The moon, which would set about midnight, was low down in the west, and gave a fitful light at rare intervals. There was a heavy ma.s.s of thunderheads in the sky, and few stars showed through. There were no indications of a light or fire on the island.

The boys, however, were much mistaken in their understanding of the situation. When they dropped off the deck of the _Rambler_, Clay poked his head out of the cabin and watched them as far as the darkness would permit. Then he returned to the cabin, put on a bathing suit and took a square box from the cupboard.

The box contained the reserve weapons and flashlights of the party and was waterproof. With this in his hand, and leaving Captain Joe on guard, with strict orders not to leave the deck, he entered the water and swam toward the sh.o.r.e, turning away from the bunch of willows where the two boys had landed.

Of course he did not know that Alex. and Jule had left the water there, but it seemed to him that they would naturally select the nearest point as their landing place. Once on sh.o.r.e he sat down to await developments.

He was certain that Alex. and Jule had entered upon a dangerous expedition. The river negroes of the south are by no means as superst.i.tious as is generally believed, and Clay knew it. He doubted if they would run far at sight of a face blazing with sulphur. It was his opinion that the boys would be the ones to start the race!

The negroes were sure to be armed, and they might be drunk, in which case they would not be likely to permit the outer spirits to bluff the inner spirits! Besides, they might have valuable plunder on the island, and some would be brave enough to remain and fight for it.

Of course, if Clay had gravely asked the boys to give over their proposed joy visit to the island, they would undoubtedly have done so, but he did not care to do that. His thought was that he ought not to attempt to control the actions of he boys, as they all stood equal on the trip, no one having authority over the others.

Besides, if the truth must be told, Clay, himself, was not averse to a little excitement! In addition, he was anxious to know what was doing on the island, and why the negroes were a.s.sembled there.

Another feature of the situation was that a watcher on the beach saw all three forms in the water as they left the boat! When the lads landed, Alex. and Jule at the clump of willows and Clay farther to the west, this watcher lost no time in communicating with his fellows in their rough-and-ready camp near the center of the little "tow-head."

The noise made by the negroes in getting ready to meet whatever attack might be made upon them gave the location of their camp to Clay, and he pressed as close to it as it was possible for him to do without advancing into the open, where he might have been seen during any moment of moonlight.

It was a chill night, and there was a wind blowing from the west which seemed to cut into his bones, but Clay sat down not far from the camp and awaited the opening of the drama! He could hear the campers moving about, but could not distinguish the words spoken. The moon sank out of sight for good before any movement was made.

Then Clay saw a figure fit to frighten the most courageous leave the fringe of willows and advance deliberately toward the center of the island. He had hard work to make himself understand that the thing he saw was only one of the boys. If the very Old Scratch himself had set foot on the "tow-head" he could not have presented a more sinister appearance. Clay watched the advance of the figure with bated breath.

In a second after the figure appeared, flaming of face and pointing hands, with a great cross of fire on what appeared to be a naked breast, a long, wavering cry went up from the camp, and then there came a rush of feet. Clay could not tell at first which way the feet were going, but a moment convinced him that they were putting a swift distance between the camp and the devil-figure approaching.

When a second figure, marked like the first, appeared the shrieks of alarm, the running of frightened feet, were drowned by the commands of a bull-like voice to stop the panic-stricken flight and use revolver and knife!

CHAPTER XII

HALF FULL OF DIAMONDS

At that moment, notwithstanding the commotion and the threats of coming trouble, Clay felt like congratulating Alex. and Jule on the manner in which they were carrying out their reckless plans. More blood-curdling shrieks than now proceeded from the throats of the boys he had never heard.

Knowing that defeat, perhaps death, would instantly follow on the heels of retreat, Alex. and Jule charged the camp, swinging their fire-coated arms and uttering cries which it did not seem possible could issue forth from human lips. There naturally followed a swifter flight on the part of the negroes.

But three or four black men, less superst.i.tious, or having more at stake, than the others, stood their ground, calling to their companions that it was a white man's trick, and that they should return and ascertain by the use of steel and lead just how human their visitors were. For a time the voices of the courageous ones did not check the mad rush for the river, but finally a group gathered on the beach and engaged in conversation, which, of course, Clay could not hear.

Alex. and Jule now "disappeared" in approved "ghost" fashion--that is, they drew black cloths over their faces and hands so that their flaming make-up could no longer be seen. In fact, it was now so dark, the moon having set, that even the figures of the boys could not be seen when they crouched on the ground. The negroes on the beach were only visible because they formed quite a large group and kept constantly in excited motion.

