It was to be left with him. The island was to be a
hiding-place, not a prison; he could pull out to a passing ship. The
O.S.N. Company's mail boats passed close to the islands when going into
Sulaco from the north. But the Minerva, carrying off the ex-president,
had taken the news up north of the disturbances in Sulaco. It was
possible that the next steamer down would get instructions to miss the
port altogether since the town, as far as the Minerva's officers knew,
was for the time being in the hands of the rabble. This would mean that
there would be no steamer for a month, as far as the mail service went;
but Decoud had to take his chance of that. The island was his only
shelter from the proscription hanging over his head. The Capataz was,
of course, going back. The unloaded lighter leaked much less, and he
thought that she would keep afloat as far as the harbour.
He passed to Decoud, standing knee-deep alongside, one of the two spades
which belonged to the equipment of each lighter for use when ballasting
ships. By working with it carefully as soon as there was daylight enough
to see, Decoud could loosen a mass of earth and stones overhanging the
cavity in which they had deposited the treasure, so that it would look
as if it had fallen naturally.
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