Off a rocky point the Morning Star was tacking clearly with the intention of rounding it.
“They are making for the other side of the island,� continued Jack. “Terrill’s plot to seize the treasure with the help of that rascal crew has come to a head. But he’ll be nicely fooled. No human being can ever scale Cedar Mountain.�
CHAPTER XXXIII: TERROR CARSON AGAIN.
“Well, Jack, this is about the worst yet.�
It was Raynor speaking. He and Jack were sitting on the sandy beach leaning against the boat. The others were scattered about with gloomy countenances. Cap’n Toby, utterly prostrated by this sudden dashing of his hopes, lay face downward on the beach in silence. He had not spoken a word since his outbreak and Jack feared for his reason.
“It’s pretty bad. We’ve got no food and no prospect of getting any, not to mention water. That rat, Terrill! If I ever get my hands on him and that treacherous Jarrow. They fooled us nicely, getting everyone who was hostile to them off the schooner.�
“Terrill certainly holds the whip hand over us,� agreed Raynor. “I suppose that he’ll make us come to some sort of agreement before he’ll let us have provisions or water.�
“I don’t see what the agreement can be,� rejoined Jack gloomily. “We can’t come to any concerning the treasure, for that’s on the top of Cedar Mountain. It’s about as unattainable as the moon. If only we had that wireless rigged, there’s a bare chance that we might pick up help.�
“What does it need to repair it?� inquired Raynor.
“That unlucky stick of Pompey’s smashed the silicon of the detector, but I have noticed traces of what looks like pyron in these rocks, and if we could get some of that, I believe I could fix the apparatus up.