[Illustration: Down came the youth, head first.--_Page 145._]
Pan-American Series
THE
YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS
OR
AMERICAN BOYS IN THE WEST INDIES
BY
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
Author of “Lost on the Orinoco,” “With Washington in the West,”
“American Boys’ Life of William McKinley,” “Old Glory Series,”
“Ship and Shore Series,” “Bound to Succeed Series,” etc.
_ILLUSTRATED BY A. B. SHUTE_
BOSTON:
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.
1930
COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY LEE AND SHEPARD
Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London
_All rights reserved_
THE YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
PREFACE
“THE YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS” is a complete story in itself, but forms
the second volume of a line issued under the general title of the
“Pan-American Series.”
When I began this series of tales I had in mind to acquaint my
young readers with some of the sights to be seen in the three
Americas,--especially such portions as lie outside of the United
States. In the first volume, called “Lost on the Orinoco,” I told of
the sight-seeing and adventures of five American lads, who, in company
with their academy professor, who is also a great traveler and hunter,
journey to Venezuela, our sister Republic on the north-east coast of
South America. The boys visit several principal cities, inspect cocoa
and coffee plantations as well as gold and silver mines, and then
explore the mighty river already named.
In the present volume the scene is shifted from Venezuela to the
West Indies, that group of islands of which Porto Rico has already
become the property of the United States. Because of the recent
Spanish-American War, and the still more recent volcanic disturbances
in Martinique and St. Vincent, these islands are of unusual interest
to us. In this book the boys and their instructor sail from Venezuela
to Jamaica, stopping at Kingston, and then go to Havana, Cuba. In
Cuba several places of importance are visited, and then the trip is
continued to Hayti and to Porto Rico, where the party travel overland
from San Juan to Ponce. At the latter city word is received that the
fathers of two of the boys have gone to St. Pierre, Martinique, and
the party start for that point, only to encounter the effects of the
volcanic eruption when still far at sea. But Martinique is visited,
nevertheless, and later on St. Vincent also, and in spite of the many
dangers, all ends happily.
In penning this tale I have, as usual, tried to be as accurate as
possible when giving historical or geographical details. The latest and
best American and Spanish authorities have been consulted, and, in the
case of the disasters at Martinique and St. Vincent, I have read with
care the reports of all who suffered and escaped, and of those who have
since visited these spots of interest.
Once again I wish to thank the many thousands who have perused my
former works. May the present volume fulfil their every expectation.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCING THE BOYS 1
II. NEWS FROM HOME 10
III. OFF FOR JAMAICA 20
IV. A TALK ABOUT A MEAL 30
V. THE DEFENSE OF JANUARY JONES 42
VI. AN INTERRUPTION TO SIGHT-SEEING 53
VII. THE JOKE ON CAPTAIN SUDLIP 62
VIII. SIGHT-SEEING IN HAVANA 72
IX. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HOCKLEY 82
X. THE OLD CONVENT 93
XI. A STRANGE STORY 103
XII. ABOUT CUBA AND TOBACCO RAISING 114
XIII. A CUBAN BASEBALL GAME 123
XIV. WINNING A VICTORY 132
XV. HOCKLEY TAKES A BATH AND GIVES ONE 141
XVI. GOOD-BYE TO CUBA 152
XVII. A JOKE ON SHIPBOARD 161
XVIII. HAYTI, SUGAR MAKING, AND ANOTHER JOKE 172
XIX. A TALK ABOUT PORTO RICO 183
XX. AN ADVENTURE IN THE MOUNTAINS 193
XXI. ACROSS PORTO RICO ON HORSEBACK 204
XXII. HOCKLEY IN TROUBLE 213
XXIII. THE BULLY IS HUMBLED 223
XXIV. SOMETHING ABOUT EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES 233
XXV. A COLLISION AT SEA 243
XXVI. THE LUMBER RAFT 256
XXVII. STONE DUST AND BOILING WATER 265
XXVIII. THE ERUPTION OF MONT PELEE 274
XXIX. THE DESTRUCTION OF ST. PIERRE 285
XXX. LOOKING FOR THE MISSING ONES 296
XXXI. DANGEROUS VOLCANO EXPLORING 306
XXXII. THE FATE OF CAPTAIN SUDLIP 316
XXXIII. A HAPPY MEETING--CONCLUSION 325
[Illustration:
PAN
AMERICAN
SERIES]
THE YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCING THE BOYS
“Here comes the mail boy, Darry. Now for letters and newspapers from
home. There ought to be plenty of letters for all of us.”
