CHAPTER XXII
AFLOAT ONCE MORE
Captain Spark laid aside his binoculars and began shoving the gigdown toward the line of surf. The tide was about half in.
"Lend a hand!" cried the commander to Mr. Tarbill. There was noneed to urge Bob, who had already grasped one side of the gunwaleand was helping to push the boat down the beach.
It was almost too much for the captain and Bob, as Mr. Tarbill,however willing he was, could not bring much strength to the work.Fortunately, however, Tim Flynn came from the woods at that moment,dragging after him a long thin pole to serve as a mast. He sawwhat the captain wanted and ran up to help. Between the three theymanaged to get the gig afloat.
"Now then! Lively!" cried the commander. "Their boat is settlingfast!"
Tim did not need to be told what the object was in launching thegig. Fortunately there had been a spare pair of oars in the craftwhen she came ashore, the big blades being fastened so they couldnot float away. With these the captain and Tim began to propel theboat toward the sinking craft in which were Mr. Carr and Ned Scudd.The two latter were bailing so fast that they had no chance to row.Bob also went in the gig, but Mr. Tarbill remained on shore,nervously running up and down, wringing his hands and uttering vainwishes that he had never undertaken a sea voyage for his health.
It was not long before the gig was close to the other boat, andCaptain Spark called out a glad greeting to his first mate and thesailor.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We hit some floating wreckage last night," explained Mr. Carr."Stove quite a hole, but I managed to stuff part of a sail in it,and we did very well until early this morning. Then some of theseams began to open, and we're filling fast."
"I'll take you aboard," said the commander. "We've got a nicelittle island waiting for you. Where are the other men?"
"Drowned," replied Mr. Carr solemnly. "That is, those who werewith me. When we got the hole in us they became frightened andleaped overboard--that is, all but Ned here. I tried to make 'emstay in, but they wouldn't. That is the last I saw of them. Theother boat, with Sam Bender and his crew, we lost sight of."
"Poor fellows," murmured the captain.
The first mate and Ned were soon in the captain's gig, and shortlyafterward the boat with the hole in her filled and sank.
"Never mind," consoled the captain. "It's shallow here and at lowtide we may be able to get her. Anything left in her, Mr. Carr?"
"Considerable provisions in the water-tight compartments. Alsosome supplies."
"Very good. We'll need 'em all. We're quite a party of castawaysnow."
"How did you find Bob?" asked the first mate, for his boat had beennear when the boy fell overboard.
"Oh, Bob discovered the island for us," replied the commander, andhe explained the various happenings.
Shore was soon reached, and then Mr. Carr and Ned, neither of whomhad been able to eat much because of the necessity of bailing tokeep from sinking, were given a good meal.
The two latest arrivals looked with interest on what had alreadybeen done to form a camp. When their wet trousers were hung up todry in the hot sun, they rested in the shade of the tent and Bobexplained his adventures on first reaching the island.
"Have you any idea where we are, captain?" asked Mr. Carr, after amutual exchange of experiences.
"Only a slight one. I'm going to take an observation this noon.Fortunately, my chronometer did not stop and I can get the correctreckoning."
But the captain was disappointed. At noon the sun was hidden undera dense bank of clouds, and, as "dead reckoning" would have been ofno avail, since they had no previous record to go by, he had topostpone matters.
However, there was plenty to do. When the tide went out late thatafternoon they saw that it would be possible to get most of thethings from the wrecked boat. This kept them busy until dark.Then a big campfire was lighted, and, though the tent was rathercrowded with six in it, they managed to sleep fairly comfortably.
The next day it rained, and the castaways put in rather a miserableexistence. Fortunately, they had carried the food into the tent,where it was protected from the terrific tropical downpour. Therain kept up for three days, and during all that time Mr. Tarbillnever ceased complaining.
As for Bob and the others, they did not mind getting wet through,for the weather was very warm. Under the captain's directions theyhad built a sort of screen for the fire at the first sign of astorm, making it of green cocoanut tree leaves on slanting poleslike a "lean-to," and this kept the blaze going in spite of thewetness, as plenty of dry wood had been gathered before the rainbegan.
On the fourth day the sun shone brightly, the downpour had ceased,and they rejoiced in the beautiful scenery around them, even thoughthey were shipwrecked and on a strange island.
"We must build a more substantial shelter than the tent," CaptainSpark decided that morning. "We may have to stay here for severalmonths, and the tent is not large enough. Besides, we must keepour supplies dry."
They decided to make a small log cabin, and, with this end in view,Bob, the two sailors, and Mr. Carr set off into the woods to hewdown trees for this purpose.
Captain Spark and Mr. Tarbill remained behind to get the camp inbetter shape after the storm. The commander also wished to take asun observation that noon and work out the position of the island.
