In another instant he was in the midst of the anxious group, all of whom, with the exception of Andy, began to overwhelm him with questions.
“It won’t take long for me to tell the story,” Jenkins said, as he seated himself on the ground. “There is no question but that this passage leads to the big cave. I went there, and hunted around quite a while before finding any signs of another outlet. Things were just as when I saw them last, an’ I could ’a’ taken my oath the whole crowd skipped out after the second dose of signal rockets, until I ran across what appeared to be a door cut in a piece of coral.”
“Did you open it?” Gil asked, eagerly.
“Of course. What would ’a’ been the use of lookin’ if I didn’t do the thing in proper shape? I pried the stone open till I could see a narrow passage that led in this direction, an’ then I stopped, for there was no reason of pokin’ my nose into danger. I reckon we’d better take to the boat, if we can manage to stow into the one we’ve got, for if that crowd comes back, as I feel certain they’re bound to do, we’ll be in hot water.”
“Now you’se torkin’ sense,” Andy said quickly. “When a man shoves his head inter de lion’s mout’ once, dat may be a mistake; but ef he does it de secon’ time, dat shows how big er fool he kin make ob hisself.”
The sailors were also eager to get away from such a dangerous locality, and against this preponderance of opinion neither Gil nor Nelse thought he should make any objections, although both believed the safest plan would be to take the chances and await Captain Mansfield’s return.
Now that the mate shared his opinion in regard to leaving the island, Andy was in a perfect fever to get away, and, without waiting for the others, he swarmed up the rope to the surface, the remainder of the party following a few seconds later, urged to what seemed foolish haste by his description of the dangers which threatened.
“Don’t stay down dar torkin’ ’bout nuffin,” he said instantly, on gaining the surface. “I’se been right yere afore, an’ knows how dese images kin skip ’roun’ when dey has bizness. We’se boun’ to mosey erlong like er flea, ’less we wants ter be cotched ergin.”
“Now don’t run the risk of carryin’ away your spars by crackin’ on too much sail,” said Jenkins, with a laugh. “I allow the fellers won’t be back for two or three days, an’ we can take things easy.”
The old darky was most vehement against delay, and did not cease to repeat what the blacks were able to do, until all the party were out of the tunnel. Then he would have started toward the shore without even waiting to gather up the small store of goods they had left on the surface if Jenkins had not peremptorily ordered him to stop until they were in proper marching order.