"We must have pa.s.sed her on the way!" cried Dave, to Captain Sanders.

"Could we do that?"

"Perhaps, since we only had half a cargo, Dave. Besides, maybe that vessel was damaged by the storm."

"I wonder how soon she will get in?" mused Roger.

At this the captain shrugged his shoulders.

"It is impossible to say. I've known a ship to be a week and sometimes nearly a month overdue. And I've known a ship to drop out altogether,"

he added, soberly.

"Oh, don't say you think she has gone down!" cried Dave, in alarm.

"Let us hope not, Dave."

The day pa.s.sed, and also the next and the next. The cargo of the _Golden Eagle_ was unloaded, and the Englishmen, who had been pa.s.sengers, left for parts unknown. As each day slipped by, Dave grew more serious. What if the _Emma Brower_ had gone down, carrying Merwell, Jasniff, and the Carwith jewels with her?

CHAPTER XX-LANDING ON CAVE ISLAND

At the end of a week Dave was more worried than ever. Each day he and his chums went down to the shipping offices and each day returned to the hotel disappointed. Not a word had been heard concerning the missing vessel and those on board.

The _Golden Eagle_ was all ready to sail on her return trip to the United States, but Phil told Captain Sanders to wait.

"Perhaps we'll hear to-day," he said, and this was repeated day after day.

It was very warm and the boys were glad they had brought along some thin clothing. They scarcely knew what to do with themselves, and Dave was particularly sober.

"I suppose Mr. Wadsworth and the rest are waiting to hear from me," he said to his chums. "But what is the use of sending a message when I haven't anything to say?"

Another Sunday pa.s.sed, and on Monday the boys visited the _Golden Eagle_, and then went with Captain Sanders to the nearest shipping office.

"Something is going on!" cried the senator's son, as he noticed an unusual crowd congregated. "Must be news of some sort."

"Let us find out what it is!" returned our hero, quickly.

"The _Emma Brower_ has been heard from," said a man, standing near.

"That's the vessel that was missing, don't you know," he added.

"What of her?" asked Dave.

"Went down in that terrible storm we had about ten days ago."

"Down!" gasped all of the boys, while Captain Sanders looked the concern he felt.

"So they say. I do not know the particulars," went on the man as he walked away.

It did not take the boys and the captain long to get into the shipping office and there they learned as many of the particulars as were known. A tramp steamer from Porto Rico had come in bringing word that she had sighted portions of a wreck while out at sea, and an investigation proved the same to belong to the _Emma Brower_. A portion of a small boat had been picked up, but nothing had been seen of sailors or pa.s.sengers.

"Where was this?" questioned Dave, when he could get the chance.

"The captain of the steamer says about two miles west of Cave Island."

"Cave Island!" cried Phil. "Why, that is where those Englishmen were going to hunt for that pirates' treasure."

"Two miles from Cave Island," mused our hero. "If the _Emma Brower_ went down, perhaps those in some of the small boats got to that place."

"Perhaps," answered Captain Sanders.

The boys and the captain remained at the shipping office for an hour, getting all the details possible concerning the wreck, including the exact lat.i.tude and longitude where the vessel was supposed to have gone down.

"Let us sail for that spot and see if we can discover anything,"

suggested Dave, as the party came away. "We may find some of those in the small boats."

"Just what I was going to suggest," said Phil.

"Well, it's up to you, Phil, to say what we shall do," answered Captain Sanders. "Your father sent me word that I was to look to you for orders-that is, within reasonable limits,-and I know you won't be unreasonable."

"Well, we want to get back to the United States, anyway," said Roger.

"And this would be on our way."

"How soon can you get ready for the trip?" asked our hero, of the master of the _Golden Eagle_.

"We are all provisioned, so it won't take but a few hours," was the reply.

"Then let us sail to-day."

"You don't want to wait for more word?" asked Roger.

"No, Roger; I don't think it will do any good," answered our hero.

The matter was discussed at the hotel, and a little later the boys paid their bill and had their baggage taken to the ship. In the meantime Captain Sanders had prepared for the trip, and two hours later the _Golden Eagle_ was moving out of the harbor of Bridgetown.

"How long will it take us to run to that spot where they think the ship went down?" asked Phil.

"Not more than a day and a half-it depends somewhat on the wind,"

answered Captain Sanders.

The boys tried to settle themselves, but this was impossible. Dave could not keep still, and paced the deck by the hour, or scanned the bosom of the ocean with the marine gla.s.ses Captain Sanders loaned him.

Only once came a thrill of excitement. A bit of wreckage was sighted and the ship sailed toward it. It was a yardarm, and to it were lashed a cask and several boxes, one of the latter bearing the name _Emma Brower_. Not a sign of a human being could be seen.

"If a man was on that wreckage the storm tore him loose," said Captain Sanders.

"How terrible!" whispered Roger.