Young Hunters in Porto Rico/Chapter 14
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MAN IN THE ROOM.
Don shivered, but said nothing.
He felt positive that he was right—that somebody was moving around the room—yet so far he had not heard a sound.
"Can it be the landlord?" he asked himself. "If it is, what is he doing here?"
The bed in which the boy rested was turned in such a fashion that he could see but a small portion of the apartment in his present position.
As noiselessly as he could, he shifted about until the entire room was within his range of vision.
He was just in time to behold a shadow cross the doorsill and glide into the next apartment, where Robert Menden, old Jacob and Danny were sleeping.
Then a slight puff of air came in at one of the windows, extinguishing the smoky lamp and leaving all in total darkness.
"Wake up, all of you!" cried Don, at the top of his lungs. "Somebody is here who doesn't belong here!"
At his cry one after another leaped up.
"What's thet?" demanded old Jacob.
"Somebody just entered your room."
"There he goes—out of the window!" ejaculated Robert Menden, and ran toward the spot, only to stumble over a chair and stub his toe so severely that he set up a howl of pain.
Old Jacob turned quickly enough to see the man's head as he swung from the window-sill to the ground below, a distance of less than twelve feet. In the darkness he saw the fellow, a native, rush away at top speed.
"Stop, ye villain!" he roared. "Stop, or I'll fire!" Then he ran to his bed to get his revolver, which had been placed under his pillow, but by the time he reached the window again the midnight marauder had disappeared into a wood opposite the inn.
"He must have entered the rooms for the purpose of robbing us," said Dick. "Let us light the lamp and see if anything is missing."
A match was struck and the lamp turned up as high as possible, and then they began an examination of their clothing and bundles. Only one set of trouser-pockets had been cleaned out—those belonging to Bob, who had lost a good knife, a bunch of keys and a couple of dollars in Spanish small change. Nothing else had been disturbed.
"Don scared him off," said Dick. "Otherwise he would have gone through every pocket and package in the two rooms," and the others agreed with him.
"I'd like to catch the rascal," grumbled Bob. "That knife was a prize one and I don't want to lose it—nor the money neither."
"We would have a job tracking that thief in this storm," answered Robert Menden. "Let us be thankful the matter is no worse, and be more on our guard in the future."
The noise in the rooms had awakened the landlord of the inn and he now knocked on the door, demanding what was the matter. He drew down the corners of his mouth when told.
"The Porto Rico brigands, señors," he said. "Be glad they no knife you!" and he shivered.
"Perhaps," said old Jacob, laconically. "But maybe you are in with them," he muttered to himself, as he turned away. The gamecock episode still hung in his mind, and certainly the landlord's general appearance was much against him.
For the balance of the night one or another of the party was awake, and it was decided that in the future they should take turns on the watch, just as had been done on the yacht.
In the morning they had breakfast very early, having contracted for this beforehand. Had they not done so, nobody at the inn would have stirred before eight o'clock, and breakfast would not have been on the table until nine or ten. To many living in Porto Rico time seems to be of little value. Almost all of the business is done between ten and twelve o'clock in the morning, and after that the shopkeeper locks up his place and takes a nap until four or five o'clock, opening up again in the evening, which is really the busiest part of the whole twenty-four hours.
The storm had cleared off and now the atmosphere was sultry and oppressive, the evaporations from the forests going up like clouds of steam.
"Phew! this is going to be a corker!" exclaimed Dick, as he mopped the perspiration from his brow. They had covered less than two miles, and yet he felt completely dragged out.
"We'll take a rest when we come to a suitable spot," announced Robert Menden. "But we must push on all we can before twelve o'clock. Nobody will want to move a step between that time and four, mark my words."
Menden had scarcely spoken when a large flock of birds arose directly in front of them. The young hunters could not resist the temptation to take a shot at the creatures, and one after another fired their weapons, bringing down seven of the birds.
"Good enough!" cried Robert Menden. "I see that all of you can shoot, and I am glad of it, for there is no telling what will turn up before this treasure-hunt is over."
"Before I leave Porto Rico I want a little chance to hunt and fish," said Dick. "It wouldn't be a real summer outing without that."
"I'm out fer dat money dis trip," put in Danny. "Say, I hopes yer git about a million dollars, so I do!" and he shook his head enthusiastically.
"Don't speak of it quite so loudly, Danny," cautioned the Englishman. "This is a secret search, you know."
"Yes, dat's so—I forgot," answered the Irish lad. "I'll be as mum as an oyster after dis."
Coming to a bit of high ground overlooking one of the numerous valleys of upper Porto Rico, they sat down on several flat rocks to rest.
Robert Menden calculated that they were within a few miles of Caguas, and announced that the next night might be spent there.
"And then we must pick up some reliable native guide to take us to the great caves," he added.
The scenery from where they sat was truly grand. Hills and valleys were clothed in every variety of tropical growth, from the tallest of royal palms to the heavy grass—grass the like of which none of the boys had ever seen. Far in the distance were the great mountains, ranging along for miles, their sharp ridges clearly defined against the blue sky. Smaller ridges came down toward them, the lower ones more smooth on their tops, and covered with great patches of grass, where fed cattle and sheep innumerable.
"It's certainly a charming island, so far as looks go," murmured Leander. "But I believe this atmosphere would make the most active man in the world lazy sooner or later."
"It's a good climate for invalids," said Robert Menden. "Some day Porto Rico is bound to become a great winter resort for Americans and others."
"I want to get to the top of yonder mountains before I leave," put in Leander. "If we—Great Scott! Look out!"
He leaped up in terror; and small wonder, for from under the flat rock a serpent, all of seven feet long, had glided. Now it raised its head and showed its cruel fangs, as if to strike at one or another of the startled party.