Swiss Family Olsen

By Dave Songer (songer@aloha.net)

Summary: Jimmy and Sarah Goodwin take a vacation together in the South Pacific. Their ship is hijacked by pirates, and our heroes make their way to a deserted island. They are alone. Or are they?

***

(Prologue)

When Jimmy Olsen and Sarah Goodwin decided to take a cruise in the South Pacific, they had no idea what kind of an adventure lay in store for them. It all started out innocently enough. They had managed to save the necessary money for the trip and decided that 10 days in the Pacific would be just right. After flying to Honolulu, they had hopped aboard a schooner that was scheduled to cruise the South Pacific for 10 days. The four days had been nice and uneventful. Both Sarah and Jimmy had done some sun bathing and dined on some fabulous dishes. Everything seemed like it was going well until just after dinner, the fifth night out from port. It was then that Jimmy heard a knock on his cabin door.

***

"Hi Captain Jack," Jimmy blurted after opening the door.

"Sorry to bother you, Jimmy, but we're due for some fog later tonight…we might be in for some choppy weather, too," Jack volunteered.

"That's okay, Captain, I still feel this is better than traveling on The Seaquest," Jimmy offered.

"Very funny, Jimmy…but there's more," Jack responded. "I don't want to alarm any of the other passengers, but since you expressed an interest in boating I thought I would mention something."

Jimmy began to listen closely as Captain Jack proceeded to tell his story of modern day pirates sailing the pacific.

"Pirates?" he asked. "I thought they were long gone, Captain Jack."

"Not hardly, Jimmy."

"Where do they come from, Captain Jack?" Jimmy inquired.

"No one knows for sure, Jimmy," said the captain. "Rumor has it they hail from some uncharted island around here." Jimmy's interest was now fully peaked as he began to probe the captain for more answers.

"What are they looking for, Captain?"

"Well, mostly valuables from passengers, as well as the ship. They can sell it on the black market. They have been known to ransom people back to their families as well. I even heard tell that they've murdered some passengers."

"Geez…that's pretty scary. I hope we don't run into them. Why didn't you tell us this before we started out?" Jimmy asked.

"Well that would be bad for business, Jimmy," the captain offered. "Besides, I don't think we're going to see them on this voyage."

"Well, that's a relief." Jimmy responded. The captain gave Jimmy a hearty pat on the back.

"Don't worry, son…you leave the worryin' up to ol' Captain Jack." He departed the cabin area, leaving Jimmy to ponder what he had said. Jimmy thought best not to say anything, but decided he would check in on Sarah before turning in. He crossed out into the hall and knocked on Sarah's door.

"Just a minute," blurted Sarah. When Sarah opened the door, Jimmy noticed she wasn't ready to turn in. The table light in her cabin was on and there was a book on the table.

"Doing a little light reading I see," Jimmy stated.

"Yeah, I was checking up on some of the islands around here," Sarah casually replied. "Each of the islands have their own unique flavor."

"Any of them taste like rocky road?" Jimmy said smugly.

"Men! I'm serious, Jimmy. We should see if we can get Captain Jack to take a detour to one of these ones not on the tour," Sarah suggested.

"We'll see…well, I just came to see if you were okay, and since you are…I'm going to turn in."

"Is that the only reason you stopped by?" Sarah inquired.

"What made you think I had an ulterior motive?" he replied.

"Now, Jimmy, don't start acting like your friend, Clark. He can't see past the nose in front of him. If he did, he'd realize what a terrific girl Lois is," Sarah suggested in an analytical tone.

Jimmy hesitated for a second, and then decided he should stick up for his friend.

"Maybe Lois is the one who can't see the forest for the trees," he said firmly.

"This is classic Psych 101, Jimmy. Instead of trying to come to terms with your shortcomings, and trying to resolve them within yourself, you lash out at the other person in the hopes of putting the burden of the problem on them."

"Thank you, Dr. Ruth," Jimmy said wryly.

Sarah walked over to Jimmy and kissed him on the cheek, catching him off guard. "You see, Jimmy? You see how easy it is for a me to admit my inner most feelings. You're going to be a great case study…I'm really going to enjoy this," Sarah said.

A smile began to play on Jimmy's lips as he leaned down to kiss her. He then turned toward the door before stopping at the entrance to her room.

"Don't get too comfortable, Sarah…I might turn out to be another Norman Bates.

"Well, how do you know I'm not Lizzie Borden?" Sarah asked in a subtle tone. The two of them giggled for a moment and then Jimmy crossed the hall to his room and turned in.

***

It was sometime around midnight that Jimmy was awakened by noises up on deck. At first he thought it was only a couple of the crew having a good laugh, but then he heard what sounded like a scuffle. It wasn't long before Jimmy heard a noise in the hallway. It only took him a few moments to climb into his clothes since he had left them by the bed. Jimmy started for the door but froze when he saw the doorknob turning by itself.

Suddenly the door flew open and there in the doorway stood what looked to be like a 17th Century Pirate; complete with cutlass and head bandanna. He motioned for Jimmy to come to him and Jimmy didn't need to be told twice.

