Dave Porter on Cave Island; Or, A Schoolboy''s Mysterious Mission

  CHAPTER XX--LANDING ON CAVE ISLAND

  At the end of a week Dave was more worried than ever. Each day he andhis chums went down to the shipping offices and each day returned tothe hotel disappointed. Not a word had been heard concerning themissing vessel and those on board.

  The _Golden Eagle_ was all ready to sail on her return trip to theUnited States, but Phil told Captain Sanders to wait.

  "Perhaps we'll hear to-day," he said, and this was repeated day afterday.

  It was very warm and the boys were glad they had brought along somethin clothing. They scarcely knew what to do with themselves, and Davewas particularly sober.

  "I suppose Mr. Wadsworth and the rest are waiting to hear from me," hesaid to his chums. "But what is the use of sending a message when Ihaven't anything to say?"

  Another Sunday passed, and on Monday the boys visited the _GoldenEagle_, and then went with Captain Sanders to the nearest shippingoffice.

  "Something is going on!" cried the senator's son, as he noticed anunusual crowd congregated. "Must be news of some sort."

  "Let us find out what it is!" returned our hero, quickly.

  "The _Emma Brower_ has been heard from," said a man, standing near."That's the vessel that was missing, don't you know," he added.

  "What of her?" asked Dave.

  "Went down in that terrible storm we had about ten days ago."

  "Down!" gasped all of the boys, while Captain Sanders looked theconcern he felt.

  "So they say. I do not know the particulars," went on the man as hewalked away.

  It did not take the boys and the captain long to get into the shippingoffice and there they learned as many of the particulars as wereknown. A tramp steamer from Porto Rico had come in bringing word thatshe had sighted portions of a wreck while out at sea, and aninvestigation proved the same to belong to the _Emma Brower_. Aportion of a small boat had been picked up, but nothing had been seenof sailors or passengers.

  "Where was this?" questioned Dave, when he could get the chance.

  "The captain of the steamer says about two miles west of Cave Island."

  "Cave Island!" cried Phil. "Why, that is where those Englishmen weregoing to hunt for that pirates' treasure."

  "Two miles from Cave Island," mused our hero. "If the _Emma Brower_went down, perhaps those in some of the small boats got to thatplace."

  "Perhaps," answered Captain Sanders.

  The boys and the captain remained at the shipping office for an hour,getting all the details possible concerning the wreck, including theexact latitude and longitude where the vessel was supposed to havegone down.

  "Let us sail for that spot and see if we can discover anything,"suggested Dave, as the party came away. "We may find some of those inthe small boats."

  "Just what I was going to suggest," said Phil.

  "Well, it's up to you, Phil, to say what we shall do," answeredCaptain Sanders. "Your father sent me word that I was to look to youfor orders--that is, within reasonable limits,--and I know you won't beunreasonable."

  "Well, we want to get back to the United States, anyway," said Roger."And this would be on our way."

  "How soon can you get ready for the trip?" asked our hero, of themaster of the _Golden Eagle_.

  "We are all provisioned, so it won't take but a few hours," was thereply.

  "Then let us sail to-day."

  "You don't want to wait for more word?" asked Roger.

  "No, Roger; I don't think it will do any good," answered our hero.

  The matter was discussed at the hotel, and a little later the boyspaid their bill and had their baggage taken to the ship. In themeantime Captain Sanders had prepared for the trip, and two hourslater the _Golden Eagle_ was moving out of the harbor of Bridgetown.

  "How long will it take us to run to that spot where they think theship went down?" asked Phil.

  "Not more than a day and a half--it depends somewhat on the wind,"answered Captain Sanders.

  The boys tried to settle themselves, but this was impossible. Davecould not keep still, and paced the deck by the hour, or scanned thebosom of the ocean with the marine glasses Captain Sanders loaned him.

  Only once came a thrill of excitement. A bit of wreckage was sightedand the ship sailed toward it. It was a yardarm, and to it were lasheda cask and several boxes, one of the latter bearing the name _EmmaBrower_. Not a sign of a human being could be seen.

  "If a man was on that wreckage the storm tore him loose," said CaptainSanders.

  "How terrible!" whispered Roger.

  "And think of it, it may have been Merwell, or Jasniff, or both ofthem!" returned Phil.

  On the following day they reached the latitude and longitude as givenby the captain of the tramp steamer. In that vicinity they saw somesmaller wreckage, but nothing of importance.

  "Cave Island is two miles east of here," said Captain Sanders.

  "Any other islands around?" asked Dave.

  "Nothing within fifteen or twenty miles."

  "Then, if the crew and passengers took to the small boats, wouldn'tthey be likely to steer for Cave Island?"

  "I think so,--that is, if the storm let 'em do so. It might be the windwould force 'em the other way. But I think it would be a wise move tosail for Cave Island and take a look around. The one trouble is, so Ilearned at Barbados, the island hasn't any sort of harbor. We'll haveto lay-to outside and go ashore in a small boat."

  "Perhaps it won't be necessary to go ashore," said Roger.

