“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 and the chirping of some distant birds.

“I reckon I had best go first,” said Captain Blossom, but he did not seem to relish the task.

Gun in hand, the captain advanced very cautiously.  The boys came close behind him, each with his pistol ready for use.

Of a sudden there was a snarl with a strange “yow-yawing,” and a great beast leaped up on all-fours directly in their path and darted through the bushes.  The captain raised his gun and the boys their pistols, but before they could fire the beast had disappeared.

“What was it?” asked Sam, trembling with excitement.