Dutch the Diver: or, A Man's Mistake

He started slightly as Oakum came up with the tumbler.

“What is it?” he said, harshly. “Has that Mr Meldon sent me more medicine? I will not take it.”

Bessy Studwick must have turned her face more to the setting sun, for her cheeks grew crimson at her brother’s words; and, seeing this, he looked at her angrily.

“Lor’ bless your ’art, no, sir,” said Oakum. “I thought you and our young lady here might be a bit thirsty after so much book, so I brought you some lemonade.”

They gave him a grateful look, each thanking him for the attention to the other, and as he walked back with the empty glass Mr Meldon, who was standing talking to Hester Pugh and Mr Parkley, turned, sighed to himself, and looked after the old man with a feeling of envy.

“If I had paid that little attention,” he thought, “it would have been refused with some harsh remark. Poor fellow! even though he’s her brother, I do not wonder at his feeling jealous of every look.”

Days of sailing over bright, sun-flecked seas, evenings of gorgeous sunsets, and nights of black violet skies, with the great stars sparkling overhead, and reflected in myriads on the smooth surface of the wondrous phosphorescent water, all aglow with pale fire wherever fish darted, while the schooner’s bows seemed plunging through foaming, liquid moonbeams. Mornings with such wondrous tints of orange and scarlet, crimson and gold, that those who gazed upon them did so in awe of the mighty works of the grand world. Then came heat so intense that the brass rails burned the hand, the pitch oozed from the seams, and the passengers lay panting beneath the awning spread aft, and longing for the evening breeze.

Now and then the cocoanut-fringed islands were seen, but no stoppage was made; for, on consideration, it was decided that such a step might afford the Cuban a clue to their whereabouts, while now both Captain Studwick and Dutch felt satisfied that their suspicions had been without foundation – that they had indeed eluded him, and all they had to do now was to make the best of their way to the treasure, and secure their prizes.

So southward and westward went the schooner, past reef, key, and island towards the El Dorado of their hopes; the two invalids much better; in fact, Hester’s colour had been pretty well restored, and all she waited for was the day when her golden hopes would be realised – not those of finding ingot or bar long buried in the sea, but the restoration, complete and full, of her husband’s love and trust.

The Caribbean Sea had long been entered, and its sheltering chain of islands left behind; and now, with Oakum in consultation with the captain, the vessel’s course was altered to due south, with the result that one evening, after gradually creeping along the forest-clad coast of Venezuela, and land that seemed almost weird in its silence and wild grandeur, anchor was cast for the night, for the voyage was almost at an end.

A long debate took place that night, in which Oakum and the black took part, the result being eminently satisfactory to Mr Parkley and Dutch, for both the above spoke positively as to their being now within certainly a mile east or west of the spot where one of the wrecks could be found.

“I don’t say, you know, as I’ve put the schooner right on the spot; but she’s here close, and we must out boats and cruise about, looking down through the water, which is as clear as glass, till we get right, and then we can sail or tow her up.”

As the stars came out, and the adventurers stood by the bulwarks, gazing at the thick black wall of forest beyond the rocks and snowy sand, where the waves broke in lines of phosphorescent gold, they could easily understand how it was that these treasures had lain untouched so long. For here the beasts of the forest had sole dominion; and even the Indians of the country showed no sign of ever visiting the grand solitudes. All seemed as nature had left it when her handiwork was at an end; and, driven by some furious hurricane upon one or other of the rocks that abounded, a ship would fill and sink, and be forgotten.

Story 1-Chapter XVI.

Oakum at Fault

There was a silence almost awful, affecting those on board so that they spoke in whispers; but every now and then some strange howl or wild cry made sailors and passengers start, and listen again for the weird whispers and noises that arose.

The solemnity of the scene had its effect on the men, who gathered together talking of supernatural visitations, haunted ships, and the ghosts of the old buccaneers who watched over their buried treasure, till they were all more or less infected with fear; and the squinting sailor expressed his opinion that no good would come of meddling with what was evidently meant to lie buried, he was sure – a declaration that excited the laughter of Tonio, who ended by calling him a cowardly fool.

