sland was visited the next day, the party spending the
night on the wreck. The passage to this island was rather a rough
one, and they had all they could do to keep from having their provisions
spilt overboard.

"It is a blessing that the sea is comparatively calm," said Captain
Blossom. "Otherwise we could never make such a trip in a small boat."

This island was the largest of the group outside of the one on which
the castaways had settled. It was almost square in shape and had a
double hill with a tiny valley running between. In this valley the
tropical growth was very dense, and the monkeys and birds were thicker
than they had before seen them. There were also large quantities of
blue and green parrots, filling the air with their cawing and screaming.

"This is a very nice island," said Tom, while they were resting under
some calabash trees. "The wood is very valuable--indigo, rosewood,
mahogany, and lots of others. And what a sweet smell!" And he drew
in a long breath of satisfaction.

"It is certainly a lazy man's paradise," re-turned Sam. "A fellow
need do next to nothing to feed and clothe himself here, and a house
isn't absolutely necessary excepting when it storms real hard."

On this island they found numerous land crabs, some as large as their
two hands, and many fierce-looking spiders, with long, hairy legs
and bulging eyes. Ants were also numerous, and in one spot they
located fifteen anthills, each as large as a big beehive. Insects
of all sorts were numerous, and they had to continually slap at a
specimen of red fly that annoyed them greatly.

"How those ants would like to get at our provisions," said Tom. "We
can be thankful that we didn't locate here. Once they got at the
stuff, they would eat us out of house and home."

After resting, and partaking of some of the food brought along, they
continued their journey across the island.

The way was up one of the hills, and Tom was slightly in advance,
when a noise ahead attracted his attention.

"Something is there," he called out, as he came to a halt.

"What is it?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. Perhaps some wild animal, or else a snake."

"Go slow there," cautioned Captain Blossom, coming up. "We don't want
to run into unnecessary danger."

"What did it sound like, Tom?"

"I can't describe it. Something like a snarl, I guess."

"Perhaps it was only a monkey."

All stopped to listen, but no, sound reached their ears but the hum
of insects