“We could live in this cave, if it wasn’t that the opening to it is in the gully,” said Sam as they advanced.
“There may be another opening at the other end,” said Tom. “It is certainly quite long.”
They had advanced fully a hundred feet, and now found themselves in a chamber forty or fifty feet square. The ceiling was arched and so high that they could not touch it without jumping up.
“This is as good as a house,” said Tom. “See how dry the flooring is. That proves that it is waterproof.”
From the large chamber there were several passageways, all leading toward the bay.
“Which shall we investigate first?” asked Sam.
“Let us start at the right.”
“All right, Tom; the right ought to be right,” answered Sam lightly.
On they went once more, the flooring now sloping before them. Here there was considerable moisture, and they had to walk with care for fear of slipping down.
Suddenly a number of bats flew out of a hole nearby, dashing against the torches and against the boys themselves. The rush was so unexpected that each youth dropped his light and put up his hands to protect himself.
“Get out! Let me alone!” spluttered Sam.
“Whoop!” roared Tom. “Confound the bats anyway! Get along and let us alone!”
Lying on the flooring the torches soon went out, and in their efforts to protect themselves from the bats the boys rushed blindly down the passageway. Then of a sudden both slipped on the wet rocks, slid a distance of several yards, and went down and down, landing into a well-like opening with a loud splash!
CHAPTER XXVI
THE CAVE ON THE ISLAND
“Tom!”
“Sam!”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t looking for such a cold bath as this.”
“I guess we must have fallen into a regular well of spring water.”
“Never mind what we are in. The question is, how are we to get out?”
“Can you touch the top of the opening?”
“No.”
“Neither can I.”
Luckily the two boys could touch the bottom of the hole, so they were in no danger of drowning. They were in water up to their waists and calculated they had dropped a distance of two or three yards. All was pitch dark around them and as silent as a tomb, save for some water which trickled close at hand. The bats had departed, leaving them to their fate.
“This is cave-investigating with a vengeance,” said Tom, with something like a shiver.
“Never mind, Tom, we won’t die of thirst anyway.”
“Do you think this is a laughing matter, Sam?”
“No, I don’t. I’d give a good deal to be out of this hole and out of the cave also.”
“I’ve got an idea. Let me climb on your shoulders and see if I can reach the top that way.”
Sam was willing, and soon Tom was balancing himself as best he could. He felt around with care, Sam moving from point to point as directed.
“Here is a sharp rock; I think I can pull myself up on that,” said Tom. He tried with all of his strength and went up off Sam’s shoulders. Then the youngest Rover heard him crawling around the wet flooring carefully.
When Tom felt fairly safe he brought out his waterproof match safe and lit a match. Then one of the torches was picked up and he lit that, but kept it partly sheltered, fearing another attack from the bats.
By the aid of the torch, Sam was able to reach a sharp rock quite low down in the well hole, and when Tom gave him a hand he came up with ease. Both saw that the passage ended at the hole and hurried back to the main chamber of the cave.
“That’s the time that right was not right,” said Sam, wringing the water from his trousers, while Tom did the same. “Let us try the left after this.”
“I trust we don’t get left by it,” added Sam.
The passageway was small and winding, but fairly level. There were several sharp rocks to pass and then Tom gave a cry.
“I see a light ahead!”
“It must be an opening, Tam.”
“Exactly what I think.”
Both hurried forward. As they did this, the opening appeared to grow larger and they saw a number of bushes ahead of them. They pushed these aside and saw beyond a clear stretch of the bay and to the northward the house they had built. The opening was twenty or thirty feet above the beach and hidden in the rocks and bushes.
“This is a short cut to the beach from the flagstaff,” said Sam. “I wish we had put up the flag. Then we could carry the news of the cave to the others.”
“Let us hurry back, Sam. It won’t take so very long to put up the flag, with the tree still standing.”
When they reached the gully they were careful that no further mishaps should befall them. Having picked up the flag they hoisted it once more, stars down, and then went back through the cave to the beach.
As they had imagined, the others were greatly interested in the news. All left the house and visited the place. The girls did not go any further than the main chamber, but the captain, Dick, and old Jerry made a complete investigation, taking care not to fall into the well-hole or any other unsafe place.
“As the boys say, this cave may come in very handy some time,” said Captain Blossom. “In case of a very heavy wind storm it would be a good place for shelter.”
“Why couldn’t the sailors, Lesher, and Baxter live here?” asked Dick. “We don’t want them, and it will save them the trouble of building a house, in case they don’t want to live on the wreck.”
“No, I advise that we tell them nothing about the cave,” said Tom. “If we should have a fight and get the worst of it, we could hide here and they wouldn’t be able to find us very readily.”
“Do you think it will get as far as that?” asked Dora, and her face showed she was much disturbed.
“I hope not, Dora,” said Dick. “But you must remember that we have had some pretty sharp quarrels already.”
“I think Tom is right,” came from Sam. “We’ll not tell the others anything about the cave. If they don’t want to live on the wreck, they can build a house or two, just as we did.”
