no attention to theirsurroundings. Then they suddenly realized that the sounds of theirpursuers had ceased, that there were no shouts, no splashing of oars,no rattle of wood on wood. What had happened? Why had the othersabandoned the chase?
And then it dawned upon Frank.
"Gee Christopher!" he exclaimed under his breath, "that fallen treesaved us, Tom! Their big boat couldn't get through. We're safe!"
"Gosh, I guess you're right!" whispered Tom while the two stillcontinued to row. "But I'm not sure we're safe. There may be anotherway in here and perhaps they've gone around to cut us off. Say, we'vegot to row like the dickens and try to get so far they won't find us!"
"Yes, but we're lost!" declared Frank. "We haven't any idea where weare!"
"I know it," admitted Tom, "but we can't help that now. After we'vegone farther we'll stop and call our folks. Those chaps back therecan't hear us and if their sub does, it won't make any difference now.They know we're here and we've got to get out."
For fully half an hour they toiled on. Their breath came in gasps,their arms ached, their hands were blistered and raw, but they darednot stop. Then, when they felt they could go no farther, their boatshot out from the mangroves and they found themselves floating on abroad lagoon.
"Hurrah!" cried Frank, "we're back where we saw the manatee!"
"Golly, so we are!" agreed Tom. "Well, I'm going to use the radio nowand see if we can get our people."
But all attempts to get their submarine proved fruitless. Over andover again they called. Hopefully and patiently Tom listened whileFrank moved the resonance coil about, but not a sound came through thereceivers.
"It's no use," declared Tom at last. "We can't get them. What on earthwill we do?"
"All we can do is to go on," replied Frank in dejected tones. "It'salmost dark, we may find our way by luck."
"I can't row another stroke," declared Tom. "I'm all in.
We might justas well lie here and rest, at least until the moon comes up. We can'tgo on in the dark through these creeks."
"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Frank who, now the excitement was over,felt utterly exhausted. "We're as safe here as anywhere."
Drawing in their oars the two lonely, tired and hungry boys threwthemselves in the bottom of the boat and too weary even to talk laygazing up at the stars. The boat rocked gently to the tiny ripples onthe lagoon; from the swamps came the droning chant of frogs andinsects; fireflies flitted by like tiny meteors; the water lappedsoothingly against the boat's planks and lulled by the sounds and thesoft night air the boys slept.
Tom was the first to awake. For an instant he lay still, dazed, notremembering where he was and dimly aware of a strange, monotonous,resonant sound that somehow seemed to vibrate and throb through hisbrain, the boat and the night air.
He nudged Frank. "Wake up!" he half whispered, "wake up! The moon'sout and we've got to be going on."
Then, as Frank sleepily opened his eyes and yawned, Tom spoke again.
"Hear that noise?" he asked. "What is it?"
Frank, now wide awake, sat up. He too heard the sound, a noise sounlike anything else he had ever heard that he felt cold shiverschasing up and down his spine.
"I--I don't know!" he stammered. "It's uncanny--perhaps it's a frog ora night bird or something. Say, where are we?"
Then, for the first time, Tom noticed their surroundings. No longerwere they on the lagoon. On either side, rose tall trees looming blackand gigantic against the moonlit sky and by the glint of the lightupon the ripples the boys could see that the narrow waterway ranswiftly.
"Crickey, we've drifted while we were asleep!" cried Frank. "Now we_are_ lost."
"Well, we're drifting with the tide anyway," said Tom, trying bravelyto be cheerful. "And it's bound to take us out somewhere to openwater."
"Yes, only it may be coming in and not going out," said Frank. "Whattime is it? My watch stopped when I fell overboard."
Tom pulled out his watch and examined it's luminous dial. "Gosh, it'safter eleven!" he exclaimed. "Say, we must have slept four or fivehours."
"There's that noise again!" cried Frank. "What on earth is it? Itseems to come from all around and say---- Gee, look there, Tom! What'sthat?"
Startled, Tom glanced about. Far ahead between the trees he could seea ruddy glow.
"Golly, it's a fire!" he exclaimed in frightened tones. "Let's getout. It may be those Russians again. Perhaps it's their camp."
"And the noise comes from there!" stammered Frank. "It's dreadful!"
Hurriedly grasping their oars the boys pulled, trying their utmost toswing the boat's bow around, but it was of no use. The current wasrunning like a millrace and despite their utmost endeavors they werebeing swept irresistibly towards the fire and that weird, uncanny,hair-raising sound.
Nearer and nearer they swept. Now they could see the ruddy light uponthe water ahead. They could even see the flames dancing among thetrees and the resonant, throbbing boom rose and fell in terrifyingcadence through the night. Then, between the throbbing beats, the boysheard voices; but not the harsh guttural voices of the "reds." It waseven worse, for the sounds borne to the boys--frightened,terror-stricken and helpless in their drifting boat--savored ofsavages. They were high-pitched, yet musical, rising and falling; onemoment dying to a low murmur, the next rising to a blood-curdlingwail.
Absolutely paralyzed, the boys sat and stared at the light and thefire they were approaching. What was it? Through their minds flashedstories of cannibals, visions of savage Indians, and yet Rawlins hadassured them there were no Indians upon the island. But surely thesecould be nothing else. Those sounds--dimly, to Tom's mind camememories of a similar sound he had once heard--yes--that was it--anIndian tom-tom at a Wild West show. They _must_ be savages! Yes,now he could see them, wild, naked, dancing, leaping figures;whirling, gyrating about the fire now less than two hundred yardsahead and within fifty feet of the Lank. Frank had seen them also. Hetoo knew they must be savages. Would they be seen? Would the dancing,prancing fiends detect them as they swept through that circle of lightupon the water or were they too busy with their dancing to noticethem? Now the drum roared in deafening, booming notes, filling thesurrounding forest with its echoes and the savage chant of theprancing figures sent chills over the cowering boys. Just ahead wasthe expanse of water illuminated by the red glare. In a moment theywould be in it. Close to the bank the boys saw canoes drawn ashore,big dug-outs, crude primitive craft. Yes, there _were_ Indians inSanto Domingo, Rawlins must have been mistaken. Now they were in thefirelight. They held their breaths and then a moaning hopeless groanissued from the boys' lips. Their boat slowed down; before theyrealized what had happened they were caught in an eddy and the nextinstant their craft bumped with a resounding thud against one of thecanoes.
The boys' senses reeled. They were wedged fast between the dugouts inthe brilliant light from the fire and before a cry could escape them,before they could move, two half-naked, awful creatures, hideouslypainted and with threatening, waving clubs came dashing down the bank.
The boys knew their last minute had come. The savages had seen them.Resistance would be hopeless. They were too frightened, too frozenwith mortal terror to move or even scream.
The next second the naked fiends were upon them. Powerful hands seizedlegs and feet and unresisting, limp, almost unconscious with dreadthoughts of their fate, they were borne triumphantly towards the fireand the ring of terrifying figures.
The Radio Detectives Under the Sea Page 9
