ut I object
strongly to letting anybody come here."

It was decided to remain on guard during the day, and all were
cautioned to keep within call of the house. The bay was scanned for
the sight of a rowboat, but none put in an appearance.

"I'll wager that those who did escape are sorry they quarreled with
us," said Sam.

"Especially Dan Baxter," answered Grace. "He'll find that living out
in the woods isn't so pleasant as it looks."

By nightfall all grew anxious, and sat in front of the house to
discuss the situation.

"It can't be possible that all on board were burnt up," said Dick.
"That would be horrible."

"Oh, some must have escaped," answered Captain Blossom. "But they
may be suffering from burns, or they may have no means of getting
here. With the ship burnt up, and all the tools gone, it would be no
easy matter to build even the roughest kind of a raft."

"What do you think about some of us rowing over to what is left of
the wreck?" asked Sam.

"I was thinking of that. But, if we do that, we had better wait until
to-morrow morning. You can't see much in the dark."

"If I thought anybody was dying for the want of aid, I'd go over,"
said Tom. "We all know what brutes Lesher and Baxter are. They wouldn't
hesitate to go off and leave some of the others to die where they
had fallen."

"I think Tom is right, and some of us ought to go over," said Dick.

"I'm willing to go," announced old Jerry. "We can move around like
cats in the dark, so they won't know we are near until we tell 'em."

"You might take some medicines along, and some bandages," said Nellie.

"Take a bottle of sweet oil and some flour," put in Grace. "They are
both good for burns."

The matter was talked over until midnight, and then it was settled
that Dick, Tom, and old Jerry should take the largest rowboat and
some bandages and medicines and row over to the vicinity of the fire.
They were to land on the beach below what was left of the wreck and
crawl through the bushes on a tour of discovery. If they found that
they were not absolutely needed, they were to return without making
their presence known to the mutineers and Dan Baxter.

The two boys and the old sailor were soon on the way. Care had been
taken to wrap cloth around the oars where they slipped in the row-locks,
so that the boat moved through the water, as noiselessly as a shadow.

Once out in the bay the boys and old Jerry, pulled with a will, and
in less than half