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

Edward Stratemeyer

Description

My Dear Boys: This is a complete tale in itself, but forms the thirteenth volume of the Rover Boys Series for Young Americans.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819902614
• Langue: English

Extrait

INTRODUCTION.
My Dear Boys: This is a complete tale in itself, butforms the thirteenth volume of the "Rover Boys Series for YoungAmericans."
This line of books was started some ten years agowith the publication of the first three volumes, "The Rover Boys atSchool," "The Rover Boys on the Ocean" and "The Rover Boys in theJungle." At that time I thought to end the series with a fourthvolume – provided the readers wanted another. But with thepublication 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 SouthernWaters" and "On the Farm," where we last left our friends.
For a number of years Tom, Dick and Sam haveattended a military academy, but now their school days at PutnamHall are at an end, and we find them getting ready to go tocollege. But before leaving home for the higher seat of learningthey take a remarkable cruise on a steam yacht, searching for anisland upon which it is said a large treasure is hidden. They areaccompanied on this trip by their father and a number of friends,and have several adventures somewhat out of the ordinary, and alsoa good bit of fun – for there is bound to be fun when Tom Rover isaround. They lose themselves and lose their yacht, and once some ofthem 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 manyfriends for all the nice things they have said about the "RoverBoys" stories and the "Putnam Hall" stories. I trust the presentvolume will fulfill every fair expectation.
Affectionately and sincerely yours,
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
CHAPTER I
B OUND 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 gatheredto take the train. "Hi, there, Songbird, this way! Come in thiscar, Hans!" "Say, aren't you fellows coming aboard?" came a voicefrom the nearest car, and a curly-topped head with a pair oflaughing eyes appeared. "Folks crowding in to beat the band! Comeon in if you want seats." "We'll be in directly," answered Sam, andfollowed his brother Dick to the car steps. Here there was quite ajam, 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 hadmanaged to keep seats for all, and they sat "in a bunch," much totheir satisfaction. Then the train rolled out of the station, andthe journey homeward was begun.
The term at Putnam Hall Military Academy was at anend, and the school days of the three Rover boys at thatinstitution were now a thing of the past. Each had graduated withhonors, yet all were a trifle sad to think that there would be nogoing back to a place where they had made so many friends. "It'salmost like giving up your home," Dick had said, several times,while at the actual parting Sam had had to do his best to keep backthe tears which welled up in his eyes. Even fun-loving Tom hadstopped a good deal of his whistling and had looked unusuallysober. "We'll never have such good times as we've had at PutnamHall," Sam had said, but he was mistaken, as later eventsproved.
The three Rover boys did not wish to part from theirmany school chums, yet they were more than anxious to get home, andfor this there was a very good reason. Their father had told themthat he had a very important communication to make to them – oneregarding how the summer was to be spent. So far no arrangementshad been made for the vacation, and the brothers were anxious toknow "what was in the wind," as Tom expressed it. "Maybe we are toprepare for college," said Dick. "Perhaps we are to go on anothertrip to Africa?" added Sam. "Or start on a hunt for the NorthPole," put in Tom. "That would be just the thing for this hotweather." "I can tell you one thing," went on Dick. "Whateverfather has on his mind is of a serious nature. It is no mere outingfor pleasure." "I know that," answered Sam. "I could see it by thelook on his face." "Well, we'll know all about it by this timeto-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 previousvolumes in this "Rover Boys Series" the three brothers will need nospecial introduction. For the benefit of new readers allow me tostate that Dick was the oldest, fun-loving Tom next, and Sam theyoungest. They were the sons of Anderson Rover, a widower and richmine owner. The father was a great traveler, and for years the boyshad made their home with their uncle, Randolph Rover, and theirAunt Martha, on a farm called Valley Brook, in the heart of NewYork state.