Meanwhile, on deck the excitement of being at last so near the goal of their hopes kept the leaders of the expedition from seeking their cots, and Dutch was gazing thoughtfully at the breaking sea falling back in a murmur in golden foam, when he started, for a little cold hand was laid upon his, and he found that Hester was by his side.

“What do you want?” he said, coldly; but his voice had lost its former harshness.

“My husband to tell me that he believes and trusts me once again,” she said, piteously. And she sank on the deck to embrace his knees.

Dutch Pugh was a stern man, but he could not long resist this appeal. He had fought against the piteous glances now for many days. He had turned a deaf ear to Bessy Studwick’s rebukes and insistance upon Hester’s innocence; but now, in the soft darkness of that tropic night, in the silent grandeur of that mysterious sea, he felt his heart beat wildly with its old love. But there was that damning scene that he had witnessed from the garden seeming to rise up like a grim shadow between them, and, with a sigh, he raised her and led her weeping to the cabin stairs.

“Good-night, Dutch, dear Dutch,” she filtered, clinging to his arm.

“Good-night, Hester,” he said, coldly.

“Pray, pray do not let us part like that,” she whispered. “Dutch, dear Dutch, if you could only read my heart, you would know how unkind are your suspicions, how cruel to me. Let me explain. Question me – anything.”

“Good-night,” he said. “Go down below. I will not have a scene here.”

“I will obey you, Dutch,” she said, quietly, as by a great effort she mastered her emotion. “Some day, dear, you will find out the truth. Till then I will wait patiently and unchanging. Don’t be angry with me for coming. I should have died if you had left me behind.”

She spoke with so sweet a pathos in her voice that Dutch’s heart beat painfully, and the words were on his lips to say, “Come to me, darling, I do believe you;” but they were not spoken, for she slowly descended the stairs to the cabin, leaving him gazing wistfully after her. Then, walking to the side, he leaned his head upon his hands, praying in the bitterness of his heart that this painful time might end, and listening, as it were, to adverse promptings of his spirit, seeming to hear the sweet innocency of her life proclaimed to him on the one side, while on the other, in hateful repetition, came the scenes he had witnessed, the dreamy vision, the strange alteration in her manner, Lauré’s triumphant sneers, and the shadow on the blind.

“If heaven had but given me the strength of mind that has been given to my outward frame, I could have been happy,” he groaned.

“If you lean there and doze, so close to these forests, friend Pugh, we shall have you down with fever,” said the captain, laying his hand upon his shoulder.

Dutch started up, for he had not heard him approach.

“I was only thinking,” he said, hastily.

“I know what about, Pugh; and, from what my girl Bessy has said to me, I should like to talk to you. But I can’t help feeling that matters are coming right without my interfering. There, I’ll say no more. I only wanted to have a chat with you quietly. I’ve been talking to Parkley, and I wanted to tell you that I have made the strictest arrangements for guarding against surprise. Regular watch will be kept, just as if we were at sea; for, of course, before long it is probable that we may have many thousand pounds’ worth of metal on board. But at the same time I think we have circumvented the enemy.”

“You have seen nothing to excite your suspicions, then,” said Dutch.

“No. Nor you?”

“Nothing whatever.”

“That’s well; but, all the same, we will not relax our watchfulness. Parkley and the doctor have both promised, and you must do the same.”

“What is that?”

“Whenever you wake in the night, get up and come and have a turn round the deck. It will keep the men well to their work if they feel that at any time they may be overhauled.”

“What was that?” said Dutch, softly; and he laid his hand upon the captain’s arm.

They both stood listening intently, and gazing in the direction whence the sound had come.

The night was now intense in its darkness, and for reasons of their own – being, of course, far out of the track of ships – no lights whatever were shown; even those in the cabins were out, or so arranged that they would not attract attention if a wandering savage should have drawn up his canoe on the beach. The stars glittered overhead, but the greater part of the sky was overcast, and the heat seemed to portend a storm; but all was perfectly still, except the low, soft wash of the water as it broke upon the sands, and bathed them with the pale gold phosphorescence.

“I heard nothing,” said the captain, softly. “I’m afraid, Dutch Pugh, that we have frightened ourselves rather too much. All we need fear now is the weather. Perhaps we might have a little trouble with the Indians if they found us out; but we could easily keep them at bay.”

