"That's right," said Grant. "Let's not waste any time."

They dug their oars into the water and with renewed energy set out for the distant sh.o.r.e. Now and again they turned around and looked ahead in an effort to discover the character of the land they were approaching.

It was still far away, however, and not much idea could be had of it.

"It's an island all right," said John confidently.

"Probably," agreed Grant. "I don't think we were very near the mainland when the _Josephine_ burned."

"Look there," cried Fred all at once. "Look back of the boat there."

Every one immediately stopped rowing and craned his neck to see what Fred was pointing out.

"What is it, Fred?" demanded George. "What do you see?"

"Don't you see that fin?"

"Dat Finn!" exclaimed Sam. "Where dat Finn?"

"Not the one you mean," said Fred, smiling in spite of his evident excitement. "I mean the fin of a fish."

"I see it," cried John suddenly. "What is it?"

"What is it," repeated Fred. "Don't you know?"

"A shark?"

"Of course it is," said Fred. "It must be a whopper, too."

Every one else saw the fin now and involuntarily a shiver pa.s.sed over most of those on the little boat. The great black fin sailed easily and steadily along, just cutting the top of the water. Gruesome and forbidding it looked and straightway recalled to the minds of the four boys the stories they had so often heard of the hordes of man-eating sharks that infested the waters of the West Indies.

"There's another," cried Grant suddenly.

Sure enough another fin joined the first and one ahead of the other the sharks cruised around the waters near the life-boat.

"Zowie!" exclaimed George. "I guess I'm glad I'm not in the water just now."

"Same here," said Fred thankfully. "I wonder what they'd do to you."

"Well, I'm not curious enough to find out," said George grimly. "They can't touch us here in the boat, anyway."

"That's true enough," said Grant. "I say we don't waste any more time looking at them, either. Personally, I'd rather be ash.o.r.e."

Once more the oars were dipped into the water and the voyage was continued. The sharks also came along and their fins could be seen first on one side of the boat and then on the other; sometimes they appeared in front and sometimes astern. Relentlessly they followed, however, all the way to the sh.o.r.e.

As the boat came nearer the land the boys got more of an idea of the place they were approaching.

"I don't see any houses," remarked John.

"Nor I," agreed Fred. "It doesn't look as if there was a human being on the island. It looks fertile enough, though."

"Well, we'll know all about it before long," said Grant. "Where shall we land?"

"What's the matter with that little harbor straight ahead?" said Fred.

"All right," exclaimed Grant. "Steer us in there, Sam."

"No matter what kind of a place it is I'll certainly be glad to get on sh.o.r.e again," said George eagerly. "I've had about all I want of boats for a while."

"I agree with you, Pop," said Fred. "I've had enough, too."

"I wish we'd see a steamer," sighed John.

"I wish a steamer would see us," said Grant. "I think that would be more to the point."

"We've simply got to be picked up soon," said John. "Our food won't last a great many days longer."

"It's good for a week, anyway," said Fred. "Some one will surely find us by that time. We can hoist a flag on top of that hill up there. A pa.s.sing steamer would be sure to see it."

"There may be people on the island for all we know," said Grant. "We can't see it all from here and it must be at least a mile long."

"We'll know soon, anyway," exclaimed John. "Don't run us onto any rocks on the way in, Sam."

"No, sah," grinned Sam. "Jes' leave dat to me."

The sh.o.r.e of the island was low and sandy. Wide white beaches ran down to the water's edge, while a short distance back were many palms and other trees of which the boys did not know the names. As Fred remarked, the island certainly looked fertile. Great excitement filled the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of every member of the party as they neared the sh.o.r.e.

"The sharks have gone," exclaimed John suddenly.

"Sure enough," said George. "I had forgotten all about them."

"There they are out there," said Grant indicating a spot some fifty yards astern of the boat. "They're not alone, either."

Ten or a dozen great fins could be seen weaving in and out in the place Grant had indicated.

"It must be shallow in here," remarked Fred. "That's probably why they don't come in any closer. Look out for going aground, Sam."

"Not de leas' dangah of dat," replied Sam confidently and whether he knew what he was talking about or not, the fact remains that a few moments later the bow of the boat grounded softly on the white sand, only a few feet from the sh.o.r.e.

"First ash.o.r.e," cried George leaping overboard and dashing up on the beach.

"Hey, there! Wait a minute," shouted Grant. "We've got to pull this boat up and we'll need everyone's help."

"We'd better take the provisions out," said Fred a moment later when they had hauled the boat some distance up on the sh.o.r.e.

"What for?" demanded George who was always opposed to doing any more work than was absolutely necessary.

"Put them somewhere in the shade I say," exclaimed Fred. "Take out that cask of water, too. Those things have been broiling in the sun too long already."