Free Danny Dunn on a Desert Island by Jay Williams

no more than a handful of soil, stood a single bent, gnarled tree.
    â€œI thought I saw something move there. It looked like—like a man.”
    â€œProbably some animal,” said Joe, lazily.
    â€œNo, I’m sure it was a man. It was doing something at that tree, and then it ran off.”
    â€œA monkey.”
    â€œProfessor Bullfinch said there aren’t any monkeys in this region.”
    â€œWell, Dr. Grimes said there aren’t any men in this region, so we’re even.”
    Danny grabbed his friend’s arm. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s investigate.”
    Joe groaned. “Why? If there are any natives on this island, they’re probably cannibals. And I don’t feel up to being anybody’s dinner.”
    Danny started off. “Okay,” he called, “you stay here. I’m going.”
    â€œOh, shucks! Wait a minute. I may as well go along to keep you out of trouble. Not that it’ll do any good…”
    They crossed the stream higher up, and then returned to the edge of the cliffs where the ground was more open. They plodded along for ten or fifteen minutes, stumbling over broken lava, and now and then making a detour to avoid a particularly thick clump of cactus. At last they came to the summit of the large rock and stood beneath the twisted tree.
    Joe said, “How could we tell if anybody’s been here? This rock doesn’t hold any footprints.”
    â€œDon’t look down,” said Danny. “Look up.”
    â€œUp? Do you expect them to leave footprints in the air?”
    â€œDon’t be silly! I mean that .”
    Joe followed Danny’s pointing finger. Then he gulped. High above their heads, stuck fast in the wood, was a long arrow.
    â€œHoly smoke!” said Joe. “Indians!”
    Danny stared eagerly at the arrow. “Looks like he shot his arrow and it went too high. He couldn’t reach it, and he couldn’t climb the tree because of those.”
    â€œThose” were thorns, almost three inches long, that protruded from the tree trunk at intervals.
    â€œYou mean he went to get help?” said Joe. “And that means he’ll be coming back soon. With more arrows… Good-bye!”
    â€œWait a sec. You know how the Professor is always talking about getting facts. If we go back without any proof they won’t believe us. Let’s get that arrow.”
    â€œBut Dan, I don’t like thorns either,” Joe cried. He kept looking about him as if that unknown archer might suddenly appear from behind a cactus plant.
    â€œWe don’t have to climb. You weigh less than I do. Get up on my shoulders.”
    â€œBut—but—but—oh, okay.”
    Danny bent over next to the tree. Joe knelt on his back, then slowly stood up, wobbling a bit. Danny straightened. Both boys braced themselves with their hands against the tree trunk, being careful to avoid the thorns.
    Joe took hold of the arrow and pulled. It had a head made of bone, and it was so firmly embedded in the wood that he had to cut around it with his pocketknife to get it free. Then, cautiously, he got down.
    â€œAll right,” he said. “Now you’ve got it, let’s go.”
    They started out walking, but before long they were trotting and then running, their thoughts on the unknown men somewhere behind them. They took a short cut higher up the slope to avoid the cactus, and splashed through the stream at a shallow place. They rushed down to the camp and then took the trail to the beach.
    The two men were standing around something that simmered and bubbled over a fire, and gave off a dreadful smell. They looked up as the boys came panting into view, and the Professor said with a broad smile, “I have a surprise for you. Grimes and I have been making soap. Isn’t that wonderful?”
    â€œWe’ve got a surprise for you ,” Danny gasped. “Look at this.”
    â€œOh, you made