_ CHAPTER XXVI
The detective made sure that the men had scattered, and that the search was in full blast, when he doubled on his course and moved down toward the warehouse. Here again he displayed his reckless courage. He approached the small building on the bluff, from the rear, and entered it, and one mystery was explained--the building was but the cover to the entrance to an immense underground warehouse.
A lantern was hanging near by, and the detective seized it and descending the stairs entered a great store-house.
A sight met his gaze which filled him with amazement. His fortune was made at last; the store-house was filled with packages of valuable goods; indeed, an immense fortune lay scattered about.
Later on the detective came to learn more particularly the methods of the smugglers, but for the present as he stood there he realized that he was a wondrously lucky man, unless he should prove unlucky enough to be captured.
While standing in the subterranean store-house an idea entered his mind and he exclaimed:
"By George, that's just the scheme."
He returned to the upper room and replaced the lantern, and immediately redescended to the storehouse.
The detective had a masked lantern with him, having secured it while abiding a few hours at the home of his guide, Taylor.
Spencer Vance had determined to hide himself in the smugglers' underground warehouse. He had reached the conclusion that he could find no safer place.
Spencer Vance had struck a big scheme. Even while in such great peril, and while busy, he was revolving in his mind all the chances and contingencies; but over all loomed the possibility of discovery. There was no friendly sea to receive him should those men find him secreted in their treasure den.
The detective was like a man walking in a suspected coal mine with a lighted torch, who at any moment might strike a chamber filled with the fatal gas, which coming in contact with the light, would have blown man and mine to smithereens.
Meantime the search continued on the island, and the detective was rejoiced as he saw that, after all, the discovery of his presence was a most excellent thing, as it would lead to the eventual discovery of the real smugglers, through means which will be described later on.
Vance had measured every step as he progressed, and knew just where he would fetch out, provided he once got away from the island; but there, as stated, loomed the chance against him. His opportunity would depend largely upon the decision of Ike Denman after the return of his searching parties.
One of the searching parties was moving along looking for a trail, when a cry from one of their number brought the squad together. The man had stumbled upon the strapped and gagged smuggler.
There was a circus for a few moments after the discovery, and there followed some loud swearing, not low; but deep, fast and furious.
The man had been gagged so long it was some minutes before he could relate his sad tale.
One of the men said to him:
"Who served you out, Jim?"
When the man found voice he answered:
"The devil or one of his imps."
"Hello! did you see the ghost"
"What ghost?"
"The ghost of Ballard."
"I don't know anything about the ghost of Ballard, but I had a rough scrimmage with the gamest man I ever tackled."
"Didn't you recognize him?"
"No."
"I wonder if there are two of 'em on the island?"
"What's happened, boys?"
"Well, it's looking as though the devil himself were loose tonight."
The man proceeded and told how another of their crew had met the island mystery, and had been half drowned by him.
"I tell you," said the man, "it's going to stand us in hand to get that fellow on; the game is all dead against us, and we'll whistle for our share of prize-money."
"Come along with us and we may find our man; you can identify him?"
"Identify the devil! let me see him just one second."
The men, as a fact, failed to discover the island mystery, and different parties returned and reported to Ike Denman.
When the master of the "Nancy" heard of the laying out of another of his sentinels, his rage knew no bounds, and calling his men around him he declared;
"We must find out this fellow. He cannot have left the island."
One of the men suggested:
"We may never get a sight of him."
"If it is Ballard we can recognize him."
The men were sent away once more, and many of their passive confederates on the island were aroused and started out on the search; indeed the island became alive with secretly armed men.
Ike Denman was satisfied that the detective had not got away, and he was determined to find him. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were at stake; the fact that the detective had trailed down to their rendezvous meant ruin.
The master of the "Nancy" did not for one moment believe in his own mind that the mystery was, Ballard; his common sense suggested that it was impossible that the fellow could have escaped, unless by some strange fatality he had been picked up, and as there were no vessels near enough to see him at the time he went over from the yacht, the latter chance did not seem probable.
It was well toward morning when several of the crew, according to orders, returned and joined the captain, and the latter went aboard the "Nancy" and sailed her back to where she had previously anchored.
One man was left in charge of the yacht, and the balance, with the captain, rowed ashore and proceeded afoot to the rendezvous, and at length daylight came.
The search had proved a failure, and when it was well on in the morning all hands were assembled at the rendezvous.
A majority of the men were sent aboard the "Nancy," while the master and some of his most reliable confederates remained ashore.
The men had made a thorough search, and all hands were still of the opinion that the detective, or whoever it was that had been tracking them, still remained secreted somewhere on the island.
One of the men, a shrewd fellow, offered several singular suggestions. He had accurately measured the tracks of the man who had laid out two members of the crew, and he had found duplicate foot imprints down around the rendezvous.
A more dazed and bewildered set of men were never engaged in an illegal traffic.
Meantime the daring detective was lying low right in their very midst. _