Chapter XIX: The Cave

The place in which the boys stood was a circular room about thirty feet in diameter, with a height of some twenty feet. There was but one entrance, that by which they had come, but high up on the wall were several small openings or tunnel-like passages. Around the wall of the chamber was a row of skeletons, standing stiffly upright. There was a great roughly hewed stone god or idol on the farther side, while here and there close around it on the surface of the natural stone floor were marks where fires had been built. At either side were pyramidial walls of human skulls, all perfect, though those that formed the bottom rows were black with age.

As the light from the torches flashed into the space several large bats that were in the openings began to fly wildly about.

"I wonder where they have gone?" said Tom, gazing blankly around. "There was certainly something that had hold of me, but there isn't anything here now."

"What was it like?" asked Jim, suddenly.

"How should I know," returned Tom. "I couldn't see it in the dark."

"But you could feel it, couldn't you?" persisted Jim.

"Why," returned Tom, "I don't know, just like any person I should say."

"And you, Jo," went on Jim. "What was yours like?"

"Why, like anybody, I suppose," was the somewhat indefinite description.

"Now, what is the matter?" demanded Tom, as Jim dropped to the floor in a paroxysm of laughter.

"Oh, ho, ho. It's too funny for anything," returned Jim in intervals of his merriment.

"What is?" demanded Tom.

"The whole business," returned Jim as he struggled to regain control of his feelings.

"Let us in on the funny part," said Tom, a little sourly.

"Well, you see, when you dropped the torch--"

"You mean that's the time we didn't see," put in Tom.

"One of those big bats flopped into your face--."

"Well?"

"Then you two started to run, and, of course, you ran into each other and thought something had gotten hold of you. Oh, ho, ho!" and once more Jim was doubled up in his paroxysms of merriment.

"I guess you are right, Jim," said Jo, somewhat sheepishly, but joining in the laugh. "I think the joke is on us."

"What is this place anyhow?" asked Tom, seeking to change the embarrassing subject. "Was it an underground prison?"

"I think it was a burial place of some tribe," replied Jim, when he was able to control his laughter. "You see the skeletons are all standing up in like positions as if they were placed there after death."

"What are the bats doing in here?"

"They must come in through these passages above. Some holes probably let out onto the side of the hill, and the bats go in and out through them at night."

"I think," said Tom, as they made their way back to the entrance, "that taking all together, that was the worst scare I ever had."

"Shake on that, Tom," said Jo.

A further search through the cave was fruitless of results, so far as looked for treasure was concerned, and their original plan of investigating the smoke signal was taken up.

A walk of another mile brought them to the spot they sought. They had thus far encountered no one, or any indication of the presence of inhabitants on the island. They gained finally the summit of the hill from which the column of smoke was ascending. They found that this had been made by building a fire in a small chimney of stones and covering it with wet leaves. There was an opening below which gave just sufficient draft to keep the fire smouldering.

But little could be seen of the land from the top of the hill on account of the thick woods, but by climbing one of the taller trees, which they did in turn while the others kept guard, they were enabled to make out that they were on an island of many miles extent, and that another island lay some five or six miles to the southwest. Most unexpected of all their discoveries, they saw in the distance far out upon the ocean a steamer which was apparently approaching the island. The distance was too great to determine with any definiteness anything about her character or probable intentions, and further information on that point would have to be sought at a later time.

"I can't understand that smoke business," said Tom, once more examining the chimney-like arrangement curiously. "It was certainly made by someone, yet there doesn't seem to be anyone about."

"They may be on the other side of the island," suggested Jim, "or they may have come from the other island and gone back again."

"But why should they have come over here and made the fire?" persisted Tom.

"You will have to ask them," laughed Jim. "I am sure I don't know, or why they should have lighted it at all. But some of us had better return to the ship or I am afraid that the professor will be getting anxious."

Arriving at the landing place, Tom elected to go on board. He felt that he had had enough of excitement and adventure for one day. Jim accompanied him, while Jo and Juarez, the spirit of investigation awakened, promptly set out on an exploring expedition returning however without incident at nightfall.

"Well," began the professor that evening when they had gathered on the deck awaiting the supper call, "what did you find out about the island to-day?"

"Not much of importance," replied Jim, "except that it is of very considerable extent, very rugged and mountainous."

"But Jo had an awful scare," broke in Tom.

"You mean you did," protested Jo.

"How was that?" asked the professor.

"Why, we found a cave with the entrance way up in the air. We thought at once that it was the one we were looking for, but it did not turn out to be," explained Tom. "And then we found a lot of skeletons in there, and they got after us."

