an hour the beach north of what was left of the
wreck was gained. They approached with great caution.

"Do you see or hear anything?" whispered Tom.

"No," answered Dick, and then the rowboat grated on the sand, and
all leaped ashore.

With their medicines and bandages in their pockets, and pistols in
hand, they commenced to crawl through the bushes. Before long they
came to a point from which they could look toward the wreck. All was
dark and deserted and the air was filled with the smell of burnt
wood and water.

"I don't see anybody, do you?" whispered Dick.

"Nary a soul in sight," answered old Jerry.

With equal care they moved around to the other side of the wreck,
over a mass of burnt brushwood.

"Hark!" said Tom.

They listened, and, from a distance, made out a faint groan.

"That is somebody, and in great pain," said Dick. "Come on," and he
led the way.

Around a pile of rocks they found a sailor. He was propped up against
a tree, and was suffering from some burns on his legs and feet.

"Bostwick!" said old Jerry.

"Oh! oh! Help me!" groaned Bostwick piteously. "Give me a drink of
water!"

"Where are the others?" asked Dick.

"Gone! They left me to take care of myself. Oh, the wretches! Please
help me; won't you, for the love of Heaven!"

"Yes, we will help you," answered Tom.

"You are certain they have all gone?" went on Dick, as he got out
some oil and bandages, while Tom ran for water.

"Yes, yes!"

"Where did they go?"

"They went--oh, my legs and feet! How they smart! They went to
the--the--house! Lesher said you must have set the ship on fire, and
Baxter said the same. They--oh, what a pain! Please be careful!"
Bostwick gulped down the water Tom gave him. "That is good."

"What did they say, Bostwick?" asked Dick, as he continued to work
over the hurt man.

"They said they were going to pay you back. They all went armed; that
is, all but me and Shular. Shular was burnt up. They said they were
going to shoot you down on sight, and then run the house to suit
themselves. I said--oh, the pain. I--I--how weak I am!"

And with those words the burnt sailor fell back in a dead faint.

CHAPTER XXX

THE DEFENSE OF THE CAVE--SAVED!

"He has fainted, poor fellow!" said Dick, as he bent over the
unconscious form of Bostwick.

"We ought to git back to the house at once!" put in old Jerry. "We
must warn the cap'n and the others of what Lesher and his crowd intend
to do."