The Hilltop Boys on Lost Island | Page 9

we have been on the bottom ever since
we came into the bay, and how we are going to lighten her I don't
know."
"But there are no holes, we have opened no seams, we have not taken
in any water?" asked the doctor, looking fixedly at the captain through
his big black-rimmed spectacles.
"No, there are no open seams and no water. The bottom is sandy, too, I
think, and not the sharp coral rock you find in these parts that will cut a
hole in anything that touches it. No, it is simply a case of too little
water to float us, but that, as I may say, may be remedied. Time will
tell."
"Then you do not think there is any cause for alarm, sir?"
"Not any great amount, no, sir. The moon is not quite full, although it
looked so last night, and when it fills we may get higher water. We can
tell to-night. Meanwhile, there are the boats, and your young gentlemen
may go on shore and explore the island. I don't think there are any
people on it, as it seems very small. Many of the islands hereabouts
have no one on them."
"You don't know which one it is as yet?"

"No, I don't."
The doctor walked forward, and looked over the rail, and Jack went up
to Bucephalus, and the old sailor and said:
"You don't know where we are, either of you, I suppose?"
"Ah haven't de remotest ideah, sah," replied the negro, "an' far as Ah
can make o't dis gentleman am in de same predicament. He says we am
in de tropics at a island ob not werry big size an' importance, but Ah
was aware of dese fac's mahself befo' Ah interrogated him, sah, so dat
Ah am no furder dan Ah was befo', sah."
"This here is an island in the Spanish Main, the place where the old
pirates and buccaneers used to roam," said the old sailor whose name
Jack learned later was Ben Bowline, "and that's all I know about it. You
didn't come lookin' fur Cap'n Kidd's treasure, did you?"
"No, we did not, and I don't believe we would find it if we had. Men
are foolish that go looking for such things. I don't believe that Captain
Kidd buried the hundredth part of the gold that he is reputed to have
buried. I have other things to do besides looking for buried gold."
"You're about right," said Ben, "but there's plenty who do look for it,
and spend their lives at it and don't get nothing. This here is one of
them islands, and I thought mebby you boys had come a-lookin' for
something like that. Boys haven't anymore sense."
"Thank you, but you'll find that the Hilltop boys have a good deal more
sense than that."
After breakfast two of the yacht's boats were lowered, and some of the
boys went ashore to explore the island and amuse themselves in various
ways while the captain sent a party to find the outlet of the bay, and see
what their chances for leaving the island might be.
Jack, Percival, Harry, Arthur and young Smith went on one boat, and
were the first to land, walking up the beach and into the woods as the

other boat came ashore.
Picking a path as they went on Jack and his companions pushed into
the deep everglade, the lush undergrowth sometimes quite impeding
their progress, and making their advance very slow.
"If we were going to be here any time," said Percival, "we should have
to make a path so that we could get about with greater rapidity. If we
had thought to bring an axe it would have been better."
After a time their progress was more rapid, as the undergrowth was less
rank, and they went on with more comfort.
Many varieties of cactus, prickly pears, plums and plants with the most
gorgeous flowers lined their path, and gave constant delight to young
Smith and some of the others, but Jack and Percival were more intent
on seeing where they would come out than in looking at plants and
flowers, and they gave the latter little attention.
"There is certainly no one on the island," said Jack at length when they
came out upon an upland glade more open to the sky than the parts
already traversed, "or we should have seen them by this time. I think
we have been going in the same general direction, Dick, so suppose we
push on in the same line, and see where we come out."
"All right, but there are hills, which we may have to climb if we keep
straight on. There they are ahead of us."
"Yes, I see them, but they do not