CHAPTER XXV
HOMEWARD BOUND----CONCLUSION
Before an hour had passed the oncoming boat was in plain sight.Then the castaways could see it contained four brown-skinnednatives. But, though they were savages, they were not warlike. Infact, they waved their hands in welcome, and called encouraginglyto those in the gig.
"I hope they have some water aboard," said Mr. Tarbill. "I'd giveanything for some right off the ice."
"I'd be glad of some out of a tea-kettle," said the captain, forthe last in the cask had been dealt out some time before.
A little later the commander was exchanging a few words with thenatives, as he found he could speak a little of their language.
"We're within a few miles of the big island," he told his anxiouscompanions. "This is a fishing party in one of their big nativecanoes. They'll show us the way back, and they have plenty ofwater."
The parched throats and swelling tongues of the castaways were soonrelieved by a fairly cool drink from the filled skins in the nativeboat. Then the brown men passed over some cocoanuts and otherfruit that were grateful to the palates of the half-starved ones.
Captain Spark conversed a little longer with the friendly savages,and some news they gave him seemed to give him great satisfaction.
"There's an American ship in port at the island," he said, "andshe's homeward bound around the Horn. We can take passage in her.Hurrah, men, our troubles seem to be over!"
"Thank God!" said Mr. Carr fervently, and so great was the strainon Mr. Tarbill that when it was relieved by the good news he criedlike a child. Nor were Bob's eyes altogether dry.
A little breeze had sprung up, and, guided by the natives, thecastaways were soon at the island. It was a large one, and thefirst sight they had of it showed them a big ship in the harbor.At this they set up a cheer.
It did not take Captain Spark long to arrange matters with theAmerican skipper. He agreed to let the sailors, Bob and Mr.Tarbill work their passage home, and Captain Spark was to give hisservices as assistant navigator in lieu of passage money.
As the ship was taking on part of a cargo of native produce fromthe island she was not quite ready to sail, and in the meanwhileBob and the captain went about the island a bit, Bob collecting anumber of curiosities. The natives treated them kindly, and thefour who had saved the lives of the castaways by appearing in thenick of time felt well repaid by the present of a few trinketswhich Bob and the sailors had in their pockets.
Finally the time came for them to take passage on the _Walrus_,which was the name of the American ship. They sailed one brightmorning, and under a spanking breeze the big island was presentlylow down on the horizon.
Bob was soon a favorite with every one on the ship, he was soanxious to learn and so ready and obliging. He never grumbled,even when the work was hard. But Mr. Tarbill never ceasedlamenting the fact that he had ever left home.
As for our hero, he seemed to have settled down in life and wasfast learning to become a good sailor. The pranks he used to playwere now a thing of the past, and he fully justified the goodopinion Captain Spark had of him.
It was a six months' trip home, for they were delayed two weeks ormore by contrary winds, and several days longer in making thepassage of Magellan Straits.
As the Walrus was to put in at Charleston, South Carolina, it wasnecessary for Captain Spark, Bob and Mr. Tarbill to make the restof the journey home by rail. Mr. Carr and the two sailors securedberths in the _Walrus_. Though Captain Spark had lost all hismoney in the shipwreck, he was able to borrow enough for the faresof himself, Bob and Mr. Tarbill.
Bob reached home a little short of a year from the time he hadleft. He was a much better boy than when he went away. His fatherand mother did not need to be told of the change in him. Theycould see it for themselves.
"What did I tell you?" asked Captain Spark triumphantly of Mrs.Henderson. "I said the voyage would make a man of Bob, and it did."
"The voyage or the shipwreck?" asked Mrs. Henderson.
"I guess it needed both," ventured Bob's father.
Of course Bob was the hero, of all his associates, and they nevertired of hearing his stories of what had happened. Later it waslearned that Second-Mate Bender and his men had been picked up by apassing vessel and saved. As for Captain Obediah Hickson, when heheard that Bob had returned, he hastened to see him, took him offinto a corner and whispered:
"Did ye git th' treasure, Bob?"
"No, captain. I don't believe there was any. We didn't have achance to look for the island before the shipwreck, and after itthe map got lost."
"Well, maybe it's jest as well, Bob," said the old man with aphilosophical air. "I'm gittin' too old to need so much moneyanyhow, an' you're young enough to earn what you need. I reckonit's jest as well," and with a chuckle he shuffled off.
As for Bob, he had such a liking for the sea, in spite of theterrors of the deep, that when he completed his education he becamemate on a vessel, and finally captain, and now is in a fair way tobecome part owner of a big ship trading between New York and SouthAmerican ports. And here we will say good-by to Bob Henderson, theformer castaway.
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