“Let us go below and see how things are down there,” said Dick, and he at once led the way.
At that instant a loud sneeze reached their ears, causing Dick to pause on the companion way. Looking into the cabin he saw a man standing there, partly dressed.
“Captain Blossom!” he ejaculated. “Is it really you or your ghost?”
“Dick Rover!” cried the master of the schooner. “Then you weren’t drowned, after all?”
“No, captain. But—but how did you escape?”
“Is it really Captain Blossom?” came from Tom, and he rushed down into the cabin, followed by old Jerry. All shook hands, and the face of the captain showed his pleasure over the meeting.
“So you all escaped and are here,” he said. “I am downright glad to know it. What of the others?”
“We don’t know what became of the other boats,” answered Dick.
“Saw nothing at all?”
“Not a thing.”
The captain shook his head sorrowfully.
“But how did you escape?” asked Dick again.
“That is a short story, lad. When I went overboard from the rowboat, I caught hold of some of the wreckage from the schooner. This was still fast to the deck, and by hauling myself in I soon got on board again. As I had no boat, I remained on board, for I soon saw that the schooner would not go down immediately. At daylight the ship left the rocks and drifted around on the ocean until the wind came up last night, when we struck this island and got beached, as you see. I was worn out with watching, and as soon as I found the boat was safe from sinking I went to bed, and slept soundly until I heard you three tramping around the deck.”
“We are stopping over on yonder island,” said Tom, when all went on deck, and he pointed in the direction. “See, Sam and the girls are waving to us. Let us wave in return, and stand apart, so they can see that there are four of us.”
They did as the youngest Rover advised and soon saw that they were seen. Then Captain Blossom held up his spyglass.
“I reckon they will know who I am by that,” he said, and he was right, for Sam told the girls that the fourth man was Captain Blossom beyond a doubt.
“How is your stock of provisions?” asked old Jerry. “We are getting just a bit tired of living on birds and fish. And we want a gun or a pistol with which to protect ourselves.”
“The Golden Wave has enough provisions to last this party a year,” answered the captain. “We haven’t anything very fine, but we have plenty of flour, dried beans, salt and smoked meats, and a good many cases of canned vegetables, as well as sugar, tea, coffee, salt, and pepper. With fresh fish and some game we’ll be able to live as well here as if we were on shore,—that is, if we can find fresh water.”
“We have all the fresh water we want,—on the large island,” said Tom. “And lots of tropical fruit—cocoanuts, bananas, and the like.”
“If we are going to live on the ship, we’ll have to bring fresh water over from the other island in a cask,” said Dick. “That will not be very handy.”
“Can’t we move the wreck over?” came from Tom.
“No, lad,” answered Captain Blossom. “She is here to stay until her timbers rot. But if we wish, we can move some of the provisions ashore. There are the parts of a rowboat below, and I reckon I am carpenter enough to put the parts together in a day or two.”
“We have a boat on the north beach,” said old Jerry; “we can bring it around.”
“To do that, we’ll have to swim the channel again,” came from Dick. “And I must say I don’t like that.”
“Let us make a raft,” cried Tom. “There must be plenty of material on board of the schooner for that.”
“There certainly is,” answered Captain Blossom. “Come, we can make a raft in less than an hour.”
All set to work, and in a short space of time they had the material together. Ropes and spikes were there a-plenty, and as Captain Blossom laid out one stick and another, the boys and old Jerry either nailed or tied them together. A board flooring was placed on top of the spars and then the whole affair was dumped into the bay with a loud splash. It floated very well, with the flooring a good ten inches above the surface of the water, and as the raft was nearly twenty feet long by ten wide, it was capable of carrying considerable weight.
“That’s better than a boat,” said Dick. “We can pile a good deal more stuff on it.”
“Let us get on and paddle to where we left the others,” said Tom. “They will be anxious to learn the news.”
Captain Blossom was willing, and they took with them a variety of provisions and also some extra clothing and some firearms. Then the raft was moved to where the boys had left part of their own clothing when they had started to swim the channel.
The coming of the big raft and its passengers to the shore where the cabin was located was greeted with shouts of joy from Sam and the three girls.
“Hurrah for the captain of the Golden Wave!” cried Sam, swinging his cap in the air. “We are very glad to see you safe and sound.”
“And I am glad to see you,” answered Captain Blossom, as he leaped ashore and grasped one and another by the hand. “Last night I was thinking I would be a lonely castaway; now I find I shall have plenty of company.”
“We have brought along some provisions,” put in Tom. “And in honor of this reunion, and also in honor of the fact that the Golden ‘Wave has not been sunk, I move we invite the girls to get us up a regular feast. I think all bands deserve it.”
“Second the motion!” cried Sam.
“All right, we’ll cook you anything you want,” said Nellie. “That is, if you will supply the things.”
“I will,” answered Tom. Then he scratched his head. “Well, by gracious!”
“What’s the trouble, Tom?” asked Grace. “Did you forget to bring along some sugar?”
“Worse than that. I brought along all sorts of good things to eat, and not a single knife, fork, spoon, or dish outside of some cooking utensils.”
