“Safe!” exclaimed Dominick.
“Thank God!” murmured Pauline, as she sank exhausted on the sand.
Otto, who had never seen his sister in such a state before, ran to her, and, kneeling down, anxiously seized one of her hands.
“Never fear, lad,” said his brother in reassuring tones, “she’ll soon come round. Lend a hand to lift her.”
They bore the fainting girl up the beach, and laid her on a grassy spot under a bush. And now Dominick was glad to find that he had been mistaken in supposing that the coral reef was a mere sandbank, destitute of vegetation. Indeed, before landing, he had observed that there were a few trees on the highest part of it. He now perceived that there was quite a little grove of cocoa-nut palms, with a thicket of underwood around them, which, if not extensive, was at all events comparatively dense. He pointed out the fact to Otto, who was chafing his sister’s hands.
“Ay,” responded Otto, “and the island on the other side must be a goodish big one, for I got a glimpse of it through the trees as we came rushing in on that monstrous wave.”
In a short time Pauline recovered, and Dominick returned to the water’s edge with Otto.
“Our first care must be,” he said, “to save our little boat if we can, for it is the only means we have of escaping from this island.”
“Escaping!” repeated Otto, in surprise. “I don’t want to escape from it, Dom.”
“Indeed! why not?”