Produced by William R Marvin
THE ROVER BOYS ONLAND AND SEA
or
The Crusoes of the Seven Islands
by
Arthur M Winfield
CONTENTS
I. The Rover Boys on San Francisco
II. The Turning up of Dan Baxter
III. A Discovery and What Followed
IV. Good Times at Santa Barbara
V. On Board the Yacht
VI. Adrift on the Pacific Ocean
VII. Dismaying News
VIII. From One Ship to Another
IX. In Which the Enemy Is Cornered
X. A Blow in the Darkness
XI. A Call from the Stern
XII. Another Accident at Sea
XIII. The Crusoes of Seven Islands
XIV. Settling Down on the Island
XV. Another Castaway Brought to Light
XVI. Sam and the Shark
XVII. Exploring the Seven Islands
XVIII. Unexpected Visitors
XIX. Hot Words and Blows
XX. The Mate Tries to Take Command
XXI. The Attack on the Wreck
XXII. A Heavy Tropical Storm
XXIII. What Happened on the Bay
XXIV. In Close Quarters
XXV. Trying to Come to Terms
XXVI. The Cave on the Island
XXVII. A fight with a Wild Beast
XXVIII. The Burning of the Wreck
XXX. The Defense of the Cave--Saved!
INTRODUCTION.
MY DEAR BOYS: "The Rover Boys on Land and Sea," is a complete story
in itself, but forms the seventh volume of the "Rover Boys Series
for Young Americans."
As I mentioned in a previous volume of this series, when I began this
set of books I had in mind to write no more than three volumes,
relating the adventures of Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover, at home, at
school, and elsewhere. But the publication of "The Rover Boys at
School," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean," and "The Rover Boys in the
Jungle," immediately called for more stories of the same sort, so
year after year I have followed with "The Rover Boys out West," "The
Rover Boys on the Great Lakes," "The Rover Boys in the Mountains,"
and now the volume before you, which relates the adventures of the
three brothers, and some of their friends and enemies, on the sea
and on a number of far away islands, where, for a time, all lead a
sort of Robinson Crusoe life.
In writing this tale I had in mind not alone to please my young
readers, but also to give them a fair picture of life on the ocean
as it is to-day, in distinction to what it was years ago, and also
to acquaint the boys and girls with some of the beauties of those
mid-ocean lands which are generally, so strange to all of us. The
boys see much that is new, novel, and pleasing--new fruits, new
flowers, new animals--and have often to use their wits to the utmost,
to get themselves out of serious difficulty and also to make
themselves, and those under their protection, comfortable.
Once again I thank my young friends for the interest they have shown
in my previous stories. I trust that all who peruse this volume will
find it equally to their liking.
Affectionately and sincerely yours, ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.
THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA
CHAPTER I
THE ROVER BOYS IN SAN FRANCISCO
"Well, Dick, here we are in San Francisco at last."
"Yes, Tom, and what a fine large city it is."
"We'll have to take care, or we'll get lost," came from a third boy,
the youngest of the party.
"Just listen to Sam!" cried Tom Rover. "Get lost! As if we weren't
in the habit of taking care of ourselves."
"Sam is joking," came from Dick Rover. "Still we might get lost here
as well as in New York or any other large city."
"Boston is the place to get lost in," said Tom Rover. "Got streets
that curve in all directions. But let us go on. Where is the hotel?"
"I'm sure I don't know," came from Sam Rover.
"Cab! carriage! coupe!" bawled a cabman standing near. "Take you
anywhere you want to go, gents."
"How much to take the three of us to the Oakland House?"
"Take you there for a dollar, trunks and all."
"I'll go you," answered Dick Rover. "Come on, I'll see that you get
the right trunks."
"I think we are going to have some good times while we are on the
Pacific coast," observed Tom Rover, while he and Sam were waiting
for Dick and the cabman to return.
"I shan't object to a good time," replied Sam. "That is what we came
for."
"Before we go back I am going to have a sail up and down the coast."
"To be sure, Tom. Perhaps we can sail down to Santa Barbara. That is
a sort of Asbury Park and Coney Island combined, so I have been told."
Dick Rover and the cabman soon returned. The trunks were piled on
the carriage and the boys got in, and away they bowled from the
station in the direction of the Oakland House.
It was about ten o'clock of a clear day in early spring. The boys
had reached San Francisco a few minutes before, taking in the sights
on the way. Now they sat up in the carriage taking in more sights,
as the turnout moved along first one street and then another.
As old readers of this series know, the Rover boys were three in
number, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom next, and sturdy-hearted
Sam the youngest. They were the only offspring of Anderson Rover,
a former traveler and mine-owner, who, at present, was living with
his brother Randolph and his sister-in-law Martha, on their beautiful
farm at Valley Brook, in the heart of New York State.
During the past few years the Rover boys had had numerous adventures,
so many, in fact, that they can scarcely be hinted at here. While
their father was in the heart of Africa, their Uncle Randolph had
sent them off to Putnam Hall Academy. Here they had made many friends
among the boys and also among some folks living in the vicinity,
including Mrs. Stanhope and her daughter Dora, a girl who, according
to Dick Rover's idea, was the sweetest creature in the whole world.
