The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle - or The Strange Cruise of the Steam Yacht.

Edward Stratemeyer

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• Publié par: amke
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle, by Edward Stratemeyer (AKA Arthur M. Winfield) This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle or The Strange Cruise of the Steam Yacht. Author: Edward Stratemeyer (AKA Arthur M. Winfield) Release Date: September 9, 2007 [EBook #22547] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE *** Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.) IT WAS EXCITING TO BRING THE ROWBOAT THROUGH THE PASSAGE. THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE OR THE STRANGE CRUISE OF THE STEAM YACHT BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer) AUTHOR OF THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL, THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN, THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES, ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America BOOKS BY ARTHUR M. W INFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer) THE FIRST ROVER BOYS SERIES THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE THE ROVER BOYS AT COLLEGE THE ROVER BOYS DOWN EAST THE ROVER BOYS IN THE AIR THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK THE ROVER BOYS IN ALASKA THE ROVER BOYS IN BUSINESS THE ROVER BOYS ON A TOUR THE SECOND ROVER BOYS SERIES THE ROVER BOYS AT COLBY HALL THE PUTNAM HALL SERIES THE PUTNAM HALL CADETS THE PUTNAM HALL RIVALS THE PUTNAM HALL CHAMPIONS THE PUTNAM HALL REBELLION THE PUTNAM HALL ENCAMPMENT THE PUTNAM HALL MYSTERY 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, New York COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER The Rover Boys on Treasure Isle INTRODUCTION. My Dear Boys: This is a complete tale in itself, but forms the thirteenth volume of the "Rover Boys Series for Young Americans." This line of books was started some ten years ago with the publication of the first three volumes, "The Rover Boys at School," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean" and "The Rover Boys in the Jungle." At that time I thought to end the series with a fourth volume—provided the readers wanted another. But with the publication of "The Rover Boys Out West," came a cry for "more!" and so I added "On the Great Lakes," "In the Mountains," "In Camp," "On Land and Sea," "On the River," "On the Plains," "In Southern Waters" and "On the Farm," where we last left our friends. For a number of years Tom, Dick and Sam have attended a military academy, but now their school days at Putnam Hall are at an end, and we find them getting ready to go to college. But before leaving home for the higher seat of learning they take a remarkable cruise on a steam yacht, searching for an island upon which it is said a large treasure is hidden. They are accompanied on this trip by their father and a number of friends, and have several adventures somewhat out of the ordinary, and also a good bit of fun—for there is bound to be fun when Tom Rover is around. They lose themselves and lose their yacht, and once some of them come pretty close to losing their lives, but in the end—well, the story will tell the rest. I cannot close without again thanking my many friends for all the nice things they have said about the "Rover Boys" stories and the "Putnam Hall" stories. I trust the present volume will fulfill every fair expectation. Affectionately and sincerely yours, EDWARD STRATEMEYER CONTENTS PAGE I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. BOUND FOR HOME AN IMPORTANT TELEGRAM FUN ON THE FARM A MIDNIGHT SEARCH AT THE OLD MILL THE STORY OF A TREASURE IN W HICH SOMETHING IS MISSING THE ROVER BOYS IN NEW YORK A CHASE ON THE BOWERY DICK BECOMES A PRISONER ABOARD THE STEAM YACHT SOMETHING ABOUT FIRECRACKERS A W ILD AUTOMOBILE RIDE W HAT A ROMAN CANDLE DID THE SAILING OF THE STEAM YACHT A ROW ON SHIPBOARD A MISHAP IN THE FOG THE NEW DECK HAND TREASURE ISLE AT LAST THE BOYS MAKE A DISCOVERY SCARING OFF THE ENEMY PRISONERS IN THE FOREST 1 11 19 29 39 50 60 70 80 90 100 111 120 130 140 150 159 169 179 189 198 208 XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX. W HAT W INGATE HAD TO TELL A MISSING LANDMARK THE TRAIL THROUGH THE JUNGLE A DISMAYING DISCOVERY W HAT HAPPENED ON THE STEAM YACHT A NEW MOVE OF THE ENEMY THE HUNT FOR THE TREASURE HOMEWARD BOUND—CONCLUSION 218 226 234 241 249 257 265 275 THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE CHAPTER I BOUND FOR HOME "Hurry up, Sam, unless you want to be left behind!" "I'm coming!" shouted Sam Rover, as he crossed the depot platform on the run. "Where is Tom?" "He went ahead, to get two good seats for us," answered