"I believe there's a trickle of water every night and that during the day it dries up," declared Kenneth. "Otherwise the green stuff wouldn't grow."
"Rough luck if we have to wait till to-night for a drink of water," added his companion. "What are those fellows doing? Still playing poker?"
"Yes, and likely to carry on with it," replied Kenneth, after another brief glimpse at the card-players. "Their eyes seem glued to the cards. What do you say? Ready for another move?"
"Move where? We can't climb up."
"No; but we can take to the water again. There may be a better means of ascent farther along. In any case there is the beach by the pier. Our best plan is to make for the coco-groves. Then, after we've had something to eat, we can keep the huts under observation. You see, if we find out the habits of these fellows, we may discover a means of communicating with my Pater and Captain Gregory."
Peter nodded.
"M'yes," he admitted grudgingly. "How many pirates are there on the island, I should like to know? If those fellows are some of the armed guard, they don't seem in any hurry to relieve those on duty. It strikes me that Mendoza has left a tidy mob here this time."
"Not more than he could possibly spare," said Kenneth. "He's short-handed as it is."
"And more so than he thinks," added Peter with a grin. "I wonder whether he's discovered he's two firemen short? Well, if he has, he hasn't troubled to put back and look for us."
"Unless he thinks we're hiding away on board. Ready?"
The chums tackled the descent of the "chimney". It was a far more difficult business than that of the ascent. One false step—and this cleft was too narrow to enable them to see the footholds—would mean a plunge into the water, which in itself meant little, but there was a risk of sustaining a broken limb by coming into violent contact with the granite-like projections.
Taking to the water once more they struck out, skirting the cliffs in the direction of the beach and pier. The harbour, being roughly circular in outline, made it certain that beyond a definite point the swimmers would be in full view of the card-playing Spaniards. The lads knew the risk and took it, staking their chances on the intentness of the gamblers upon their game blunting their senses as far as everything else was concerned.
Presently Kenneth, who was swimming a few yards in front of his companion, trod water and pointed to another gap in the cliffs. This was of a similar nature to that of the "chimney" they had just descended, but with one important difference. The fissure extended to the summit of the cliffs instead of terminating at a broad bench midway 'twixt base and edge.
"Try it!" prompted Peter, and without delay Kenneth essayed the ascent. It was easier than the former, the projections being more frequent and giving a firmer foot- and hand-hold.
With very little exertion Kenneth gained the summit of the cliff, threw himself down in a slight hollow and waved to his chum to follow.
Peter was within a few feet of the summit when Kenneth, chancing to turn his head, was astonished and dismayed to find a tall, heavily-built pirate standing at about twenty paces away, and facing the spot where the British lad crouched in the slight depression by the side of the fissure.
CHAPTER XXII. ACROSS THE DANGER ZONE
Startled by the sight, Kenneth was for a few moments unable to act. All his senses seemed benumbed. He stared dully at the unwelcome figure, striving, but in vain, to collect his scattered wits. Some vague impulse urged him to warn his chum, but he could do nothing but keep perfectly still and gaze.
At last his vision became less blurred. His brain was beginning to act, and answering to the dictates of caution he signalled to Peter to stop.
Fortunately Arkendale obeyed without asking the reason. Propped up against one of the walls of the "chimney" and with his feet firmly braced against the opposite side, he remained perfectly quiet, watching with considerable anxiety the partly averted face of his chum.
Kenneth, taking stock of the unwelcome interrupter of their flight, noticed that the Spaniard was tall, burly and particularly ill-favoured. He had discarded the canvas clothes usually worn by the crew of the Paloma, and was dressed in a blue cotton shirt, loose trousers reaching to midway between his knees and ankles, and a yellow scarf tied round his head. He was barefooted. He also appeared to be unarmed, although he might have had a knife or pistol concealed in his sash, unless the heavy stick on which he leant could be described as a weapon.
Even as Kenneth looked, the man prodded the hard rock with his stick and shouted: "Enrico! Enrico!"
At the hail, Peter, guessing that his chum had been spotted, scrambled up the remaining portion of the fissure and rejoined Kenneth. Neither spoke, but the same thought flashed through their minds: that it would be better to tackle the fellow at once before Enrico, whoever he might be, came to the pirate's aid.
Before the opportunity offered to close with the Spaniard, the latter turned half round and shuffled a few steps, sounding the while with his stick.
"Enrico!" he shouted again, in an impatient tone. The point of his stick rasped the rocky edge of a deep hole. He stopped and sounded with increased vigour.
The chums understood. The man was either stone blind or his vision was so seriously impaired that he could not see objects more than a few inches from him.
A voice shouted in reply to the man's appeal. The fugitives stole silently away, and crouched in a sheltered fissure close to the brink of the cliffs.
THE FUGITIVES CROUCHED IN A SHELTERED FISSURE—Page 208
They were not a moment too soon. Hurrying in the direction of the blinded man was another of the pirate crew. His right arm was in a sling, while a strip of dirty, blood-stained linen was fastened round his head. The newcomer was more to be feared than the other, for, although his right arm was disabled, he wore an automatic in his sash in a convenient position to enable him to grasp it with his left hand. And what was more, the fellow had piercing, alert-looking eyes, and during the time he was talking to the blinded man he seemed to look about him as if searching for something.
Talking rapidly as he approached—he was evidently chiding his comrade for his foolhardiness in straying so close to the edge of the cliffs—the newcomer took the other by the arm and led him away.
"More of them," said Kenneth, when the sound of the Spaniard's voice died away in the distance. "We've struck a sort of hospital recreation ground. My word! That blind chap gave me a stiff scare. He appeared to be looking right at me."
"Jolly good thing we didn't make a noise," remarked Peter. "And a lucky thing for us the man was blind. Sort of 'what's one man's meat is another's poison'. Wonder what the gamblers are doing?"
Cautiously Peter raised his head and peered between two adjacent boulders.
"Thank goodness, they're off!" ejaculated Kenneth fervently. "The island's stiff with them. Now, suppose we make a dash for the coco-groves?"
Peter measured the intervening distance with his eye, noted the almost total absence of cover for quite a hundred yards, and decided to sit tight.
"We'll have to stick it until those card-playing rascals clear out," he declared. "We might escape detection from the huts—most probably we shall—but if those fellows——"
"They're moving," interrupted Kenneth.
It was the rapidly growing heat of the sun that made the four pirates abandon their exposed perch. Listlessly they began to descend the hill, and to make their way back to the buildings.
They passed within twenty yards of the fugitives, but never once did they glance in the direction of the hollow sheltering the two lads. Each Spaniard was armed with a pistol or revolver, and a short bayonet-like knife. In addition two had electric torches slung by a cord over the shoulder. These were apparently the guards who had been relieved at day-break and had taken advantage of the opportunity for a game of cards before going to sleep in the heat of the day.