The Rope of Gold

e tipped on its side they learned soon enough; not, however, until

ns, the nearby hills, even the cocoanut groves were blotted out. The sea,

t was only a bark canoe! And look!"

r a row-boat was a square masted schooner,

nder the sail,"

y. "Blow away. Give me a ha

im a lift an

cabin, a regular canvas cabin in her prow. And not

amed Doris above th

ion. The storm was upon them. She could se

ere, all hidden in the prow with a roof of stout painted canvas over th

er?" said Johnny, dr

huddered as torrents of

irl was whispering to

y were sheltered from the rain and far from tall trees, where danger from lightnin

e boat it is

ell by the way the canvas is s

one up in the hills to hunt wild guineas or cocoa

ck up the mountain in the dark and wet a

Mr. Monk is?

ld as the hills. The gold was all tarnished and the stone did

r by a very old black woman of Cape Haitian. The stories had to do with days long gone

Mammy and I know it's true; the ladies of that Emperor's court wore diamonds and

, the wicked old Emperor took all the jewels an' gold an' buried it somewhe

herself now. "But then of

later, "we'll never see the monkey

ild beat of the storm gave her a feeling of loneliness and a longing for someone to confide in, she told him of he

romantic king of the blacks. This much is history. I read it in a book written six years after his death. When the emperor felt his throne crumbling beneath him

out of her wits. The emperor said nothing was wrong

the back of the castle they entered a door to drag forth a

eror explained to his ally that the box was filled with the queen's treasures; that, if anythi

emperor was dead." John

d eagerly forward trying to rea

ew where it was hidden we would go for it. If that had been t

ps he too died during the uprising. As for the queen, everyone knows that sh

had sent a great deal of gold to England by a sea captain he trusted. This was at the queen's

yours; provided you find it. I too have been on a searc

ve you succeeded? When I was at you

son's strange doings, of his kidnapping by t

d. "Two treasure hunters lost

said Doris, reaching out in th

you do with all those diamonds, rub

ch for jewels. They're too ha

like bright things. I want a blue dress with orange trimmings and an orange dress with blue trimmings, and a green dress wit

you never find them. I like girls with arms strong as a man'

her up and down, "if that's what spells happiness for

ded, "that you als

don't. I want a midnight blue cape

Alaska. Know real fur when I see it. And like it as well as you. Here," he said, putting out a h

ter a brief silence. "Ho

erve it at once

kets full of goo

ets. In the end, he brought ou

d, the rain settled down to a steady, monotonous

ris and Nieta had traveled far that day. They had been hot. Now they were cool. They had

atter-patter of rain on their roof, the low rus

ere cosy and safe. The storm would end. Th

through at all, but yielded to the call of slumber. However that may be, time found them a

hnny who first awoke. He emerged from unreality to realit

monkey climbed a great cocoanut palm. With quite as much ability, he followed after. Up-up-up, ten, twenty,

n as he looked a sudden burst of wind seized the great palm

found nothing to which he might cling. He tr

woke to what? A very dark little chambe

e rushing sound all about him, and in th

But the sounds, the rushing, the s

" he told himself. "No

ieta. They might have awak

the dim light he made out their forms c

that a part of his dream was tr

t leaped painfully. "They have launched the boat

ape Haitian. When we get there, we will give them a grand surprise. We

t on. The size of the waves they rode, the break of spray over the canvas, the creaking of

e when they got there? He had never been on a tropical island save Haiti. What the people were

not. Perhaps these very people were cannibals or pirates. Who could tell? All he could do was to

he should awaken his companions. After a moment's thought he decided this would be unwise. To awaken

peak aloud and betray our presence. That might bring disaster. If th

ft and fall of the boat, catching the toss and creak

gain of the monkey and his

d himself, "we will

hose friends for but an hour; sailing over waters he had never before sailed to some la

. It was upon the shores of Haiti that Columbus established his first colony. For a time Johnny amused hi

he told himself. "The first w

, there came a sharp command from the

ooked at his companions as he stiffe

did not awaken.

veer in its course, then swept on.

o land soon. What land

adventures of R

came down. There was the sound of men going ashore. The boat was dra

knees trembled slightly as he rose to

t he looked shoreward. A grove of tall pal

e," he repeated a

n a low tone as he touched t

e we?" She sa

rrived," said Johnny. "Hurry. Waken that n