Jimmy walked ahead of the pirate as he proceeded up on deck. Once there, Jimmy could see what all the commotion had been about. They had been boarded by pirates. Jimmy could see some of the pirate crew herding the passengers together. Off to the left, Jimmy noticed what looked like another schooner or Chinese junk.

The pirate behind Jimmy began prodding him with his cutlass and Jimmy filed in along side of Sarah who was wearing jeans and tee-shirt.

Suddenly a man appeared from the other side of the deck and Jimmy could tell by the way the pirate crew was responding to him that he must be the leader. He was a burly sort of fellow with long black hair and a red bandanna. His red shirt was opened to reveal a tattoo of some kind. When the man's hair blew away from his chest, Jimmy could see it was a pirate insignia…the skull and crossbones. The leader then motioned for his crew members to gather around so he could address the crowd.

"Permit me to introduce myself, I'm Billy Bones, captain of the pirate ship, Raven. Consider yourselves our prisoners. We'll be taking your ship to our hideout and from there we'll figure out what to do with all of you. Most of you will be ransomed off for a price, and the rest…well, we'll just have to see."

It didn't take long for Jimmy to figure out that he and Sarah wouldn't be worth much, and so he had to figure a way out for them before it was too late. Once they reached the pirate's hideaway there would be no chance for escape. He had to think of something soon, but what?

Billy Bones bellowed out some commands for his crew and the passengers were slowly escorted back down into the cabin area.

As Jimmy got to the cabin stairway he saw a possible way out. Tied to the back of their schooner was a small dingy with oars. Thoughts raced through his mind as he climbed down the stairs and towards his cabin.

Sarah leaned back and tilted her head slightly to whisper. "How are we going to get ourselves out of this one, Jimmy?"

"Trust me, Sarah, I've got an idea." Captain Jack leaned over Jimmy's shoulder in order not to be heard also. "Sorry laddie…didn't mean for this to happen. If we ever get out of this I'll make sure you get a refund."

Jimmy was too deep in thought to really hear either of them. His only concern was how to get past any guards that might be left aboard their ship. He was banking on the pirate crew to tow their schooner behind the Raven…hoping that only a skeleton crew would be left on board their ship.

Everyone was escorted back to their cabins. Jimmy was the last one to be placed in his cabin, and once inside he began to plan his strategy. He knew whatever he decided would have to be done at night. Once morning arrived, any chance of escape would be futile. They had to slip away under the cover of night. Jimmy just hoped that the three-quarter full moon wouldn't betray them.

He quickly gathered a change of clothes and a jacket, and stuffed them into a duffel bag. He then grabbed some candy bars and snacks and threw them in with the clothes. After going to the closet and retrieving his knapsack, he grabbed his supply kit from the drawer and stuffed it inside. He then went to the sink and filled up his canteen with water. Once everything was gathered up, he went to the back of his cabin.

The best part about this schooner was that the best cabin was in the back of the ship and it had a large window that looked out over the ocean. Sarah had expressed an interest in the cabin and decided that the two of them should flip a coin to see who got it. Fortunately for both of them, Jimmy had won the bet.

After slowly opening the window and hooking it on the latch that held it open, Jimmy slowly peered out to see where the rope was that tied the dingy to the ship. Jimmy could see that it was about three feet above him. After positioning himself on the window sill, he reached as high as he could and untied the rope. The resistance of the dingy to the water almost forced Jimmy to slip over the side, but he managed to keep his balance long enough to slip back into his room and tie the rope to the headboard of his bed. He then pulled the dingy in closer until it was as close to the ship as he could get it. Jimmy proceeded to wrap the slack of the rope around one of the headboard posts. Quickly he scooped up his duffel bag and knapsack and set them near the window. He then went to his closet and took out the cord he had bought back in Honolulu. He had planned to use it to wrap packages with, but now he found a better use for it. Jimmy took out his knife and cut a long piece of cord before wrapping it around the duffel bag. He then went to the window and lowered the bag into the dingy. After doing the same with the knapsack he was ready to put the second phase of his plan into action.

Jimmy got down on his hands and knees and peered out under the door. His luck was still holding, any guards left on the schooner were up on deck. Jimmy opened the door to his cabin and slowly went across the hall. Again he got down on his hands and knees. Softly, Jimmy whispered under Sarah's door. "Pssst. Sarah? Open up, it's me, Jimmy." Slowly the door opened, and Jimmy crawled in.

"Well, I never thought I would ever see a man grovel at my feet. I think I kind of like it."

"Very funny, Sarah," Jimmy responded while getting back to his feet.

"In case you didn't notice, I found a way to escape. Get your knapsack and let's go before we're discovered."

"What do you intend to do, fly us out of here? In case you haven't noticed, Jimmy, we're on a ship in the middle of the ocean."

"No flying, Sarah, just rowing. I found a small rowboat tied to the schooner. I tied it closer to the ship and dropped my stuff down into it. We can climb down the rope and into the dingy. With any luck we can slip away and be long gone before they know we're missing."

