“That’s the one!” cried Rawlins. “By glory, I’d like to get my hands on him!”
“So would I, old thing,” declared Robinson. “But why the bally pirates let us free is a stumper for me. They might have known some ship might pick us up and we’d give the bloomin’ gaff away.”
“Yes, that is a puzzle,” agreed Mr. Henderson, “but I suppose even men of their type have a limit to the murders they commit.”
It had been decided to make for Dominica, partly because it was the nearest British island and the survivors of the Devonshire could be cared for there, and partly because Mr. Pauling and Mr. Henderson were anxious to see and talk with the officials regarding the looting of the bank, which had occurred some time before and which they believed had been done by the same gang of rascals they were trailing.
By the middle of the afternoon land was sighted, an opalescent, hazy mass topped by great banks of clouds and looking, as Tom expressed it, “more like a dream island than real land.”
As the destroyer drew rapidly nearer and sky-piercing peaks, vast blue gorges, endless forest-clad mountains, and wonderful golden-green valleys appeared, it looked more and more like a dream or a phantasy, for the boys could hardly believe that anything real could be so beautiful. Still it was far away and as the little warship slid smoothly through the incredibly blue sea that showed scarcely a wave in the massive island’s lee, the boys stood gazing steadfastly at this most picturesque and lovely of all the lovely Caribbean islands.
“Gosh, but I’m glad we decided to come here!” exclaimed Frank as Rawlins joined them at the rail. “When you told us back at Statia that St. Kitts couldn’t compare with Dominica I thought you were just joking, but gee, this is simply wonderful!”
“I’ll say ’tis!” replied the diver. “Every time I see it I get a new thrill. And you’ll find it mighty interesting, too. It was right off Dominica that Rodney licked the French and changed the history of the West Indies. There’s a mountain lake in a crater and an active volcano called the Boiling Lake here and over on the other side there’s an Indian settlement where the last pure-blooded Caribs in the West Indies live.”
“Oh, I do hope we stay long enough to see some of the place!” cried Tom.
“Why couldn’t we have been here instead of at St. Thomas or St. John?”