Fairview Boys at Lighthouse Cove/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III
SAMMY GETS A CLUE
"What a boy!" cried Mr. Bouncer, in dismay.
"He'll be hurt! Stop the carriage!" exclaimed Mrs. Bouncer.
"Not a bit of it, ma'am!" grunted the old man who was driving the horses. "Boys never get hurt. They always land on their feet, like cats, ma'am. He's all right—there he goes," he added, looking over the side of the carriage.
He had, however, pulled up the horses, who came to a stop. Then Mr. and Mrs. Bouncer could see that Sammy was indeed all right. He was running across the sand toward an aged man who was seated on an overturned boat, not far from the Bouncer Cottage.
"Is that the sailor who told you about the pirate gold?" Bob wanted to know.
"Yes," said his mother, "but"
"Come on!" cried Bob to Frank. "We can't let Sammy get ahead of us on this. May we go, Mother?"
"Oh, yes, I suppose so," she sighed, with a look at her husband, who smiled and nodded. "We can unpack better if you boys are out of the house, anyhow," she added. "But don't be gone too long."
"Only long enough to find out about the pirate treasure," answered Bob, as he and Frank got out of the carriage to run after Sammy, who was already close to the old sailor.
"Wait—wait for us!" called Bob to his chum, and though Sammy was in a great hurry, he felt that, as he was the guest of Bob, it would be no more than polite to halt until he and Frank came up. Then, together, the three chums approached the old sailor, who was sitting calmly on the overturned boat, smoking a short pipe.
"Good-afternoon," greeted Bob.
"Arternoon!" mumbled the old man. "Are you the Bouncer boys?" he asked, turning to look at the carriage, that was drawing up at Barnacle Cottage.
"I'm one of 'em," answered Bob. "These are my chums."
"Hum! I thought your mother said, when she come down to rent that cottage, that she had three boys."
"Oh, she says that because we're always together," explained Frank. "My mother says the same thing."
"Hum!" mused the old sailor. "Well, I'm glad to see you. I likes young people—'specially boys. They make a place a bit lively, and it's dull enough here all Winter. In Summer the cottagers come, and then it ain't so bad. I used to be a sailor but now I fish and rent boats," he went on, "and if you're going to hire one for the season I'll let you have a good one."
"Oh, we'll be sure to want a boat," Bob said, "but I guess my father will pick it out."
Sammy, by nods and winks, had been trying to signal to Bob to ask some questions about the treasure, and Bob, knowing that Sammy was anxious to hear what there was in the story, said:
"My friend here, Sammy Brown, wants to ask you some questions, Mr. Salina."
"Fire away!" invited the old fisherman. "I've got a little time yet 'fore I go treading for clams. What is it?"
"About the pirate treasure!" exclaimed Sammy, eagerly. Mrs. Bouncer said you told her about it. Where is it—we'd like to dig for it!"
The old man did not answer for a few seconds. He was too busily engaged in chuckling silently. He chuckled so hard that he took a wrong breath on his pipe, some smoke went down his throat, and he coughed and spluttered so wildly that the boys thought he was having a fit. But finally he regained control of his breathing, though he was rather red in the face, and there were tears in his eyes.
"Excuse me," he said. "Excuse me, boys. I didn't mean to be impolite, but I'm sorry you took so much stock in that pirate treasure yarn."
"Isn't there any?" asked Sammy, in disappointed tones.
"Well, there is and there isn't," said the old sailor. "That is to say there's a story all right enough, but as to there being any treasure I don't know. Nobody does, for sure, I guess."
"Will you tell us about it?" pleaded Sammy.
"Yes, go ahead," urged Frank. "That's the only way we'll have any peace—to get it out of Sammy's system as soon as we can."
"Huh! I guess you're as anxious as I am!" exclaimed Sammy. "Go ahead, please," he added, to the sailor.
"Well, I don't mind spinning the yarn for you," was the answer. "It won't take long. The story's been going the rounds of this beach ever since I can remember. To sum it all up, some of the old-timers claim that a good many years ago a pirate ship was wrecked here."
"Right here?" asked Sammy.
"Well, out where you see them rocks," spoke the sailor, pointing with the stem of his pipe. "There wasn't any lighthouse in them days, and you wouldn't know the rocks were there, especially at high tide, when they're covered.
"Anyhow there was a ship wrecked on 'em. That part's true enough, for you can see what's left of her now, at low tide. But whether she was a pirate craft, or not, I won't undertake to say.
"But the story is that when the crew found they couldn't get the ship off the rocks, they took to the boats and came ashore, bringing their booty with 'em. What the booty was the story differs on. One yarn is that it was gold, another says silver, and a third diamonds. You can take your choice," and the old sailor chuckled, but this time he was careful not to swallow any smoke.
"I'll take diamonds," said Bob, with a snicker.
"Oh, please go on," urged Sammy, eagerly, and the sailor resumed.
"The story goes," he went on, "that the pirate crew, having lost their ship, buried the treasure, and went looking for another vessel. But they never got one. They had been trying to escape from a man-o'-war when they ran upon the rocks, and the government ship traced 'em here. The marines came ashore, soon after the pirates landed, and attacked 'em. That was the end of the pirates."
The old sailor paused, and lighted his pipe, which had gone out.
"Is—is that all?" asked Sammy, and his voice showed his disappointment.
"That's all," answered the sailor, solemnly.
"But what became of the pirate treasure?" asked Frank.
"Nobody knows. It may be buried here, or the marines may have got it. My own opinion is there never was any treasure. But lots of folks says there was."
