The Rover Boys on Land and Sea: The Crusoes of Seven Islands

  Produced by William R Marvin

  THE ROVER BOYS ONLAND AND SEA orThe Crusoes of the Seven Islands

  byArthur M Winfield

  CONTENTS

  I. The Rover Boys on San Francisco II. The Turning up of Dan Baxter III. A Discovery and What Followed IV. Good Times at Santa Barbara V. On Board the Yacht VI. Adrift on the Pacific Ocean VII. Dismaying News VIII. From One Ship to Another IX. In Which the Enemy Is Cornered X. A Blow in the Darkness XI. A Call from the Stern XII. Another Accident at Sea XIII. The Crusoes of Seven Islands XIV. Settling Down on the Island XV. Another Castaway Brought to Light XVI. Sam and the Shark XVII. Exploring the Seven Islands XVIII. Unexpected Visitors XIX. Hot Words and Blows XX. The Mate Tries to Take Command XXI. The Attack on the Wreck XXII. A Heavy Tropical Storm XXIII. What Happened on the Bay XXIV. In Close Quarters XXV. Trying to Come to Terms XXVI. The Cave on the Island XXVII. A fight with a Wild BeastXXVIII. The Burning of the Wreck XXX. The Defense of the Cave--Saved!

  INTRODUCTION.

  MY DEAR BOYS: "The Rover Boys on Land and Sea," is a complete storyin itself, but forms the seventh volume of the "Rover Boys Seriesfor Young Americans."

  As I mentioned in a previous volume of this series, when I began thisset of books I had in mind to write no more than three volumes,relating the adventures of Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, at home, atschool, and elsewhere. But the publication of "The Rover Boys atSchool," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean," and "The Rover Boys in theJungle," immediately called for more stories of the same sort, soyear after year I have followed with "The Rover Boys out West," "TheRover Boys on the Great Lakes," "The Rover Boys in the Mountains,"and now the volume before you, which relates the adventures of thethree brothers, and some of their friends and enemies, on the seaand on a number of far away islands, where, for a time, all lead asort of Robinson Crusoe life.

  In writing this tale I had in mind not alone to please my youngreaders, but also to give them a fair picture of life on the oceanas it is to-day, in distinction to what it was years ago, and alsoto acquaint the boys and girls with some of the beauties of thosemid-ocean lands which are generally, so strange to all of us. Theboys see much that is new, novel, and pleasing--new fruits, newflowers, new animals--and have often to use their wits to the utmost,to get themselves out of serious difficulty and also to makethemselves, and those under their protection, comfortable.

  Once again I thank my young friends for the interest they have shownin my previous stories. I trust that all who peruse this volume willfind it equally to their liking.

  Affectionately and sincerely yours, ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.

  THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA

  CHAPTER I

  THE ROVER BOYS IN SAN FRANCISCO

  "Well, Dick, here we are in San Francisco at last."

  "Yes, Tom, and what a fine large city it is."

  "We'll have to take care, or we'll get lost," came from a third boy,the youngest of the party.

  "Just listen to Sam!" cried Tom Rover. "Get lost! As if we weren'tin the habit of taking care of ourselves."

  "Sam is joking," came from Dick Rover. "Still we might get lost hereas well as in New York or any other large city."

  "Boston is the place to get lost in," said Tom Rover. "Got streetsthat curve in all directions. But let us go on. Where is the hotel?"

  "I'm sure I don't know," came from Sam Rover.

  "Cab! carriage! coupe!" bawled a cabman standing near. "Take youanywhere you want to go, gents."

  "How much to take the three of us to the Oakland House?"

  "Take you there for a dollar, trunks and all."

  "I'll go you," answered Dick Rover. "Come on, I'll see that you getthe right trunks."

  "I think we are going to have some good times while we are on thePacific coast," observed Tom Rover, while he and Sam were waitingfor Dick and the cabman to return.

  "I shan't object to a good time," replied Sam. "That is what we camefor."

  "Before we go back I am going to have a sail up and down the coast."

  "To be sure, Tom. Perhaps we can sail down to Santa Barbara. That isa sort of Asbury Park and Coney Island combined, so I have been told."

  Dick Rover and the cabman soon returned. The trunks were piled onthe carriage and the boys got in, and away they bowled from thestation in the direction of the Oakland House.

  It was about ten o'clock of a clear day in early spring. The boyshad reached San Francisco a few minutes before, taking in the sightson the way. Now they sat up in the carriage taking in more sights,as the turnout moved along first one street and then another.

  As old readers of this series know, the Rover boys were three innumber, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom next, and sturdy-heartedSam the youngest. They were the only offspring of Anderson Rover,a former traveler and mine-owner, who, at present, was living withhis brother Randolph and his sister-in-law Martha, on their beautifulfarm at Valley Brook, in the heart of New York State.

  During the past few years the Rover boys had had numerous adventures,so many, in fact, that they can scarcely be hinted at here. Whiletheir father was in the heart of Africa, their Uncle Randolph hadsent them off to Putnam Hall Academy. Here they had made many friendsamong the boys and also among some folks living in the vicinity,including Mrs. Stanhope and her daughter Dora, a girl who, accordingto Dick Rover's idea, was the sweetest creature in the whole world.They had also made some enemies, the worst of the number being DanBaxter, a fellow who had been the bully of the school, but who wasnow a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth. Baxter came froma disreputable family, his father having at one time tried to swindleMr. Rover out of a rich gold mine in the West. The elder Baxter wasnow in prison suffering the penalty for various crimes.

