THE MAN BEHIND THE DOOR.
It was a second later that the puff of the exploding rocket reached the ears of those gathered about the boxes on the island, for sound does not travel as rapidly as light. When it came, Lieutenant Carstens made a dash for the side of the mountain and began the ascent. After ten anxious minutes he was back again with a malevolent grin on his face.
"The gunboat has captured the Manhattan," he said, facing Ned.
Ned made no reply, for he was not a little puzzled at the remark. It indicated that the speaker believed that he had as complete control over the actions of those on the gunboat as he had over the conduct of those on board the Clara and the Martha. If this was true, there was nothing more to hope for. The gunboat would bring Pat, Jack, and Jimmie back as prisoners, and the drum-head would deal with five prisoners instead of two.
The Lieutenant now dispatched a man to the shelf of rock on the mountain which Ned had previously occupied, instructing him to report the progress of the gunboat, supposed to be bringing in her prize. From time to time the watchman called out that the two boats were rapidly nearing the harbor, and Ned listened to the reports with varying emotions. Now he was certain that the officer in charge of the gunboat would understand the situation; now he was almost sure that the officer and Carstens had had an understanding with each other from the first.
Two chiefs, evidently men of distinction among the native tribes, now approached the Lieutenant and spoke to him in Spanish. After replying Carstens turned to the son of the senator.
"Clem," he said, "perhaps you would better bring the box from the cabin. These men are satisfied with the goods they have received, and are ready to sign."
And so the treaty was to be executed there—after the receipt of sufficient arms and ammunition to make the revolt against the government formidable. Ned saw the craft with which the game had been played, and wondered if the officer who was coming on the gunboat could be induced to make an examination of the boxes on the beach and the box about to be brought from the cabin.
If he could, that would end the trouble so far as Ned and his companions were involved in it. If he stood hand-in-glove with Carstens, however, he would pretend to doubt the statements offered by the prisoners and refuse to make any investigation at all. In this case, there was likely to be murder done before morning.
"Gunboat rounding the point!" called the lookout.
The critical moment was near at hand, and Frank and Ned looked into each other's faces with apprehension in their eyes. Still, there was no weakening, no outward sign of the mental commotion within.
Presently the gunboat rounded the point to the north and slid into the harbor between the Tusks, followed closely by the Manhattan. Ned saw that the boys were still on the Manhattan, but that two men in uniform were there with them. It looked to him as if the lads had been placed under arrest, for they did not appear as jubilant as they would doubtless have looked if their story had been taken at its full face value.
Lieutenant Carstens appeared to be astonished and decidedly out of temper when the commander of the gunboat stepped out on the north Tusk. He was nervous, too, and cursed roundly at one of the men who crossed his path as he advanced to meet the officer. The three boys, who did not now act like prisoners, flocked off the Manhattan and gathered around Ned and Frank. Their faces, however, still showed anxiety rather than joy at the success of their efforts to bring the gunboat to the island.
"I presume you have your instructions regarding the Manhattan and her crew?" Lieutenant Carstens said, after the formalities had been gone through with.
"I understand that the boys took the boat out without permission," was the reply. "I am ordered to return her to Manila and to place the boys under arrest."
This was encouraging, for Ned knew that they would be safer under the guard of the captain of the gunboat than that of Carstens. Everything could be explained if they were taken back to Manila, and not shot like dogs, without a trial.
"Since leaving Manila," Carstens went on, "they have attacked several native settlements and murdered several persons. I already have them under arrest for piracy."
"What is the proposition?" asked the other.
"In my judgment they should be tried here, and, if convicted, executed at the scene of their latest crime."
"I protest against that," said the other.
"See here, Curtis," Carstens said, roughly, "these fellows are my prisoners, and I am here with special orders. That will be all."
"Hardly all," was the cool reply, "for I have my gunboat in the harbor."
Encouraged by this statement, Ned stepped forward and raised his bound hands.
"May I speak a word?" he asked.
"Certainly not!" said Carstens.
"Go ahead!" the captain of the gunboat, Frederick Curtis, said. "George," he added, addressing an officer, "go to the boat and train her guns on this delightful party."
Carstens turned deadly pale but smiled, and saluted.
"I'm sure you will do nothing rash," he said.
"I shall not overstep my instructions," was the reply. "What have you to say?" he continued, facing Ned.
"I want a few words with you in private," was the reply.
"I protest!" shouted the Lieutenant.
"Best speak here," was the decision of the captain.