Sarah ran to the closet and got her knapsack. She then grabbed the map off the desk and threw it in with the rest of her things.

After Jimmy checked again to make certain none of the crew members had come downstairs, the two of them slipped across the hall and into Jimmy's room.

"What about Captain Jack and the others, Jimmy?" We can't just leave them here with the pirates," Sarah pleaded.

"Look, Sarah, use your head. None of these others are in danger at the moment. We're the only ones that aren't going to be worth any ransom. I mean you saw how those other passengers dressed. It was like taking part in lifestyles of the rich and snobby. Besides, we can't all fit in the boat. We'll just have to go find help, if possible."

"What do you mean, if possible?" Sarah inquired.

"Well, we'll be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean without much food, water, or knowledge of the area. You figure it out."

"You're so comforting, Jimmy…you must get that side of you from your father."

Jimmy just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He then climbed out the window and slid down the rope into the dingy. He motioned for Sarah to throw down her knapsack.

She then got out on the window ledge, took a hold of the rope and slid down into the boat with Jimmy.

He then untied the rope and let it slip away. Jimmy could see the silhouette of one of the pirates on deck but fortunately he was facing towards the front of the schooner.

***

After about 30 minutes, the schooners were on the horizon. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, Sarah, this is better than I had hoped."

"What are you talking about, Jimmy?"

Jimmy moved to the side so Sarah could get a better look behind him. Apparently the dingy had a small outboard motor on it, in addition to the oars. There was also a container of gasoline next to the motor.

"I see," Sarah responded with a hint of joy.

"Once I'm certain they're gone, we can fire up the motor and we'll be on our way."

"On our way? Just where do you plan on going, Captain Nemo?"

"Well, we've been traveling due west, Sarah. It makes no sense to go back east because it would take us 5 days to get back to Honolulu. It seems to me we should go north or south. Besides, that's exactly what those pirates would expect us to do, head straight back to Honolulu. Even if we did try it, we'd never make it. We don't have enough provisions for a five day trip back to Honolulu. If we don't find something in 48 hours, we're going to be in a world of hurt."

The two of them glanced back at the schooners which were merely a speck on the horizon. Sarah turned back to Jimmy." So which way, Jimmy, north or south? According to my map, the nearest island in either direction is almost three days away.

"I guess we can flip a coin again," he chuckled. "Heads we go north, and tails we go south." Jimmy pulled out a quarter from his pocket and flipped it. When it landed in the boat, Jimmy could see the eagle. "Well, I guess that means we go south." Jimmy reached into his knapsack and pulled out his supply kit. He rooted around in it until he pulled out a small compass. He then fired up the dingy and headed south into uncharted waters.

***

Jimmy and Sarah had been heading south for almost two whole days. During that time they had gone through most of their water, but had managed to hang on to a good portion of their food. They had both put plenty of sunscreen on in an effort to protect themselves from the scorching rays of the sun. They tried to conserve the gasoline by taking turns rowing in the evening when it was cool, but they didn't seem to make a great deal of headway.

The second day didn't provide much hope. They had used up all of the gasoline in the outboard motor, as well as the gasoline in the spare tank.

"Well, Sarah, it looks like we row from here on out," Jimmy said with a bit of frustration.

"Let me see the map again, Jimmy."

Jimmy passed Sarah the map and she studied it for a moment before looking up.

"Jimmy, if this map is correct, we're still a few days from land. However, with just the oars to take us there, it's going to take us a lot longer than 3 days…I don't think we're going to make it," Sarah said. Jimmy breathed deeply and decided it was best to level with Sarah.

"Sarah, you're right. We are in a lot of trouble. I think our best bet is to try and rest during the day and then take turns rowing in the evening. If we do that, we have a chance. I just hope this little dot on the map has some food and water available on it or it won't make a difference whether we reach it or not."

"How do you expect us to survive without water, Jimmy?" Sarah inquired.

"We ration it, Sarah. We'll each get two capfuls of water a day. By my estimation, that should last us at least three days."

"What happens if we run out before we sight land?" She asked.

Jimmy took another deep breath. "It's best not to think about that, Sarah. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," Jimmy responded.

***

Sarah and Jimmy both took turns rowing on the second night and by morning they were both exhausted. They couldn't tell how much distance they traveled but they both figured it wasn't a very long distance. They tried resting by draping towels over themselves but they weren't sleeping very well.

By midday, Jimmy took another look at the map. "You know, Sarah, according to this map, things don't look good. I bet we haven't traveled as far as we're hoping we did."

Sarah looked up at Jimmy and could see the perspiration streaming down his face. She didn't want him to think he had led them to their possible doom. "Jimmy, I wanted to say thank you."

Jimmy looked up with a quizzical expression. "For what, Sarah?"

"For rescuing us from the pirates," she replied.

Jimmy straightened himself up a bit and a faint smile began to play on his lips. "You may want to reserve your thanks until we get out of our current predicament, Sarah," Jimmy responded.

