“And Captain Blossom,” added Grace.

“Perhaps we can throw them a rope,” came from Dora, and she ran to get the article she had mentioned.

But by the time she returned the three swimmers had reached a point where they could touch bottom with their feet, and, watching for a favorable opportunity, they rushed ashore, almost into the arms of the girls.

“Oh, Tom, how glad I am that you are safe!” cried Nellie, while Grace caught hold of Sam and asked if he was all right.

“Yes, I am—­am all right, but—­but pretty well fagged out,” gasped Sam.

“It was a close shave,” said Captain Blossom.  “And our guns are gone.”

“We had two dead goats, too,” put in Tom.  “They went overboard first, and—­goodness gracious—­is that really Dan Baxter?”

“Dan Baxter!” ejaculated Sam, and even Captain Blossom stared in amazement.

“I see you’ve had a rough time of it,” said Baxter, coming forward coolly.  “How are you?”

He shook hands with Captain Blossom, while the Rover boys continued to stare at him.

“Are you alone?” asked the master of the Golden Wave.

“No, Jack Lesher is with me, and we left nine of the sailors on another island.”

“Is that so?  Where is Lesher now?”

“In the house, asleep.”

“He is intoxicated,” said Nellie.  “We has been drinking ever since he put in an appearance.”

“Humph!  That’s like Lesher,” muttered the captain, and his brow darkened.

All moved toward the house, and entered to get out of the wet.  The mate was still at the table, snoring loudly.

“Might as well let him sleep it off,” said the captain.  “But when he is sober I’ll have a talk with him.”

Wet clothing was changed for dry, and then the captain and the boys listened to what Baxter and the girls had to tell.  The captain was glad to learn that so many of his men had been saved, and asked for the names.

“I don’t care much about Peterson and McGlow,” he said.  “They are tough customers.  I would rather have heard from Peabody, Dickson, and Fearwell.  You don’t know anything about them?”

“No,” said Dan Baxter.

“This news about Dick and old Jerry worries me,” said Tom.

“Dan Baxter, I think you know more than you care to tell,” said Sam boldly.

The bully hardly knew how to reply.  He could not now fall back on Jack Lesher for support, and he had thought to be on his way to rejoin the sailors ere this.  The storm had upset all of his calculations.  It had been a foolish movement to attack Dick and old Jerry, and it now looked as if he must suffer for it.

“Well—­er—­I don’t mind telling you that Dick and the mate had something of a quarrel,” he said hesitatingly.

“How did it end?” asked Tom.

“I can’t say exactly.”

“Why not?  You were with Lesher at the time.”

“No, I wasn’t.  He ordered me to get into the rowboat and wait for him while he went back to get a pistol or a gun.  I heard loud talking on the deck of the schooner, and I knew a row was on.  I was just going back to the deck when the mate came and leaped into the rowboat.  He said the sailor and Dick were going to remain behind, and that we wouldn’t wait any longer.  Then we rowed over here.”