“Don’t be too sure Frank. The mails in Venezuela are mighty slow,
especially now when there is another revolution on.”
“Oh, I don’t believe this one-horse revolution will have anything to do
with the mails,” put in a third boy, as he joined his chums, who were
lounging in the hallway of a spacious hotel in Caracas, the capital
city of Venezuela. “They have them too often, you know.”
“Hush, don’t call it a one-horse revolution, Beans,” returned Darry
Crane, in a warning voice. “The people who live here think it’s just
as important as any revolution that ever was--and it probably is, to
them.”
“There goes the professor for letters now!” burst out Frank Newton.
“Oh, I do hope he gets lots of them!” Frank was always more anxious for
letters from home than anyone else. “Yes, here he comes with a handful,
and an armful of papers in the bargain.”
The coming of the mail always attracted a crowd of patrons of the
hotel, and soon the boys found themselves surrounded by those anxious
to get their letters and papers. Looking, they saw the gentleman who
had their mail wave his hand to them and disappear in the direction of
the hotel courtyard and they speedily followed.
“What have you for me, Professor?” was the question asked by one and
all, and now two more boys hurried up, making five in all who waited
eagerly for news from home.
It was an interesting group, and while the mail matter is being
distributed, we will take the opportunity of introducing each
individual to the reader.
The oldest boy present was Mark Robertson. He was a lad of seventeen,
and was the son of a dry goods importer. His father owned an interest
in several mills in England and Scotland and made semi-yearly trips
across the Atlantic, and the family were well-to-do.
When at home Mark lived on Madison Avenue in New York city, and
directly opposite to him lived Frank Newton, another of the boys of the
group. Although Frank was a year younger than Mark, the two were warm
chums. Frank’s father was a banker, and if he was not a millionaire he
was certainly well provided for financially.
The liveliest boy in the crowd was Dartworth Crane, always called
Darry for short. He was but fifteen, the son of a rich Chicago cattle
dealer, and to him life was one long, sunshiny holiday. It was very
hard for Darry to take anything seriously, and his good nature was as
spontaneous as it was catching.
“Darry would make a cow laugh,” said Frank, more than once, and the
others agreed with him. As said before, Mark was Frank’s closest chum,
but Darry was no mean second.
The fourth lad of the group was a tall, well-built individual of
sixteen, with a high forehead and a thick mass of curly hair. This was
Samuel Winthrop, generally called “Beans,” because he had been born
and brought up in Boston. Sam was the son of a well-to-do widow of the
Back Bay district. He was a studious, observant young fellow, seldom,
however, given to “airing his knowledge,” and he and Mark were as
friendly as were Frank and Darry.
The fifth youth in the crowd was a tall, lank individual of about
Mark’s age, with a white freckled face and reddish hair. His name was
Jacob Hockley, and he was the son of a millionaire lumber dealer of
Pennsylvania. His manner was varied, at times exceedingly “bossy,”
as the others termed it, and then again exceedingly sour and morose.
The latter mood had won for him the nickname of “Glummy” or “Jake the
Glum,” and although he objected strenuously to being called such a
name, yet it clung to him in spite of everything. Hockley had plenty of
money and spent it freely, but even this failed to make him any close
friendships.
“Glummy thinks money is everything,” said Mark in speaking of the
matter one day. “But sooner or later he is bound to learn that there
are some things that even money can’t buy.” And Mark was right. True
friendship is never a matter of dollars and cents.
For several years all these boys had attended a boarding academy
located among the hills of New Hampshire. Lakeview Academy, as it was
called, was presided over by Professor Amos Strong, a kindly and well
educated gentleman, who had in years gone by been a great traveler and
hunter. Professor Strong had often told the lads about his hunting
expeditions in various parts of the globe, and through these stories a
plan had originated to visit Central and South America, the expedition
to be under the personal supervision of the professor himself.
