CHAPTER X.
HAYTI.
One could easily fancy how much the mutineers must have been punished by seeing the schooner moving swiftly away from the land, knowing as they did that the officers of the law would soon come in search of them, and more than one on board the Day Dream was satisfied with this as atonement for all the discomforts suffered during the last thirty hours.
It was impossible to say whether the fellow who had just been released ever reached the shore, although all the chances were in his favor. The last that could be seen of him through the glass was when the schooner rounded the point of land which marked the eastern-most extremity of the key, and then he was paddling for dear life.
It surely seemed as if the wind had come to stay for some time. It continued to increase in weight until nightfall, when the yacht had as much as she needed in such waters, and Mr. Jenkins confidently announced to Gil and Nelse that they would be at Nassau before sunset on the following day.
Time proved this prediction to be correct.
By six o’clock on the same day the yacht had been recaptured, all evidences of her late unlawful crew were wiped out both fore and aft, and when the boys retired the thought of their slight losses, as compared to what might have been, went very far toward consoling them.
“Father will buy us such things as we may need when we get into port,” Gil said, confidently, to his cousin, “and if he doesn’t think it necessary to replace our watches, no great harm will be done, if we are obliged to look at the cabin clock in order to learn when the meals should be served.”
“I’m not worrying about the stuff those fellows took from us,” Nelse replied; “but am only afraid uncle won’t allow us to hunt for the treasure because of what has already happened.”
“That will be all right, as you will see, so let’s try not to think any more of what has happened.”