The two tried to get some more rest, but it was still uncomfortable. It was late afternoon, shortly after their second ration of water, that Jimmy noticed something unusual that caused him to perk up.

"What is it, Jimmy?" Sarah asked. He pointed up in the air in the direction behind her.

"JIMMY, is that what I think it is?" she blurted.

"That depends, it looks like a seagull to me," he offered.

"That's what I thought. That must mean we're closer to land than we thought," Sarah suggested.

"If that's true, then this bird came from an island that's not on the map."

"What do you mean, 'not on the map,' it has to be?" Sarah inquired.

"Well, according to my estimation, the nearest island is a dot on this map and it's at least 2 days away. This bird came from some place closer," Jimmy responded.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start rowing!" She implored.

"Not so fast Sarah, there's still some daylight left. The sun should set in about an hour, let's try and get some rest until then, OK?" Jimmy asked.

She agreed and the two tried to get some rest before taking up the rowing again.

They had been rowing for about 2 hours when he noticed something on the horizon. The moon helped distinguish it and thus Jimmy and Sarah took turns rowing for another 2 hours. By that time, the black spot had grown into an island.

"I can't believe our luck, Jimmy," Sarah said.

"I don't know if it's luck, Sarah. According to what I can tell, this island is uncharted. It's not on the map, so no one knows it exists," he replied.

"Still, it looks like a decent size island. Maybe something will turn up," she responded.

"Something, or somebody! Perhaps there are cannibals on the island."

"Oh, Jimmy! You really know how to make a girl feel safe and secure."

He turned back to the oars and continued to row to the island.

***

It took them about another hour and a half before they were able to jump out of the boat and pull it up on shore. Jimmy looked at his watch and could see the luminous dials pointing to two in the morning.

"I think we should just stay on the beach tonight. We can take a look around in the morning. Besides, we need to get ourselves back to sleeping in the evening. Our bodies are out of sync right now."

Sarah nodded her agreement and Jimmy dropped to the ground, exhausted. Sarah went over by Jimmy and knelt down beside him. She brushed the hair back out of his face and leaned over to kiss him." "I think it's safe to thank you now, Jimmy," Sarah said with a smile.

"Maybe you should wait until morning?" Jimmy offered.

"Maybe I'll just thank you again in the morning," Sarah replied. Sarah leaned over on her shoulder and stretched her legs out next to Jimmy's. She curled up next to his arm and the two drifted off to sleep.

***

It was midmorning before the two were awakened by the chatter of birds. They stretched out a bit, wiped the sleep from their eyes, and proceeded to walk along the beach.

"Boy, this sure beats the noises I hear waking up in Metropolis every day," Jimmy offered.

"Why do you suppose this island isn't on the map?" Sarah asked.

"Maybe there isn't much to it," Jimmy replied.

The two had walked about 100 yards when they noticed a path leading inland. It was partially covered with vines and foliage, and grass had sprouted up along the footpath. "I think we just found the interstate," Jimmy said with a casual tone.

"Very funny, Jimmy. It doesn't look like it's been used in a while, but maybe there's something at the end of it."

"Or somebody," Jimmy responded.

Jimmy took the lead and cleared some of the brush away and the two proceeded down the path as the foliage closed up behind them. The trees were tightly packed so as not to let much sunlight in. The two island visitors wove there way along the path as the birds chattered away.

After about 30 minutes, Jimmy stopped abruptly.

"What is it, Jimmy?" Sarah inquired.

"Listen to that, do you hear that noise?" Jimmy asked.

Sarah stood silent for a moment, trying to block out the sound of the birds. Suddenly she could hear a faint rushing noise coming from up ahead of them.

Jimmy looked over at Sarah momentarily, and then turned and proceeded up the path. With each step the sound grew louder until it had drowned out the chatter of birds. Jimmy could see a clearing up ahead and motioned for Sarah to quickly follow him as he ran up to the opening.

The two stood there looking at the flow of water rushing down a stream and into a large pool of water. As Jimmy looked to his left he could see the path wind around the water to the other side, and continue into the jungle on the other side.

Suddenly Sarah took her knapsack off and laid it on the ground. She pulled out a small towel and change of clothes and then proceeded to undress.

"SARAH, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking my clothes off. What does it look like I'm doing?

"Well…a…I don't…I mean…I'm not sure," Jimmy stammered.

When Sarah had dressed down to her underwear she looked up at Jimmy and gave him a firm look.

"What's the matter?" Jimmy asked.

"Well…" Sarah offered.

"Well What?" Jimmy replied.

"MEN! They just don't have a clue about anything. I'm taking my clothes off. I'm going to take a bath in this pool. If you were a gentleman, you'd turn around while I was undressing."

Jimmy suddenly felt a bit awkward. Here he was watching Sarah undress like some peeping tom. He started to feel a bit flushed and wondered if Sarah could see how embarrassed he was. Jimmy felt like his feet were made of lead, but he managed to turn his back on Sarah.

