r the place where they had
descended when they first found it, there was nothing but a great hole
into which the sea poured, and made a great disturbance at every tide.

"That's the last of that," said Jack. "No one would believe us if we told
them we had gone down there and found a vessel fast in the rocks."

"But we know we did, for we have the evidences of it, and you are at least
a couple of thousand dollars richer by it. That will help you a lot in
getting your education, my boy, and give your mother something as well."

"Yes, and she is the first one to be considered," said Jack.

There had been no answers as yet to the captain's wireless messages, and
that day he sent out another one, this time to the owners of the vessel in
New York, addressing Mr. Smith in particular, thereby hoping to receive
attention.

Meantime, the boys went on with recitations, wrote descriptions of the
different parts of the island they had seen, took excursions on the bay
and through the woods, and got up little entertainments to pass away the
evenings so that altogether they were kept quite busy, and, as a
consequence, were very well content with their situation, although it was
not just what they had expected when they left home.

The day after sending out the personal message to Mr. Smith the captain of
the yacht picked up a message which, although not addressed to him, was
the first he had been able to pick up, and was of some interest on that
account if on no other.

The message was to some government official in Florida, and related to a
certain smuggler who had been defrauding the government by sending
shipments of tobacco without paying the duty thereon.

"Are on track of Rollins and smuggler crew. Sighted them near Isle of
Pines. Will keep on watch there and in Caribbean."

Such was the message and the captain, although not especially interested
in Rollins, whoever he might be, was glad to get any information from the
outside world which seemed so far away, although almost at their very
doors.

He sent a wireless to the sender of the message, and asked if information
of their situation could be sent to the government, and help despatched to
them, hoping by this means to receive some recognition at last.

"If I get other folks' messages some one will probably get mine," said the
captain, "and by communicating with these people I may finally get
attention. Rollins? Don't remember to have heard of him. There's probably