CHAPTER XVI
UNDER THE PALMS
Cousin Jasper, who had been talking to Mr. Bobbsey, walked along thedeck with the children's father until he stood near Captain Crane, whowas now looking through the telescope, across the deep, blue sea, at thespeck which, it was said, was an island.
"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Dent. "Why are we stopping, CaptainCrane?"
"Because one of our motors is broken, Mr. Dent. But don't let that worryyou. We have two, or, rather, a double motor, and if we can't go withone we can with the other. It's like a little boy or girl, when theybreak one of their roller skates," he went on, looking at Flossie andFreddie.
"If they can't skate on two skates they can push themselves around onone skate," said the captain. "And that's what we'll have to do. But,Mr. Chase, you think you can mend the broken engine easily enough, don'tyou?" he asked the man who had helped Freddie hold on to the big fish.
"Oh, yes," answered the engineer. "We can easily fix the broken motor.But it will take a day or so, and we ought to be in some quiet placewhere the waves won't rock us so hard if a storm comes up. So why not goto this island that we see over there?" and he pointed to the speck inthe ocean. "Maybe there is a little bay there where the _Swallow_ canrest while my men and I fix the engine."
"That's a good idea," said Captain Crane. "Can you run to the island?"
"Oh, yes, if we go slowly."
"What's that?" cried Cousin Jasper. "Is there an island around here?"
"The sailor who was looking through his telescope just saw one,"returned Captain Crane. "I was going to tell you about it when Mr. Chasespoke to me about the broken engine. There is the island; you can see itquite plainly with the glass," and he handed the spy-glass to CousinJasper.
"Maybe it's the island where that boy is," said Flossie to her father.
"Maybe," agreed Mr. Bobbsey.
"I hardly think it is," said Mr. Dent, as he put the telescope to hiseye. "The island where we were wrecked is farther away than this, andthis one is smaller and has more trees on it than the one where poorJack and I landed. I do not think this is the place we want, but we cango there to fix the engine, and then travel on farther."
"Can we really land on the island?" asked Freddie.
"Yes, you may go ashore there," the captain said. "We shall probablyhave to stay there two or three days."
"Oh, what fun we can have, playing on the island!" cried Flossie.
"We'll pretend we're Robinson Crusoe," said her little brother. "Comeon, Flossie, let's go and tell Nan and Bert!"
And while the two younger Bobbsey twins ran to tell their older brotherand sister, Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, Cousin Jasper and Captain Crane tookturns looking through the glass at the island, which was about fivemiles away.
"It is not the island where I was," said Cousin Jasper again. "But itlooks like a good place to stay while the engines of the _Swallow_ arebeing mended. So we'll go there, Captain!"
"All right," Captain Crane answered. "We'll have to go a little slow,but we'll be there in plenty of time."
Once more the motor boat started off, not going as fast as at first, butthe Bobbsey twins did not mind this a bit, as they were thinking whatfun they would have on the island so far out at sea, and they stood atthe rail watching it as it appeared to grow larger the nearer the boatcame to it.
"We're coming up pretty fast, aren't we?" remarked Freddie.
"Not as fast as we might come," answered Bert. "However, we've got lotsof time, just as Captain Crane said."
"Is it a really and truly Robinson Crusoe place?" questioned Flossie.
"I guess we'll find out about that a little later," answered her sister.
"I can see the trees now!" exclaimed Freddie presently.
"So can I," answered his twin.
At last the anchor was dropped in a little bay, which would be shelteredfrom storms, and then the small boat was lowered so that those whowished might go ashore.
"Oh, what lovely palm trees!" exclaimed Nan, as she saw the beautifulbranches near the edge of the island, waving in the gentle breeze.
"They are wonderful," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "The whole island is coveredwith them."
"Do palm leaf fans grow on these trees, Mother?" asked Freddie as theywere being rowed ashore by one of the sailors.
"Well, yes, I suppose they could make palm leaf fans from some of thebranches of these palm trees," Mrs. Bobbsey said. "And shall we callthis Palm Island? That is, unless it has some other name?" she askedCaptain Crane.
"No, I hardly think it has," he answered. "I was never here before,though I have been on many of the little islands in this part of thesea. So we can call this Palm Island, if you like."
"It will be a lovely place to stay," stated Nan. "I just love to situnder a tree, and look at the waves and the white sand."
"I'm going in swimming!" declared Bert. "It's awful hot, and a good swimwill cool me off."
"Don't go in until we take a look and see if there are any sharks or bigfish around," his father warned him. "Remember we are down South, wherethe water of the ocean is warm, and sharks like warm water. This is notlike it was at Uncle William's at Ocean Cliff. So, remember, children,don't go in the water unless your mother, or some of the grown people,are with you."
The children promised they would not, and a little later the rowboatgrated on the sandy shore and they all got out on the beach of PalmIsland.
"Then this isn't the place where you were wrecked with Jack?" asked Mr.Bobbsey of Cousin Jasper.
"No; it isn't the same place at all. It is a beautiful island, though;much nicer than the one where I was."
"I wonder if any one lives on it," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
"I think not," answered Captain Crane. "Most of these islands are toosmall for people to live on for any length of time, though fishermenmight camp out on them for a week or so. However, this will be a goodplace for us to stay while the engines are being fixed."
"Can we sleep here at night?" asked Bert, who wanted very much to do ashe had read of Robinson Crusoe doing.
"Well, no, I hardly think you could sleep here at night," said CaptainCrane. "We may not be here more than two days, and it wouldn't be wiseto get out the camping things for such a little while. Then, too, astorm might come up, and we would have to move the boat. You can spendthe days on Palm Island and sleep on the _Swallow_."
"Well, that will be fun!" said Nan.
"Lots of fun," agreed Bert. "And please, Daddy, can't we go inswimming?"
It was a hot day, and as Captain Crane said there would be no dangerfrom sharks if the children kept near shore, their bathing garments werebrought from the boat, and soon Bert and Nan, and Flossie and Freddie,were splashing about in the warm sun-lit waters on the beach of PalmIsland.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey were sitting in the shade watching them, while themen on the boat were working at the broken engine, when suddenlyFlossie, who had come out of the water to sit on the sand, set up a cry.
"Oh, it's got hold of me!" she shouted. "Come quick, Daddy! Mother! It'sgot hold of my dress and it's pulling!"
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey jumped up and ran down the beach toward the littlegirl.
FLOSSIE WAS TRYING TO PULL AWAY.]