A Boy Crusoe; or, The Golden Treasure of the Virgin Islands

by Allan Eric

Once or twice during the night I awoke feeling very chilly, and I was not sorry when the first faint gleam of dawn appeared.

The sun rose clear, but, to the south-east, fleecy clouds were scudding along toward the land. In all directions, however, the line of the horizon was distinctly visible, and the peak commanded a view of the sea at all points of the compass, and of the whole island.

I scanned the line of sea and sky all around, but saw nothing that looked like land. A little to the south-east there was a faint, serrated line against the sky, but I concluded that it was only a cloud.

As I stood scanning the great rim of the ocean, there came to me a strong feeling that I would like to establish a beacon on the summit, one, if possible, which could be seen from a ship several miles at sea; and the more I thought of this project the more strongly was I convinced that it would be a wise thing to do; for, in the event of a ship's passing on this side of the island, a prominent structure on the mountain might attract attention and lead to my rescue. I thought it all over as I retraced my steps to the boulder, and resolved to look about for a suitable place to make a substantial shelter while engaged in the work. I deemed it advisable to go further down the mountain where the vegetation was more plentiful, and where I might find fruits, and possibly game--though game did not seem to be plentiful, but brilliant plumaged birds were numerous.

In the edge of the bush between the table land and the mountain peak, I discovered a small grove of about a dozen orange trees, and here I at first thought that I would make my camp; but a little further to the south I saw a great rock, which appeared to over-hang several feet; and the idea at once struck me that it might be wise to encamp beneath its shelter.

So, turning in that direction I was not long in reaching the rock. It was at the base of a spur of the mountain; and the top not only overhung the base considerably, but, there was a sort of natural excavation which formed quite a large cave, open on three sides, it was true; but here I saw great possibilities in establishing my camp while erecting the beacon. Besides, I fully expected the rainy season to set in almost any day, and should I have to stay here for several months, the rock would afford me the best of shelter.

So, having decided to make this the base of operations for the present, I took my bow-gun and set out to forage for supplies, of which I stood in immediate need.

I went down among the trees in the intervale between the two mountains. The vegetation was very luxuriant, but not so dense as in portions of the lowlands across which I had marched. I had noted that the cocoanut palms were less plentiful here, and that there were several other kinds of palms that I had not seen before. One of these had a trunk covered with great sharp spines, and from the grapelike cluster of fruit at the top I knew it must be an oil palm; but I saw only a few of these. Another had a bottle-shaped head of vivid green just below the leaves, which I at once recognized as the "mountain cabbage," or cabbage palm. These were very plentiful.

Skirting the edge of the bush, a short distance to the north, I turned to penetrate further toward the valley, when suddenly, as I took a step forward, I felt myself sinking downward. I threw down my gun and tried to save myself by clutching the creepers; but I continued to sink into a mass of vines. I was considerably frightened, and wondered, for a brief moment, if I had fallen into the opening to a cavern; but suddenly my feet touched solid earth, and I found myself standing beside what appeared to be an old wall--about the height of my shoulder. Pushing aside the creepers I saw that it was really a wall, built of large stones and some kind of mortar. I was so astonished at the discovery that I could scarcely collect my thoughts. Looking around, I was still more perplexed, for only a few feet away there was a rectangular enclosure which looked like the ruined foundations of a house. I found that the wall extended for perhaps fifty feet in each direction, the opposite side being flush with the rising ground above. An examination of the rectangular enclosure showed unmistakably that it was a portion of the foundation of a house.

What could this mean? It could mean but one thing; that people had lived here. But when, I could form no opinion; but from the appearance of the masonry it must have been many years before. The ruins, as well as the wall, were thickly overgrown with creepers and other vegetation.