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FRONTIER BOYS
IN THE
SOUTH SEAS
BY
CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT
ILLUSTRATED BY
RUDOLF MENCL
NEW YORK
HURST & CO., INC.
PUBLISHERS
THE FRONTIER BOYS
By CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT
This series tells the adventures of Jim, Jo, and Tom Darlington, first
in their camp wagon as they follow the trail to the great West in the
early days. They are real American boys, resourceful, humorous, and--but
you must meet them. You will find them interesting company. They meet
with thrilling adventures and encounters, and stirring incidents are the
rule, not exception.
Historically, these books present a true picture of a period in our
history as important as it was picturesque, when the nation set its face
toward this vast unknown West, and conquered it.
1. Frontier Boys on Overland Trail
2. Frontier Boys in Colorado
3. Frontier Boys in the Rockies
4. Frontier Boys in the Grand Canyon
5. Frontier Boys in Mexico
6. Frontier Boys on the Coast
7. Frontier Boys in Hawaii
8. Frontier Boys in the Sierras
9. Frontier Boys in the Saddle
10. Frontier Boys in Frisco.
11. Frontier Boys in the South Seas
_Illustrated, 12mo, Cloth Price per Volume, 50 Cents_
COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY THE PLATT & PECK CO.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER. PAGE.
I. AN ENCOUNTER 9
II. A CONFERENCE 16
III. PICKING UP THE ENDS 26
IV. BUFFETED 30
V. WHEREIN ARE SEVERAL SURPRISES 42
VI. THE PROFESSOR'S STORY 48
VII. THE STORM KING 63
VIII. THE JOURNEY BEGUN 72
IX. A PLOT 87
X. AT SAN MATTEO BAY 94
XI. ON BOARD THE SEA EAGLE 108
XII. TREACHERY 115
XIII. AN ADVENTURE 129
XIV. THE PURSUIT 143
XV. THE CHART 153
XVI. THE ISLAND OF BOHOOLA 162
XVII. THE HURRICANE 167
XVIII. A MYSTERIOUS HAPPENING 177
XIX. THE CAVE 186
XX. ANOTHER ADVENTURE 197
XXI. THE CAPTURE 207
XXII. THE SEARCH 212
XXIII. THE CHIEF OF RARIHUE 224
XXIV. ON BOARD THE MARJORIE 236
XXV. CONCLUSION 245
FRONTIER BOYS IN THE
SOUTH SEAS
CHAPTER I.
AN ENCOUNTER.
Juarez was sleepy, very sleepy. He had been traveling on a railroad
train for several days, and while ordinarily he could adapt himself to
circumstances, traveling by car instead of having a soothing influence
as it does with some, seemed to keep him awake. He was thoroughly tired
out, and was standing, just now, when our story opens, on dark and
lonesome dock in San Francisco.
He was awaiting the return of Jo and Tom Darlington, his comrades in
many trying and nerve-racking ventures, and he did not observe, or at
least he did not give heed to a single, tall, sturdy figure quietly
approaching him from the back, but keeping the while in the shelter of
the warehouse roof which cast a heavy shadow upon the floor of the dock.
Juarez, as we have said, was sleepy, so sleepy that it seemed to him
that the most desirable thing in the world would be to lie down upon the
rough and knotty planks upon which he was standing and give himself up
to the drowsiness which was overpowering him.
For the time he had entirely forgotten Jo's last admonition:
"Remember, Captain Bill Broome is in town, and he'll sure get you if you
don't watch out."
He had smiled grimly at the warning, visions of some of his experiences
with the redoubtable captain passing through his mind, but he had in
no other way shown any evidence that the words of Jo had made any
impression upon him. Nevertheless he had mentally promised himself to
be on his guard, but the sleepy spell that he could not shake off put
old Bill Broome and everything else out of his mind.
Beside, how could the captain know that he was in town? It would seem
that if he, the captain, knew anything at all about the whereabouts of
the boys, he would place them, Jo and Tom in New York, and Juarez in
Kansas, for they had arrived in San Francisco only a few hours before
and their visit too a most unexpected one.
