At that instant a loud sneeze reached their ears, causing Dick to pause on the companion way.  Looking into the cabin he saw a man standing there, partly dressed.

“Captain Blossom!” he ejaculated.  “Is it really you or your ghost?”

“Dick Rover!” cried the master of the schooner.  “Then you weren’t drowned, after all?”

“No, captain.  But—­but how did you escape?”

“Is it really Captain Blossom?” came from Tom, and he rushed down into the cabin, followed by old Jerry.  All shook hands, and the face of the captain showed his pleasure over the meeting.

“So you all escaped and are here,” he said.  “I am downright glad to know it.  What of the others?”

“We don’t know what became of the other boats,” answered Dick.

“Saw nothing at all?”

“Not a thing.”

The captain shook his head sorrowfully.

“But how did you escape?” asked Dick again.

“That is a short story, lad.  When I went overboard from the rowboat, I caught hold of some of the wreckage from the schooner.  This was still fast to the deck, and by hauling myself in I soon got on board again.  As I had no boat, I remained on board, for I soon saw that the schooner would not go down immediately.  At daylight the ship left the rocks and drifted around on the ocean until the wind came up last night, when we struck this island and got beached, as you see.  I was worn out with watching, and as soon as I found the boat was safe from sinking I went to bed, and slept soundly until I heard you three tramping around the deck.”

“We are stopping over on yonder island,” said Tom, when all went on deck, and he pointed in the direction.  “See, Sam and the girls are waving to us.  Let us wave in return, and stand apart, so they can see that there are four of us.”

They did as the youngest Rover advised and soon saw that they were seen.  Then Captain Blossom held up his spyglass.

“I reckon they will know who I am by that,” he said, and he was right, for Sam told the girls that the fourth man was Captain Blossom beyond a doubt.

“How is your stock of provisions?” asked old Jerry.  “We are getting just a bit tired of living on birds and fish.  And we want a gun or a pistol with which to protect ourselves.”

“The Golden Wave has enough provisions to last this party a year,” answered the captain.  “We haven’t anything very fine, but we have plenty of flour, dried beans, salt and smoked meats, and a good many cases of canned vegetables, as well as sugar, tea, coffee, salt, and pepper.  With fresh fish and some game we’ll be able to live as well here as if we were on shore,—­that is, if we can find fresh water.”

“We have all the fresh water we want,—­on the large island,” said Tom.  “And lots of tropical fruit—­cocoanuts, bananas, and the like.”

“If we are going to live on the ship, we’ll have to bring fresh water over from the other island in a cask,” said Dick.  “That will not be very handy.”