CHAPTER XVII
ON CLIFF ISLAND
"Why didn't we think before of going to the island?" asked Andy, as he and his brother sat in the train on the way to Mardene.
"Give it up," answered Frank. "But, as the captain says, it would be just the place for a criminal to hide. Hardly any boats stop there if they can help it, unless they want shelter from a storm, and it's out of the line of regular travel. Still, we may not find our man there."
"Yes, but it's a good chance. There's a fine wind to-day, and we oughtn't to be a great while running to the island."
The brothers discussed the curious case into which they had been drawn since rescuing Paul Gale, and they talked about the island.
Its name came from the fact that, situated in the center of it, there was a high rocky cliff. There were several caves running under this cliff, hollowed out by natural means, and rumor had it that, in the early days, sea rovers and pirates used them as places of refuge, or to hide their ill-gotten plunder.
No one had been able to confirm this, however, though it was not for want of trying, as our heroes, as well as several other boys, had paid a number of visits to the island.
But they found no traces of pieces of eight or Spanish doubloons, and, truth to tell, the caves were not very inviting places, being damp and dark, so the lads never penetrated very deeply. Thus Cliff Island was not very well known. It was a desolate, barren sort of place, wind and storm swept, and the abiding place of innumerable gulls.
"I tell you what we ought to do," remarked Andy, as the train neared their destination.