“We’ll bring them to justice, if we can, lad.”

When a visit was paid to the burnt house nobody was in sight.  But in the woods nearby a wounded sailor was discovered.  He was badly hurt, and, though given every care, died two days later while on shipboard.

“You’ll have a job finding Lesher, Baxter, and the others,” he said, when being attended.  “They said they wouldn’t give in to anybody, and when they learned the warship was here they rowed away in a boat for one of the other islands, They’ll hide away until after you are gone.”

“If that’s the case, let them stay here,” said Captain Blossom.  “It will be punishment enough for them to live here without any stores.”

“They may find those at the cave,” said Tom.

“Even so, those stores won’t last forever,” said Dick.  “Yes, they will be punished enough, for there is no telling when another ship will stop here and take them away.”

“More than likely they’ll have to remain here a year or two,” said Captain Blossom.

Everything of value was taken to the warship, and twenty-four hours later the Jefferson steamed away on her journey to the Hawaiian Islands.

“How glad mother will be to learn that I am safe!” said Dora to Dick.

“It will be good news to all of our folks,” answered Dick.  “They will welcome us as from the grave.”

“I hope we can get a steamer directly from Honolulu to San Francisco,” said Tom.  “Our little vacation has proved unusually long.”

“Do you think that we will ever see Dan Baxter again?” questioned Sam.

“I hardly think so,” said Dick.  “After what has happened he will not dare to show his face again.”  But Dan Baxter did show himself, and what he did to harm the Rover boys in the future will be told in another volume of this series, entitled “The Rover Boys in Camp; or The Rivals of Pine Island,” in which we shall meet many of our old friends again.  It may be as well to mention here that Baxter and two sailors escaped from the seven islands just one week after our friends left it.  The others, including Jack Lesher, lost their lives while in a quarrel over the last bottle of rum which the mate had brought with him from the burning wreck.  Their taking off was an awful example of the evils of intemperance.

It was soon seen that Bostwick was not seriously burnt, and before the trip to Honolulu was over he was able to sit up and to walk a little.  The wounds of those who had been shot proved slight.

“We are well out of that adventure,” said Tom one evening, as the Rover boys and the girls sat on the deck in the starlight.  “And I don’t know as I want to go through anything like it again.”

“All I am thinking of is home, sweet home,” said Sam.

“Just what was in my mind,” answered Dick.  “How father and Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha will welcome us!”

“Let us sing,” put in Dora, and in a moment more all were singing the first verse of “Home, Sweet Home”; and here let us bid them good-by.