CHAPTER VIII.
CAUGHT IN THE FLAMES.
"Nonsense," said Frank, sharply, although he had been considerablystartled by the inexplicable occurrence himself, "you know there areno such things as ghosts, Ben."
"And if there were they wouldn't throw cocoanut shells at us," went onHarry.
"Wall," said Ben, stubbornly, "what else could it have been?"
"A wild man," suggested Billy; "perhaps a whole tribe of them."
This was not a pleasant suggestion. Frank had but a few cartridgesleft and the others had only their knives. These would be smallprotection against savages if any of the forest dwellers had reallygone adrift on the floating island. It was not a cheerful party thatsat down to another meal of oysters and fruit that evening. Moreoverthe water supply of the little party was almost exhausted and withoutwater they faced a terrible death.
Because of the unknown dangers which, it was felt, surrounded them itwas decided to set a watch that night and keep the fire burningthrough the dark hours. Harry and Ben were to share the first watchand Frank and Billy agreed to take the second one. Nothing hadoccurred when Ben, at midnight, aroused Frank and the young reporterand told them it was time to go on duty.
The boys had been on sentry duty for perhaps an hour with nothing butthe lapping of the waves against the shore of the floating island tobreak the deep stillness, when suddenly both were startled by astrange and terrible cry that rang through the forest.
With beating hearts they leaped to their feet and strained their earsto see if they could ascertain the origin of the uncanny cry, but theyheard nothing more.
Hardly had they resumed their places by the fire, however, before thewild screams rang out again.
"It's some human being," cried Frank.
"They are being killed or something!" cried the affrighted BillyBarnes.
By this time Ben Stubbs and Harry had awakened and were sitting upwith scared looks on their faces.
"Seems to come from near at hand," suggested Ben.
Suddenly the yell sounded quite close, and at the same instant it wasechoed by the boys as a dozen or more dark forms dashed out of thedark shades of the forest and rushed toward them. Half unnerved withalarm at this sudden and inexplicable attack, Frank fired point-blankinto the onrush, and two of the dark forms fell. Their comrades, withthe same wild shrieks that had so alarmed the boys, instantly turnedand fled, awakening the echoes of the woods with their terrifyingclamor.
"A good thing I killed those two," cried Frank; "throw some wood onthe fire, Ben, and we'll see who or what it is that I've shot."
In the bright blaze the adventurers bent over the two still forms thatlay on the ground as they had fallen.
"Why, they're great apes!" exclaimed Frank in amazement; "whatmonsters!"
"Howling monkeys, that's what they call 'em," declared Ben, "I'veheard of 'em. No wonder we were scared, though. Did you ever hear suchcries?"
"I wonder why they attacked the camp?" asked Billy.
"I don't suppose it was an attack at all," said Frank, "most likelythey smelled the food and thought they'd come and help themselves tosome broiled oysters."
"I'll bet it was the monkeys that took our water and then threw theshells at us," cried Harry.
"I guess you are right, boy," said Ben; "them monkeys are terrors formischief."
"I hope they don't take it into their heads to annoy us any more,"said Harry.
"Not likely," declared Ben, "I guess the firing of the revolver andthe sight of them two mates of theirs falling dead scared them out oftwo years' growth."
Ben's surmise was right. The adventurers passed the remainder of thenight in peace.
As soon as day broke over a sea unmarred by a single ripple, there wasan eager scrutiny of the horizon by all the castaways, but to theirbitter disappointment not a sign of the Southern Cross, or any othervessel, could be descried.
"Looks like we'll have to spend some more time on 'Monkey Island',"said Ben with a shrug.
"We can't spend much more time," said Frank, grimly.
"Why not?" demanded Ben.
"What are we to do for water?"
Things did, indeed, look black. Breakfast was eaten in comparativesilence, and after the meal was concluded, at Frank's suggestion, itwas decided to explore the island for a spring that could be tappedfor further water supply. The boys all admitted to themselves that thechance of finding one was remote, but they determined to try andlocate one in any event. At any rate Frank felt it would keep theirminds off their troubles to have something to do.
The best part of the morning was spent in the search and although theycame across occasional driblets of water,--the remnants of springsstarted by the heavy rain that marked their first night on theisland,--they found nothing that promised an available supply. At noonthey sat down in the shade of a huge palm to rest and made a meal offthe nuts that lay at its foot. The milk of these proved cool andrefreshing and was drunk out of the shell after one end of it had beenhacked off with Frank's hunting knife.
"Well, we might as well make a start back for our camp," suggestedFrank, after some moments had passed in silence.
"Camp," repeated Harry, bitterly, "that's a fine camp. Why, there'snothing there but trees and sand and howling monkeys."
Nevertheless a start was made for the resting place of the previousnight, the party trudging along the narrow beach in Indian file. Allat once Ben, who was in the lead, stopped short.
"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing overhead.
The boys followed his finger and gave a shout of astonishment.
"Smoke!" cried Frank.
"Hurrah," cheered Harry, "it's the Southern Cross."
He waved his hat at the dark wreaths of vapor that were blowing acrossthe island overhead.
The smoke scudded across the sky like small fleecy clouds, but itmomentarily grew thicker and blacker.