Clay wondered if the boys would now understand that their trick had failed and make for the _Rambler_. At the first rush the negroes had fled, but they were now listening to arguments intended to rea.s.sure them, and the ultimate result was not in doubt.

Before long the black men would swarm back to the camp, perhaps make a thorough search of the entire "tow-head," in which case the boys were sure to be discovered, unless they made their way back to the boat before the search began. Clay placed himself between the camp and the boat and waited, thinking that his reserve weapons might be needed.

The information that he had seen figures leaving the boat just before the advent of the "ghosts," as given by the watcher, had instant effect on the negroes. They swarmed back toward the camp, making a great many more threats than Clay thought was necessary! Two familiar figures now came dashing toward Clay, and he called out softly to them to halt a moment. The figures developed into two rather frightened boys as soon as they came close to the watcher.

"Me for the boat!" panted Jule. "I reckon these c.o.o.ns know a ghost when they see one--not! Me for the feathers, too when I light! Come on, Alex!"

"Go on and get aboard!" Alex. urged. "I want to see Clay a moment."

Jule darted away and was soon out of sight. Although he had carefully made up as a disciple of Old Nick, he was careful not to exhibit any of his trade-marks as he moved towards the boat! Clay and Alex. stood listening to the commotion for a moment, and then the latter panted, taking Clay's arm as he did so, and drawing him back toward the camp:

"When I got up there," he said, "I stumbled over some one lying on the ground! I felt about for a minute and found pretty much rags! Then some one told me to get off the island or I would be murdered."

"Go on!" Clay said excitedly. "We have no time to lose if we are to investigate this matter. Was the person you talked with a prisoner?"

"Sure he was. He asked me to cut the cords, but I had no knife with me and so had to make an effort to untie them. The captive talked while I was at work on the knots, and who do you think it was. Give you three guesses!"

"Hurry! Hurry! We have no time to lose, I tell you, if the captive is in need of our a.s.sistance. Who is it?"

"The kid who came on board the _Rambler_ at Cairo!" replied Alex.

"And you had to leave him there--tied?"

"What else could I do?" asked Alex. "I didn't have even a knife! This foolish bathing suit has no pockets, so I brought no arms with me.

What could I do, when the c.o.o.ns were making a rush for the camp?"

"We've got to get that kid!" Clay cried.

"If they would only go away for a minute," Alex. declared, "I could get him and bring him to the boat, ropes and all!"

A shot came from the _Rambler_, and, turning, the boys saw that the craft was aglow with electric lights! Instantly they crouched lower in the willows, for the strong prow lamp cast a ray far over on the "tow-head."

Another shot came from the boat, and then the negroes at the camp made a break for the beach, pa.s.sing within a rod of where the two boys lay concealed.

"Shall we take them in the rear?" asked Alex. "They have attacked the boat."

"Don't shoot!" warned Clay. "Remember that we had no right to molest them in the first place! The boys on the boat are awake, or the lights wouldn't be on. They can protect themselves, I reckon. I hope Jule is in a safe place!"

The lights were still on, but not a person could be seen. Then more shots came, and Clay saw that the boys were firing through the small port holes in the gunwale, and that the negroes were contenting themselves with firing volley after volley at the cabin windows, which were now void of gla.s.s!

While the boys on sh.o.r.e watched with intense anxiety, the motors of the _Rambler_ were heard, and then the boat began to drop down stream.

"I wonder if Jule got on board?" Alex. asked.

"If he met with no opposition on the way he probably did," was the reply. "At least we must suppose that he is either on the boat or in hiding on the island."

"Come on, then!" shouted Alex. "We'll make a success of this excursion yet. We'll take possession of the camp. I want a confidential talk with the prisoner!"

"You'll be getting a confidential talk with a bullet pretty soon, if you don't pay more attention to getting off!" Clay answered. "The boat has dropped down, and the negroes will soon be back here. It is another swim! What?"

Almost before Clay had done speaking Alex. was off in the darkness.

Clay could just see his figure moving along the ground, so he followed on after him, wondering what new trick the lad had in mind. The light from the _Rambler_ grew fainter every instant. For some reason unknown to Clay, the boat was being moved down stream a long way.

In a moment Clay saw Alex. bending over a figure lying on the ground at the edge of a rude windbreak of willow bushes, cut and woven together.