After about a minute, Jimmy heard a splash behind him but he still wasn't sure he should turn around.

"It's okay, Jimmy, you can blink now," Sarah said with a trace of amusement.

"How's the water?"

"Why not come in and see for yourself?" Sarah offered.

Jimmy hesitated for a moment and then took his shirt off. He started feeling a little awkward while taking off his jeans, but the thought of taking a cool dip in the pool took precedence. He finished taking off his clothes and jumped in.

The water felt exhilarating. It was as if his life signs were recharging. As he sprang to the surface, he noticed Sarah over by the rocks where the stream fed into the pool. "Don't you just feel rejuvenated, Sarah?" Jimmy asked as he swam over to where she was.

"It's like my vital signs are coming back," Sarah responded.

"It feels great," Jimmy spouted.

Sarah cupped her hands in front of the water flow and then pulled them back to sip the water. "More importantly we have an endless supply of fresh water here."

"You're right, Sarah, we can fill up the canteens any time we need to. I'll go get them now and fill them up." Jimmy swam to the other side of the pool and climbed up on shore. He reached into Sarah's knapsack and pulled out her canteen, and then went over to his. As he reached for his canteen, Sarah let out an enormous scream that sent shivers down his spine.

Jimmy spun towards Sarah and saw the tail end of a python slide into the water from the far shore. Sarah was splashing wildly as she tried to swim away.

Jimmy had one second to make up his mind what to do. He reached in his knapsack and desperately fumbled for his knife.

Suddenly his hand was on the hilt of it and he rose to his feet. The snake was about thirty feet from Sarah as Jimmy dove into the water. As he came to the surface, he clasped the knife in his mouth and swam towards the snake.

Sarah had totally lost her composure and it was starting to affect her progress.

The snake was beginning to overtake her. Within seconds he would catch up and the thought caused Sarah to regain her senses long enough to get a few good strokes in.

Those extra seconds were all Jimmy needed. He grabbed the snake's head from behind and the python began to roll over and over in an attempt to remove Jimmy. The snake began to wrap around Jimmy as he fought to hold his grip and not let the snake pull him under. Quickly Jimmy reached for the knife in his mouth and slammed the blade down in the snake's head. Suddenly, both snake and Jimmy were gone from view.

Sarah reached the shore and pulled herself up onto the rocks. She turned and looked back in the pool.

The water was churning where Jimmy and the snake had been, and the middle of the pool was a deep red. Suddenly the snake reappeared in the center of the pond and Sarah let out a scream. Then she noticed that the snake was not moving, it lay there in the water, lifeless.

Without warning, Jimmy sprang up at the edge of the pool in front of her, gasping for air. Sarah reached down and pulled Jimmy up on shore to her.

For several minutes she embraced him and would not let go until her shivering had stopped. "I thought I had lost you, Jimmy," Sarah said as she began to regain her composure.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it. That snake had itself wrapped around me and even after I stabbed it in the head a few times it didn't let go right away…at least not until it was dead."

Sarah pulled away from Jimmy and clasped his head in her hands. For a moment she stared into his eyes and then pulled him to her and kissed him.

"Maybe I should save your life more often?" Jimmy volunteered.

"Maybe you should," Sarah offered as she winked at him.

"Well, let's go fill up the canteens and see what's up ahead," Jimmy told her.

"You don't mind if I get dressed first do you, Mr. Olsen?"

"If you didn't, I was going to suggest it, Sarah," Jimmy said amusingly.

***

After about fifteen minutes, the two were on their way. As they entered the jungle on the far side of the pool, the jungle enveloped them again.

Jimmy and Sarah moved cautiously along the trail. The snake had put a bit of a scare in them and so they both agreed they would be on their guard for the duration of their stay…no matter how long that proved to be.

The rushing of the water at the pool began to fade as they moved further inland. They could hear the chatter of birds again and observed various species darting from tree to tree as they made their way along the trail. After about 30 minutes, Jimmy thought he noticed something up ahead in the distance. He strained his eyes to see if he could pick out some familiar shape, but without much success.

"What is it Jimmy, why did you stop?" questioned Sarah.

"I think I see something up ahead, but I can't quite make it out," he responded.

"You mean like people?" Sarah inquired.

"No. It was more like the glare of metal. Maybe it was just my imagination. Let's move on."

The two continued along the path until Jimmy noticed the strange glare again. This time there was no mistaking it as Sarah noticed it as well. The two continued to follow the path which wound its way through the forest and towards the strange glare.

***

After about 15 minutes the forest opened up to a clearing. Sarah and Jimmy stood silent for a moment, and then turned to each other.

"What is it, Jimmy?"

"It looks like some sort of man made bungalow," Jimmy offered.

"Do you think anyone still lives here?" She said with a hint of curiosity.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," he replied.

Jimmy and Sarah approached the bungalow cautiously. The only noise present was the chatter of birds, but the incident at the pool had made them just a bit jumpy. Slowly they ascended the stairs toward the front door.

