The Lakewood Boys in the South Sea Islands
Louis P. Wyman's *The Lakewood Boys in the South Sea Islands* follows brothers Bob and Jack Lakewood, cadets fresh from graduation at The Fortress military academy, who are recruited by their seafaring Uncle Silas for a treasure-hunting voyage. Uncle Silas recounts his own harrowing origin story: decades earlier, shipwrecked in a Pacific storm, he alone survived with his friend Mike Mulligan, who later died from injuries; before escaping the deserted island in a salvaged lifeboat, Silas discovered a hidden cave lined with oysters, a dozen of which held valuable pearls. Now wealthy but still driven by curiosity, he plans to relocate the island and claim any pearls left behind, inviting his nephews along. The boys' parents consent, and the trio departs aboard Silas's yacht, the *Valkyrie*, crewed by Captain Ole Olsen, first mate Pat Barney, Chinese cook Wong, and a newly hired, distrusted second mate, Josh Kelley. Early in the voyage, the crew rescues survivors from a burning steamer, the *Dauntless*, during which Jack dives overboard and saves a drowning girl, nearly losing his own life in the process. Suspicion mounts against Kelley after Bob and Jack overhear him plotting secretly on a Marquesas island and later catch him sending covert nighttime light and radio signals to an unknown accomplice. The boys sabotage his wireless equipment, and Kelley eventually vanishes from the ship entirely, apparently spirited away by a confederate's boat. After a violent Pacific storm and a shark-hunting interlude, the party lands on an island where the boys are captured by hostile natives; Bob's skill in sleight-of-hand magic tricks convinces the tribe the brothers are supernatural, securing their release. That night the natives attack the anchored *Valkyrie* in a dense fog, wounding Pat Barney with a poisoned blowpipe dart; Bob saves him by sucking out the venom. The ship narrowly escapes after running aground near the hostile shore. Reaching Silas's remembered island, the party finds the original pearl cave empty but discovers a rich oyster bed nearby, yielding a substantial pearl haul divided among the crew. Mysterious threats persist: an unseen creature or man attacks Pat again, strange cries echo from the island's woods, and a nut is hurled at the landing party. The tension escalates when a larger, gun-equipped vessel commanded by men claiming French governmental authority arrives, demanding to search the *Valkyrie* under suspicious pretenses tied to Kelley. Captain Olsen refuses without proper papers, and the strangers depart with a veiled threat, setting up a looming confrontation as Bob sneaks aboard their fog-shrouded ship to disable its weapon, leaving the conflict's resolution open at the narrative's close.
By L.P. Wyman · First published 1925 · Genre: Adventure Fiction, Treasure Hunt, Young Adult Fiction · 13 chapters · 65,747 words
First lines
Taps had sounded at the close of the sham battle and all the "dead" had sprung to life. The last note of the call officially brought to a close the work of the year at The Fortress and, together with the larger part of the corps of cadets, Bob and Jack Lakewood were hurrying toward the barracks in their eagerness to "get into cits" as soon as possible. But, just as Bob rushed into the wash room with Jack close at his heels, he felt a strong hand grasp him by the arm, and turning he looked into the face of a tall well built man whose lips were parted in at broad smile.
"Well, of all the -- -- "
What this Textopian page supports
The Lakewood Boys in the South Sea Islands is listed on Textopian as a novel by L.P. Wyman, dated 1925 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: L.P. Wyman
- Date: 1925 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure Fiction, Treasure Hunt, Young Adult Fiction, Action Fiction, Nautical/Maritime Fiction
- Length: 65,747 words
- Structure: 13 chapters, 2,307 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lakewood Boys in the South Sea Islands by L.P. Wyman
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Adventure Fiction — The entire narrative centers on exciting adventures involving sailing, exploration, combat with natives, and surviving various perils in the South Sea Islands.
- Treasure Hunt — The central plot is the search for oysters containing pearls in a remote island cave, with the quest providing narrative momentum throughout.
- Young Adult Fiction — The protagonists are young men aged nineteen, the narrative voice and pacing target youthful readers, and the story emphasizes coming-of-age through adventure.
- Action Fiction — Numerous action sequences dominate: naval chases, combat with hostile natives, shark attacks, fights aboard ships, and encounters with a mysterious creature.
Tags
adventure · boys · coming-of-age · island-setting · tropical · exploration · travel · friendship · survival · action-adventure · ocean · exotic
Contents
- A Surprising Proposition
- At Sea
- The Rescue
- Catching a Shark
- Suspicions
- Captured by Savages
- Saved by Magic
- The Attack in the Fog
- A Close Call
- Where is Josh?
- They Find the Cave
- A Daring Attempt
- An Exciting Finish