“Oh, dear!” burst out Dora. “It will be a sorry feast if we haven’t anything to eat from!”
“I’ll go back for the dishes,” replied Tom promptly. “Sam, do you want to visit the wreck? We can go and come by the time the things are cooked.”
“To be sure I’ll go,” said Sam; and in a few minutes more the two boys were off on the clumsy raft.
CHAPTER XVI
SAM AND THE SHARK
“The Golden Wave looks like an old friend,” said Sam as they paddled across the smooth waters of the bay.
“Her coming here is the finest thing that could have happened,” answered his brother. “I didn’t want to say anything before, but if she hadn’t come what would we have done for clothing and for eating? We couldn’t live on fish all the time, and one can do mighty little hunting without a gun.”
“We would have had to set traps, Tom, and dig pitfalls for larger game. But I admit it would have been hard work, and I fancy a suit of goatskins, like Robinson Crusoe wore, wouldn’t be half as comfortable as a suit of clothes such as I am wearing.”
“If we could only float the schooner and sail away to some nearby port.”
“There is no port’ within three hundred miles of us, so the captain says.”
Soon the boys were halfway across the bay. But moving the big raft was a laborious task, and they were glad enough to sit down and rest for a few minutes.
“There is no use of our hurrying,” said Tom. “Our time is our own in this out-of-the-way place, and as we have next to nothing to do we want to make what little work there is last us.”
“Like a lazy man working by the day,” laughed Sam. “I’m afraid I can’t work that way. When I have something to do I’m not content until it is done.”
“Are you hot, Sam? Here is something to cool you off.”
&n
bsp; As Tom spoke he playfully scooped up a handful of water and threw it at his brother.
Soon the two boys were having lots of sport, throwing handfuls of the salty water at each other. Then Sam made a motion as if he was going to push Tom overboard with his paddle.
“Hi! none of that!” cried Tom. “I don’t mind a wetting by retail, but I don’t want it by wholesale.”
He continued to throw water at Sam and the youngest Rover tried to dodge. The raft began to rock, and of a sudden Sam lost his balance and went into the bay with a splash.
Tom set up a laugh, for it was a comical sight, and it had been Sam’s own fault that he went overboard. But then Tom’s laughter came to an end as he saw the form of a shark moving swiftly toward the spot.
“A shark! a shark!” he screamed. “Sam, get on board, quick! A shark is after you!”
Sam had gone far down beneath the surface and he did not reappear at once. Then he came up spluttering.
“Gosh! I didn’t want a bath! Tom, you—”
“Hurry and get aboard, Sam! A shark is after you!”
Sam was about ten feet from the raft, and running to the spot nearest to him, Tom held out the end of his paddle.
“A shark?” gasped the youngest Rover.
“Yes! yes! Catch the end of the paddle!”
Sam made a frantic effort to do so. In the meantime the shark came closer and Tom could see his enormous mouth and sharp teeth clearly. His blood turned to ice in his veins.
Sam made a clutch at the paddle, missed it, and disappeared once more from sight. The shark rushed to the spot and turned in dismay, and driven to desperation, Tom hit the monster over the head with the paddle. Then the shark disappeared also.
The next few seconds were full of agony for poor Tom. He gazed in all directions for Sam, and for the shark, but neither one nor the other was to be seen.
“He must have caught Sam under the water!” he muttered. “Oh, Sam, what an awful death to die!”
A slight noise at the upper end of the raft disturbed him. He turned swiftly, to see a wet hand glide over the woodwork. He made a leap and clutched the hand, and then Sam’s head appeared. He gave a frantic yank, and both lay on the flooring of the raft. Sam was saved.
“The shark!” gasped Tom, when he could speak. “Did it—it—bite you?”
“No, but it grazed my shoulder,” answered Sam. “If I had not dived down, I would have lost an arm at the very least.”
When they felt able they looked around, but the shark had disappeared.
“That settles it,” said Tom. “We must be careful and keep out of this water in the future. If we want to bathe, we will have to build a pool.”
During the remainder of the trip to the wreck both were careful not to run the slightest chance of falling overboard.
“Not such a very lovely place to live in, after all,” said Tom. “Snakes on land and sharks in the water, ugh!” And Sam agreed with him.
Once on the wreck it was an easy thing to obtain the dishes and the knives, forks and spoons, and also some other things they thought they might require. They also brought away another gun, loading it up before leaving the ship.
“Now, if Mr. Shark comes around again, we can give him a dose of buckshot,” said’ Tom.
But the shark did not appear, excepting at a great distance.
When Sam. told his story all congratulated him on his narrow escape.
“Tom is right,” said old Jerry. “Ye mustn’t do no bathin’ in the bay. We can fix two pools, one for the ladies and one for ourselves, and make another pool for fish, and another for turtles, if we can find any.”
The girls had cooked a splendid meal, and soon the table was set on a big flat rock lying near the beach. All sat down and Captain Blossom asked a blessing, and then they all fell to with vigor, for all were hungry.
“The salt air gives one an appetite,” said Dick.
