The Rover Boys on Land and Sea Part 45

"Yes, but he kept in the background, for fear, I suppose, of being shot."

With caution one after another left the mouth of the cave to look in the direction of the house. No one outside of their own party was visible.

Suddenly a glare lit up the scene, growing brighter each instant.

"By the great boots!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Captain Blossom. "They have set the house on fire!"

"That shows how crazy they are," declared d.i.c.k. "In their rage they are liable to do anything. Ten to one they get to fighting between themselves before this is over."

The house, being built of semi-green logs, burnt slowly. As it was consumed, they heard some of the sailors singing and yelling, and heard several pistol shots and a scream of pain.

"Some of them are coming now!" announced Sam, half an hour later.

"Everybody get back out of sight," cried Captain Blossom.

There was a wild scramble, and in the rush Tom tripped and fell. His foot struck a stone, which went rolling down to the mutineers' feet.

"Hi! hi! there they are!" came in a rough, thick voice.

"Where?" roared back the voice of Jack Lesher.

"Up there, among the rocks and bushes."

"Let's go after 'em!"

"Shoot 'em down, boys! They deserve it for burning up the ship!"

Up the rocks came the hard-drunken sailors, accompanied by Lesher, and with Dan Baxter in their rear.

"Back! back! All of you, stand back!" cried Captain Blossom. "Come a step nearer at your peril. We are all armed and ready to fire!"

At these words the sailors halted for a moment.

"Say, cap'n, why did you set the ship afire?" asked an unsteady voice.

"We had nothing to do with that," answered Captain Blossom. "We were all over on this island when the blaze started."

"It's a lie!" came in the voice of Lesher.

"Of course it's a lie," added Dan Baxter. "They did their best to burn every one of us up.

"It is the truth," cried d.i.c.k. "Now stand back, or we shall fire on you."

"Come on!" yelled Lesher, and fired a pistol at those near the mouth of the cave.

"If ever I get the chance to have you tried, every one of you shall be hung for mutiny and murder!" cried Captain Blossom, and then fired in return.

The bullet hit Dan Baxter in the arm, and he fell back with a shriek of pain.

"I am killed! I am killed!" he moaned, and ran down toward the beach.

Then came a volley from the mutineers, followed by one from those in the cave.

"Oh, what a close 'shave!" muttered Tom. A bullet had grazed his ear, cutting away one of his curly locks.

Lesher was wounded in the shoulder, and in a moment more of the mutineers ran off, feeling that they were at a disadvantage.

"They can see us out in the open, while we can't see them for the rocks and bushes," said one sailor. "Let us wait till morning "; and so it was decided.

Inside of the cave a council of war was held, and it was decided to block up the entrance fronting the bay with large rocks, leaving only two loopholes open, for watching and for possible shooting.

All of the wounded ones were cared for, and then a watch was set. In the meantime Bostwick was put at ease, and he told the particulars of what happened on the burning wreck, and how Lesher and Baxter had urged the mutineers to attack those at the house.

The remainder of the night wore away slowly. Nothing more was seen of the mutineers, who had retired to the jungle, drank more liquor, and gone to sleep, Baxter with them, moaning and groaning over his wound.

"I am going to take a look around," said Tom, early in the morning.

"A look around where?" asked d.i.c.k.

"From where we have the signal of distress. I don't believe any of the mutineers are in that vicinity."

"I'll go with you," put in Sam, and so it was decided.

It was an easy matter for the two boys to make their way to the gully entrance, and with great caution they climbed out of the opening and walked to where the flag of distress floated in the breeze. Not a sight of the mutineers or Dan Baxter was to be had in any direction.

"They are either sleeping, or else they are afraid we'll shoot at them if they show themselves," said Tom. And he added: "I am going to climb the tree and take a look around."

"Be careful," cautioned Sam; nevertheless, he went up the tall tree with his brother.

Once in the tree, directly under the flag, they took a careful look around the island and then out to sea.

"My gracious, Sam, look!" screamed Tom suddenly, and pointed out to the ocean.

"A ship! A ship!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Sam.

"Yes, and do you see what kind of a ship it is? A warship, and an American warship at that!"

"Hurrah, Tom; we are saved!"

"Yes! yes! They are sailing this way. Our flag of distress has been seen! Hurrah!"

"We must tell the others right away."

Both slid down the tree with all haste. As they reached the bottom a gun boomed out across the waves.

"That is to let us know that our signal has been seen," said Tom.

"Won't the others be delighted when they know a ship, an American ship at that, is so close at hand!"

As quickly as they could they reentered the cave and ran to where they had left the others.