At this moment the senator's son made his appearance on the Tusk with a steel box under his arm. He advanced quickly to the group and passed the box to Lieutenant Carstens.
"First," Ned began, "I ask you, Captain Curtis, to take charge of the box just given to Lieutenant Carstens."
Captain Curtis extended his hand for the box, but the Lieutenant drew back.
"This is unusual," the lieutenant said, "irregular and discourteous."
"I waive the point for the present," Captain Curtis said, "but I insist that the box shall not leave your hands until it passes into mine."
"Next," Ned went on, encouraged by the words and manner of Captain Curtis, "I want you to have the cabin of the Clara searched."
Lieutenant Carstens approached the speaker in a threatening manner, but Curtis stepped in front of him.
"Why shouldn't the cabin of the Clara be searched?" the latter demanded.
"You shall pay for this indignity!" Carstens roared, turning away from the group, with the box still under his arm. Ned pointed to the box, and Captain Curtis stopped him.
"I want that box," he said, calmly.
Lieutenant Carstens hastened his steps and lifted the steel box in his hands, as if about to toss it into the sea. Before he could execute his purpose, however, the box was seized by the Captain.
"If you wish to assist in the search of the cabin," Captain Curtis said, "we will go there together. Come along, Nestor," he added, turning to Ned and cutting the cord which held his wrists. "You suggested the move, and you shall see what is discovered in the search."
The Lieutenant moved along with the others, but paused at the head of the stairway leading down into the little stern cabin.
"I protest against this!" he roared, his face bloodless with passion or fright.
"By the way," Captain Curtis said, lifting the steel box high in the air, "this appears to be quite heavy. Suppose we open it here?"
"There is no key," Carstens replied.
Ned held up the odd-shaped key he had found on the island first visited.
"I think I can open it," he said, "but you'll find that Carstens has a key if you'll take a look through his clothes."
"Will you surrender the key?" asked Captain Curtis of the Lieutenant.
"The boy lies!" thundered Carstens. "I have no key."
"What does the box contain?" asked the Captain.
"I don't exactly know," Ned replied, "but it is my opinion that it contains a treaty pledging certain tribes to unite in rebellion against the United States provided they are supplied with guns and ammunition."
"Your opinion is of little account!" gritted the Lieutenant.
"And I believe," Ned went on, "that other papers are in the box—papers giving a history of the plot, also papers stolen from the government. Anyway, if you say so, Captain, I'll open the box with my key and we'll soon find out."
"Perhaps we would better retire to the cabin," suggested Captain Curtis, noting the curious faces gathering about. "We can settle the whole matter there."
Lieutenant Carstens would not have entered the cabin if one of the officers of the gunboat had not crowded him down the stairway.
"This is an outrage!" he shouted.
The senator's son now came hastily down the steps, his face red with rage, his fingers working convulsively, as if already playing about the throat of an enemy.
"That box is mine!" he cried. "I demand that it be returned to me unopened. I am the son of a United States senator."
"If what I suspect is true," Ned said, "you will need all the political pull a member of the senate has in order to keep yourself out of the penitentiary."
"Put that boy out of this cabin!" snarled the young man. "This is my private room. I paid for its use during the cruise."
Ned whispered a few words to the Captain, and the latter turned with a smile to a door opening at the rear of the little room where the excited group stood.
"Well," he said, "there is a question here as to whether the box contains any treasonable documents. If the box belongs to you, open it and we'll see if the charge is true or false. If it is false the box shall be returned to you."
"I have lost my key," was the reply.
"How long ago?" asked Ned.
The young man turned a supercilious face on the boy, but answered:
"Several days ago. What is it to you?"
"Where were you when you first missed it?" Ned persisted.
"That does not concern you," was the reply.
"If you lost it in Captain Godwin's station," Ned said, with a smile, "I presume I have it."
He held up the key he had found on the river bank, among the bushes, on the morning following the abduction of Lieutenant Rowe, and the other lunged for it.
"Never mind!" Ned laughed, dodging away, "I don't care to part with the key just now. After the investigation of the box is over you may have it."
"Unlock the box," ordered the Captain.
Ned stepped forward with his key, but was brought to a stop by a beating on the door of the rear cabin.
"I forgot," the boy said, "and the man in there doubtless desires his liberty. If some of you will unlock the door you will find the man the government sent away in charge of this expedition."
"What do you mean?" asked the Captain, while Carstens sank back in his chair with a groan.
"I think," Ned replied, "that you will find the real Lieutenant Carstens on the other side of that door."