Jimmy's heart was racing so fast he barely noticed Sarah come up beside him and slip her hand in his. he reached for the door knob and turned it. The door slowly creaked as jimmy opened it and the two stepped inside. The dust in the air caused Jimmy to choke for a moment, as he cleared his throat. There were some bugs crawling on the floor, and the wooden chairs which were spread about the bungalow were layered with cobwebs. Fortunately, the bungalow did have some windows which afforded a fair amount of visible light.

"Well, it doesn't look like anyone lives here," Sarah offered.

"I think that's a fair assumption. Whoever was here, is long gone," he replied.

"Here's something, Jimmy?"

"What is it, Sarah?"

"Look's like some sort of log or diary?" She reached over some bugs crawling on the table and lifted the log book. She blew the dust off the cover, opened it up, and proceeded to read.

"Winston Barlow, late of Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards, November 10th, the year of our Lord 1980.

First entry:

I came to this part of the world on the request of Her Majesty the Queen, to do research on some rare tropical birds.

However, my mission had a dual purpose. Just before I left England, a private organization approached me about an incredible story of a ship carrying lots of gold which was lost at sea.

In the year of our Lord, 1677, a Spanish galley, had floundered off the coast of an island in these waters. The ship was carrying a treasure worth well over $250 million dollars by today's standards.

In 1978, this group sent a team of researchers into this area and, after six months of searching, they discovered the wreck of the Santa Lucia about 10 miles west of this uncharted island. Oddly enough, the gold wasn't on the ship, which means it was transported off ship and taken somewhere.

Since we didn't want every glory hunter alive to ascend on the area, we kept the discovery of the wreck hidden, as well as the discovery of this island. Our plan was to return the gold to the Spanish Government for a modest reward of 10 percent. The company would get $20 million dollars, and the person who found the treasure would get $5 million.

The organization, called Sterling Enterprises, sent three other men, along with me, onto this island. Since it was the closest to the wreck, we figured the crew of the Santa Lucia brought the gold here.

The other three members of the expedition left after two years of frustration, while I decided to stay and continue to look for the gold. As well as perform research on the tropical birds."

"Wow, Sarah, that's some story. Imagine being on an island hunting for buried treasure."

"Yes Jimmy, but wait, there's more here." Sarah flipped through some pages before settling on another entry.

***

"Expedition log date, December 3, 1982:

The rainy season is upon me. It's been unseasonably wet as of late and I think I caught a bit of a cold. I still haven't found the gold, but I did find a few letters from the captain of the Santa Lucia.

Thus, I am convinced that the gold is here somewhere.

The letter talks about a fight breaking out between the officers of the ship and the crew. It seems some of the crew got greedy and began fighting over the gold. A number of officers and crew were killed in the melee, and others died later from the wounds which had been inflicted.

In his last letter, the captain said he and the remaining officers slipped away from camp one night and hid the gold.

Upon their return to camp, they were ambushed by the crew. Most of the officers were killed, but many of the crew were killed as well.

However, the worst was yet to come. One of the crew came down with some strange virus and died.

Before long, the remaining crew members had caught it and had all succumbed to its effects. Finally, the remaining officers contracted it and soon the captain was the only one left. He never did say where the treasure was buried, and died before finishing the letter."

"I wonder if the gold is still here, Jimmy?" Sarah asked.

"It seems like a good possibility. How about the final log entries?" Jimmy inquired.

Sarah thumbed through some more pages and settled on another entry.

"Expedition Log date, July 15th, the year of our Lord 1985. Although I have been over every inch of the island, I still have found no gold.

My research on tropical birds for the British Government is complete and so I have transmitted my final report.

I will stay on a while longer and look for the gold. I found a waterfall about a mile further inland, and a passageway behind the waterfall which led to a cave. When I discovered the cave my heart soared, but my elation soon turned to disappointment when I discovered no gold."

Sarah was about to continue when Jimmy interrupted her.

"Did he say he transmitted his final report, Sarah? If that's the case, maybe this transmitter is still here somewhere."

As Sarah thumbed through the final pages of the log, Jimmy ransacked the room looking for any piece of electronic equipment he could find.

Jimmy was halfway through the closet when he noticed something that looked like an old radio transmitter. There were several battery packs lying next to it on the floor.

Jimmy pulled everything out into the room to get a better look at it. "SARAH, do you know what this is? It's a transmitter. If one of these battery packs is still in working order, we might be able to use the transmitter to contact someone."

When Sarah didn't answer, he turned to look over at her. She was reading the final entries in the log and the look on her face indicated she was troubled.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked.

"Listen to this, Jimmy.

Expedition Log December 10th, the year of our Lord 1985.

A schooner which has been circling the island, landed. Several men with guns and swords have begun rummaging the island for something. With my field glasses I was able to detect the ship's name, the Raven.

I moved my radio transmitter to the cave for safe keeping and proceeded there myself. The men came to the waterfall, but did not find the cave so I'm safe for the time being.

