CHAPTER XXIV.
ROB MAKES A DISCOVERY.
Rob, disconsolate and miserable, passed a bad night, and rose early. Ashis captors were still asleep and had, apparently, made no effort toguard him, he decided to make a tour of the island himself. For onething, he was by no means sure that Berghoff had been speaking the truthwhen he said that the place was uninhabited; and again he thought thatsome form of escape might present itself if only he investigated theplace thoroughly.
So the lad tiptoed out of the camp, first taking the precaution to fillhis pockets with food. He headed straight into the woods, planning tocome out again when he had traveled a safe distance from the camp. Hefollowed out this idea, pushing his way through the brush for a time,and then emerging on a strip of white beach that seemed to extend aroundthe island.
He trudged along, keeping a bright lookout, but saw nothing that wouldfurther his prospects of getting away. All at once, though, as he camearound the other side of the little spot of land, he saw another islandlying at no great distance off. And on the beach of this island was aboat.
A more welcome sight could not have presented itself to the boy's eyesjust then. It meant that there was somebody on the island,--somebody whowould surely be glad to help out a lad in his predicament.
"But how on earth am I to get over there?" mused the lad. "The tide isrunning like a mill race, and I don't know whether I'm a strong enoughswimmer to buck it."
Then another idea occurred to him. Just above him was a small point ofland. By going into the water from the end of this, he would be somedistance above the island he wished to gain, and the current, would,therefore, carry him down.
"If I only could get a log or something," thought the boy; "it wouldn'ttake me long to get over there."
He started to hunt for a log that would suit his requirements; but logsdidn't seem very plentiful in that vicinity. In his search, he reenteredthe woods, and after looking about a bit succeeded in finding one thatwould just suit his purpose.
Stooping down, he lifted it, and then jumped back with a startledexclamation. A huge black snake had been coiled under the log, and nowit struck at him, hissing and darting its red tongue in and out, andshowing its vicious fangs!
Before Rob could avoid the creature's attack, it had wrapped itselfaround his arm, fastening its fangs into his sleeve.
HE TOPPLED BACKWARD OVER THE BRINK AND PLUNGED DOWN INTOTHE SWIFTLY FLOWING CURRENT BENEATH.]
Rob battled desperately with the reptile, which lashed its tail andhissed with vicious intonations. The feel of the creature's grip wasloathsome to the boy, and although its fangs had not penetrated histough khaki coat, they might do so at any moment.
In the battle Rob backed out of the woods, striving all the time to freehimself, and unconsciously stepped nearer and nearer to the water'sedge. Before he realized his position he toppled backward over the brinkand plunged down into the swiftly flowing current beneath.
Down he went until it seemed he must strike the bottom! But his fallinto the channel had had one good effect. The snake was not gripping hisarm any more. When he shot to the surface he saw it swimming for itslife, but being carried away from the shore.
In fact, the same thing was the case with Rob. The grip of the waterdrew him far from the island he had just vacated in such anunceremonious manner, and hurried him toward the spot of land wherehe had seen the boat. Striking out with all his might, the lad foughtthe current so as to reach the other island before the water hurried himpast it. It was a hard fight even for a powerful swimmer like Rob. Hisclothes encumbered him cruelly, too; but at last, almost exhausted, hetouched bottom and reeled ashore.
For a time he could do nothing but lie there gasping. Had his lifedepended on it, he could not have moved hand or foot. But at length hisyouthful vitality came to his aid and he rose to his feet to look abouthim.
The current had landed him on a part of the beach from which the boat hehad spied was not visible. But he knew in which direction it lay, andstarted out for it. As he rounded a small promontory he came upon it, aheavily-built, rickety-looking old thing, but still a boat.
Rob in his present situation would have taken anything that wouldfloat.
"I'll examine it first and then go hunt up the owner and make a bargainwith him for it," he thought.
With this intention he approached the craft, and the next instantreceived one of the cruellest shocks of his life.
The boat was a mere shell, falling to pieces from age and exposure tothe hot sun. It must have been years since she had been used, and Rob'sexperienced eye saw that she would have sunk like a stone the instantshe was put in the water. It was a bitter blow to the lad, and for atime he sank down on the sand, completely knocked out.
But after a time he rallied his spirits.
"After all," he mused, "there may be somebody living on the island andthat boat may be just an old one they have discarded. I'll dry myclothes and then start out to investigate."
With the drying of his clothes, Rob made an alarming discovery. The foodhe had taken was most of it reduced to pulp by its immersion, somecanned goods alone remaining edible.
"That makes it all the more urgent for me to find some aid," he said tohimself; "I don't think that bunch on the motor boat will trouble tolook for me. I guess they'd be glad to leave me here if this is adeserted island. In that case, I might die here before aid came."
But thrusting all such thoughts as that aside, Rob determined to meetthe situation like a brave Scout.
"I won't give up till I'm at the last ditch," he said to himself withdetermination, as he put on his clothes. "I'll fight it out to the end."
Somehow this resolution of his made the boy feel better. With renewedcourage he set out to explore the island. But he made the circuit of itin vain. There was not a trace to be found of human habitation nor anyindication, except the stranded, sun-dried boat, that anyone but himselfhad ever landed there.
So despondent did he feel over this discovery that had he possessed thestrength to do so, he would have swum back to the other island andthrown himself on the mercy of his recent captors. But this was now outof the question.
Unless he could find some way out of his dilemma, it looked as if hewould indeed be doomed to leave his bones on those sands. The thoughtwas a dreadful one, and although it was a warm, almost tropical day, theboy shivered and cold sweat ran down his face.
If he were indeed to die there, nobody would ever know his fate, in allprobability. He had failed in his mission to recover the papers, too.Altogether he felt in a very miserable frame of mind. It was in thismood that, in order to keep his mind off his predicament, more thananything else, he fell to examining the old boat again. There might besome way to patch her up, he thought desperately, hoping against hope.
Suddenly he made a discovery that set his heart to beating wildly. Onthe stern board of the boat was cut the name "_Good Hope_!"