From the farm, and while their father was in Africa,the boys had been sent to Putnam Hall, as related in the firstvolume of this series, entitled, "The Rover Boys at School." At theHall they made a score of friends and several enemies, some ofwhich will be introduced later. A term at school was followed by atrip on the ocean, and then one into the jungles of the DarkContinent in search of Mr. Rover, who had mysteriously disappeared.Then the Rover boys went out west and to the great lakes, and laterspent a fine time hunting in the mountains. They likewise spentsome time in camp with their fellow cadets, and during the summervacation took a long trip on land and sea. Then they returned home,and during another vacation sailed down the Ohio River in ahouseboat, spent some time on the plains, took an unexpected tripto southern waters, and then came back to the farm.
On getting back home, as related in the twelfthvolume of this series, called "The Rover Boys on the Farm," theboys had imagined that adventures for them were a thing of thepast. They were willing to take it easy, but this was not to be.Some bad men, including a sharper named Sid Merrick, wereresponsible for the theft of some freight from the local railroad,and Merrick, by a slick trick, obtained possession of some tractioncompany bonds belonging to Randolph Rover. The Rover boys managedto locate the freight thieves, but Sid Merrick got away from them,dropping a pocketbook containing the traction company bonds in hisflight. This was at a time when Dick, Tom and Sam had returned toPutnam Hall for their final term at that institution. At the Hallthey had made a bitter enemy of a big, stocky bully named TadSobber and of another lad named Nick Pell. Tad Sobber, to get evenwith the Rovers for a fancied injury, sent to the latter a boxcontaining a live, poisonous snake. The snake got away and hid inNick Pell's desk and Nick was bitten and for some time it wasfeared that he might die. He exposed Tad Sobber, and fearing arrestthe bully ran away from the Hall. Later, much to their surprise,the Rover boys learned that the bully was a ward and nephew of SidMerrick, and when the sharper disappeared Tad Sobber went with him."They are certainly a bad pair," said Dick, but how bad the Roverswere still to find out.
With the boys on the train were John Powell, betterknown as "Songbird," because he had a habit of reciting newly madedoggerel which he called poetry, Hans Mueller, a German youth whofrequently got his English badly twisted, Fred Garrison, who hadgraduated with the Rovers, and some others. "Dick, you haven't toldme yet what you intend to do this summer," remarked Fred Garrison,as the train rolled on. "Because I don't know, Fred," answered theelder Rover. "My father has something in store, but I don't knowwhat it is." "Can't you guess?" "No." "I wish we could take anothertrip like that on the houseboat – it was certainly a dandy." "Thebest ever!" put in Tom. "Even if we did have trouble with LewFlapp, Dan Baxter and some others." "Speaking of Dan Baxter puts mein mind of something," came from Songbird Powell. "It has justleaked out that Tad Sobber sent a note to Captain Putnam in whichTad blamed some of the cadets for his troubles, and said he wasgoing to get square some day." "Did he mention any names?"questioned Sam. "Yes." "Mine?" "Yes – and Dick's and Tom's, too.""It is just like Sobber – to blame his troubles on somebody else,"remarked Dick. "I am not afraid of him," declared Tom. "He hadbetter keep his distance – unless he wants to get the worst of it.We used to put up with a whole lot from Dan Baxter before hereformed – I am not going to put up with as much from Sobber." "Tadcertainly went off in bad company," said Sam. "His uncle ought tobe in prison this minute." "Have the authorities heard anything ofMerrick?" asked Songbird. "Not a thing." "I dink me dot feller hasskipped to Europe alretty," vouchsafed Hans Mueller. "He vould peenafraid to stay py der United States in, yah!" And the German boyshook his head wisely. "Personally I never want to set eyes onSobber again," said Dick, with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Theidea of introducing that deadly snake into the school was thelimit. Why, half a dozen of us might have been bitten instead ofonly poor Pell." "Maybe he did it only for a joke," said LarryColby, another of the cadets. "If he did, it was carrying a jokealtogether too far – endangering one or more human lives. I don'tbelieve in that sort of fun." "Nor do I," came from several. "If heis in Europe with his uncle perhaps I'll meet him there," saidLarry Colby. "I am going to France and Italy with my uncle andcousin. Wish some of you fellows were going along," he added,wistfully. "I am going to the Maine woods," said a lad named GeorgeGranberry. "You can never guess who is going there, too." "Who?""William Philander Tubbs and Mr. Strong." "What, our own dude goingto camp in the wilderness," cried Tom. "Oh, if I was only alongwouldn't I give him some surprises!" "I'll have some fun – don'tforget that!" replied George, with a grin. "But as Mr. Strong isgoing to be alon