“All right,” cried Bart; and at once the boat pointed towards the place where Solomon was sitting.  The water nearer the shore was somewhat rough, but fortunately there were no rocks just there, and they were able to bring the boat in close to the place where Solomon was confined.  At their approach Solomon moved slowly down the incline of the rock, on his hands and knees, for there was not room for him to stand upright; and as he moved he pushed the basket before him, as though there was something inside of uncommon value.  Reaching, at length, a spot where the rock was about the level of the boat, he waited for them to approach.  Soon the boat touched the rock.

“Come, old Sol,” cried Bart, “jump in!”

“Hyah, take hole ob dis yar,” said Solomon, even in that moment of rescue refusing to move till his precious basket should be safe.

Bart grasped it, and put it into the boat, noticing, as he did so, that it was full of lobsters.

“Come, Solomon, hurry up.  I don’t like the boat to be knocking here this way.”

“All right, sah,” said Solomon, crawling along rather stiffly; “ben tied up in a knot all day, an feel so stiff dat I don’t know as I’ll git untied agin fur ebber mo.  Was jest makin my will, any way, as you came along.”

By this time Solomon had tumbled into the boat, and worked his way aft, though not without many groans.

“It’s de cold rocks, an de wet,” he groaned.  “Sech an attack o’ rheumaticses as dis ole nigga’s gwine to hab beats all!  Any how, I ben an sabed de lobsta.  Loss me ole hat, but didn’t car a mite fer dat so long as I sabed de lobsta.”

“All right,” cried Bart; and at this the two boys pulled away from the rocks and rounded the point.  As they came into the sight of those who were waiting on the top of the cliff, a shout of joy arose.

XV.

Exploring Juan Fernandez.—­The Cliffs.—­The tangled Underbrush.—­ The Fog Bank.—­Is it coming or going?—­The Steamer.—­Vain Appeals.—­ New Plans.

Starting off, as we have seen, to explore the island, Tom first directed his steps towards the elevated land which has before been mentioned.  At first his path was easy, and the descent very gradual; but at length it became more difficult, and he had to ascend a steep hill, which was over-strewn with stones and interspersed with trees and mounds.  Up among these he worked his way, and at length the ascent ceased.  He was on the summit of the island.  Here he walked to the edge of the area on which he stood, and found himself on the edge of a precipice that went sheer down to a beach, which was apparently two hundred feet beneath him.  The precipice seemed actually to lean forward out of the perpendicular, and so tremendous was the view beneath, that Tom, although not by any means inclined to be nervous, found his head grow giddy as he looked down.  Looking forth thus from his dizzy elevation, he could see across the bay to the New Brunswick shore, and could mark the general course which his drifting boat must have taken over those deep, dark, and treacherous waters.