One of the men called out to their leader, whose name appears to be Billy Bones."

I overheard them talking about the Santa Lucia. I can't understand how they knew about this ship, or it's cargo."

"I don't believe this, Sarah. That means the guys we escaped from know about this island."

"What are we going to do, Jimmy?" Sarah pleaded.

"Well, they can't have known we would come here. We just need to see if we can contact someone with this transmitter," Jimmy replied.

"Even if we can, what if the pirates get here first?" she asked.

"Then, we better find a way to stay out of sight," Jimmy offered.

"What about the cave behind the waterfall, Jimmy?" Sarah suggested.

"Good idea, but first, lets try out this transmitter."

Jimmy tried the transmitter but the power didn't come on. He then hooked up the second battery pack and flipped the switch, but again without any success. He tried the third one, and then the fourth, all with the same result.

There were only two more left. Jimmy hooked up the fifth one and flipped the switch, but again his heart sank as the power light didn't come on. Jimmy shook his head and hooked up the final battery pack. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them he flipped the switch.

Suddenly the red light went on.

"YES, THERE IS A GOD!!!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"IT'S WORKING?" Sarah said with a look of astonishment.

"Yes, now all we need to do is see if we can contact someone." Jimmy began holding in the mike and calling for anyone that might be listening in. He adjusted the frequency about every minute and tried again.

***

After about 20 minutes he was about to take a break when he heard a faint voice responding on the transmitter.

Jimmy held in the mike and called out again.

"Hello, anybody out there, we need some assistance, over."

There was a brief pause and then Jimmy heard the voice again; only this time it was loud enough that he could make it out.

"Yes, hello. This is the Norwegian Freighter North Star. What is your problem, over."

"Yes, hello. My name is Jimmy Olsen. My traveling companion and I were taken prisoner by some modern day pirates but we managed to escape and ended up on an uncharted island, over."

"Did you say, Pirates? Uncharted Island? What is this, some kind of joke?"

"NO, it's no joke. We're stuck on this island without any way off. Look, if you contact the authorities in Metropolis, in the US, And have them contact Perry White at the Daily Planet, you'll see I'm telling the truth."

"Okay, we'll do it…but this better not be some kind of joke. Do you have some idea of your exact whereabouts, over?

Jimmy proceeded to give the operator an idea of where they were. He didn't know the exact longitude and latitude of the island, but he had a pretty good idea.

"Look, we'd really appreciate it if you could send some help as soon as possible, over."

"Well, we'll contact the authorities and give them your story. We're quite far from you and we've got to get some medical supplies to port as soon as possible. Hang in there until the authorities get there, over."

"We'll do…and thanks, over."

Jimmy leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes for a moment and began to relax. Sarah came over to him and began to massage his neck.

"I'm sorry, Sarah, I know this hasn't been much of a vacation for you," he said.

"That may be true Jimmy, but it's been an unbelievable adventure."

Sarah leaned over and kissed him. For a moment her lips lingered. She then returned her hands to his neck and continued with her massage.

After several moments Jimmy got up and stretched. "Thanks Sarah, that felt great."

"The kiss, or the massage?" Sarah giggled.

"Both. Let's see if we can find this waterfall."

"Okay, Jimmy…lead on."

The two left the bungalow and proceeded up the trail. After covering the mile that was mentioned in the log book, they discovered the waterfall. It jutted down from a cliff up above and poured into a large pool of water. They made their way around the rocks and slid underneath the wall of water and came out into a cave. The water blocked off most of the visible light but Jimmy did manage to find an old torch on the ground. He pulled out a small pack of matches and a shirt from his knapsack. He tore the shirt up and tied some of it around the end of the torch. He then lit the torch.

"Boy, you really come prepared don't you, Jimmy? She said.

"That's the boy scout motto, Sarah, always be prepared," Jimmy replied.

"What do you think? Do you think the gold is still somewhere on this island?" Sarah asked.

"It's possible. Yet if it is, I haven't a clue where it could be. Let's look around," Jimmy responded.

The two began to make their way through the cave. It wasn't very large and it got smaller as they moved away from the entrance. After about 100 ft. the cave ended. However, Jimmy and Sarah noticed something on the floor, in the corner of the cave, and maneuvered their way over to it. When Jimmy held up the torch to get a better look, Sarah jumped back and hid herself in Jimmy's arms.

"Winston Barlow, I presume. He must have died inside this cave," Jimmy stated.

Sarah slowly turned to look at the skeletal remains of the once Winston Barlow. All that remained was a skeleton wrapped in a tattered uniform with a couple of medals on it. Sarah was studying the skeleton closely…something seemed unusual, but she wasn't quite sure.

"What is it, Sarah? You seem pretty interested in ol' Winston here," Jimmy said as he interrupted her thoughts.

"Look at his legs, Jimmy," Sarah said.

"I see them. What's the catch?" Jimmy inquired.

"No catch, Jimmy, it's his right leg…the bone's cracked. He must have broken his leg and crawled to the back of the cave where he died," Sarah suggested.

