Part 22 (1/2)

The gentle breeze from the eastern sh.o.r.e was a great relief.

They had marched during the day mostly through forests, and everywhere the atmosphere was close and still, so that the open s.p.a.ce was appreciated.

All slept soundly that night, and morning came only too soon for the wearied boys, but they enjoyed the trip too much to delay moving at the earliest opportunity. While breakfast was being prepared the boys sauntered over to the sloping sh.o.r.e to the west, which was not more than a half mile away.

They enjoyed walking along the pure white sand, and after disrobing had a jolly time in the mildly moving surf. It was not often that they had opportunities to take a sea bath.

The bathing place was a deeply-indented bay, with a long sloping beach,--an ideal spot, with the camp plainly visible to the east. ”Why not take a stroll to the southern end of the bay?” remarked Harry, after they were ready to return. ”We might be able to see the headland to the south where we first sighted land.”

”Well, then, here goes it,” and George started on a strong sprint to the south.

Harry was by far the fleeter, and reached the tufted gra.s.s ahead of George, and then turned to the right, to gain the elevation. It was while thus moving through the brush and debris, which was far above the normal level of the sea, that they were attracted by an unusual deposit of brush, and other acc.u.mulations.

”Stop, Harry; here is something we ought to investigate.”

Harry turned and came back. In the early days of their investigation such a ma.s.s would have meant diligent search. It was more from a recurrence of the old habit that dictated the idea to George.

It was well they did so, for not far from the top, and covered over with seaweed and leaves, was a boxlike structure, evidently some part of a wreckage. They worked feverishly at the surrounding ma.s.s, and uncovered it.

Harry started back. ”Do you know what this is?” he asked. George stooped over, and stared.

”It is part of the boat which was taken from South River.”

When that boat disappeared, only to be found miles away from its original location, the two boxlike compartments which they had made in it, and the oars used by them, had been taken away, and instead they found entirely different oars, and a rope, of which they knew nothing.

Here was one of the boxes. ”Let's open it,” said George in the most intense tone. That was easily done, and there they found, to their surprise, one of their original sh.e.l.l hatchets, part of a coa.r.s.ely-woven cloth, which they recognized as one of their early productions on the first loom, and a dozen or more gourds, in which food had been placed, and all exactly as it had been stored away by them. The food had disappeared, of course, but it had been lost by the action of the sea, and decomposition, as it was evident that the contents had not been disturbed by any one.

”Let us call John,” said Harry, and he bounded up the beach, and ran over the crest, waving his arms as he did so. He had not gone half the distance before those at the camp saw Harry running, and John, and most of those in sight started on a run, George meanwhile industriously dragging away the debris.

”We have found it,” cried Harry, as John came within hailing distance, and without waiting for them to come up he bolted back.

”Now what have you discovered?” asked John as he came up breathless.

”Part of our old boat.”

”We thought George had met with some accident.”

”We got this by accident,” answered George. ”See, here are some more things. This is the oar we had. How can you explain that?”

It was certainly a poser. Why the exchange of oars? John shook his head.

For once he had no theory even to offer. ”Come, boys, let us take away all this stuff.”

All gave a hand, Sutoto wondering why there should be so much ado about a bit of wreckage. George explained the affair, as well as he could.

”What is that board?” exclaimed John. ”No, not a board; that is part of a boat,” he added as more of the acc.u.mulation was torn away.

”It's a boat; it's a boat!” almost shrieked George.