“I certainly heard an unusual sound,” replied Dutch. “Let’s walk quietly forward.”

They walked towards the bows, and as they did so a dark figure that had been lying a couple of yards from Dutch, close beneath the bulwarks, glided softly away, like some huge snake. So dark was it that it was hard to distinguish the outlines, and to trace where the figure went, while its movements were so silent that the two watchers saw nothing.

They went and spoke to the man leaning over the bows, who proved to be Dick Rolls.

“Heard anything?” said the captain, going up so silently that the man started.

“Lord’s truth, capen, don’t do that!” he exclaimed, in an injured tone. “It’s skeary enough here listening to the things creeping about in the wood there. No, I ain’t heard nothing else.”

“Keep a sharp look-out,” said the captain, and the man uttered a growl.

Walking softly aft, they found the man on the watch to be Bob Lennie, who was seated on the bulwarks, making a sort of humming noise to himself, under the impression that he was singing. He, too, allowed himself to be so closely approached that they almost touched him before he spoke.

“No,” he said, slowly, “I ain’t seed nor heered anything; only the lights over yonder in the woods, and the black things crawling in and out of the water where that there patch o’ yaller sand is.”

“You must have been mistaken, Pugh,” said the captain. “All’s right; let’s go and turn in.”

Dutch followed him down the cabin stairs, and the deck was left to the watch.

For quite half an hour all was perfectly still, except when some strange forest cry arose, and then two figures stole softly out from under the bulwarks, and went forward, to find that Dick Rolls had joined his fellow-watcher for company’s sake.

That was sufficient. The next minute the falls were seized, and the little dingy which hung from the davits was softly lowered into the water; two men slid down the ropes, unhooked the boat as it rose with the swell, and, without attempting to use the sculls, let the current drift them slowly away into the bank of darkness that closed the vessel round.

Before dawn every man was on deck waiting for the rising of the sun, for there was not one who did not look forward with great excitement to the coming day, which might bring large wealth to some, and to all an increase of pay, besides which there was a certain fascination in the search. The mystery and uncertainty of the adventure had their charms, while to the more ignorant there was a thrill of excitement in the superstition with which their minds mingled the project. Those who had in their lives toiled hard to obtain the treasure must, they felt, return to the place in spirit where it was lost, and try to guard it from sacrilegious touch.

The subject had been well discussed in the forecastle, and there was hardly one who did not feel the childlike desire, mingled with dread, that is felt by the ignorant over some ghost story – the shrinking and the desire to know.

It was, indeed, felt to be an eventful morning, and Mr Parkley looked pale as he stood on deck in the cool grey mist talking to Dutch, and wondering whether good fortune was to attend their venture. As for Oakum and ’Pollo, they, too, were both on their mettle, for on them depended a good deal; while old Rasp also appeared among the excited group on deck, where he had been seen but little during the voyage after the first few days, for he had spent most of his time below, polishing helmets and oiling and re-oiling valves in the cabin he shared with Oakum, and where they had squabbled and disagreed all through the voyage.

There was a complete change in Rasp as he came up to where his employers stood, for his listless way was thrown off, and a look of importance overspread his features as he gave a side glance at Oakum, which plainly said, “There, your reign is over, and mine has begun.”

“Shall I be getting up the tackle, Mr Pug?” he said, “so as to be well ready.”

“No, Rasp, we shall not want you yet,” replied Dutch. “Wait till we get to the spot.”

Oakum gave a chuckle which made Rasp turn upon him angrily; but the old fellow’s face was as hard and solid as if carved out of wood, and with not the vestige of a smile thereon; but ’Pollo, who stood close by, was showing his white teeth to the fullest extent.

“What are you grinning at, old ebony?” snarled Rasp, glad to have somebody upon whom he could turn.

“I just tink, sah, dat as I go to be berry busy find de treasure ship ’long o’ Mass’ Oakum, you like to come and ’joy yourself, poke de galley fire all day.”

“Yah!” ejaculated Rasp, angrily; and he walked to the side, and began spitting viciously at the rippling waves under the schooner’s counter.

“How is it that boat’s down in the water?” exclaimed the captain, suddenly, as he crossed to where the dingy was swinging by her painter.

“I left her hanging to the davits last night,” said the mate. “Do you know, Oakum?”

