The Rover Boys on Land and Sea: The Crusoes of Seven Islands Page 24

  CHAPTER XXIII

  WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BAY

  To go back to Tom, Sam, and Captain Blossom at the time that theyplaced the two dead goats in their rowboat and prepared to return tothe camp.

  It was already raining by the time the shore of the bay was reached,and scarcely had they begun to row when the water came pouring downin torrents.

  "Gracious! I must say I don't like this!" cried Tom. "The rain isrunning down my neck in a stream."

  "I move we row into shore over yonder," said Sam, pointing up thecoast. "There are some trees which will shelter both us and the boatnicely."

  Captain Blossom was willing, and in a few minutes they were underthe trees and wringing out their clothes as best they could.

  "If I know anything about it, this storm is going to last for sometime," said the captain, after a long look at the sky.

  "Such a downfall as this can't last," said Sam. "Perhaps we can gethome between showers."

  It was dry under the trees for about half an hour, but then the waterbegan to reach them once more, and they had to shift their positionagain.

  This kept up for some time, until all were wet through and thoroughlyuncomfortable, when Tom proposed that they start for home regardlessof the storm.

  "We can't get any wetter than we are," he declared. "And the soonerwe reach the house the sooner we'll be able to change our clothes."

  The others agreed, and when the worst of the lightning and thunderhad passed they set off once more, two rowing and the third steeringthe boat and bailing out the water, which came in faster than wasdesirable.

  "When it rains in the tropics, it rains," observed Tom. "Puts me inmind of that storm we met when we were in Africa. Do you remember, Sam?"

  "Indeed, I do," answered his brother. "I thought we'd all be killedby the trees that fell in the jungle."

  "Have you been in Africa?" came from Captain Blossom in astonishment.

  "Yes," answered Tom. "Our father got lost there once, and we went insearch of him," and he gave a few of the particulars, as alreadyrelated in another volume of this series, entitled "The Rover Boysin the Jungle."

  "Well, you boys have had some ups and downs," said the captain. "ButI reckon you weren't cast away before like this."

  "Not like this," answered Sam. "But we were left on a lonely islandonce in Lake Huron," and he related a few particulars of their excitingexperiences with the Baxters while on the Great Lakes.

  Another downpour of rain cut off the talking, and Tom was kept busybailing out the row-boat. With three persons and the two dead goatsthe craft was pretty heavily loaded, and more than once the risingwind swept some water over the bow.

  "I'd give a little to be ashore again," said Tom presently. "It seemsto me that the rain is shutting out everything."

  "We'll have to land again, lads," put in the captain, with a graveshake of his head. "This wind is growing worse. We don't want to beswamped."

  They turned to what they thought must be the direction of the nearestshore, but though they pulled with might and main for nearly quarterof an hour no land appeared.

  "We're mixed," cried Sam. "The storm has twisted us up."

  By this time the wind was blowing a regular gale on the bay. It tookoff Tom's cap, and in a twinkle the headgear was out of sight.

  "My cap's gone!" groaned the youth.

  "The water is coming in over the bow!" came from Sam. "We will beswamped!"

  "We must throw the goats overboard," said the captain, and overboardwent the game, much to the boys' sorrow.

  This lightened the craft a little, but still the waves swept overthe gunwale, and now both Sam and Tom set to bailing, while thecaptain took both oars. Then came another blast of wind, worse thanbefore.

  "I see land!" cried Sam.

  "We are going over!" yelled Tom, and the wind fairly whipped thewords from his lips. Then came a mighty wave, and on the instant therowboat was upset, and all three found themselves in the waters ofthe bay.

  As they went under the same thought was in the mind of each: Werethere any sharks around?

  "Help! help!" cried Sam, as soon as he came up. "Our boat is sinking.Help!" And Tom soon joined in the cry. They had caught hold of theoverturned boat, but the craft, for some reason, failed to support them.

  Captain Blossom was close at hand, and he advised them to strike outfor the shore.

  "It's in this direction," he said, and led the way.

  "I--I can't swim very far with my clothes on," gasped Sam, yet hestruck out as best he could.

  "Hullo! Who calls?" came a cry from the shore, and, looking up, theysaw Dora standing there, with Nellie and Grace Laning close beside her.

  "It's Tom and Sam!" cried Nellie.

  "And Captain Blossom," added Grace.

  "Perhaps we can throw them a rope," came from Dora, and she ran toget the article she had mentioned.

  But by the time she returned the three swimmers had reached a pointwhere they could touch bottom with their feet, and, watching for afavorable opportunity, they rushed ashore, almost into the arms ofthe girls.

  "Oh, Tom, how glad I am that you are safe!" cried Nellie, while Gracecaught hold of Sam and asked if he was all right.

  "Yes, I am--am all right, but--but pretty well fagged out," gasped Sam.

  "It was a close shave," said Captain Blossom. "And our guns are gone."

  "We had two dead goats, too," put in Tom. "They went overboard first,and--goodness gracious--is that really Dan Baxter?"

  "Dan Baxter!" ejaculated Sam, and even Captain Blossom stared inamazement.

  "I see you've had a rough time of it," said Baxter, coming forwardcoolly. "How are you?"

  He shook hands with Captain Blossom, while the Rover boys continuedto stare at him.

  "Are you alone?" asked the master of the _Golden Wave_.

  "No, Jack Lesher is with me, and we left nine of the sailors onanother island."

  "Is that so? Where is Lesher now?"

  "In the house, asleep."

  "He is intoxicated," said Nellie. "We has been drinking ever sincehe put in an appearance."

  "Humph! That's like Lesher," muttered the captain, and his brow darkened.

  All moved toward the house, and entered to get out of the wet. Themate was still at the table, snoring loudly.

  "Might as well let him sleep it off," said the captain. "But when heis sober I'll have a talk with him."

  Wet clothing was changed for dry, and then the captain and the boyslistened to what Baxter and the girls had to tell. The captain wasglad to learn that so many of his men had been saved, and asked forthe names.

  "I don't care much about Peterson and McGlow," he said. "They aretough customers. I would rather have heard from Peabody, Dickson,and Fearwell. You don't know anything about them?"

  "No," said Dan Baxter.

  "This news about Dick and old Jerry worries me," said Tom.

  "Dan Baxter, I think you know more than you care to tell," said Samboldly.

  The bully hardly knew how to reply. He could not now fall back onJack Lesher for support, and he had thought to be on his way torejoin the sailors ere this. The storm had upset all of his calculations.It had been a foolish movement to attack Dick and old Jerry, and itnow looked as if he must suffer for it.

  "Well--er--I don't mind telling you that Dick and the mate hadsomething of a quarrel," he said hesitatingly.

  "How did it end?" asked Tom.

  "I can't say exactly."

  "Why not? You were with Lesher at the time."

  "No, I wasn't. He ordered me to get into the rowboat and wait forhim while he went back to get a pistol or a gun. I heard loud talkingon the deck of the schooner, and I knew a row was on. I was justgoing back to the deck when the mate came and leaped into the rowboat.He said the sailor and Dick were going to remain behind, and that wewouldn't wait any longer. Then we rowed over here."

  "If that's the case I'll make Lesher tell us what happened," criedTom, and shook the mate roughly. "Wake
up here!" he cried. "Wake upand give an account of yourself!"