“’Cause we’ve concluded to stay here. This ain’t no scrape of ours, an’, seein’s we’re only ’foremast hands, it’s better manners to stay where we are.”
“They intend to hunt for the treasure,” Nelse whispered, and Gil replied, in the same cautious tone:
“That’s a fact; but I don’t see how we can help ourselves. It’s better to let them get away with everything than for us to stop here guarding whatever may be in the underground chamber while poor old Andy is being murdered.”
“I reckon they won’t get very far off if they should try to play us a scurvy trick,” Jenkins said, thus showing that he also was thinking the sailors meditated treachery. “We’ll pass back the rope, an’ make it a reasonably hard job for ’em to crawl out.”
“Then you think they stayed behind to have a look at the place I found?” Gil said, interrogatively.
“Of course; why else would they refuse to go with us? I knowed trouble was brewin’ from the way they talked about dividin’ the stuff, an’ perhaps we’ll be gettin’ out cheap if they take all that’s left. Have you got the diamonds?”
“They are in my breastpocket.”
“Then let ’em go ahead, an’ it ain’t no dead certain thing that we won’t overhaul ’em before your father comes back. We’ve got all the weapons, an’ they’ll be in a tight place if the blacks want to make a rush through the tunnel. Now, that’s enough for them, an’ we’ll turn our attention to huntin’ for Andy. Foller me, an’ I’ll guarantee to find him; but whether it’ll be possible to do the poor fellow any good is another matter.”
Each of the little party had a revolver, and the total number of cartridges was sixteen, therefore they could make quite a spirited fight, provided it was not prolonged. This fact served to give the boys no slight degree of courage, and as Jenkins led the way through the underbrush, where it was so dark that one could not see objects twenty inches in advance, both felt positive the cook would be rescued in time.
Although Jenkins appeared to be walking at random, he was in reality pursuing the most direct course possible for the cave, since it was more than probable the prisoner had been taken to that stronghold.