Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Swiss Family Robinson OR, Adventures on a Desert Island JEAN RUDOLPH WYSS THE WINDERMERE SERIES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY MILO WINTER RAND McNALLY & COMPANY CHICAGO; NEW YORK Illustrations _Copyright, 1916,_ BY RAND MCNALLY & CO. THE RAND-MCNALLY PRESS CHICAGO [Illustration: _There stood Fritz with his gun to his shoulder pointing it at a huge shark_] THE CONTENTS I. SHIPWRECKED II. THE FIRST EXPLORING EXPEDITION III. OUR HOME IN THE GIANT TREE IV. SOME USEFUL DISCOVERIES--A COMICAL INCIDENT V. A SECOND VISIT TO THE WRECK VI. HOW WE BUILT THE PINNACE VII. AT FALCONHURST AGAIN--BAGGING A BUFFALO VIII. IMPROVING OUR TREE DWELLING IX. THE SALT PALACE AND THE NEW FARMHOUSE X. THE WAR WITH THE APES--OUR HOME IN THE SALT PALACE XI. A DANGEROUS VISITOR AND ITS VICTIM XII. THE CRYSTAL CAVE--BAGGING A BEAR XIII. BREAKING IN A REFRACTORY STEED XIV. BUILDING THE CAJACK--A PLENTIFUL HARAVEST XV. ADVENTURES OF THE BOYS AT WOODLANDS--THE ELEPHANT TRAIL XVI. TEN YEARS AFTERWARD--A STRANGE MESSAGE XVII. HOW FRITZ FOUND THE FAIR STRANGER XVIII. A SAIL!--FAREWELL TO SHARK ISLAND THE ILLUSTRATIONS _There stood Fritz with his gun to his shoulder pointing it at a huge shark_ _The monkeys seized all the cocoanuts within their reach and sent them down upon us_ _Jack took the unsuspecting birds by surprise_ _"Help! or he will pull me into the water"_ _So greatly was the speed of the ostrich checked that Jack overtook him_ _Then the walrus sought refuge among these rocks_ _Up rose the hideous head and gaping jaws of a hippopotamus_ _There, with glaring eyes and his great tail swaying to and fro, I saw an immense tiger_ THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON CHAPTER I SHIPWRECKED For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene, and returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost. We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts. The crew had lost heart, and were utterly exhausted by incessant labor. The riven masts had gone by the board, leaks had been sprung in every direction, and the water, which rushed in, gained upon us rapidly. Instead of reckless oaths, the seamen now uttered frantic cries to God for mercy, mingled with strange and often ludicrous vows, to be performed should deliverance be granted. Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his Creator, and strove to bethink himself of some means of saving his life.