Dick Rover. He looked around the crowd that had gathered to take the train. "Hi, there, Songbird, this way! Come in this car, Hans!" "Say, aren't you fellows coming aboard?" came a voice from the nearest car, and a curly-topped head with a pair of laughing eyes appeared. "Folks crowding in to beat the band! Come on in if you want seats." "We'll be in directly," answered Sam, and followed his brother Dick to the car steps. Here there was quite a jam, and the Rover boys had all they could do to get into the car, followed by half a dozen of their school chums. But Tom Rover had managed to keep seats for all, and they sat "in a bunch," much to their satisfaction. Then the train rolled out of the station, and the journey homeward was begun. The term at Putnam Hall Military Academy was at an end, and the school days of the three Rover boys at that institution were now a thing of the past. Each had graduated with honors, yet all were a trifle sad to think that there would be no going back to a place where they had made so many friends. "It's almost like giving up your home," Dick had said, several times, while at the actual parting Sam had had to do his best to keep back the tears which welled up in his eyes. Even fun-loving Tom had stopped a good deal of his whistling and had looked unusually sober. "We'll never have such good times as we've had at Putnam Hall," Sam had said, but he was mistaken, as later events proved. The three Rover boys did not wish to part from their many school chums, yet they were more than anxious to get home, and for this there was a very good reason. Their father had told them that he had a very important communication to make to them—one regarding how the summer was to be spent. So far no arrangements had been made for the vacation, and the brothers were anxious to know "what was in the wind," as Tom expressed it. "Maybe we are to prepare for college," said Dick. "Perhaps we are to go on another trip to Africa?" added Sam. "Or start on a hunt for the North Pole," put in Tom. "That would be just the thing for this hot weather." "I can tell you one thing," went on Dick. "Whatever father has on his mind is of a serious nature. It is no mere outing for pleasure." "I know that," answered Sam. "I could see it by the look on his face." "Well, we'll know all about it by this time to-morrow," said Tom. "I hope it is some trip—I love to travel," and his brothers nodded their heads in approval. To those who have read any of the twelve previous volumes in this "Rover Boys Series" the three brothers will need no special introduction. For the benefit of new readers allow me to state that Dick was the oldest, fun-loving Tom next, and Sam the youngest. They were the sons of Anderson Rover, a widower and rich mine owner. The father was a great traveler, and for years the boys had made their home with their uncle, Randolph Rover, and their Aunt Martha, on a farm called Valley Brook, in the heart of New York state. From the farm, and while their father was in Africa, the boys had been sent to Putnam Hall, as related in the first volume of this series, entitled, "The Rover Boys at School." At the Hall they made a score of friends and several enemies, some of which will be introduced later. A term at school was followed by a trip on the ocean, and then one into the jungles of the Dark Continent in search of Mr. Rover, who had mysteriously disappeared. Then the Rover boys went out west and to the great lakes, and later spent a fine time hunting in the mountains. They likewise spent some time in camp with their fellow cadets, and during the summer vacation took a long trip on land and sea. Then they returned home, and during another vacation sailed down the Ohio River in a houseboat, spent some time on the plains, took an unexpected trip to southern waters, and then came back to the farm. On getting back home, as related in the twelfth volume of this series, called "The Rover Boys on the Farm," the boys had imagined that adventures for them were a thing of the past. They were willing to take it easy, but this was not to be. Some bad men, including a sharper named Sid Merrick, were responsible for the theft of some freight from the local railroad, and Merrick, by a slick trick, obtained possession of some traction company bonds belonging to Randolph Rover. The Rover boys managed to locate the freight thieves, but Sid Merrick got away from them, dropping a pocketbook containing the traction company bonds in his flight. This was at a time when Dick, Tom and Sam had returned to Putnam Hall for their final term at that institution. At the Hall they had made a bitter enemy of a big, stocky bully named Tad Sobber and of another lad named Nick Pell. Tad Sobber, to get even with the Rovers for a fancied