As Bob and his three companions were going through the wood, theywere surprised to see several birds of brilliant plumage. Some ofthem sang sweetly.
"That's a good sign!" exclaimed Mr. Carr.
"Why?" asked Bob.
"Because if there are birds on this small island, it shows thatthere must be a larger island not far away. Birds of this kindlive in large forests, and as there are none here, on account ofthe size of this island, that shows they must come from some otherone, or from the mainland."
"I hope you're right," said Bob. "We might be able to get to someother island in the gig, and then we would stand a better chance ofbeing rescued."
When the little party got back to camp, carrying a number of polesfor the beginning of the hut, they found Captain Spark preparing totake an observation, as it was nearly noon. He asked Mr. Carr toassist him.
In a few minutes, after taking the altitude of the sun through thesextant and working out a calculation from his table of figures,the captain was able to announce the result, giving the latitudeand longitude of the island.
"Why," exclaimed Bob, "that is about the location of the islandshown on the parchment map that Captain Obed gave me."
"So it is!" cried the captain. "Where is the map, Bob?"
"Lost overboard with the rest of my things, I suppose, when theboat capsized," was the rueful answer.
"That's so. Now we'll never know whether there was any treasure ornot. However, there's no use worrying about that. The best newsis that we are not far off from a very large island, at which shipsfrequently touch for water and provisions."
"Good!" cried Mr. Carr. "About how far off, captain?"
"Not more than two hundred miles."
"But how can we go two hundred miles?" asked Mr. Tarbill.
"In the small boat--my gig--to be sure. We have sufficientprovisions for twice that journey, and the boat is large enough."
"I'll never venture to sea in a small boat!" declared the nervouspassenger.
The others paid little attention to him, being too much interestedin what the captain had to say about the other island. He hadnever been there, but he had heard of it. It was inhabited by atribe of friendly natives.
"Shall we start soon?" asked Mr. Carr.
"I think we'll wait a week or two and see what turns up here. Weare very comfortable, and I don't want to undertake the voyage inthe small boat if there is any chance of a ship taking us off fromhere."
The thought that they were not so very far from an island, wherethe chances of rescue were most excellent, put every one in goodhumor, save Mr. Tarbill. He re
mained gloomy and nervous.
It was decided to proceed with the building of the hut, and in afew days it was finished and thatched with thick green leaves, thatwere almost as good as shingles.
"There, now let it rain if it wants to," said Mr. Carr. "We'll begood and dry. The tent can be used as a storehouse for what thehut won't hold."
It seemed as if the rain was going to take them at their word, forthere came a steady downpour the next day, and it lasted a weekwith but few intermissions. They were very weary of it.
Yet through it all Bob kept up his good spirits. He was a changedboy, and though, once or twice, the spirit of mischief seemed aboutto break out in him, he restrained it, to the secret delight ofCaptain Spark.
"I was right, after all," he said to Mr. Carr, one day when therain had ceased. "It needed a sea voyage to straighten Bob out,but I didn't figure on a shipwreck doing it."
The boy was very helpful about camp. No task was too hard for him,no labor too much, and he never grumbled. He had grown almost usedto life on the island, as had the other castaways. But CaptainSpark had not given up the plan of sailing for the large island.He waited until he thought the weather had settled down and then,one fine morning, he gave the word to load the small boat with alltheir supplies.
"Do you think we can make it?" asked Mr. Carr.
"I think so. We can try, at any rate. We'll have this island andthe log cabin to return to in case we have to turn back."
"Are you really going to put to sea in that small boat?" asked Mr.Tarbill nervously, when the time for departure came.
"That's what we are," replied the captain.
"Then I'm not going."
"Very well. If you want to stay we'll leave you some provisions,and perhaps, in six months, a ship may pass here and see the shirtsignal."
"Six months?"
"Well, maybe longer; maybe a shorter time."
"And I'll have to stay here all alone?"
"That's what you will," answered Captain Spark shortly, for he wasbeginning to tire of Mr. Tarbill's cowardice.
"Oh, dear! What shall I do?" exclaimed the nervous man.
"Come along with us," suggested Bob.
"I'm afraid."
"Then stay on the island. That won't sink," said the captain.
"I'm afraid of that, too."
"Well, we're going," announced the commander, preparing to aid inshoving the boat down to the water's edge.
"Oh! Don't leave me behind! I'll go! I'll go! But I know I'llbe drowned! I'm sure of it!"
"You're a cheerful passenger," murmured the captain, as Mr. Tarbillgot into the boat. "Let her go, boys!"
A few minutes later they were afloat once more, leaving "Bob'sIsland" behind. Would they be able to reach the other one! Thatwas the question in every heart.