  A term at school had been followed by an exciting chase on the ocean,and then by a trip through the jungle of Africa, whence the Roverboys had gone to find their long-lost father. After this the boysmade a trip West to establish their parent's claim to the gold minejust mentioned, and this was followed by a grand trip on the GreatLakes in which the boys suffered not a little at the hands of theBaxters. On an island on one of the lakes the Rover boys found acurious casket and this, on being opened, proved to contain somedirections for locating a treasure secreted in the heart of theAdirondack Mountains.

  "We must locate that treasure," said Tom Rover, and off they startedfor the mountains, and did locate it at last, but not before DanBaxter had done everything in his power to locate it ahead of them.When they finally outwitted their enemy, Dan Baxter had disappeared,and that was the last they had seen of him for some time.

  The Rover boys had expected to return to Putnam Hall and their studiesimmediately after the winter outing in the Adirondacks, but anunexpected happening at the institution of learning made them changetheir plans. Three pupils were taken down with scarlet fever, andrather than run the risk of having more taken sick, Captain VictorPutnam had closed up the Academy for the time being, and sent thepupils to their homes.

  "The boys will have to go to some other school," their Aunt Marthahad said, but one and another had murmured at this, for they lovedCaptain Putnam too well to desert him so quickly.

  "Let us wait a few months," had been Dick's suggestion.

  "Let us study at home," had come from Sam.

  "Let us travel," Tom had put in. "Travel broadens the mind." He lovedto be "on the go" all the time.

  The matter was talked over for several days, and Tom begged that theymight take a trip across the continent and back, using some of themoney derived from the old treasure.
At last Anderson Rover consented;and two days later the three boys were off, going by way of New YorkCity, on the Chicago Limited. They had spent two days in the greatcity by the lakes, and then come direct to the Golden Gate city.

  "I wonder if we will meet anybody we know while we are out here,"said Tom, as the carriage continued on its way.

  "If we get down to Santa Barbara I think we'll meet somebody," answeredDick, and he blushed just a trifle. "I got a letter in Chicago, asyou know. It was from Dora Stanhope, and she said that she and hermother were traveling again and expected to go either to Santa Barbaraor Los Angeles. Her mother is not well again, and the doctor thoughtthe air on the Pacific coast might benefit her."

  "Oh, my, but won't Dick have an elegant time, if he falls in withDora!" cried Sam. "Tom, we won't be in it."

  "Now don't you start to tease me," returned Dick, his face redderthan ever. "I guess Dora always gave you a good time, too."

  "That's right, she did," said Tom. And then he added: "Did she sayanything about the Lanings?" For the Laning girls, Nellie and Grace,were cousins to Dora Stanhope, and Tom and Sam thought almost as muchof them as Dick did of Dora.

  "To be sure she did," replied Dick. "But I guess it's--well, it's asecret."

  "A secret!" shouted Sam. "Not much, Dick! Let us in on it at once!"

  "Yes, do!" put in Tom.

  "But it may prove a disappointment."

  "We'll chance it," returned Tom.

  "Well then, Dora wrote that if she and her mother could find a nicecottage at Los Angeles or Santa Barbara they were going to inviteNellie and Grace to come out and keep house with them for six monthsor so."

  "Hurrah!" cried Sam enthusiastically. "I hope they come. If they do,won't the six of us just have boss times!" And his face glowed withanticipation.

  "We can certainly have good times if Mrs. Stanhope's health willpermit," said Dick. "Here we are at the hotel."

  He uttered the last words as the carriage came to a stop at the curb.He leaped out and so did the others; and a few minutes later foundthem safe and sound in the hotel. They were assigned to a large roomon the third floor, and hither they made their way, followed by theirtrunks, and then began to wash and dress up, preparatory to goingdown to the dining room, for the journeying around since breakfasthad made them hungry.

  "I think I am going to like San Francisco," said Tom, as he wasadjusting a fresh collar and gazing out of the window at the sametime. "Everything looks so bright and clean."

  "They have some pretty tall buildings here, the same as in Chicagoand New York," came from Dick, as he, too, gazed out of the window.

  "Oh, all the big cities are a good deal alike," put in Sam, who wasdrying his face on a towel.

  "San Francisco is a mighty rich place," continued Tom. "They are toorich even to use pennies. It's five cents here, or a bit there, ortwo bits for this and two bits for that. I never heard a quartercalled two bits in New York."

  "I've been told that is a Southern expression, and one used in theWest Indies," said Dick. "The early Californians--My gracious!"

  Dick broke off short and leaned far out of the window, which theyhad opened to let in the fresh spring air.

  "What's up?" queried Tom. "Don't fall out." And he caught his elderbrother by the arm.

  "I must have been mistaken. But it did look like him," said Dick slowly.

  "Look like whom?" asked Sam, joining the pair.

  "Dan Baxter."

  "Dan Baxter! Here?" shouted the others.

  "I am pretty sure it was Dan Baxter."

  "Where is he?" asked Tom.

  "He is gone now--he just disappeared around the hotel corner."

  "Well, if it really was Dan Baxter, we want to keep our eyes open,"was Sam's comment.