On returning to the shore of the bay, Captain Blossom and Tom went on a hunt along the beach and presently discovered the rowboat that had overturned with them during the storm.
The craft was but little damaged and they soon had it mended, and then the captain brought it around to the anchorage in front of the house.
“I wonder when Baxter and Lesher will arrive with the sailors?” said Nellie.
“Not before to-morrow night,” answered Tom.
“Then do you know what I would do if I were you?” went on the girl.
“What, Nellie?”
“I’d bring some stores away from the wreck and hide them in the cave. If you did that, it might save us a good deal of trouble. For all we know, that mate might try to take command and refuse to let us get anything more from the ship.”
“Do you think he’d do that while Captain Blossom was around?” came from Grace.
“Oh, he might do anything when he is half full of liquor,” answered Tom. “I think Nellie is right. I’ll talk it over with the others.”
Tom lost no time in the matter, and Dick, Sam, and old Jerry agreed that Nellie’s idea was very good. Captain Blossom shrugged his shoulders and looked ugly.
“Jack Lesher shall not take the command from me,” he said. “If he tries it, he’ll find himself in the biggest kind of a row.”
“But you must admit that there is grave danger,” said Dick.
“Yes, I admit that.”
“Then you are willing that we shall hide the stores?”
“If you want to.”
“Won’t you help us, Captain Blossom? Of cou
rse, we recognize the fact that those things belong to you, since you remained on the ship up to the time she struck the island.”
This speech pleased the captain, and he said he would help them willingly.
Without delay the two rowboats and the raft were called into commission, and an hour later the men and boys were hard at work transferring goods from the wreck to the beach in front of the cave. Five trips were made back and forth, the boats and the raft bringing over each, time as much as could be conveniently floated.
By the time the last trip was made and the goods piled on the beach and covered with a large tarpaulin, it was dark and all were utterly worn out by their labors. The girls had prepared an extra good supper, and of this they ate heartily and then sat around a little while, when they went to bed.
At the beginning the castaways had kept guard during the night, but of late this had been done away with, everybody being satisfied that no harm could befall them during the darkness.
But as the doorway to the house was an open one it had been considered the duty of one or the other to sleep directly in the opening. This was Dick’s night, and the eldest Rover lay there sleeping soundly until about two in the morning.
By this time the moon had disappeared and the stars were partly hidden by some clouds. The night was quiet, save for the hum of insects in the jungle back of the house and the soft lap-lap of the waves on the beach of the bay.
Suddenly Dick awoke with a start. He sat bolt upright, wondering what had brought him to his senses so quickly. He listened intently, but nothing unusual greeted his ears.
“I must have been dreaming, or something,” he thought. “But is queer I should be so wide.. awake.”
At first he was on the point of lying down again, but then concluded to get up and get a drink of water.
He arose to his feet and stood in the open doorway, gazing into the darkness. The faint light of a few stars shone in the waters of the bay, and between the waters and himself he presently saw a dark form stealing along, close to the ground.
What could that be? Was it something real or only a shadow? Dick rubbed his eyes and peered out more sharply than ever. It was not a shadow, but a real form, slowly moving around to the rear of the house.
“An animal, or else a man crawling along,” said Dick to himself, and reached for his gun, which stood close at hand. Then he made up his mind to investigate, and stepped outside of the doorway for that purpose.
CHAPTER XXVII
A FIGHT WITH A WILD BEAST
As Dick stepped out of the house, gun in hand, the form disappeared behind a small clump of bushes growing not fifty feet away.
“It’s gone,” he said to himself, but waited patiently, with his gun ready for use.
The clouds were increasing, making it darker than ever. Almost holding his breath, the youth took several steps forward. Then he waited again.
At last the form reappeared, crouched lower than ever, so that it was almost hidden by the rocks and low brushwood leading to the jungle. At first Dick imagined the beast, or whatever it was, was going to retreat to the timber, but soon it appeared to turn back, as if to make another semicircle, this time around to the rear of the house.
It must be admitted that Dick’s heart thumped madly in his breast. The gun was raised and he kept his finger on the trigger. But he did not dare to shoot until he was certain of the object of his aim.
“I don’t want to kill anybody,” he reasoned. And he thought of a story he had once read of a hunter shooting his companion who had got the nightmare and was crawling around in his sleep. For all he knew, it might be Sam or Tom, or one of the others.
But now came a sound which was not to be mistaken. It was a low, savage growl, followed by the rustling of a bushy tail among the brushwood. It was a wild animal, and it was getting ready to make a leap for the boy!
Taking aim as best he could, Dick pulled the trigger. Bang! went the firearm, and a snarl of pain and rage rang out. Then the beast made its leap, striking Dick in the breast and knocking him over.
“Hullo! what’s the row?” The cry came from old Jerry, who had been sleeping next to Dick. “Who fired that shot?”
“Help!” answered Dick. “A wild beast has attacked me.”
“A wild beast!” came from several throats at once.
