CHAPTER VIII.
CAUGHT IN THE FLAMES.
"Nonsense," said Frank, sharply, although he had been considerably startled by the inexplicable occurrence himself, "you know there are no such things as ghosts, Ben."
"And if there were they wouldn't throw cocoanut shells at us," went on
Harry.
"Wall," said Ben, stubbornly, "what else could it have been?"
"A wild man," suggested Billy; "perhaps a whole tribe of them."
This was not a pleasant suggestion. Frank had but a few cartridges left and the others had only their knives. These would be small protection against savages if any of the forest dwellers had really gone adrift on the floating island. It was not a cheerful party that sat down to another meal of oysters and fruit that evening. Moreover the water supply of the little party was almost exhausted and without water they faced a terrible death.
Because of the unknown dangers which, it was felt, surrounded them it was decided to set a watch that night and keep the fire burning through the dark hours. Harry and Ben were to share the first watch and Frank and Billy agreed to take the second one. Nothing had occurred when Ben, at midnight, aroused Frank and the young reporter and told them it was time to go on duty.
The boys had been on sentry duty for perhaps an hour with nothing but the lapping of the waves against the shore of the floating island to break the deep stillness, when suddenly both were startled by a strange and terrible cry that rang through the forest.
With beating hearts they leaped to their feet and strained their ears to see if they could ascertain the origin of the uncanny cry, but they heard nothing more.
Hardly had they resumed their places by the fire, however, before the wild screams rang out again.
"It's some human being," cried Frank.
"They are being killed or something!" cried the affrighted Billy
Barnes.
By this time Ben Stubbs and Harry had awakened and were sitting up with scared looks on their faces.
"Seems to come from near at hand," suggested Ben.
Suddenly the yell sounded quite close, and at the same instant it was echoed by the boys as a dozen or more dark forms dashed out of the dark shades of the forest and rushed toward them. Half unnerved with alarm at this sudden and inexplicable attack, Frank fired point-blank into the onrush, and two of the dark forms fell. Their comrades, with the same wild shrieks that had so alarmed the boys, instantly turned and fled, awakening the echoes of the woods with their terrifying clamor.
"A good thing I killed those two," cried Frank; "throw some wood on the fire, Ben, and we'll see who or what it is that I've shot."
In the bright blaze the adventurers bent over the two still forms that lay on the ground as they had fallen.
"Why, they're great apes!" exclaimed Frank in amazement; "what monsters!"
"Howling monkeys, that's what they call 'em," declared Ben, "I've heard of 'em. No wonder we were scared, though. Did you ever hear such cries?"
"I wonder why they attacked the camp?" asked Billy.
"I don't suppose it was an attack at all," said Frank, "most likely they smelled the food and thought they'd come and help themselves to some broiled oysters."
"I'll bet it was the monkeys that took our water and then threw the shells at us," cried Harry.
"I guess you are right, boy," said Ben; "them monkeys are terrors for mischief."
"I hope they don't take it into their heads to annoy us any more," said Harry.
"Not likely," declared Ben, "I guess the firing of the revolver and the sight of them two mates of theirs falling dead scared them out of two years' growth."
Ben's surmise was right. The adventurers passed the remainder of the night in peace.
As soon as day broke over a sea unmarred by a single ripple, there was an eager scrutiny of the horizon by all the castaways, but to their bitter disappointment not a sign of the Southern Cross, or any other vessel, could be descried.
"Looks like we'll have to spend some more time on 'Monkey Island'," said Ben with a shrug.
"We can't spend much more time," said Frank, grimly.
"Why not?" demanded Ben.
"What are we to do for water?"
Things did, indeed, look black. Breakfast was eaten in comparative silence, and after the meal was concluded, at Frank's suggestion, it was decided to explore the island for a spring that could be tapped for further water supply. The boys all admitted to themselves that the chance of finding one was remote, but they determined to try and locate one in any event. At any rate Frank felt it would keep their minds off their troubles to have something to do.
The best part of the morning was spent in the search and although they came across occasional driblets of water,—the remnants of springs started by the heavy rain that marked their first night on the island,—they found nothing that promised an available supply. At noon they sat down in the shade of a huge palm to rest and made a meal off the nuts that lay at its foot. The milk of these proved cool and refreshing and was drunk out of the shell after one end of it had been hacked off with Frank's hunting knife.
"Well, we might as well make a start back for our camp," suggested
Frank, after some moments had passed in silence.
"Camp," repeated Harry, bitterly, "that's a fine camp. Why, there's nothing there but trees and sand and howling monkeys."
Nevertheless a start was made for the resting place of the previous night, the party trudging along the narrow beach in Indian file. All at once Ben, who was in the lead, stopped short.
"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing overhead.
The boys followed his finger and gave a shout of astonishment.
"Smoke!" cried Frank.
"Hurrah," cheered Harry, "it's the Southern Cross."
He waved his hat at the dark wreaths of vapor that were blowing across the island overhead.
The smoke scudded across the sky like small fleecy clouds, but it momentarily grew thicker and blacker.
