alf much
like the old, low, hilly, covered with forest, and surrounded with a
line of reefs on which the surf was breaking.

His eyes followed the long curve of the reefs, and then stopped at a
dark spot that broke their white continuity. His blood leaped and
instantly he put to his eyes the strong glasses that he had found in the
house and that fortunately he had brought with him. Here he found his
first impression to be correct. The dark spot was a ship!

But it was no longer a ship that sailed the seas. Instead it was a
wrecked and shattered ship, with her bow driven into the sand, and her
stern impaled on the sharp teeth of the breakers. Then his heart leaped
again. A second long look through the glasses told him that the lines of
the ship, bruised and battered though she was, were familiar.

It was the schooner. The storm had brought her to the island also,
though to the opposite shore, and there she lay a wreck held by the sand
and rocks. He descended the hills, and, after a long walk, reached the
beach. The schooner was not broken up as much as he had thought, and as
she could be reached easily he decided to board her.

The vessel was tipped partly over on her side, and all her spars and
sails were gone. She swayed a little with the swell, but she was held
fast by sand and rocks. Robert, laying his clothes and rifle on the
beach, waded out to her, and, without much difficulty, climbed aboard,
where he made his way cautiously over the slanting and slippery deck.

His first motive in boarding the wreck was curiosity, but it now
occurred to him that there was much treasure to be had, treasure of the
kind that was most precious to a castaway. A long stay on the island had
not entered into his calculations hitherto, but he knew now that he
might have to reckon on it, and it was well to be prepared for any
event.

He searched first the cabins of the captain and mates, taking from them
what he thought might be of use, and heaping the store upon the beach.
He soon had there a pair of fine double-barreled pistols with plenty of
ammunition to fit, another rifle, one that had been the captain's own,
with supplies of powder and ball, a half dozen blankets, a medicine
chest, well supplied, and a cutlass, which he took without any
particular thought of use.

Then he invaded the carpenter's domain, and there he helped himself very
freely, taking out two axes, two hatchets, two saws, a hammer, two
chisels, several augers