第17章

VAL JACINTO

"Rather tame, isn't it, Tom?"

"Well, Ned, it isn't exactly like going up in an airship," and Tom Swift who was gazing over the rail down into the deep blue water of the Caribbean Sea, over which their vessel was then steaming, looked at his chum beside him.

"No, and your submarine voyage had it all over this one for excitement," went on Ned."When I think of that----""Bless my sea legs!" interrupted Mr.Damon, overhearing the conversation."Don't speak of THAT trip.My wife never forgave me for going on it.But I had a fine time," he added with a twinkle of his eyes.

"Yes, that was quite a trip," observed Tom, as his mind went back to it."But this one isn't over yet remember.And I shouldn't be surprised if we had a little excitement very soon.""What do you mean?" asked Ned.

Up to this time the voyage from New York down into the tropical seas had been anything but exciting.There were not many passengers besides themselves, and the weather had been fine.

At first, used as they were to the actions of unscrupulous rivals in trying to thwart their efforts, Tom and Ned had been on the alert for any signs of hidden enemies on board the steamer.But aside from a little curiosity when it became known that they were going to explore little- known portions of Honduras, the other passengers took hardly any interest in our travelers.

It was thought best to keep secret the fact that they were going to search for a wonderful idol of gold.Not even the mule and ox-cart drivers, whom they would hire to take them into the wilds of the interior would be told of the real object of the search.It would be given out that they were looking for interesting ruins of ancient cities, with a view to getting such antiquities as might be there.

"What do you mean?" asked Ned again, when Tom did not answer himimmediately."What's the excitement?"

"I think we're in for a storm," was the reply."The barometer is falling and I see the crew going about making everything snug.So we may have a little trouble toward this end of our trip.""Let it come!" exclaimed Mr.Damon."We're not afraid of trouble, Tom.Swift, are we?""No, to be sure we're not.And yet it looks as though the storm would be a bad one.""Then I am going to see if my books and papers are ready, so I can get them together in a hurry in case we have to take to the life-boats," said Professor Bumper, coming on deck at that moment."It won't do to lose them.If we didn't have the map we might not be able to find----""Ahem!" exclaimed Tom, with unnecessary emphasis it seemed."I'll help you go over your papers, Professor," he added, and with a wink and a motion of his hand, he enjoined silence on his friend.Ned looked around for a reason for this, and observed a man, evidently of Spanish extraction, passing them as he paced up and down the deck.

"What's the matter?" asked the scientist in a whisper, as the man went on."Do you know him? Is he a----?""I don't know anything about him," said Tom; "but it is best not to speak of our trip before strangers.""You are right, Tom," said Professor Bumper."I'll be more careful."A storm was brewing, that was certain.A dull, sickly yellow began to obscure the sky, and the water, from a beautiful blue, turned a slate color and ran along the sides of the vessel with a hissing sound as though the sullen waves would ask nothing better than to suck the craft down into their depths.The wind, which had been freshening, now sang in louder tones as it hummed through the rigging and the funnel stays and bowled over the receiving conductors of the wireless.

Sharp commands from the ship's officers hastened the work of the crew in making things snug, and life lines were strung along deck for the safety of such of the passengers as might venture up when the blow began.

The storm was not long in coming.The howling of the wind grew louder, flecks of foam began to separate themselves from the crests of thewaves, and the vessel pitched, rolled and tossed more violently.At first Tom and his friends thought they were in for no more than an ordinary blow, but as the storm progressed, and the passengers became aware of the anxiety on the part of the officers and crew, the alarm spread among them.

It really was a violent storm, approaching a hurricane in force, and at one time it seemed as though the craft, having been heeled far over under a staggering wave that swept her decks, would not come back to an even keel.

There was a panic among some of the passengers, and a few excited men behaved in a way that caused prompt action on the part of the first officer, who drove them back to the main cabin under threat of a revolver.For the men were determined to get to the lifeboats, and a small craft would not have had a minute to live in such seas as were running.

But the vessel proved herself sturdier than the timid ones had dared to hope, and she was soon running before the blast, going out of her course, it is true, but avoiding the danger among the many cays, or small islands, that dot the Caribbean Sea.

There was nothing to do but to let the storm blow itself out, which it did in two days.Then came a period of delightful weather.The cargo had shifted somewhat, which gave the steamer a rather undignified list.

This, as well as the loss of a deckhand overboard, was the effect of the hurricane, and though the end of the trip came amid sunshine and sweet- scented tropical breezes, many could not forget the dangers through which they had passed.

In due time Tom and his party found themselves safely housed in the small hotel at Puerto Cortes, their belongings stored in a convenient warehouse and themselves, rather weary by reason of the stress of weather, ready for the start into the interior wilds of Honduras.