They had also made some enemies, the worst of the number being Dan
Baxter, a fellow who had been the bully of the school, but who was
now a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth. Baxter came from
a disreputable family, his father having at one time tried to swindle
Mr. Rover out of a rich gold mine in the West. The elder Baxter was
now in prison suffering the penalty for various crimes.
A term at school had been followed by an exciting chase on the ocean,
and then by a trip through the jungle of Africa, whence the Rover
boys had gone to find their long-lost father. After this the boys
made a trip West to establish their parent's claim to the gold mine
just mentioned, and this was followed by a grand trip on the Great
Lakes in which the boys suffered not a little at the hands of the
Baxters. On an island on one of the lakes the Rover boys found a
curious casket and this, on being opened, proved to contain some
directions for locating a treasure secreted in the heart of the
Adirondack Mountains.
"We must locate that treasure," said Tom Rover, and off they started
for the mountains, and did locate it at last, but not before Dan
Baxter had done everything in his power to locate it ahead of them.
When they finally outwitted their enemy, Dan Baxter had disappeared,
and that was the last they had seen of him for some time.
The Rover boys had expected to return to Putnam Hall and their studies
immediately after the winter outing in the Adirondacks, but an
unexpected happening at the institution of learning made them change
their plans. Three pupils were taken down with scarlet fever, and
rather than run the risk of having more taken sick, Captain Victor
Putnam had closed up the Academy for the time being, and sent the
pupils to their homes.
"The boys will have to go to some other school," their Aunt Martha
had said, but one and another had murmured at this, for they loved
Captain Putnam too well to desert him so quickly.
"Let us wait a few months," had been Dick's suggestion.
"Let us study at home," had come from Sam.
"Let us travel," Tom had put in. "Travel broadens the mind." He loved
to be "on the go" all the time.
The matter was talked over for several days, and Tom begged that they
might take a trip across the continent and back, using some of the
money derived from the old treasure. At last Anderson Rover consented;
and two days later the three boys were off, going by way of New York
City, on the Chicago Limited. They had spent two days in the great
city by the lakes, and then come direct to the Golden Gate city.
"I wonder if we will meet anybody we know while we are out here,"
said Tom, as the carriage continued on its way.
"If we get down to Santa Barbara I think we'll meet somebody," answered
Dick, and he blushed just a trifle. "I got a letter in Chicago, as
you know. It was from Dora Stanhope, and she said that she and her
mother were traveling again and expected to go either to Santa Barbara
or Los Angeles. Her mother is not well again, and the doctor thought
the air on the Pacific coast might benefit her."
"Oh, my, but won't Dick have an elegant time, if he falls in with
Dora!" cried Sam. "Tom, we won't be in it."
"Now don't you start to tease me," returned Dick, his face redder
than ever. "I guess Dora always gave you a good time, too."
"That's right, she did," said Tom. And then he added: "Did she say
anything about the Lanings?" For the Laning girls, Nellie and Grace,
were cousins to Dora Stanhope, and Tom and Sam thought almost as much
of them as Dick did of Dora.
"To be sure she did," replied Dick. "But I guess it's--well, it's a
secret."
"A secret!" shouted Sam. "Not much, Dick! Let us in on it at once!"
"Yes, do!" put in Tom.
"But it may prove a disappointment."
"We'll chance it," returned Tom.
"Well then, Dora wrote that if she and her mother could find a nice
cottage at Los Angeles or Santa Barbara they were going to invite
Nellie and Grace to come out and keep house with them for six months
or so."
"Hurrah!" cried Sam enthusiastically. "I hope they come. If they do,
won't the six of us just have boss times!" And his face glowed with
anticipation.
"We can certainly have good times if Mrs. Stanhope's health will
permit," said Dick. "Here we are at the hotel."
He uttered the last words as the carriage came to a stop at the curb.
He leaped out and so did the others; and a few minutes later found
them safe and sound in the hotel. They were assigned to a large room
on the third floor, and hither they made their way, followed by their
trunks, and then began to wash and dress up, preparatory to going
down to the dining room, for the journeying around since breakfast
had made them hungry.
"I think I am going to like San Francisco," said Tom, as he was
adjusting a fresh collar and gazing out of the window at the same
time. "Everything looks so bright and clean."
"They have some pretty tall buildings here, the same as in Chicago
and New York," came from Dick, as he, too, gazed out of the window.
"Oh, all the big cities are a good deal alike," put in Sam, who was
drying his face on a towel.
"San Francisco is a mighty rich place," continued Tom. "They are too
rich even to use pennies. It's five cents here, or a bit there, or
two bits for this and two bits for that. I never heard a quarter
called two bits in New York."
"I've been told that is a Southern expression, and one used in the
West Indies," said Dick. "The early Californians--My gracious!"
Dick broke off short and leaned far out of the window, which they
had opened to let in the fresh spring air.
"What's up?" queried Tom. "Don't fall out." And he caught his elder
brother by the arm.
"I must have been mistaken. But it did look like him," said Dick slowly.
"Look like whom?" asked Sam, joining the pair.
"Dan Baxter."
"Dan Baxter! Here?" shouted the others.
"I am pretty sure it was Dan Baxter."
"Where is he?" asked Tom.
"He is gone now--he just disappeared around the hotel corner."
"Well, if it really was Dan Baxter, we want to keep our eyes open,"
was Sam's comment.