At first Professor Strong could not see his way clear to leaving the
academy, but a fire came and destroyed the place, and at the same time
the professor’s brother, also a teacher, left the faculty of Harvard.
It was then arranged that the school building should be rebuilt under
the directions of the brother, who was afterward to assume control
of the institution. This would give Professor Strong the liberty he
desired and which he, in secret, greatly craved. For many years a
wanderer on the face of the earth, binding himself down to steady
teaching had proved rather irksome to him.
After a good deal of discussion it was decided that the party of six
should first visit Venezuela, and in the first volume of this series,
entitled “Lost on the Orinoco,” I related the particulars of the
journey from New York to La Guayra, the nearest seaport, and told of
the sight-seeing and adventures while visiting Caracas, the capital,
Macuto, the fashionable summer resort, the great Gulf of Maracaibo, and
other points of interest, including cocoa and coffee plantations and
gold and silver mines, and also a never-to-be-forgotten journey up that
immense river, the Orinoco, the second largest stream in South America.
The boys had had adventures in plenty, and becoming lost on the Orinoco
had almost proved a serious happening for Mark and Frank, who had
wandered away in a jungle that seemed to have no end. All of the party
had met more than one wild animal, and a squall on Lake Maracaibo had
come close to sending them all to the bottom.
It was not to be expected that four such whole-souled lads as Mark,
Frank, Darry and Sam could get along smoothly with such an over-bearing
and peculiar youth as Jake Hockley. They were sorry that the bully was
along, and it was not long before there was a bitter quarrel and some
of the boys came to blows with Hockley. This was stopped by Professor
Strong, who said they must do better in the future.
With no special friend in the party, and with a strong desire to be
“sporty,” and to do things which were not permitted by the professor,
Hockley struck up an acquaintance with one Dan Market, a man from
Baltimore, whose reputation was none of the best. This Markel succeeded
in getting all of Hockley’s money away from him, and it was only
through a discovery made by Mark and Frank that Markel was arrested and
the money was recovered. But Markel had escaped, and what had become of
him nobody knew. Getting back his money and also a watch which had been
taken, had made Hockley friendly to Frank and Mark for the time being,
and the bully was also friendly to Sam and Darry, for they had saved
him from being crushed to death by a boa constrictor, having shot and
killed the hideous reptile just in the nick of time.
It had been the intention of Professor Strong to take the boys from
Venezuela to Brazil, but while the party was resting at a mining town
called Castroville, there came in a report that the tropical fevers
were raging in the latter republic, and that it was likely Venezuela,
Brazil, Colombia, and some other countries would soon be mixed up in
revolutions and wars, and it was then decided by a general vote that
they should move northward again and visit the West Indies, taking in
Jamaica, Cuba, Porto Rico, and other important islands.
“That will just suit me,” said Mark, when this decision was reached. “I
want to see where the battles of the Spanish-American War were fought
and also what sort of a place Porto Rico, our new possession, is.”
“And I want to get out of a country that grows boa constrictors,” came
from Hockley. “Ugh, they’re awful. Professor, are there such snakes in
the West Indies?”
“I never heard of any, Jacob. But they have poisonous reptiles, such as
are to be found in all tropical climates.”
“Well, I won’t care so much for them, if they aren’t six or seven yards
long,” grumbled the tall youth.
“That’s Glummy all over,” whispered Frank to Darry. “Every time he
speaks of that constrictor he tacks a yard or two on to the length.”
“Never mind--it’s only a snake story, you know,” returned light-hearted
Darry. “They don’t count, for nobody believes them. We’ll never get
credit for killing anything more than a snake as long as your arm.”
The journey from Castroville to Caracas overland had been uneventful.
They had stopped at numerous plantations and small towns on the way,
and they had seen sheep and wild horses without number. They had also
done considerable hunting, and each of the boys could now boast of
being a creditable shot. If there was an exception it was Hockley, who,
in spite of all the instructions given him by the professor, would take
little pains in the handling of his gun.
On arriving at Caracas they put up at the same hotel which had been
their stopping place on first visiting the capital. All had long before
sent letters home speaking of their change of plans, and they were now
anxious to ascertain how their parents would view the matter, even
though, on leaving home, everything had been left to Professor Strong
personally, he being fully competent to judge of what was best for all.