“What was in them?” asked Ned, when the task was finished. “Was that what made us fall asleep?”
“It was,” replied Mr. De Vere. “What was in them I do not know exactly, but it was some chemical that Blowitz put there to accomplish his purpose. I see through his scheme now. After the brig was loaded he sent these boxes aboard. They were distributed in different parts of the ship, some in the quarters of the crew, some where the mates slept, and others in the captain’s cabin. They were properly adjusted to give off a vapor at a certain time and he counted either on the fumes killing the men, or making them unconscious so they would die of heart failure. Then, very likely, he intended to make a search for the brig which would have no captain or crew, and claim the vessel. But his scheme did not work as he intended. The crew and captain were probably frightened by feeling some mysterious sleepy influence at work, and they hastily deserted the ship. Probably the commander did not like to acknowledge the real reason for his seemingly un-called-for act, and he did not tell Blowitz the cause for the abandonment. The stuff in the boxes remained on board, ready to render unconscious any persons who came within reach of the fumes. Maybe it made the dogs mad.
“The accidental closing of the cabin door deprived us of air. The fumes filled the cabin, and rendered us all unconscious. I do not yet understand how we were revived.”
“It must have been the water cask,” declared Jerry, who had seen it on deck, and his theory, which was the correct one, was accepted.
“Now I will finish working the combination, and open the safe,” said Mr. De Vere, when they had breathed in deep of the fresh air, and felt the last influences of the fumes vanish. “We must have been unconscious an hour or more.”
It did not take him long after this to open the strong box. From an inner compartment he drew forth a bundle of papers, and a small box, that seemed quite heavy. This he opened.
“The gold is safe, at any rate,” he announced. “Now to look at the papers.”
A hasty examination of these showed that they were all there.
“This is good news for me, boys,” announced Mr. De Vere. “My fortune is safe now, and that scoundrel Blowitz can not ruin me as he tried to do!”
“Hark! What was that?” asked Jerry suddenly.