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 superstitious, 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 reassure 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 coons 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 assistance. 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 coons 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, passing 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 glass!

While the boys on shore 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.

"Where's the coon's boat?" he asked, hurriedly.

Clay smiled happily. He had not thought of that!

"Off there on the east side," replied the boy. "Have you got a knife yet?"

For answer Alex. seized the lad by the feet and called out to Clay:

"Catch him by the shoulders, and we'll carry him!"

Clay was not slow in following the suggestion, and the boys soon had the captive between the fringe of willows and the water. The boat was there, a large, four-oared craft which was partly filled with plunder taken from the river. The negroes were evidently making a business of gathering supplies from the flood. Just then Jule came up, out of breath from a stumbling run in the dark.

The captive was placed on board, and then Clay seized a pair of heavy oars.

"Take the helm," he called to Alex., "and you help with the oars, Jule," he added.

Then the craft shot out into the current. When she came around the corner of the little island, where the light from the _Rambler_ struck her a series of frantic shouts came from the men huddled on the south bank, and a few shots were fired, but, the current running swiftly, they were soon out of range.

"Let 'em swim," chuckled Alex. "A bath will be good for what ails them!"

"Alex.," remarked Clay, panting with the heavy work at the oars, "you deserve a Carnegie medal!"

"Sure!" chuckled the other. "I'm the Johnny-on-the-Spot when it comes to prescribing healthful stunts for the working classes! Where is that boat going?" he added as the _Rambler_ disappeared around a distant bend in the stream.

"This is what comes of running off in the night without telling the boys what we were up to!" panted Jule. "This is some boat, when it comes to weight."

In ten minutes the lights of the _Rambler_ were in sight again, the rowboat having passed around the bend. Then Clay took out a searchlight and began making signals to those on board. Directly an answering signal came from the boat, and then the lights halted, turned, and came up stream.

"You're a nice lot of watchmen!" Case called out, as the two boats came close together. "We thought you had caught a floater boat and drifted down stream."

"This," grinned Alex., "is the only old and original relief expedition. We have with us to-night a brand snatched from the coons!"

"Hand down a knife!" called Clay. "This lad is capable of climbing on board by his own self! And swing around a little so as not to tip us over!"

With no little difficulty the boys were landed on the deck of the _Rambler_. Case regarded the visitor with a quizzical smile as he bent over him.

"Did you take a dive at Cairo," he asked, "and come up at Memphis?"

The boy answered only by a weary smile, and Mose stood staring at him with widening eyes, while Captain Joe sniffed suspiciously at his worn garments. Teddy invited him to a boxing match!

"I'll go you boys a dollar to an apple," Case observed, "that this kid is still empty! He looks it! Anyway, I'll go and get him something to eat!"

"And don't forget the heroic rescuers!" Alex. called out. "I haven't had a thing to eat since supper! Say, kid," he went on, "what's your name?"

"Chester Vinton," was the reply, in a frightened voice. "I'm running away."

"You wasn't running very fast when we found you!" commented Alex. "How did you come to mix with those wreckers?"

"I was on a raft," was the answer, "and I was hungry, and I saw them on the island, and asked them for something to eat. They tied me up!"

"Why didn't you stay on board the boat at Cairo?" asked Clay.

"I was afraid," was the reply.

"Red is back up the river looking for you," Jule observed, still shivering from his exposure to the cold water. "He took passage with us part of the way down."

"I should think he did!" chuckled Alex. "And he was a first cabin passenger at that!"

"Well," Clay decided, presently, "perhaps we'd better feed this boy and put him to bed. He looks as if he'd been up against something hard."

The lad ate ravenously, and then began undressing. Clay sat in the cabin with him. He was full of wonderment at this second meeting with the boy, and wanted to ask him a hundred questions, but decided to wait until the lad was in better condition.

As the visitor threw his ragged clothes off a thud on the floor told of something of considerable weight in one of the pockets.

"Do you carry a gun, lad?" he asked, stooping over to lift the trousers.

The boy bounded forward and snatched at the trousers, but Clay was too quick for him. The article which had made the noise on the floor was a leather bag.

An investigation showed that it was half full of diamonds of exceptional quality!