"She's smoking up all right," laughed Billy Barnes, all his fears gonenow that rescue seemed at hand.
Ben alone of the party seemed troubled.
"I'm not so sure that that's steamer smoke," he said slowly.
"Why, what else can it be?" demanded Frank.
"I don't know,"--sniff,--"but it seems to me,"--sniff,--"that's awhole lot of smoke for a steamer to be making, and"--sniff--"I don'tlike the looks of it."
"What else could make such smoke?" demanded Harry.
For reply Ben asked what seemed a strange question.
"Did you put the fire out when we left the camp?"
In an instant they all perceived without his speaking a word, what thesailor feared.
The island was on fire!
A few minutes later the smell of the burning trees and the crash asthey fell, while the flames leaped through the brushwood beneath them,was clearly borne to them.
They were marooned on a floating island, and the island was in flames.
The dense smoke of the fire had by this time blotted out the sky andall they could see above them was a thick canopy of smoke. It rose ina huge pillar blotting out the sky and poisoning the air.
"What are we to do?" gasped Billy.
"I don't see what we can do," was Frank's reply, "our escape is cutoff. We shall burn to death."
Indeed it seemed as if the boys were doomed to death in the flames.With incredible rapidity the fire, undoubtedly started by theircarelessness in not extinguishing their camp fire, came leaping androaring through the forest.
Suddenly out of the woods directly in front of them leaped a lithespotted form, and without glancing to right or left, the creature shotinto the sea. It swam quite a distance and then sank.
"A jaguar," exclaimed Ben; "a good thing it was too scared to attackus."
"Yes, I haven't got a cartridge left," said Frank, gazing ruefully athis empty revolver.
"I don't think that would do us much good if you had; we might as welldie by a jaguar's teeth and claws as by being burned to death," saidHarry.
The boys were now witness
es of a strange scene. Driven by the heat ofthe fire scores of terrified animals passed them. There were smallagoutis or wild pigs, monkeys, birds of various kinds,--including hugemacaws and numerous snakes. The creatures paid not the least attentionto the boys, but, crazed with fear, made for the sea. The birds alonesoared off and doubtless the stronger winged of them reached land.
"If we only had the Golden Eagle here," sighed Frank.
"Hurrah," suddenly shouted Ben, capering about, "hurrah, I've got aplan."
For a minute or two the boys regarded him as one might an insaneperson, but as he went on to explain his plan they grasped at it as alast resort. Two large tree trunks lay near to where they stood. Theyhad fallen apparently in some tropical storm, so that their bulkrested on some smaller trees. It was as if they were on rollers.
"We will lash those together with some withes and make a raft,"exclaimed Ben.
"How are you going to get them into the water?" asked Billy.
"By the natural rollers that are underneath them," replied the sailor;"come, we have no time to lose if we are to escape."
Indeed they had not. The fire was now so close that they could feelits ardent breath. Sparks were falling about them in red-hot showersand already some of the brush in their vicinity was beginning tosmoke. Soon it would burst into flame and then they were doomed.
Feverishly they worked and soon had the two trunks lashed togetherfirmly with long "lianas" or creepers of tough fibre that grew ingreat profusion everywhere. The work of getting the trunks into thewater was, thanks to the natural rollers, not so hard as might havebeen anticipated. Ben and Frank managed the placing of the rollers,which were carried in front of the logs as fast as its hinder endcleared some of them. In this manner their "raft," if such it could becalled, was soon afloat.
It seemed a terribly insecure contrivance with which to risk a voyage,but they had no choice. The whole island, except the spot in whichthey had worked, was now one raging furnace, and had their situationnot been so critical, the party would have been compelled to admirethe wild magnificence of the spectacle. Great red tongues of flameshot up through the blanket of dark smoke, dying it crimson.Occasionally there would be a dull crash as some huge forest monarchfell prostrate, or the dying scream of some creature overtaken by theflames rang out.
"Quick, onto the raft," shouted Frank as the clumsy craft floated atlast.
It did not take the adventurers long to follow his directions. Theheat from the fire was now intense and they lost no time in puttingthe two branches they had cut to use as paddles into action. It washard work but they found to their delight that their raft moved whenthey dug into the water with their clumsy means of propulsion.
"Hurrah!" shouted Billy as they began to glide slowly over the waves,"we are saved from the floating island."
"Yes, but for how long," exclaimed Frank; "we have no provisions andno water. How long can we live without them?"
"We must hope to be picked up," said Harry.
"That is our only hope," rejoined Frank, "if we are not---"
There was no need for him to finish the sentence, even had he beenable to, for while he was still speaking a startling thing happened.
The raft was about twenty feet from the shore, but despite thedistance a dusky form that had rushed out of the wood with a wildhowl, shot through the air and landed fairly upon it.
"With a Wild Howl, Shot Through the Air."]
With its menacing eyes of green, like balls of angry flame, dullyellow hide, catlike form, and twitching tail, the boys had nodifficulty in recognizing it for what it was.
A giant panther.
There was no possibility of escape. As the creature growled menacinglythe boys realized that they were practically without means ofprotection against this new enemy.
As the panther, too, realized its position, it drew back on itshaunches and, lashing its tail wickedly, prepared to spring.