The path became quite broad in this part, and our descent was therefore concluded very rapidly.
Once on the shore we walked briskly along until we had turned the bend in the beach, which curved to follow the lines of a little bay. Here we paused, for a long stretch of the beach was now opened to our gaze.
From this point the shore widened out, for the precipitous mainland shrank backward and decreased gradually in height until, a half mile or so further on, it reached the level plain and merged into a deep forest which grew almost down to the edge of the sea.
No human being was in sight, so we naturally concluded that the robbers had entered the forest.
Being curious to discover what they were doing, without hesitation we decided to follow them, and their path was easily traced by the footprints in the sand. These led straight to the forest, and although somewhat fearful that the enemy would discover our presence, we proceeded to walk boldly around the shore of the little bay until we came to the edge of the trees.
A sound of voices, mingled with the strokes of the axes, now guided us, and stealthily creeping among the thick underbrush we soon discovered the robbers busily at work.
Judson and Dandy Pete were trimming the branches from a fallen tree-trunk, while the others were rolling and dragging another big log toward the sea, the glistening waters being perceptible but a few yards away. Evidently the men were intending to build a raft, and after listening for a few minutes to their disjointed conversation we learned that the raft was designed to convey them and their stolen wealth to the ship.
While Daggett, Larkin and Bry tugged and dragged at the log, Nux and I crept away to the shore, where we found two big logs already lying upon the sands. Also we could now plainly see, sheltered in another bay, the “Flipper” lying quietly at her anchorage, as Nux had wisely predicted.
The schemes of the robbers were now fully explained. Under cover of the forest by day, and hidden in their cave by night, they intended to complete the raft, and when it was ready it would not be difficult to steal away to the ship with the treasure, under cover of darkness, hoist the sails, and creep out to sea, bidding defiance to the Major and his comrades and leaving the miners and the “Flipper’s” crew to perish on the lonely island.
But the construction of the raft would require time—several days, at least—for after getting the logs to the shore they must be fastened together by cross-strips secured with wooden pegs, since there was not enough rope in their possession to bind the tree-trunks together.