“Well, I declare!” exclaimed Walter suddenly, and in tones indicative of great surprise.
“Made any more discoveries?” asked Perk.
“I have,” replied the young captain, who by the aid of his lantern, was closely scrutinizing the long box. “Here are the very things you are wishing for. Just listen to this: One dozen Spencer’s army carbines.”
The boys could scarcely believe their ears; they wanted the evidence of their eyes to back it up. With a volley of ejaculations, which in their excitement they uttered in tones altogether too loud, they gathered about the box, looked at the words Walter had read to them, then rubbed their eyes and looked again.
“Well, now I am beat,” said Bab.
“I’d give something to know how these articles came here,” observed Walter, deeply perplexed.
“Can it be possible that they were brought aboard by the deserters, who intend to start out on a piratical cruise on their own hook?” asked Perk.
While the three boys were discussing the matter in this way, Eugene, who was the first to recover himself, took the lantern from his brother’s hand, and creeping forward to the carpenter’s chest, soon returned with a screw-driver. While one held the light, and the others looked on, he set to work upon the long box, and presently the lid was removed and the interior disclosed to view. There they were, a half a dozen bran new breech-loaders, and under them were as many more of the same sort. While Eugene was handing them out, Perk seized the screw-driver, and in five minutes more the cover of the ammunition box had been taken off, and four of the carbines were loaded and ready for use.
“Now, then, lead on, Walter!” exclaimed Eugene, triumphantly. “One rush, and she’s ours. Won’t those villains be surprised when they see the muzzles of four seven-shooters looking them squarely in the face? Why, fellows, they’ve got the yacht under sail already.”
If Eugene had said that the Banner had left the creek behind, and was well on her way toward the entrance to the harbor, he would have been nearly right.