Lost In The Forest

CHAPTER ONE.

AT SEA--AN ALARMING CRY AND A RESCUE.

"At sea once more!" said Will Osten in a meditative mood.

Our hero made this remark one night to himself, which was overheard and
replied to by his friend, Captain Dall, in a manner that surprised him.

"It's my opinion, doctor," said the captain in a low voice, "that this
is the last time you or I will ever be at sea, or anywhere else, if our
skipper don't look better after his men, for a more rascally crew I
never set eyes on, and, from a word or two I have heard dropped now and
then, I feel sure some mischief is in the wind. Come aft with me to a
place where we ain't so likely to be overheard by eavesdroppers, and
I'll tell you all about it."

Will Osten was so much astonished at his friend's remark, that he
followed him to the after part of the ship without uttering a word, and
there sat down on the taffrail to listen to what he had to communicate.

There was no moon in the clear sky, and the hosts of stars that studded
the dark vault overhead did not shed any appreciable light on the waters
of the Pacific, on which the _Rover_ floated almost motionless. That
beautiful and mysterious phosphorescence which sometimes illumines the
sea was gleaming in vivid flashes in the vessel's wake, and a glowing
trail of it appeared to follow the rudder like a serpent of lambent
fire.