The meal lasted the best part of an hour, for, as Tom said, there was no use of hurrying. As they ate, and for some time afterward, they discussed their situation and tried to arrange plans for the future.
It was decided that first of all Dick and old Jerry should climb to the top of the hill, taking with them an ax and a flag and some halyards, and fasten the flag to the top of the tree, stars down, as a signal of distress. Then the whole party was to assist in bringing from the wreck as much building material as was necessary to construct a comfortable dwelling of three large rooms, one for the girls, one for the boys and men, and one as a general living room. A store-house was also to be built, in which could be stored such provisions as were brought away from the wreck from time to time. Then they could live on shore or on the ship, as they pleased.
The following day was Sunday and all rested. The girls thought there should be some sort of religious exercises and all went to the wreck, where Captain Blossom read some chapters from the Bible and the others sang hymns.
The week to follow was a busy one and the time slipped by rapidly. A visit was paid to the hilltop and the flag raised, and Tom and old Jerry also went to the north shore and brought around the rowboat beached there. In the meantime Captain Blossom put together the rowboat parts stored on the Golden Wave, so they now had two boats and the raft for service across the bay and to other points on the water.
Building the house was by no means an easy task, but the Rover boys thought it more fun than work, especially with the girls to look on, and by the end of the second week the building looked quite presentable. When the two bedrooms were finished, some berths were brought over from the wreck, along with bed-clothing, and also some furniture for the living apartment. Outside the latter room a large porch was built, where they might eat and rest when the weather was fine. Not to run the risk of burning down the building in a high wind, it was decided that the cooking should be done in a shed some distance away, in the shelter of the rocks and handy to the spring.
“Who is going to be the cook?” asked Dick. “It won’t be fair to put it off on one person.”
“We have decided to take turns,” said Dora. “Each one will be the main cook for a day at a time, with the others to help, and to wash the dishes. We are going to do all the housework, too, so you men folks can hunt and fish, and make garden if you will, to your hearts’ content.”
“What a lazy time we will have of it,” laughed Dick.
“Captain Blossom says that as soon as we are settled we can explore all of the seven islands. Who knows we may find out something of importance,” came from Tom, who stood near.
“Cannibals, for instance,” put in Sam.
“Oh, do you really think there are any cannibals here?” asked Grace.
“I believe he is fooling,” said Nellie. “He only wants to scare us!” And she tossed her pretty head.
“Perhaps we’ll stir up some lions or tigers,” said Tom.
“Or an elephant,” added Dick. “But I don’t think we will. My opinion is that these islands have nothing on them but birds, monkeys, small game, and snakes.”
“You’ve forgotten one thing,” said Dora, with an odd smile.
“What, Dora?”
“Castaways.”
CHAPTER XVII
EXPLORING THE SEVEN ISLANDS
Another rainy spell, lasting three days, followed, but after that the sky cleared in a fashion which Captain Blossom thought betokened good weather for some time to come.
“We can now explore the seven islands and learn just what they contain,” he said.
The question now arose as to who should go along and who should stay at home with the girls. Lots were cast, and by this it was decided that the exploring party should consist of Captain Blossom, Sam, and Tom, leaving Dick and old Jerry with Dora, Nellie, and Grace.
It was decided that the exploring party should take the lightest of the rowboats and enough prov
isions to last for a week. Each was also provided with a pistol, and Captain Blossom carried a rifle in addition.
“If all goes well we will be back inside of four days,” said the captain, when he and Tom and Sam were ready to depart. “But if we are not back at that time do not worry until at least a week has gone by.” And so it was arranged. It was also arranged that three shots fired in succession should be a signal that one party or the other was in trouble.
Tom and Sam were pleased over the prospect of going with the captain and they willingly took up the oars to row to the nearest island, which, as we already know, was close at hand. The boat was left on the beach and without delay the captain and the two boys plunged into the interior.
The island was small, with but a slight rise of ground in the center. It was of small importance and they soon came out on the ocean side, where there was a beach strewn with shells and with oysters scarcely fit to eat. The growth on this island was mostly of young palms and the captain was of the opinion that the ground was not many years old.
“This has been thrown up by an earthquake or a volcano,” he said. “There is nothing here to interest us,” and he turned back.
They already knew something of the island on which the wreck was located, but, nevertheless, made a trip across it and up the outward coast. Here they found a number of orange and lemon trees, and also a great quantity of tropical nuts and some spices. The lemons proved to be very refreshing, and Tom said he meant to come back some day and get a bagful for general use.
The next island was visited the next day, the party spending the night on the wreck. The passage to this island was rather a rough one, and they had all they could do to keep from having their provisions spilt overboard.
“It is a blessing that the sea is comparatively calm,” said Captain Blossom. “Otherwise we could never make such a trip in a small boat.”
This island was the largest of the group outside of the one on which the castaways had settled. It was almost square in shape and had a double hill with a tiny valley running between. In this valley the tropical growth was very dense, and the monkeys and birds were thicker than they had before seen them. There were also large quantities of blue and green parrots, filling the air with their cawing and screaming.
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