Bob the Castaway

Bob the Castaway - The Wreck of the Eagle

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Bob the Castaway, by Frank V. Webster
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Title: Bob the Castaway
Author: Frank V. Webster
Release Date: April 5, 2004 [eBook #11909]
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BOB THE CASTAWAY***
E-text prepared by Al Haines

BOB THE CASTAWAY
Or, The Wreck of the Eagle
By
FRANK V. WEBSTER
AUTHOR OF "ONLY A FARM BOY," "THE BOY FROM THE RANCH," "THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS," "THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
1909

Books for Boys by FRANK V. WEBSTER
12mo. Illustrated. Bound in cloth.
ONLY A FARM BOY, Or Dan Hardy's Rise in Life TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY, Or The Mystery of a Message THE BOY FROM THE RANCH, Or Roy Bradner's City Experiences THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER, Or Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska BOB THE CASTAWAY, Or The Wreck of the Eagle THE YOUNG FIREMEN OF LAKEVILLE, Or Herbert Dare's Pluck THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS, Or Who Was Dick Box? THE BOY PILOT OF THE LAKES, Or Nat Morton's Perils TWO BOY GOLD MINERS, Or Lost in the Mountains JACK THE RUNAWAY, Or On the Road with a Circus
Cupples & Leon Co., Publishers, New York

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
BOB MAKES TROUBLE II ANOTHER PRANK III A STRANGE PROPOSITION IV TALKING IT OVER V A JOKE THAT WENT WRONG VI MRS. HENDERSON'S DECISION VII BOB IS DELIGHTED VIII GETTING READY IX BOB'S LAST LAND JOKE X OFF ON THE TRIP XI THE "EAGLE" SAILS XII SOME JOKES ON BOB XIII BOB TRIES A PRANK XIV MR. TARBILL GETS A SHOCK XV THE STORM XVI WRECK OP THE SHIP XVII ADRIFT IN SMALL BOATS XVIII BOB ON AN ISLAND XIX FINDING MR. TARBILL XX MAKING THE BEST OF IT XXI MORE ARRIVALS XXII AFLOAT ONCE MORE XXIII A SERIOUS LOSS XXIV DAYS OF HOPELESSNESS XXV HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION

CHAPTER I
BOB MAKES TROUBLE
"Bob! Bob!" called a woman in loud tones, as she came to the kitchen door, her arms, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, covered with flour. "Bob, I want you to go to the store for me. I need some more lard for this pie-crust."
There was no answer, and the woman looked across the big yard at one side of the cottage.
"Where can that boy be?" Mrs. Henderson murmured. "I saw him here a little while ago. He's never around when I want him. I shouldn't be surprised but what he was planning some joke. Oh, dear! I wish he was more steady, and wasn't always up to some mischief. Still, he's a good boy at heart, and perhaps he'll grow better when he gets older."
She rubbed her left cheek with the back of her hand, leaving a big patch of flour under one eye. Then she called once more.
"Bob! Bob Henderson! Where are you? I want you to go to the store."
"Here I am, mother. Were you calling me?" asked a boy, emerging from behind a big apple tree.
He was not a bad-looking lad, even if his nose did turn up a bit, though his hair was tinged with red, and his face covered with freckles. His blue eyes, however, seemed to sparkle with mischief.
"Did I call you?" repeated Mrs. Henderson. "I'm hoarse after the way I had to shout--and you within hearing distance all the while! Why didn't you answer me?"
"I guess I was so busy thinking, mom, that I didn't hear you."
"Thinking? More likely thinking of some trick! What's that you've got?"
"Nothing," and Bob tried to stuff pieces of paper into a basket that was already filled to overflowing.
"Yes, 'tis too something. You're making some more of those paper snappers that the teacher kept you in after school for the other night. Bob, can't you settle down and not be always up to some trick?"
"I wasn't making these for myself, mom, honest I wasn't," expostulated Bob, with an innocent look that did not seem in accord with the mischief in his blue eyes. "I was making 'em for Jimmy Smith."
"Yes, and Jimmy Smith would pop 'em off in school, and when he got caught he'd say you gave 'em to him, and you'd both be kept in. Oh, Bob, I don't know what will happen to you next!"
"Why, I wasn't doing anything, honest I wasn't, mom. Oh, how funny you look with that patch of flour on your cheek! Just like a clown in a circus, only he has white stuff all over his face."
"Well, I must say, Bob Henderson, you're not very complimentary to your mother, telling her she looks like a circus clown."
"I didn't say you did, mom. You only look like half a clown."
"That's just as