"And if there was any, where would it be?" asked Bob.
"Oh, 'most anywhere around here," answered Mr. Salina, with a wave of his arm that took in the whole of the Cove. "You can start in and dig where you like," he chuckled. "Nobody'll stop you. In fact there's been a good many folks, off and on, digging around here, for quite a few years back."
"Did any of 'em ever find anything?" exclaimed Sammy.
"Nary a one," laughed the old sailor. "It's all left for you boys to find."
"Well, maybe we can, after all," said Sammy, as he saw his chums looking at him and smiling. "I'm going to have a try, anyhow."
"It will take more than one Summer to dig all over this place," spoke Bob. "And it will spoil all our other fun. I want to have some swimming, boating and crabbing. You can have all the treasure you get, Sammy."
Sammy did not reply. He was looking toward the rocks, where, according to the story, the pirate vessel had been wrecked. Then he turned his gaze toward the shore, and looked up and down the beach. Was there a treasure buried in it? He hoped so. Yet he had been deceived so many times before!
"Come boys!" called Mrs. Bouncer, from the porch of the cottage. "I want you to go to the store for some things for supper. Then, too, I want to plan your sleeping rooms."
"We'll see you again," said Sammy, to the old sailor. "Maybe you can pick out the best spots for us to dig for the treasure."
"Not me!" exclaimed the old man, quickly and sharply. "I won't have anything to do with it. In the first place pirate gold is unlucky, and in the second place I've seen too many folks let their business go to rack and ruin spending their time looking for this treasure. I won't have anything to do with it."
Sammy looked a bit uncomfortable, and the old sailor, seeing this, hastened to add:
"But that needn't stop you from searching for the treasure—if there is any. Dig as much as you like, only don't ask me to be responsible. You ask your father about hiring a boat off me," he added to Bob. "I makes my living—such as it is—that way—that and clamming and crabbing. It's a hard way to earn money, but it's more sure than looking for pirate gold," and he laughed.
The boys raced to the cottage, where Mrs. Bouncer waited for them. The three chums gave a hasty look about the place, and voted that it was the finest spot for a Summer vacation they had ever seen. It was but a few steps to the water, and they could put on their bathing suits in the house, and run down the beach for a dip.
Inside the cottage Mr. Bouncer and the two servants were unpacking trunks, and getting out garments and bedding. Mrs. Bouncer gave to Bob a list of the things she wanted from the store. The house was only a short distance to the village, and the three boys walked along the beach to a road that led to the town, where the stores were.
"Well, what do you think of it now?" asked Bob.
"Think of what?" inquired Frank.
"The treasure."
Frank winked, and glanced at Sammy.
"Oh, I know what you mean," put in Sammy, quickly. "You think it's all a joke. But I may show you fellows yet that it isn't."
"I wish you would!" exclaimed Bob. "I'd like a little loose gold myself."
There were busy times at Barnacle Cottage for the next few days. Getting settled took most of the time of Mr. and Mrs. Bouncer, and then Bob's father had to go back to Fairview to work. He would come down, however, for week-ends.
Bob and his mother, with the two boy chums, soon began to enjoy life at the shore. A large, safe rowboat had been hired from the old sailor, and the boys were learning how to use it properly, under the instruction of Mr. Salina. Later on he promised to take them with him when he went fishing and clamming.
To get hard clams the old man would go in the shallow parts of Lighthouse Cove, and, with his bare feet, would tread in the mud until he felt a hard clam. Then he would work it on top of his foot, raise it out of the water and reach it in his hand, tossing it into his boat.
Soft clams he dug for on the exposed mud fiats when the tide was low.
The boys themselves learned to catch crabs, dangling pieces of meat on the end of strings from the dock near the cottage. When a crab grasped the meat in his claws the boys would pull gently on the string, until the crab was near the surface of the water. Then they would slip a net under him and lift him into a basket, wiggling and clashing his claws.
The Fairview Boys made inquiries about the pirate treasure story told to them by the old man, and found that it was generally known. Few persons believed it, however, though, in times past, many had dug in different places for the supposed gold.
The boys had been at Lighthouse Cove for about a week now. They had boated, bathed and crabbed, and one night, after supper. Bob said:
"Fellows, it's about time we took in the lighthouse. I want to see how the lantern works."
"So do I!" exclaimed Frank. "I was asking Mr. Salina about it. He said an old shipmate of his kept the light, and he'd take us through any time we wanted to go."
"Let's go over now," suggested Sammy. "It will be more fun to see it lighted up."
Frank and Bob agreed with this, and as Mrs. Bouncer had no objections, the three of them started down the beach toward the lighthouse, which was built on a little point of land, jutting out into the Cove.
It was just getting dusk, and the rays of the light shone out brightly. Sammy Brown, who was walking on a little ahead of his chums, suddenly came to a stop, in a lonely place.
"What's the matter—crab get you?" asked Bob, with a chuckle.
"No. Hush!" whispered Sammy.
"What's up now?" asked Frank. "See some of those pirates?"
Sammy turned and came back to his chums.
"Easy!" he cautioned. "Fellows, I think I have a clue! Come over here, but don't make any noise."
He led them to a clump of bushes beside the path. Cautiously parting the leaves, to make an opening, Sammy looked through. Then he drew back his head.
"Yes, he's there yet!" he whispered. "Take a look."
"Who is it?" asked Bob.
"Someone digging for pirate gold!" whispered Sammy, hoarsely.