Part 40 (1/2)

As the crew of the Ramona had confessed, they had set the pa.s.sengers--Mrs.

Kimball and Mr. and Mrs. Robinson--ash.o.r.e on Double Island, some time after the uprising. Our friends were glad enough to leave the vessel, for there were constant bickering and quarrels among the mutineers.

Affairs did not go at all smoothly.

So it was with comparatively small regret that the refugees found themselves set ash.o.r.e. They were given a boat, and a sufficient supply of food and stores. Only in the matter of clothing were they handicapped, having only a few belongings, the mutineers keeping the remainder.

”When we got ash.o.r.e, and took an account of stock,” said Mr.

Robinson, ”I found some sort of shelter would be necessary, even if we were in a land of almost perpetual June.

”This wasn't the first time I had gone camping, under worse circ.u.mstances than these, so I soon put up this hut. Not bad, is it?” and he waved his hand toward the palm-leaf thatched structure.

”It's great!” cried Jack. ”I think I'll stay here a while myself, and camp out.”

”You may--I've had enough,” said Mrs. Robinson. ”Oh, I do hope you girls have some spare hairpins!” she exclaimed. ”Perry said to use thorns, but even if Mother Eve did her hair up that way, I can't!”

she sighed.

”Well, to make a long story short,” resumed Mr. Robinson, ”we've been here ever since. And we are beginning to enjoy ourselves. We've had enough to eat, such as it is, though the tinned stuff gets a trifle palling after a time. So I've been trying to catch a few crabs.”

”And he hasn't had any luck--he might as well confess,” said his wife.

”Give me time, my dear,” protested Mr. Robinson. ”There's one now!”

He made a swoop with the improvised net, but the crustacean flipped itself into deep water and escaped.

”Never mind--you're going to leave now, Dad!” said Bess, gaily.

The young folks inspected the rude hut, and were charmed by its simplicity.

”Though it does leak,” said Mr. Robinson.

”I must admit that.”

”Leak!” cried Mrs. Robinson. ”It's a regular sieve!”

”Might as well haul down our signal,” observed Mr. Robinson, for on a tall palm, at a prominent height of the island, he had raised an improvised flag.

Double Island was uninhabited, and was seldom visited by any vessels, though in the course of time the refugees would have been rescued even if the motor girls had not come for them. But their experience would have been unpleasant, if not dangerous.

”Well, let's go aboard and start back to civilization,” proposed Belle, after Lieutenant Walling had been introduced, and his part in the affair told.

”But we mustn't forget Inez's father!” cried Cora. ”We still have some rescue work to do.”

”Oh, I'm so sorry I couldn't make any move along that line,” spoke Mr. Robinson. ”But now I'll attend to it, Inez.”

”We'll make for Sea Horse Island at once,” said Cora. ”Inez has the papers with her. Tell him how you threatened Senor Ramo, dear,” and the tale of the fat Spaniard was related.

Made comfortable aboard the Tartar, which had resumed her strange cruise, the refugees told little details of their marooning, which story there had not been time for on the island.