Part 23 (1/2)

Sam made a frantic effort to do so. In the meantime the shark came closer and Tom could see his enormous mouth and sharp teeth clearly.

His blood turned to ice in his veins.

Sam made a clutch at the paddle, missed it, and disappeared once more from sight. The shark rushed to the spot and turned in dismay, and driven to desperation, Tom hit the monster over the head with the paddle. Then the shark disappeared also.

The next few seconds were full of agony for poor Tom. He gazed in all directions for Sam, and for the shark, but neither one nor the other was to be seen.

”He must have caught Sam under the water!” he muttered. ”Oh, Sam, what an awful death to die!”

A slight noise at the upper end of the raft disturbed him. He turned swiftly, to see a wet hand glide over the woodwork. He made a leap and clutched the hand, and then Sam's head appeared. He gave a frantic yank, and both lay on the flooring of the raft. Sam was saved.

”The shark!” gasped Tom, when he could speak. ”Did it--it--bite you?”

”No, but it grazed my shoulder,” answered Sam. ”If I had not dived down, I would have lost an arm at the very least.”

When they felt able they looked around, but the shark had disappeared.

”That settles it,” said Tom. ”We must be careful and keep out of this water in the future. If we want to bathe, we will have to build a pool.”

During the remainder of the trip to the wreck both were careful not to run the slightest chance of falling overboard.

”Not such a very lovely place to live in, after all,” said Tom.

”Snakes on land and sharks in the water, ugh!” And Sam agreed with him.

Once on the wreck it was an easy thing to obtain the dishes and the knives, forks and spoons, and also some other things they thought they might require. They also brought away another gun, loading it up before leaving the s.h.i.+p.

”Now, if Mr. Shark comes around again, we can give him a dose of buckshot,” said' Tom.

But the shark did not appear, excepting at a great distance.

When Sam. told his story all congratulated him on his narrow escape.

”Tom is right,” said old Jerry. ”Ye mustn't do no bathin' in the bay.

We can fix two pools, one for the ladies and one for ourselves, and make another pool for fish, and another for turtles, if we can find any.”

The girls had cooked a splendid meal, and soon the table was set on a big flat rock lying near the beach. All sat down and Captain Blossom asked a blessing, and then they all fell to with vigor, for all were hungry.

”The salt air gives one an appet.i.te,” said d.i.c.k.

The meal lasted the best part of an hour, for, as Tom said, there was no use of hurrying. As they ate, and for some time afterward, they discussed their situation and tried to arrange plans for the future.

It was decided that first of all d.i.c.k and old Jerry should climb to the top of the hill, taking with them an ax and a flag and some halyards, and fasten the flag to the top of the tree, stars down, as a signal of distress. Then the whole party was to a.s.sist in bringing from the wreck as much building material as was necessary to construct a comfortable dwelling of three large rooms, one for the girls, one for the boys and men, and one as a general living room. A store-house was also to be built, in which could be stored such provisions as were brought away from the wreck from time to time. Then they could live on sh.o.r.e or on the s.h.i.+p, as they pleased.

The following day was Sunday and all rested. The girls thought there should be some sort of religious exercises and all went to the wreck, where Captain Blossom read some chapters from the Bible and the others sang hymns.

The week to follow was a busy one and the time slipped by rapidly.

A visit was paid to the hilltop and the flag raised, and Tom and old Jerry also went to the north sh.o.r.e and brought around the rowboat beached there. In the meantime Captain Blossom put together the rowboat parts stored on the _Golden Wave_, so they now had two boats and the raft for service across the bay and to other points on the water.

Building the house was by no means an easy task, but the Rover boys thought it more fun than work, especially with the girls to look on, and by the end of the second week the building looked quite presentable.