"She's smoking up all right," laughed Billy Barnes, all his fears gone now that rescue seemed at hand.
Ben alone of the party seemed troubled.
"I'm not so sure that that's steamer smoke," he said slowly.
"Why, what else can it be?" demanded Frank.
"I don't know,"—sniff,—"but it seems to me,"—sniff,—"that's a whole lot of smoke for a steamer to be making, and"—sniff—"I don't like the looks of it."
"What else could make such smoke?" demanded Harry.
For reply Ben asked what seemed a strange question.
"Did you put the fire out when we left the camp?"
In an instant they all perceived without his speaking a word, what the sailor feared.
The island was on fire!
A few minutes later the smell of the burning trees and the crash as they fell, while the flames leaped through the brushwood beneath them, was clearly borne to them.
They were marooned on a floating island, and the island was in flames.
The dense smoke of the fire had by this time blotted out the sky and all they could see above them was a thick canopy of smoke. It rose in a huge pillar blotting out the sky and poisoning the air.
"What are we to do?" gasped Billy.
"I don't see what we can do," was Frank's reply, "our escape is cut off. We shall burn to death."
Indeed it seemed as if the boys were doomed to death in the flames. With incredible rapidity the fire, undoubtedly started by their carelessness in not extinguishing their camp fire, came leaping and roaring through the forest.
Suddenly out of the woods directly in front of them leaped a lithe spotted form, and without glancing to right or left, the creature shot into the sea. It swam quite a distance and then sank.
"A jaguar," exclaimed Ben; "a good thing it was too scared to attack us."
"Yes, I haven't got a cartridge left," said Frank, gazing ruefully at his empty revolver.
"I don't think that would do us much good if you had; we might as well die by a jaguar's teeth and claws as by being burned to death," said Harry.
The boys were now witnesses of a strange scene. Driven by the heat of the fire scores of terrified animals passed them. There were small agoutis or wild pigs, monkeys, birds of various kinds,—including huge macaws and numerous snakes. The creatures paid not the least attention to the boys, but, crazed with fear, made for the sea. The birds alone soared off and doubtless the stronger winged of them reached land.
"If we only had the Golden Eagle here," sighed Frank.
"Hurrah," suddenly shouted Ben, capering about, "hurrah, I've got a plan."
For a minute or two the boys regarded him as one might an insane person, but as he went on to explain his plan they grasped at it as a last resort. Two large tree trunks lay near to where they stood. They had fallen apparently in some tropical storm, so that their bulk rested on some smaller trees. It was as if they were on rollers.
"We will lash those together with some withes and make a raft," exclaimed Ben.
"How are you going to get them into the water?" asked Billy.
"By the natural rollers that are underneath them," replied the sailor; "come, we have no time to lose if we are to escape."
Indeed they had not. The fire was now so close that they could feel its ardent breath. Sparks were falling about them in red-hot showers and already some of the brush in their vicinity was beginning to smoke. Soon it would burst into flame and then they were doomed.
Feverishly they worked and soon had the two trunks lashed together firmly with long "lianas" or creepers of tough fibre that grew in great profusion everywhere. The work of getting the trunks into the water was, thanks to the natural rollers, not so hard as might have been anticipated. Ben and Frank managed the placing of the rollers, which were carried in front of the logs as fast as its hinder end cleared some of them. In this manner their "raft," if such it could be called, was soon afloat.
It seemed a terribly insecure contrivance with which to risk a voyage, but they had no choice. The whole island, except the spot in which they had worked, was now one raging furnace, and had their situation not been so critical, the party would have been compelled to admire the wild magnificence of the spectacle. Great red tongues of flame shot up through the blanket of dark smoke, dying it crimson. Occasionally there would be a dull crash as some huge forest monarch fell prostrate, or the dying scream of some creature overtaken by the flames rang out.
"Quick, onto the raft," shouted Frank as the clumsy craft floated at last.
It did not take the adventurers long to follow his directions. The heat from the fire was now intense and they lost no time in putting the two branches they had cut to use as paddles into action. It was hard work but they found to their delight that their raft moved when they dug into the water with their clumsy means of propulsion.
"Hurrah!" shouted Billy as they began to glide slowly over the waves, "we are saved from the floating island."
"Yes, but for how long," exclaimed Frank; "we have no provisions and no water. How long can we live without them?"
"We must hope to be picked up," said Harry.
"That is our only hope," rejoined Frank, "if we are not—-"
There was no need for him to finish the sentence, even had he been able to, for while he was still speaking a startling thing happened.
The raft was about twenty feet from the shore, but despite the distance a dusky form that had rushed out of the wood with a wild howl, shot through the air and landed fairly upon it.
[Illustration: "With a Wild Howl, Shot Through the Air.">[
With its menacing eyes of green, like balls of angry flame, dull yellow hide, catlike form, and twitching tail, the boys had no difficulty in recognizing it for what it was.
A giant panther.
There was no possibility of escape. As the creature growled menacingly the boys realized that they were practically without means of protection against this new enemy.
As the panther, too, realized its position, it drew back on its haunches and, lashing its tail wickedly, prepared to spring.