“Wasn’t my watch,” said that worthy, “but the skipper’s. Dick, ’Pollo, and Bob Lennie was on deck for one spell.”

“Do you know why the boat was lowered?” said the captain, turning to the men, who had just left their hammocks.

Bob Lennie the quiet shook his head, and Dick Rolls’ eyes nearly disappeared under the thick bridge of his nose as he stared down with his head first on one side, then on the other.

“No, I dunno,” he growled. “I never knowed it was lowered.”

The question was passed round, but no one knew anything about it; and the men shook their heads, and seemed to think it was very mysterious.

For there seemed to be no reason why it should have been let down. Had it been missing altogether, and a man or two with it, the cause would have been plain; but every man of the crew was on deck, and one and all denied knowledge of the boat having been touched.

This excited the suspicion of the captain again; but the busy events of the morning chased the feeling away, and it was soon forgotten.

For Sam Oakum was to all intents and purposes now captain of the schooner, and ’Pollo his mate, as the former took the direction, had the anchor heaved up, and, consulting again and again with the latter, the vessel was allowed to drift with the current a few hundred yards.

“Do you feel pretty certain, Oakum?” said the captain, after a time, for the old sailor’s actions did not inspire him with much confidence. In fact, after running half a mile with the current, he suddenly gave orders for a couple of sails to be hoisted, put the schooner about, and began to beat back.

“You let me alone,” growled Oakum. “I’m a-doing the best I can. You see, it’s a good many years since I was here, and the bearings ar’n’t so fresh in my mem’ry as they was.”

The captain said nothing, only glanced at Dutch, who had heard every word, and as the eyes of these two met they seemed to say to one another, “Suppose that this – trust of ours should be a foolish one, after all.”

Mr Parkley went up to Oakum once and spoke, but he received so sharp a reply that the old fellow was left alone. It was evident that he was a good deal puzzled, for in the course of an hour he renewed his quid of tobacco half-a-dozen times, and literally scraped the perspiration off his face with his rough finger, as he stood by the wheel giving directions to the man who was steering.

It was a most interesting time to all on board; the passengers were on deck, and even listless John Studwick stood leaning over the bulwarks, with his eyes brightening, and Mr Wilson and the doctor seemed to be as eager as the rest to find the buried treasure. Even the mulatto and the black sailor seemed roused from their slow-going apathy, and watched Oakum as he changed the course of the vessel from time to time, running amongst rocks, now close in shore, and once so near to a point that the waving cocoanut and other palms almost touched the rigging, and Captain Studwick stood ready to seize the wheel himself, for it seemed as if the schooner would be run aground.

If the thirst for gold had been less strong, no one there could have failed to revel in the beauty of the scene; for now, in the ever-increasing heat of the morning sunshine, the black mystery of the forest seemed to be swept away, and they gazed upon a belt of wondrously tinted green, with leafage of every variety and shape, seen beyond a narrow strip of golden sand, while sometimes, where rock took the place of the sand, the strange tropic trees waved right over the limpid sea which washed their roots. So close were they at times that the very veins of the great leaves could be traced, and the beauty of the various tints and lovely flowers of parasitic growth, which climbed up and then hung down their great trumpet-shaped bells with lavish prodigality to swing in the hot breeze, was reflected in the little creeks and inlets of the coast.

Wilson was in raptures, and wanted to form an expedition directly to go in pursuit of the gorgeously-feathered birds that came down to the edge of the forest, and then, uttering strange cries, flitted back into its shades. John Studwick looked earnestly at the leafy paradise, with its brilliant blossoms, and longed to lie and dream away his hours in the delicious shade, and even the doctor ceased to watch intently every motion of Bessy Studwick, and gazed with delight at the beauteous scene.

But there was the adverse side to the beautiful picture; for here and there in the inlets black, rugged, weird-looking forms could be seen lying apparently asleep on the sand, but ready to scuffle back into the water on the vessel’s approach – alligators looking as dangerous as loathsome. There were dangers, too, in the sharp-edged rocks, around which the pale blue sea rose and fell so placidly; and a score of times it seemed as if the schooner’s planks must be pierced by the sharp points that were so threateningly near. Always, however, in the most threatening times, a turn of the wheel sufficed to send the graceful vessel clear, and so skilfully was she handled that Captain Studwick grew more satisfied on that point, as he felt doubts of Oakum’s other knowledge grow stronger every hour.

