Archie afterward had occasion to recall this remark. Before many weeks had passed over his head he found that the men of whom he was speaking were quite willing to give him all the excitement he wanted, and that, too, without waiting to be asked to do so.
“But, after all, what can they do?” asked Archie, after thinking a moment. “They are only four in number, and Dick Lewis and Rodgers can take care of them.”
With this reflection to comfort him, Archie once more turned his attention to the island, and Frank went forward to see how the anchor watch were getting on, and to tell them and the rest of the unwelcome discovery Uncle Dick had made. Of course the boys were all interested and excited, and wished that morning would come so that they might see what sort of looking fellows the convicts were. Frank also told them of the change Uncle Dick proposed to make in their route ahead, and they were all satisfied with it.
Nothing happened that night that is worthy of record. The wearied sailors slumbered in safety, while Frank and his companions looked out for the vessel, and walked the deck, and told stories to keep themselves awake. The Stranger dragged twice before morning, but each time a little more chain was let out, and finally enough weight was added to her anchor to make her ride securely. Frank visited the forecastle every half hour to hand a glass of water to one of the rescued men, or moisten the bandages of another, and during these visits he picked out four of the patients whom he thought to be the escaped convicts. One of them was the nearest approach to a giant he had ever seen. Even Dick Lewis would have looked small beside him. He reminded Frank of Boson, the third mate of the Tycoon, only he was a great deal larger and stronger. The man was sleeping soundly, and Frank leaned against his bunk and took a good look at him.
“If these four fellows should attempt any mischief, I don’t know whether Dick and Rodgers could take care of them or not,” thought he. “I’m afraid they’d have their hands full with this one man.”
Frank went on deck feeling as he had never felt before. He was not sorry that the man had been saved from the breakers, but somehow he could not help wishing that he had been picked up by some vessel besides the Stranger. If there was any faith to be put in appearances, the man was but little better than a brute, and Frank told himself that the sooner they reached some port and put him ashore, the sooner he would feel at his ease again.
Uncle Dick came on deck at 5 o’clock, and the boys all went below to take a short nap; but their short nap turned out to be a long one, for having had no sleep worth mentioning for four nights in succession, they were lost in a dreamless slumber almost as soon as they touched their bunks, and it was twelve o’clock before they awoke. Then they were aroused by the roar of the twenty-four pounder over their heads. They started up in great alarm, and pulling on their clothes with all possible haste, rushed to the deck expecting to find the natives approaching to attack the vessel, and perhaps clambering over the side. But they were most agreeably disappointed. About half of the crew of the Stranger, aided by some of the rescued men, were busy setting things to rights, and a short distance from the schooner was the cutter, which was pulling toward the beach.
“Did I frighten you?” asked Uncle Dick, as the boys crowded up the ladder. “Your faces say I did. That boat out there is going ashore after some timber for spars, and that shrapnel was a notice to the natives to keep out of the way.”
“Oh!” said the boys, who were all greatly relieved.
They took another look at the boat, ran their eyes along the beach to make sure that there were no natives in sight, and then turned their attention to the rescued men, who were working with the crew. There were five of them—Uncle Dick said the others were not yet able to leave their bunks—and conspicuous among them was the giant whom Frank had picked out as one of the escaped convicts. All the boys opened their eyes as they looked at him. Even Frank was astonished. Now that he could see the whole of him he looked larger than he did while he was lying in his bunk. “What do you think of him, Mr. Baldwin?” asked Eugene, after trying in vain to induce his uncle to express an opinion.