Part 47 (1/2)
”Let us see what it means!” he exclaimed to the senator's son, and they hurried in the direction of the sound with all speed.
Back of the rocks was a grove of plantains, and in the center was the remains of a thatched hut, evidently built by natives years before. On the ground in front of this hut lay Captain Sanders and the sailor, Smiley. Each had his head bound up and each was nursing a bruised ankle.
”Captain Sanders!” cried Dave, in astonishment.
”Dave Porter!” returned the commander of the _Golden Eagle_, joyfully.
”My, but I am glad you have come!”
”You are hurt?”
”Yes. Those scoundrels attacked us from behind and knocked us senseless.”
”You mean those three Englishmen?”
”Yes, and that fellow Jasniff was with them.”
”But your ankles are hurt, too?” went on Dave.
”We hurt them when we fell into one of the beastly caves, or holes. We were following Jasniff and the Englishmen, and also looking for you and the others. Then those rascals got behind us in some way, and the first thing I knew I got a whack behind the ear that knocked me unconscious.”
”And I got the same,” said Smiley. ”Oh, I wish I had my hands on those villains!”
”They have sailed away,” said Roger.
”Away!” cried the captain. ”How?”
In a few brief words our hero and his chum told of the advance to the beach and of what they and the others had witnessed. Captain Sanders shook his head, soberly.
”That's too bad,” he said. ”They've got a good start and it will be hard to follow them.”
”How can we follow them, when the _Golden Eagle_ isn't here?” said Dave.
”But she is here-on the other side of the island.”
”Oh, are you sure?” cried our hero.
”Yes. I saw her coming in,-when we were on one of the hills. She was minus her foretopmast, which shows she must have suffered some in that hurricane.”
”If that's the case, let us get to her with all possible speed, go aboard, and follow the _Aurora_,” returned Dave.
CHAPTER XXIX-A CHASE ON THE OCEAN
It took the best part of the afternoon and evening to get the whole party together again, and send word to the mate of the _Golden Eagle_ to bring the vessel around to that side of Cave Island. And while this was being done the hurts Captain Sanders and Smiley had received were cared for as well as the means at hand permitted.
The captain and the wounded sailor had a long story to tell, of how they had followed the three rascally Englishmen and Nick Jasniff, and how the latter had made a compact with the others, so that they would take him with them when they left the island.
”The Englishmen were a bit afraid of the captain of the _Aurora_,”
said Captain Sanders, ”and we overheard them discuss the situation.