“Let me get a shot,” came from Tom, as he bounced out of the house, pistol in hand, followed by Sam and Captain Blossom.
By this time Dick had gotten to his knees and was trying to fight off the animal which had fastened its teeth in the youth’s trouser leg, for the boys slept with part of their garments on them.
“Shoot him! Hit him over the head with a club!” screamed the eldest Rover. He expected every moment to have the beast fly at his throat, and he knew that that would be his death.
Old Jerry turned back to get a pistol or a club. As he did this Tom rushed past him and up to Dick’s side. Taking a hasty aim, Tom discharged the pistol twice.
Another growl rang out and the beast dropped back, shot through the foreshoulder and the neck. Then Tom let drive once more and the beast fell forward, shot through the left front leg.
“Good for you, Tom!” cried Dick, as he arose.
“What is it?” came from Captain Blossom, as he appeared with a shotgun. A shot from this finished the beast and it rolled over and over in its death agonies, and Sam finished it with a blow on the head with a big club.
By this time the girls were crowding outside, having clothed themselves with whatever was handiest. Torches were lit, and a ship’s lantern, and all went to examine the creature.
“It looks like a tiger,” declared Tom. “Only it is not quite so large.”
“I should say it was a California puma,” came from old Jerry. “He’s a bad one, too.”
“I think they call them jaguars out here,” said Dick. “They all belong to the same family, you know. Some old American hunters would call it a painter.”
“Never mind what it is,” said Dora, with a shudder. “I am thankful that it is dead.”
“You can be thankful that it didn’t chew Dick up,” added Tom. “He was in a tight corner, I can tell you that.”
“I didn’t want to shoot until I was certain of what I was shooting at,” answered Dick. “Then, just as I fired, the beast leaped for me. If I hadn’t wounded it, it would have had me by the throat sure. But my shot kind of made it fall back, and it caught me by the trouser leg.”
“Are you sure you are not hurt, lad?” asked the captain.
“Not hurt in the least,” answered Dick, and all were thankful that this was so.
The animal was dragged close to the cabin. It measured about five feet in length, regardless of the tail, and was of a dull yellowish color. Its teeth were long and sharp, and its face had a fierce, blood-thirsty look about it that made all the girls shiver.
“I must confess that I am surprised to find such a beast on these islands,” said Captain Blossom. “Usually they are to be found only on the mainland or on large islands.”
“What I am wondering is, are there any more around?” came from Sam.
“If there are, we’ll have to be careful how we move around,” put in old Jerry. “I don’t want any of ‘em to leap out at me from behind a rock.”
“We’ll have to be on the watch,” said Tom. “I’m sure I don’t want to furnish any tropical tiger cat with a square meal.”
“Oh, Tom, how awful to even mention it!” cried Nellie.
“I think I know a way to keep ‘em away from the house at night,” said old Jerry.
“How?” questioned several.
“Keep a camp-fire burning close to the door. All wild animals hate a fire.”
“Jerry is right,” said Captain Blossom. “We’ll do it after this.”
“What shall we do with the beast?” asked Dick. “I
don’t think it is good to eat.”
“Save the skin,” said Dora. “That will surely make an elegant rug.”
“Leave the carcass until morning,” said Captain Blossom. “We must get some more sleep if we want to go to work to-morrow.”
“To-day, you mean,” said Tom, looking at his watch. “It is already three o’clock.”
A camp-fire was lit and then all but Jerry retired, it being agreed that the old sailor was to turn in once more when the others arose for breakfast. All but Dick slept soundly, but even the eldest Rover was benefited by the additional rest.
The first work in the morning was to skin the wild beast. This was rather a difficult task since no one had had any experience, outside of the Rover boys, on small game. Old Jerry said he would try a steak cut from the best part of the the animal, but when he did he said it was too tough to eat. Then the carcass was dragged away and flung into a hole between the rocks.
After breakfast, the men and boys began in earnest to place the stores brought to the beach in the cave. It was hard work getting the boxes and barrels up the incline to the mouth of the cave, and the work took until the middle of the afternoon. Once at the entrance, the stores were speedily shifted to the chamber previously mentioned, and covered again with the tarpaulin. With the stores were placed a cask of fresh water, some dry pine torches and a box of matches. Captain Blossom left a gun and some ammunition in the cave, and the Rover boys added two pistols and a couple of swords taken from the ship.
“Now we will re-arrange the entrance to the cave as it was before,” said Dick. “Then the sailors will never suspect what we have done.”
By sunset the work was over and all hands were back at the house, taking it easy. Supper was ready, but they waited hard an hour, thinking that Baxter, Lesher, and their party would put in an appearance at any moment.
“I reckon they aren’t coming just yet,” said Captain Blossom, at length. “Let us wait no longer.”
“I’m willing,” said Tom. The extra work had sharpened his appetite wonderfully.
The evening passed quietly and soon one after another retired. As agreed, the camp-fire was left burning, and each took his turn at remaining on guard.
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