THE ROVER BOYS Boxed Set: 26 Illustrated Adventure Novels. Stratemeyer Edward

      They turned to what they thought must be the direction of the nearest shore, but though they pulled with might and main for nearly quarter of an hour no land appeared.

      "We're mixed," cried Sam. "The storm has twisted us up."

      By this time the wind was blowing a regular gale on the bay. It took off Tom's cap, and in a twinkle the headgear was out of sight.

      "My cap's gone!" groaned the youth.

      "The water is coming in over the bow!" came from Sam. "We will be swamped!"

      "We must throw the goats overboard," said the captain, and overboard went the game, much to the boys' sorrow.

      This lightened the craft a little, but still the waves swept over the gunwale, and now both Sam and Tom set to bailing, while the captain took both oars. Then came another blast of wind, worse than before.

      "I see land!" cried Sam.

      "We are going over!" yelled Tom, and the wind fairly whipped the words from his lips. Then came a mighty wave, and on the instant the rowboat was upset, and all three found themselves in the waters of the bay.

      As they went under the same thought was in the mind of each: Were there any sharks around?

      "Help! help!" cried Sam, as soon as he came up. "Our boat is sinking. Help!" And Tom soon joined in the cry. They had caught held of the overturned boat, but the craft, for some reason, failed to support them.

      Captain Blossom was close at hand, and he advised them to strike out for the shore. "It's in this direction," he said, and led the way.

      "I — I can't swim very far with my clothes on," gasped Sam, yet he struck out as best he could.

      "Hullo! Who calls?" came a cry from the shore, and, looking up, they saw Dora standing there, with Nellie and Grace Laning close beside her.

      "It's Tom and Sam!" cried Nellie.

      "And Captain Blossom," added Grace.

      "Perhaps we can throw them a rope," came from Dora, and she ran to get the article she had mentioned.

      But by the time she returned the three swimmers had reached a point where they could touch bottom with their feet, and, watching for a favorable opportunity, they rushed ashore, almost into the arms of the girls.

      "Oh, Tom, how glad I am that you are safe!" cried Nellie, while Grace caught hold of Sam and asked if he was all right.

      "Yes, I am — am all right, but — but pretty well fagged out," gasped Sam.

      "It was a close shave," said Captain Blossom. "And our guns are gone."

      "We had two dead goats, too," put in Tom. "They went overboard first, and — goodness gracious — is that really Dan Baxter?"

      "Dan Baxter!" ejaculated Sam, and even Captain Blossom stared in amazement.

      "I see you've had a rough time of it," said Baxter, coming forward coolly. "How are you?"

      He shook hands with Captain Blossom, while the Rover boys continued to stare at him.

      "Are you alone?" asked the master of the Golden Wave.

      "No, Jack Lesher is with me, and we left nine of the sailors on another island."

      "Is that so? Where is Lesher now?"

      "In the house, asleep."

      "He is intoxicated," said Nellie. "He has been drinking ever since he put in an appearance."

      "Humph! That's like Lesher," muttered the captain, and his brow darkened.

      All moved toward the house, and entered to get out of the wet. The mate was still at the table, snoring loudly.

      "Might as well let him sleep it off," said the captain. "But when he is sober I'll have a talk with him."

      Wet clothing was changed for dry, and then the captain and the boys listened to what Baxter and the girls had to tell. The captain was glad to learn that so many of his men had been saved, and asked for the names.

      "I don't care much about Peterson and McGlow," he said. "They are tough customers. I would rather have heard from Peabody, Dickson, and Fearwell. You don't know anything about them?"

      "No," said Dan Baxter.

      "This news about Dick and old Jerry worries me," said Tom.

      "Dan Baxter, I think you know more than you care to tell," said Sam boldly.

      The bully hardly knew how to reply. He could not now fall back on Jack Lesher for support, and he had thought to be on his way to rejoin the sailors ere this. The storm had upset all of his calculations. It had been a foolish movement to attack Dick and old Jerry, and it now looked as if he must suffer for it.

      "Well — er — I don't mind telling you that Dick and the mate had something of a quarrel," he said hesitatingly.

      "How did it end?" asked Tom.

      "I can't say exactly."

      "Why not? You were with Lesher at the time."

      "No, I wasn't. He ordered me to get into the rowboat and wait for him while he went back to get a pistol or a gun. I heard loud talking on the deck of the schooner, and I knew a row was on. I was just going back to the deck when the mate came and leaped into the rowboat. He said the sailor and Dick were going to remain behind, and that we wouldn't wait any longer. Then we rowed over here."

      "If that's the case I'll make Lesher tell us what happened," cried Tom, and shook the mate roughly. "Wake up here!" he cried. "Wake up and give an account of yourself!"

      CHAPTER XXIV

       IN CLOSE QUARTERS

       Table of Contents

      Slowly Dick came to his senses. He remembered little or nothing, and only knew that all was dark around him, and that his head was spinning like a top.

      For several minutes he remained quiet, trying to collect his thoughts. Then he sat up and passed one hand slowly over his forehead.

      "Oh, how my head aches!" he murmured.

      It was fully five minutes before he felt like moving around. Then he arose and took a step forward and stumbled over old Jerry's body.

      "Oh!" he murmured, and felt of the body in the dark. "Who is this? Can it be Jerry?" he asked himself.

      Then came a recollection of the cowardly attack. But what had followed was a blank, and he could not imagine where he was.

      Dick remembered that he had a match safe in his pocket, and soon he made a light. By this he caught sight of a lantern in the brig and lit it. Then he bent over old Jerry, and saw that the sailor was still alive, but suffering from his treatment.

      "He must have been attacked, too," murmured Dick. The bucket of water was at hand, and he took a drink and bathed Captain Jerry's forehead.

      It was fully half an hour before the old sailor felt at all like himself. Both sat down to review the situation.

      "The cowards!" said Dick. "What do you suppose they attacked us for?"

      "Can't say as to that," replied old Jerry. "Perhaps Lesher wanted to show us he was master."

      "He'll settle with me if I ever get out of this hole, Jerry. What place is this?"

      "The lock-up of the Golden Wave. I think it used to be an oil room."

      They gazed around them, and soon discovered the can of ship's biscuits and also the beans.

      "They evidently meant to keep us prisoners for some time," said Dick. "Hark, what is that?"

      Both listened, and made out the sounds of distant thunder and heard the patter of rain on the deck.