CHAPTER XXV.

THE TREASURE.

Every man in the boat thrilled with a new excitement when Captain Eccles announced that the land they had just left and were now approaching again was Treasure Island.

“Are you sure of it?” asked Admiral Semmes.

“As sure as one can be of anything.”

“I must say,” put in Dartmoor, “that it answers perfectly the description in the letter.”

There was no doubt about that, and amid visions of the great wealth they had come here to secure everybody forgot the disasters passed through and the discomforts of the present. Soon the boats were moored and a camp was started.

“We have found the island,” Captain Dartmoor said; “but we’ve a lot to do before we can locate the treasure and begin digging for it. Food and shelter are the first things to think of.”

All that day and the following one they devoted to building a rude house and getting a supply of such fruit and fish as they could. The third day it was decided to go in quest of the treasure.

“It will take some time even to locate it,” said Admiral Semmes.

And so it turned out, although the letter gave explicit directions. Every day they followed its instructions, returning to camp at night.

“To-morrow we visit that hill yonder,” said Semmes one evening. “That is the last point of location.”

“And the treasure?”

“According to the letter it lies between that hill and a narrow neck of land. It was a small cove once. There the Spanish galleon sank. The sand was carried by the sea into the cove, and partly filled it up.”

“But how did the treasure ever get out of the galleon, do you suppose?”

“Oh, some of the Spaniards must have tried to save it, and carried it ashore, to the water’s edge. We’ve been regarding it as sunken treasure all along. It really is buried treasure.”

“And we must dig to get it?”

“Exactly.”

Next morning all hands went to the hill. They had descended to the shore when Semmes picked up a bucket that stood in the sand. Some of the others stood near by while he read the name painted on it. The admiral’s face grew pale.

“Eccles!” he cried. “The name on it is _Diamond_.”

“Vail’s ship!” exclaimed Eccles. “Heavens! He has got here ahead of us!”

“Yes; the ship he sailed in from New York was called the _Diamond_. It is not likely there are two ships of that name.”

“No; it isn’t likely.”

“Then Vail has baffled us.”

“Possibly; but it is not certain. Let us press on, anyhow.”

They went on, and rounded the base of the hill, the others following Eccles and the admiral.

“This is the spot!” cried Eccles.

All looked eagerly at the ground where the captain pointed. What they saw was an excavation, whether recently made or not was not evident, the sand gave no hint on this point. It was on the edge of a small cove.

“What does it mean?” asked the admiral, in wonder. “Some one has been digging here?”

Eccles passed a hand across his eyes. “Too late!” he gasped.

“I’m afraid so,” agreed Semmes more coolly. “Some one has been here.”

“And the treasure is gone!”

“Vail has secured it!”

At this juncture fully twenty men dashed from the forest near by. They were armed, and advanced boldly until they surrounded the party from the _Regent_.

“Who are you?” demanded their leader of Captain Dartmoor.

Before the latter could answer another of the newcomers spoke up. Eccles and Semmes recognized him. He was James Vail.

“I’ve told you who these men are and what they are here for,” the broker said to the leader of the band. The rascally Wall Street man’s face wore a leer of triumph. “Seize these three.” He pointed out Captain Dartmoor, Eccles, and Semmes.

“You scoundrel!” burst out Admiral Semmes. “It’s not your fault that you did not murder me.”

He would have said more, but several ruffians obeyed Vail’s order, and seized him, along with Dartmoor and Eccles, and stood them apart from the sailors.

“Now, you fellows clear out!” Vail cried to the seamen of the _Regent_. The sailors looked defiant, and stood their ground until the captain of the _Diamond_ and his crew raised their revolvers; then there was nothing for them to do but go away.

The three captives were led some distance up the beach, then around a point of high rock, where the bay stretched before them, and they could see the _Diamond_ at anchor.

“Now, then,” said Vail, facing Admiral Semmes, “where is that treasure?”

Semmes answered him with a puzzled look.

“The treasure?” he said at length. “Why do you ask _me_ for it, you dog?”

“Be careful what you say!” Vail threatened. “You’re in my hands, remember, and if you don’t keep a civil tongue in your head and answer my question truthfully it will go hard with you. Now, what have you done with that gold and the rest of the treasure?”

“What treasure are you talking about?”

“You know well enough. What you got from the cove down there.”

“The treasure _we_ got?”

“Yes. Come, out with it!”

“We didn’t get any treasure,” answered the admiral.

“You lie, confound you!” cried Vail furiously.

The captain of the _Diamond_ drew him aside.

“I told you they would deny it,” he said. “We’ll have to put the screws on them and make them tell.”

While they were talking in a low tone, and now and then casting ugly glances at their prisoners, Eccles and his companions comprehended the situation. Plainly the _Diamond_ was the ship that had struck the _Regent_ and sent her to the bottom. That explained why the larger vessel had not attempted to stand by and offer assistance to the _Regent’s_ company. Vail had arrived at the island after Eccles and his party, and found the treasure gone. There could be no doubt of this. Clearly Vail’s anger was genuine. Evidently he was convinced that the admiral and the others had carried off the treasure and concealed it.

Vail put several questions to the prisoners, which they answered; thus he learned of the loss of the _Regent_, and all that they had done since their arrival on Treasure Island.

Still Vail was not satisfied. He believed that his rivals had secured the boxes and bags of wealth. Turning to the captain of the _Diamond_, whose name was Smith, he said:

“They’ve got it and hidden it, all right. We’ll keep hold of them and try that little game of torture you suggest. I think that will loosen their tongues.”

“I guess their story about the _Regent_ is true,” said the other.

“Perhaps; but if they didn’t take the gold who else could have done so?”

“I’ll have to give that up, Vail.”

“Well, watch those sailors we let go. Be sure you keep them at a distance. They might try to rescue old Semmes and the other two. We’ve got to hold on to them. It’s our only chance of getting a tip on where the treasure is.”

“All right, Vail.”

Several days passed. Then something occurred that turned the tide of events. The crew of the _Diamond_ managed to get possession of some liquor stored in the hold and take it ashore. The result was that all hands except Vail and Smith got tipsy.

Those appointed to guard Eccles fell asleep, and the captain made his escape. As fast as he could he went to where the crew of the _Regent_ were encamped, about a mile away. A plan was quickly formed to rescue Semmes and Dartmoor.

Owing to the drunken state of the _Diamond’s_ guards, and the fact that Vail and Smith were off hunting for some clue to the supposed hiding place of the treasure, the admiral and his fellow prisoner were easily set free.

At nightfall the _Regent’s_ party captured two of the _Diamond’s_ boats, and in them stole silently to the side of the anchored ship. All was still. No one seemed to be awake. Evidently there had been a spree on board as well as ashore.

In a very few minutes Eccles and his party shook the sleepers awake, piled them all into a boat, and sent them ashore.

Then, just as dawn was breaking, they raised anchor and sailed away. When they had rounded the island and come in sight of the camp of Captain Collins and the three boys, the lookout reported signaling from the shore.

“It may be some of the _Diamond_ gang,” suggested Semmes.

“No,” said Eccles, looking through a glass, “it’s a man and three boys. By Heaven! admiral, I believe they are the youngsters from Parkdale.”

A yawl was put off from the _Diamond_, and before an hour had passed Captain Collins’ friends welcomed him back to life, as did the boys they had given up for lost.