His doubts were shared, too, by Dutch and Mr Parkley, and it was very evident that he was at fault, for ’Pollo was severely snubbed upon several occasions when he hazarded a remark, and the men began to talk in whispers as they saw the schooner retrace her path again and again.

“Can’t you find it, Oakum?” said Dutch at last, as he dragged his eyes from the group composed of his young wife, Bessy Studwick, and her brother, all seated in the mellow shade cast by an awning; for the sun was now sending down a shower of silvery, white-hot arrows upon the deck.

“Don’t you be in such a mighty fuss, Mr Dutch,” was the tetchy reply. “These here things ain’t done in a hurry. I’m a-working as hard as ever I can; its hereabouts somewhere, on’y the bearings don’t seem to be the same.”

“Can I be of any assistance to you?” said Dutch.

“Yes; just get out of the way, sir. There, be smart ahead there. Be ready to let go the anchor when I cry let go.”

As he spoke he gave the man he had placed for the time at the wheel an impatient look, took the spokes in hand himself, ran the vessel in towards the shore, then gave the word; there was a dull splash, the chain rattled out through the hawse-holes, and was stopped; the sails flapped and shivered in the gentle breeze, and the schooner softly swung round, with a motion hardly perceptible, till she lay with her head to the current, now so slow that its effects on the vessel could hardly be seen.

“Is this the place, then?” cried Mr Parkley, eagerly, as he ran to peer over the side, where half the men were already similarly engaged.

“No ’taint,” said Sam, crossly, as he let go the spokes, and, taking off his straw hat, began scratching his bald head in a vicious way. “It’s somewhere about here, but the bearings is altered. There was four tall cocoanut trees on a bluff, and you had to bring them in a line with a bit o’ rock sticking out o’ the water like a wet monkey, and they’re gone.”

“But are you sure this was the piece of coast line?” said the captain, rather sternly.

“Course I am. This is one of the places, and there’s two more – one on ’em ashore, ’bout fifty miles from here.”

“Had we not better try that first?” said Dutch.

“What’s the good o’ your talking like that, sir, when you’ve brought diving things o’ purpose to go down? No, I ain’t half done yet. Here, I’ve finished my bacco; some ’un lend me a bit.”

The mate handed him some, and Sam stood staring about, while the men were evidently laughing at his failure.

“Think, Mass’ Oakum, sah – ”

“No, you don’t,” said Sam, who wanted some one on whom to vent his spleen. “You don’t think, and you never did think, and never will with that thick skull of yours. So hold your tongue.”

’Pollo held his tongue, put all the little nose he had in the air, and stalked off with great dignity to his galley.

“What do you propose doing?” said Captain Studwick.

“Lower down the jolly-boat,” said Sam, after indulging in another good scratch.

This was immediately done, and with four men at the oars, and Dutch, Mr Parkley, the captain, and Oakum for freight they pushed off from the schooner.

Oakum took his place in the bows with Dutch, and then, directing the men to row very softly as he directed, they went slowly forward over the limpid waters.

“You keep a good lookout over the side, Mr Dutch Pugh,” said Sam, “and I’ll do the same. It’s so clear that you can see seven or eight fathoms down; and if you see anything particular, give the word, and we’ll stop.”

Heedless of the blazing sun – which, however, made their task very easy, lighting up, as it did, the clear waters below – they zigzagged for hours in all directions from the schooner, seeing below groves and trees of coral of the most wondrous tints, among which darted and played fish banded with gold, vermilion, and azure, silvery-sided, olive, green, and blue of the brightest and every tint. Great shells, almost as gay in colour, were slowly kept in motion by their inhabitants as they crawled over the surface of the many-hued rocks. Shoals of fish played amongst the moving seaweeds, and then flashed away like some brilliant silver firework as the shadow of the boat approached them, its shape being plainly seen on the sand below; and on every side new objects of beauty came into sight. Treasures of natural history there were of every kind, but not the treasure they sought; and at last, worn out with heat and disappointment, Mr Parkley proposed that they should return.