"The skeletons did?"

"Well, something did," replied Tom with a grin. "Then Jo and I beat a hasty retreat."

"Each got hold of the other in the dark," explained Jim, laughing, "but I guess they had a jolly time of it till they broke away and ran. It sure was funny."

"Are you certain there wasn't anything unnatural in there?"

"We couldn't find anything alive except some bats, when we went back," replied Tom, "although we hunted all over."

"What kind of a place is it?"

"The cave?"

"No, the island."

"It seems to be an uninhabited island as far as we could see," answered Jim.

"Didn't you discover any signs of people at all?"

"Yes," replied Jim. "The same sign we saw from this deck. The smoke signal."

"That cave will bear further investigation. It is certainly very curious," mused the professor.

"What is?" queried Tom.

"About that smoke on the mountain."

"What do you think of it?" asked Jim.

"It is a signal of some kind, but if the island is uninhabited, who could have made it?"

"Why couldn't the ones who made it come from some other island?" asked Jim.

"And gone back again," suggested Jo.

"Perhaps so," replied the professor, "but that doesn't make it any clearer."

"You never can see through smoke very well," suggested Jo.

"True," laughed the professor, "but still somehow I don't like it."

"Then we saw a ship in the distance, apparently headed for this island, but far off the southern shore."

"Six o'clock," broke in Tom, as four bells were struck. "I think I will accept the invitation to dine."

"A good plan," commended the professor, "and Monday we must get an early start and learn, if we can about that ship you saw, and begin a more thorough exploration."

"I think so, too," replied Tom.

"What?" asked Jim.

"Take more 'rations' with us," replied Tom.

"Wake up, boy," cried Jo, giving him a shove and toppling him over on deck. "You think so much about rations that you are getting irrational."

"That gives me an idea," began Juarez, when Jo and Tom had been separated and quiet restored.

"An idea of war?" asked Berwick.

"No," laughed Juarez. "But would it not be a good thing to go on shore and camp there until we had made a complete exploration of the place?"

"Just the thing!" cried Jo and Tom.

"I am afraid it is hardly wise," demurred the professor.

"Ugh!" sniffed Tom. "I guess we can take care of ourselves."

"Besides, there isn't anyone on the island," added Jo.

"Better not act on that assumption," advised the professor.

"I don't know but what it would be a good plan," said Jim. "We would be able to get over it more quickly if we didn't have come back to the boat every night."

"There is something in that," admitted the professor, "though as far as I can see this doesn't look like the portion of the island shown on the chart."

"No," admitted Jim, "but this may be the opposite end of the island."

"That is true, too. Suppose we go down into the cabin and have another look at it?"

"Do you think it will be safe?" asked Berwick.

"Safe? Why not?"

"You know what happened to the other one," laughed the engineer.

"It probably slipped off the string," replied the professor, "and dropped down into the bilge. Anyway we appoint you watchman to see if anyone is spying about."

"All right," agreed Berwick, "but I've got a kind of feeling that that little devil of a Mexican ain't far away."

"Booh!" broke in Tom. "Didn't we see him go up into the air with the lugger?"

"Maybe we did," admitted Berwick gloomily, "but I don't believe fire would ever hurt him."

"I don't believe he is fire proof," declared Tom. "And even if he is that isn't any reason why we shouldn't have a look at the map."

It was some time after supper before the matter was again alluded to, then they all went below to further study the chart.

Taking the precious paper from his pocket and spreading it out on the table, Jim and the professor analyzed carefully the various marks and drawings.

"We have got pretty well fixed in mind now the shape and landmarks of the island," said Jim, when they had studied the document carefully. He then folded up the chart, putting it back in his pocket. "We should keep our eyes open when we are on shore. There are two or three landmarks that ought to help us find the cave without much difficulty if this is the place."

"There cannot be many caves," concluded the professor, "with entrances high above the ground as this one is described to be."

The following morning, the day being Sunday, was spent quietly on shipboard. It had been the custom of the professor since the commencement of the voyage to have such observances of the day as seemed fitting. There was a service which he himself conducted at eleven o'clock. Thereafter, all who wished were this day allowed to go on shore.

Of the Frontier Boys, Jim and Juarez early in the afternoon availed themselves of the privilege. Juarez was the only one, however, to wander away from the landing beach. Jim spent some time readjusting and oiling his own and his brother's guns, which he had brought with him. Jo and Tom had said that they, with Berwick, would join him later in the afternoon.