The Corner House Girls on Palm Island Part 33

In fact, within a very few moments the girls heard the strangers down upon the beach. The fog had lain upon the sh.o.r.e and sea in a low curtain for some minutes after the sun came up. Now by the shouting they heard, Ruth and Agnes knew that the crew ash.o.r.e was chasing and capturing the turtles.

"I guess these men are just turtle catchers," Ruth said reflectively.

"They go from island to island capturing the turtles. It is not likely that a gentleman like Senor Benno would have engaged such men to search for us. I am afraid of them, Agnes."

"So am I, dear. Unless we tell them that we have friends and a motor-boat near--"

"But they will want to know why the motor-boat does not come after us.

No. We must remain hidden."

They dared not go back to their camp under the rock. The turtle catchers would of course find that retreat. But as long as they did not know that the campers were girls who were still on the island, Ruth hoped the fellows would make no search for them.

After a while Agnes tired of staying hidden in the jungle. Besides, the insects became very troublesome as the day grew warmer.

"And how do we know but Mr. Howbridge and the boys are trying to signal to us? At least, they may have found the children and be in sight again."

"I really hope you will keep quiet, Agnes," said the older girl. "I do not want to attract these men. They do look awfully rough."

"I know!" sighed Agnes. "Do you suppose the turtle catchers will remain long?"

"I don't know just how they follow their-their profession," hesitated Ruth.

"Profession!" giggled Agnes.

"But they will probably remain here until they have made a complete haul of the turtles that come to this sh.o.r.e. I do not think any great numbers were here last night. Neale said something about the numbers fluctuating very much, did he not?"

"That boy reads and absorbs so much," declared Agnes. "To think of his knowing about sea-turtles at all!"

"If we ever come into this locality again," said Ruth, "I shall want to be informed upon a lot of topics that I never considered of moment."

"You'd think Neale O'Neil had expected to be cast away on a desert island," declared the younger sister. "He makes a play of it."

"He takes it too lightly, I fear," sighed Ruth. "But let us hope he will not take the search for Tess and Dot too lightly. The poor dears! What might not have happened to them in these two days?"

"Well," rejoined Agnes, "we know what happened to them for part of the time. They were safe enough when they drifted out of our sight night before last."

"Safe enough!" repeated Ruth.

"At least, they had not been drowned," her sister said convincingly.

"And I do believe, dear-somehow I feel it!-that nothing actually bad has happened to them. Guardy and the boys will find them safe and sound."

"I can only hope so. And I hope they find the boat safe and sound as well. If they can finish repairing it--Oh, dear me! Why was I foolish enough the other day to insist upon their stopping in the repair work and finding water first?"

"Well!" exclaimed Agnes.

"I blame myself," declared the older girl. "If I had been content the engine would have been working and the children could not have drifted away on the _Isobel_. Dear me! I am always doing something for which I condemn myself afterward."

"I know you condemn yourself, Ruthie, all right," returned Agnes. "But I do not think you are always just. See how you blamed yourself for our going to Carrie Poole's dance and getting cold. One would never think we ever had a cold now! You are as brown as a berry and I am positively getting fat."

"I am not so sure that I am to be the less condemned for our having foolishly taken chances with our health back home. If it hadn't been for that we should not be in this situation, that is sure."

"Goodness! You are unreasonable, I think," murmured Agnes, and said no more at the time.

She insisted, however, upon stealing up the hill to the foot of the palm tree and gazing off across the sea to the east in the hope of seeing some sign of their friends. Ruth could not restrain Agnes from doing this every couple of hours.

The binoculars had been left with them, and Agnes scanned sharply every observable foot of the nearest island. The spot where the _Isobel_ lay was around on the far side, however; and what had become of the raft was as great a mystery to the girls.

About noon she came hurriedly back to Ruth, however, and told her that the thing that had been fluttering so long from the top of the palm tree on that other island was gone.

"Blown away?" remarked Ruth thoughtfully.

"I don't think so. The wind is not blowing very hard. I wish I had sat right up there and kept the gla.s.ses on that tree. I might have seen something."

"Do you suppose it was removed by Guardy or the boys?"

"Why not? If it was put up by Tess and Dot--"

"In that tall tree! Impossible."

"Well, then, are there two parties of castaways?" demanded Agnes, rather crossly. "Everything I suggest you pick flaws in, Ruthie."

But Ruth hugged her, and the younger sister returned her caress with real affection. Their trouble was too deep for them really to wrangle.

The anxiety each felt drew them closer together.

If of late Agnes had felt herself shut away from Ruth's closer confidence because of the older girl's interest in Luke Shepard, this experience on the tropical island was renewing the sisters' old-time contact and appreciation of each other. It was true Agnes was hoydenish at times, and loved to play with Neale O'Neil and the other boys; but she was growing older every day, too, and many of the secrets and interests of girlhood she could share only with Ruth.

"Cheer up!" she now exclaimed, wiping the tears from her sister's eyes with the cleanest corner of her only handkerchief. "Surely we need not go through much more worriment. This situation is past being made any worse, that is sure."

"I wish it may be so," murmured Ruth.

"Of course it is. Things will take a turn. We'll soon see the _Isobel_ scooting around the end of that island and heading this way."

But this much desired sight did not gladden their eyes. Even Ruth climbed to the palm tree to watch. And it was because the two girls remained up there that the final incident of their adventure on the island came to fruition. They were seen from the deck of the frowsy schooner!

They were startled by a raucous shout from the sea. Turning her gla.s.ses in that direction, Ruth beheld a ragam.u.f.fin sailor half way up the foremast of the turtle catcher waving his cap at them.

"Oh, Agnes, they have seen us!" gasped Ruth.

"Let's-let's run and hide!" murmured the younger girl.

"I don't know that that will do much good."

"I know it will," cried Agnes. "That is, if we hide so well that they cannot find us."

"Perhaps it would be better to face them and make them think that we have men friends near at hand."

"No chance," urged Agnes. "We can't fool them. They will know that we have been hiding from them. If there were men in our party they would have already shown up. No, Ruth, we can't fool 'em that way."

"Perhaps you are right," sighed the older sister. "But where shall we hide?"