Juarez, the reader should know, was a youth of eighteen, and although
the son of American parents, he had been stolen by Indians when a child
and had been brought up by them. He and his sister had been rescued by
Jo, Tom and their elder brother Jim.
He had many of the traits and habits peculiar to the wild life he had
led so long, and ordinarily could be depended upon to be watchful and
alert. But to-night, after the long railroad journey, he found himself
in a large city where safety was seemingly assured. With the insistent
desire for sleep he relaxed his vigilance, and was only recalled to
wakefulness and a recognition of his surroundings when he felt himself
suddenly seized and his arms pinned fast to the rough wall of the
building against which he had been carelessly leaning.
We have made some mention of the early life of his comrades, the
Frontier Boys, and the reader will likely wish to know more about them.
Jo and Tom were twins; however, the former was the most active and
go-ahead, but the real leader in their adventures was James, the elder
brother. It would be difficult to find anywhere a finer specimen of
young manhood than James, better known among his friends as Jim
Darlington.
Tall, rather slender in build, but well proportioned, with muscles
as hard and strong as though they were wrought of steel, he had the
strength and quickness of a catamount, and was afraid of nothing, but
even more than this, he was manly, honest, resourceful, and to be
depended upon to the last. He was not exactly handsome, but the
self-reliant way in which he carried himself made him conspicuous even
in a crowd. With it all he was in no way assertive or aggressive, but
calmly ready to meet whatever might happen to come whether it were good
or ill.
From his home town in New York State, Jim had been suddenly called to
the Far West to look after his yacht, the Sea Eagle, an ocean going
boat equipped for propelling power with sail and engine. He had bought
the boat fairly enough, but on enforced conditions, which Captain
Bill Broome, the former owner, had recently found a way to override,
illegally, of course, but he was in possession, which is generally said
to be nine points of the law.
Juarez had known nothing of the Sea Eagle complication, but one day a
stranger had come to the Kansas Town where he lived, enquired for him
and had promptly laid before the youth a proposition to join in a
venture to search for lost treasures in the South Seas. The professor,
for so he introduced himself, had all the needed funds for the venture,
but lacked experienced assistants. He wanted them not only with
experience, but honest as well, for naturally, if success attended his
efforts, and the sought for treasure was found it would prove an ever
present temptation to an unruly crew, or one disposed to evil.
Juarez had accepted the offer as soon as made. The quiet life of the
farm, and even the occasional visits to the small, nearby country town
were dull indeed. To one of his active nature this life was very
monotonous. He had promptly wired, at the professor's request, to James
Darlington, and Jo, receiving the message in his brother's absence, had,
after consulting Tom, wired acceptance of the very liberal offer made.
So it had come about that Jim being in San Francisco on one mission, his
brothers and their friend had arrived to take part in another
enterprise.
Reaching San Francisco, effort had been made by the three boys to locate
Jim, but so far unsuccessfully. The reader of the "Frontier Boys in
Frisco" is fully conversant of the episode which had taxed Jim's time
and attention.
The boys had arranged to sleep aboard the professor's boat, and Juarez
was awaiting the return of Jo and Tom, who had gone upon some errand.
Juarez, thus suddenly awakened, struggled vainly but furiously for a few
moments to break the iron grasp that held him as in a vice. Then, with
Indian cunning he apparently gave up the attempt and ceased to struggle,
but resolved to renew his efforts at the first opportunity that offered.
He had been taken so unaware that he had no chance to see who it was
that had stolen upon him from the back, seized him, and held him with
his face to the wall of the building against which he had been leaning.
"Ho!" cried a gruff voice, "I have got you at last."
"It looks that way," admitted Juarez. "Who are you and what do you
want?"
"You," replied the other.
"What do you want with me?" went on Juarez.
"That you will soon find out," was the reply, with just a suspicion of
exultant laughter in the tone of the speaker, at the same time relaxing
his hold a little.
With the quickness of a panther, Juarez, as he felt the other's hold
relax, slipped from his grasp, and whirling about seized his opponent in
turn and a moment later the two were rolling and tumbling about on the
floor of the dock. They were so equally matched in strength that it
seemed only by chance or through some lucky turn in his favor that
either would be able to overcome the other.