"This is certainly a beautiful place." murmured Dora, as she gazed around. "Were it not for the folks at home worrying about us, I could spend quite some time here and enjoy it."
"Well, as our situation cannot be helped, let us make the best of it," said Dick cheerfully. "There is no use in being downhearted when we ought to be glad that we were saved."
Close to the rocks they found several trees growing in something of two circles, and they decided that these trees should form the corner posts of a double house or cabin.
"If we had an ax we might cut down some wood, but as it is we will have to use strong vines and cover the huts with palm leaves," said Captain Jerry.
The boys were soon at work, cutting the vines and gathering the palm leaves, and the girls assisted as well as they were able in fastening up the vine-ropes and binding in the leaves. It was slow work, yet by nightfall one half the house was complete and the other had the roof covered.
"Now, if rain comes, we can keep fairly dry," said Tom. It rained the very next day and they were glad enough to crowd into the completed part, while the rain came down in torrents. When the worst of the downpour was over the wind arose and it kept blowing fiercely all of the afternoon and the night.
"We can be thankful we are sheltered by the hill," said Sam. "Were we on the other side of the island, the wind would knock the hut flat and drench us in no time."
The storm kept all awake until early morning and when it went down they were glad to sink to rest. All slept soundly and it was not until ten o'clock, when the sun was struggling through the clouds, that Tom arose, to find the others still slumbering.
"I'll let them sleep," he said to himself. "They need it and there is no need for them to get up."
Stretching himself, he walked quietly from the hut and down to the beach. His first thought was to try to collect some wood, more or less dry, and start a fire.
Gazing across the bay to one of the other islands, he saw a sight which filled him with astonishment. There, on the beach of the island, lay the wreck of the Golden Wave.
CHAPTER XV
ANOTHER CASTAWAY BROUGHT TO LIGHT
"The Golden Wave! Hurrah!"
Tom could not resist setting up a shout when he saw the familiar hull of the schooner, resting quietly on the beach of an island on the other side of the bay.
The cry awoke Sam, Dick, and old Jerry, and they came running out to learn what it meant.
"The schooner!" came from Sam. "How did that get there?"
"The storm must have driven her off the rocks and into this bay," answered Dick. "She didn't go down, after all."
"It's a fine thing for us," put in Captain Jerry, his broad face beaming with pleasure. "Now we can have all the provisions we want, and clothing and guns, and if we can anchor the wreck in some way, we can live on her just as comfortably as in a house at home."
The excited talking brought the girls out one after another, and they were equally pleased over the stroke of good fortune.
"She seems to be cast up pretty high on the sand," said old Jerry. "But even so, the sooner we get to her the better, or the sea may carry her off."
"I am ready to go now," said Tom. " But how are we to get to that island? It's a pity we didn't bring our boat around."
"There are two islands of the circle in between," came from Sam. "Why can't we swim from one to the next and get around that way?"
"We can try it, lad. But we want to be careful. There may be sharks around in these parts."
"Oh, don't let the sharks eat you up!" cried Grace.
"We'll keep our eyes open, never fear," said Dick.
A vote was taken, and it was decided that Sam should remain with the girls, to protect them in case of unexpected danger, while Tom, Dick, and old Jerry should make their way as best they could to the wreck.
The old sailor and the two boys were soon off. They tramped down the beach a short distance and then reached a coral reef leading to the next island. Here the water was not over a foot and a half deep, and as clear as crystal, so the passage to Island No. 2, as Tom named it, was comparatively easy.
The second island crossed they followed the shore around until they came opposite to the isl and upon which the wreck rested. Here there was a channel sixty or eighty feet wide and of unknown depth, the channel through which the wreck had most likely entered the bay. The water here was by no means smooth and Captain Jerry shook his head doubtfully.
"It won't be no easy swim," he said. "Reckon as how I'll try it first."
"I can get over easily enough," said Dick, and threw off part of his clothing and his shoes. He was soon in the water and striking out boldly, and the others followed.
Short as was the distance, the swim was as hard as any of them looked for, and when they reached the other side of the channel all were out of breath and had to rest for a moment.
"It's a good thing no shark happened to be near," said Tom. "The monster would certainly have had us at his mercy."
When they reached the wreck they found the stern well out of the water. The Golden Wave lay partly on her left side and it was a comparatively easy matter to gain the deck.
The masts were gone and there was a big hole in the bow, but otherwise the craft had suffered little damage. Why she had not sunk was a mystery until, later on, old Jerry discovered that some of the cargo, consisting of flat cases, had got wedged into the break, thus cutting off a large portion of the leak.
"We can anchor her without trouble," said the old sailor. "And perhaps straighten her up too, so the deck won't be so slanty. Then she'll be a reg'lar hotel for all hands."
"Let us go below and see how things are down there," said Dick, and he at once led the way.
At that instant a loud sneeze reached their ears, causing Dick to pause on the companion way. Looking into the cabin he saw a man standing there, partly dressed.
"Captain Blossom!" he ejaculated. "Is it really you or your ghost?"
"Dick Rover!" cried the master of the schooner. "Then you weren't drowned, after all?"
"No, captain. But — but how did you escape?"
"Is it really Captain Blossom?" came from Tom, and he rushed down into the cabin, followed by old Jerry. All shook hands, and the face of the captain showed his pleasure over the meeting.
"So you all escaped and are here," he said. "I am downright glad to know it. What of the others?"
"We don't know what became of the other boats," answered Dick.
"Saw nothing at all?"
"Not a thing."
The captain shook his head sorrowfully.
"But how did you escape?" asked Dick again.
"That is a short story, lad. When I went overboard from the rowboat, I caught hold of some of the wreckage from the schooner. This was still fast to the deck, and by hauling myself in I soon got on board again. As I had no boat, I remained on board, for I soon saw that the schooner would not go down immediately. At daylight the ship left the rocks and drifted around on the ocean until the wind came up last night, when we struck this island and got beached, as you see. I was worn out with watching, and as soon as I found the boat was safe from sinking I went to bed, and slept soundly until I