Dave Porter on Cave Island: or, A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission

“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. It formed a large horseshoe, and beyond was the island itself, long, low, and irregular, the shore fringed with tropical trees and bushes and the center rocky and barren.

“This ain’t no easy place to land,” said Billy Dill to Dave, as the sails were lowered and the ship was brought about. “If them critters from the wreck got here in their small boats in the dark they must have had a fierce time o’ it!”

“I don’t see a sign of a boat anywhere,” said Dave, as he swept the reef and the shore with the glasses. “And not a sign of a human being either,” he added, with a sinking heart.

“That’s queer, too, lad, if they came here. Fust thing I’d think about, 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 been wrecked, so Captain Sanders ordered out the largest of the small boats.

“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 all night,” 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’ll find rabbits maybe, and any number of birds.”

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

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

“I’ll watch out,” was the answer. “I know just what a blow down here means, 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 quick in these parts.”

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

“To starboard, hard!” shouted the captain, when the first of the breakers was encountered. “Now ease off, lads! Lively now, and hard! Starboard again! Keep it up! There, straight ahead! Bend to it, bend I tell you! A little more to starboard – not too much! There, now we are out of it!” And in a moment more the small boat was out of the breakers and riding into a tiny cove, where there was a stretch of sand, dotted with palms. The two sailors were all but exhausted and glad 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 the other islands in this portion of the globe.”

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

“What’s to do next?” asked the shipowner’s son, as he looked inquiringly at Dave. “This is your expedition, Dave.”

“How big around do you suppose this island is, Captain?” asked our hero.

“Four or five miles at least.”

“Then we could walk completely around it in a couple of hours, that is, if we found it wasn’t too rough in spots.”

“You won’t find it smooth like this all around, lad.”

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

“Whatever you wish to do to-day must be done quickly,” said Captain Sanders. “It will soon be night, and, as you know, darkness comes on quickly in this part of the world.”

The matter was discussed for a few minutes, and then it was decided to leave the sailors in charge of the boat, while Captain Sanders and Phil walked up the shore and Dave and Roger traveled in the opposite direction.

For fully a quarter of a mile Dave and the senator’s son found it an easy matter to push along, for the sandy shore was smooth and offered no 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’s son, after climbing over a particularly sharp line of rocks. “This takes 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 to the split in the rocks. By this time it was growing dark, and in the hollow they could not see clearly.

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

“That boat is from the Emma Brower!” cried Dave, after an investigation. “And that proves that some of the people from the wrecked ship came to this island!”

“Yes, but are they alive, Dave, or were they drowned?” questioned Roger.

“That remains to be found out, Roger. I sincerely hope they are alive.”

CHAPTER XXI – INTO A CAVE AND OUT

“Let us look around for footprints, Roger,” said Dave, as the pair scrambled up the rocks once more. “If any persons landed from that smashed rowboat they’d have to walk in some direction, and the ground is soft back of here.”

“The trouble is, it is growing so dark,” returned the senator’s son. “In a little while we won’t be able to find our way back. We should have brought a lantern along.”

“I’ve got something almost as good,” answered our hero, and took from his pocket a little electric flashlight – one of the kind that emits a tiny flash of light when the button at the end is pressed.

“Good enough! That’s first-rate!”

The pair were soon down from the rocks. Under the palm trees it was now dark, and Dave used the electric flashlight to advantage.

“Here are footprints!” he cried, presently. “Six pairs! That shows that at least a half dozen persons came ashore in that boat. Those six may have been carrying others.”

“Shall we set up a shout?”

“I don’t know, Roger. If Merwell and Jasniff were around I’d like to surprise them. If they discovered us first, and they had the jewels, they’d surely hide the gems and then say they didn’t have them.”

“I believe that, Dave. Well, let us follow the footsteps and see where they lead to.”