Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/192

178 pretty sick," went on Captain Sanders, with a faint smile.

"They are."

"It's queer to me that they sailed with us. It's not such a pleasant voyage."

"I overheard a little of their talk," answered Dave, and, knowing he could trust the captain, he related what had been said.

"Pirates' gold, eh?" muttered the master of the ship. "Most of those yarns are fairy-stories. I've known expedition after expedition to be fitted out, to search for treasures said to be hidden by the old-time buccaneers, but I never saw a man yet who got even a smell of a treasure. Where were they going for it, Dave?"

"I don't know. I think one of them mentioned Cave Island. Is there such a place?"

"There may be, although I never heard of it. Many of the islands in this part of the globe, being of volcanic origin, contain caves."

"They must expect to get to Cave Island from Barbados."

"More than likely," answered the captain, and then hurried on deck again. The storm continued for the remainder of the day, but by nightfall the wind commenced to die down, and by midnight the clouds had passed and the stars were shining brightly. In the morning