  "Oh, it can be done easily enough."

  The bow of the _Golden Eagle_ was turned eastward. They ran slowly,all hands keeping their eyes open for more signs of the wreck.

  Presently they came in sight of the reef outside of Cave Island. Itformed a large horseshoe, and beyond was the island itself, long, low,and irregular, the shore fringed with tropical trees and bushes andthe center rocky and barren.

  "This ain't no easy place to land," said Billy Dill to Dave, as thesails were lowered and the ship was brought about. "If them crittersfrom the wreck got here in their small boats in the dark they musthave had a fierce time o' it!"

  "I don't see a sign of a boat anywhere," said Dave, as he swept thereef and the shore with the glasses. "And not a sign of a human beingeither," he added, with a sinking heart.

  "That's queer, too, lad, if they came here. Fust thing I'd thinkabout, if I was wrecked, would be to put up a signal o' distress."

  It was growing dark, yet Dave and his chums were anxious to go ashore,to see if they could discover anything concerning those who had beenwrecked, so Captain Sanders ordered out the largest of the smallboats.

  "I'll go with you," he said. "And we can take Billy Dill and Smiley."

  "We had better take some things along--in case we remain ashore allnight," said Dave.

  "To be sure. And we'll go armed, lad--no telling what may turn up."

  "Any wild animals here?" questioned the senator's son.

  "I don't know, but I don't think so--that is, not large ones. You'llfind rabbits maybe, and any number of birds."

  Soon the small boat was ready to go ashore. Billy Dill and the othersailor, Smiley, were at the oars, while Captain Sanders was in thestern, to steer and give directions.

  "If it starts to blow better move off a bit," said the captain to themate. "No use in taking chances around these reefs."

  "I'll watch out," was the answer. "I know just what a blow down heremeans, and I'll keep her off."

  "Do you think we'll have another storm?" asked Dave.

  "Can't tell about that, lad. Sometimes a storm comes up pretty quickin these parts."

  Soon the small boat was close to the breakers. The water boiled andfoamed on every side, and it must be confessed that Roger was somewhatscared. Dave and Phil did not mind, although wishing it was over.

  "To starboard, hard!" shouted the captain, when the first of thebreakers was encountered. "Now ease off, lads! Lively now, and hard!Starboard again! Keep it up! There, straight ahead! Bend to it, ben
d Itell you! A little more to starboard--not too much! There, now we areout of it!" And in a moment more the small boat was out of thebreakers and riding into a tiny cove, where there was a stretch ofsand, dotted with palms. The two sailors were all but exhausted andglad enough to rest up and allow the boat to drift ashore.

  "So this is Cave Island?" remarked Dave, as he hopped out on the sand,followed by his chums. "Well, it doesn't look much different from theother islands in this portion of the globe."

  After everybody had alighted, the small boat was pulled up on the sandand tied to a palm tree.

  "What's to do next?" asked the shipowner's son, as he lookedinquiringly at Dave. "This is your expedition, Dave."

  "How big around do you suppose this island is, Captain?" asked ourhero.

  "Four or five miles at least."

  "Then we could walk completely around it in a couple of hours, thatis, if we found it wasn't too rough in spots."

  "You won't find it smooth like this all around, lad."

  "TO STARBOARD, HARD!" SHOUTED THE CAPTAIN.]

  "Some of us might walk in one direction and some in the other,"suggested Roger. "Then, if either party discovered anything, it couldsignal to the other by firing a pistol or a gun." For both sorts ofweapons had been brought along.

  "Whatever you wish to do to-day must be done quickly," said CaptainSanders. "It will soon be night, and, as you know, darkness comes onquickly in this part of the world."

  The matter was discussed for a few minutes, and then it was decided toleave the sailors in charge of the boat, while Captain Sanders andPhil walked up the shore and Dave and Roger traveled in the oppositedirection.

  For fully a quarter of a mile Dave and the senator's son found it aneasy matter to push along, for the sandy shore was smooth and offeredno barrier to their advance. But then they came to a series of rocks,jutting out into the ocean, and here progress was more difficult.

  "We'll not get around this island to-night," remarked the senator'sson, after climbing over a particularly sharp line of rocks. "Thistakes a fellow's wind."

  "Look!" cried our hero, as he pointed to a spot between the rocks."What do you make that out to be, Roger?"

  "It's the wreck of a rowboat!" cried the other.

  "Just what I thought. Let us go down and look it over."

  With care, so as not to sprain an ankle, the two chums climbed down tothe split in the rocks. By this time it was growing dark, and in thehollow they could not see clearly.

  It was the remains of a rowboat which they had discovered. The smallcraft was split from end to end, so as to be utterly useless. Near itlay a broken oar and a broken-open box that had contained provisionsof some sort.

  "That boat is from the _Emma Brower_!" cried Dave, after aninvestigation. "And that proves that some of the people from thewrecked ship came to this island!"

  "Yes, but are they alive, Dave, or were they drowned?" questionedRoger.

  "That remains to be found out, Roger. I sincerely hope they arealive."