"Good observation. He must have been in sad shape even before the broken leg," Jimmy responded.

"This place gives me the creeps, Jimmy. Let's get back to the bungalow?" Sarah pleaded.

"In a little while. I want to go to the top of the cliff up above the waterfall and scope out the landscape. It'll give us an idea of the layout of this place," Jimmy replied.

The two maneuvered their way back to the front of the cave and around the waterfall. They walked around to the far side of the waterfall and proceeded up the hillside which afforded a less dangerous journey to the top of the waterfall.

Once on top, the two looked out to the far side of the island. The sight revealed that they had only traversed about half the island. There was still a good part of it that needed to be explored.

"This is really quite a place," Sarah said as she turned toward Jimmy.

"I'd have to agree. Our own little tropical island … trouble is we don't have a way off. Hopefully that Norwegian Freighter will signal someone and get us some help," Jimmy replied.

"Oh, I think I can survive a few more days alone with you," She giggled. Sarah came closer to Jimmy. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. "You've done a great job taking care of us Jimmy, thanks," Sarah offered.

"Don't worry Sarah…help will arrive soon," Jimmy responded.

Suddenly She pulled away from him and stepped back. The smile that was on her face had changed to a look of concern.

"Sarah, what's wrong? What's the matter?" Jimmy pleaded.

Sarah couldn't speak, but Jimmy noticed she was not looking at him. Instead, she was gazing out to the open sea behind him.

Jimmy quickly spun around to see what had caused Sarah to lose her voice. He had his answer. Anchored off shore was a schooner. Yet not just any schooner. It was the Raven. Jimmy also noticed a small boat with men heading into shore.

"How did they find us, Jimmy?" Sarah pleaded.

"I don't know Sarah…it might have been by chance. There's no use in trying to hide the boat, it's a sure bet they spotted it already," Jimmy responded.

"What'll we do, Jimmy?" Sarah asked.

"Well, we can't stay here on the cliff, and we can't hide in the bungalow. It's a sure bet they've been there and know how to find it again. Our only chance is that they never discovered the cave. Let's go, Sarah. We've got to hide our tracks and get back to the cave before they get here," Jimmy said.

Quickly, the two castaways retraced their steps back down the hillside. Jimmy had grabbed a bush and began smoothing out their previous steps as to not give them away. The two then crossed the rocks and slid behind the waterfall and back into the cave.

***

For the better part of an hour, Jimmy and Sarah heard nothing. They simply whispered to each other and listened for any unusual noises. Then they began to hear faint voices getting louder and louder until it seemed that the voices were inches away from them.

"Keep your eyes open, lads…these little brats are slippery. Remember, it took us a while before we realized they were gone," Billy Bones blurted.

"Aye, Captain…but we'll get them this time…there's no place to run," the first mate responded.

Jimmy and Sarah could hear the men rummaging around out by the waterfall. For what seemed like an eternity, the voices remained constant. Then, they heard the leader bark another order.

"Look, lads, Maybe they got eaten by sharks, or maybe they were rescued. I think we should leave the island and search for them elsewhere," Billy Bones suggested.

"Aye, Captain…as usual you're right again. We better get back to the boat and make certain the captives are still intact…they're our meal ticket!" The first mate responded.

Jimmy and Sarah heard some shuffling and then it stopped. They could hear the voices fade until the sounds of the pirates had disappeared altogether.

Jimmy took a deep breath before turning to Sarah and speaking his peace. "With any luck, Sarah, they'll sail off in another direction and we'll never see them again. They know we were here, but they don't seem to have a clue as to our current whereabouts."

"Do you think it's safe to go out and see if they've left, Jimmy?" Sarah responded as she too breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Jimmy thought about it for a moment and decided it was best to stay put for a while. Just in case the pirates decided to spend the night anchored off shore.

"I think we better stay here for now, Sarah," Jimmy replied. "There's no telling how clever these pirates are."

"Aye Aye, Captain," Sarah said with a faint giggle.

For the rest of the evening Jimmy and Sarah stayed in the cave. Without being able to light a fire for fear of it being seen, the cave became extremely cool as the evening wore on.

Morning found the two of them huddled together with a blanket wrapped around them.

Jimmy was the first to awaken. After Jimmy started to stretch himself out, Sarah opened her eyes. After wiping the sleep from his eyes, Jimmy emerged from behind the waterfall with Sarah in tow. Steadily, the two of them walked around the rocks and climbed the hillside to the top of the waterfall.

"So that's where the water's coming from," Jimmy blurted.

"What do you mean, Jimmy?" Sarah replied with a hint of curiosity.

"Well, the water is coming out from a hole in the hillside. There must be some underground spring or something," Jimmy responded.

After several moments of watching the water spout from a hole in the hillside, Jimmy and Sarah walked towards the edge of the cliff and could see the Raven sailing out to the open sea. Jimmy had decided that the pirates must have anchored offshore for the night and then headed out to sea afterwards.

"Well Sarah, there's your answer," Jimmy said with a sigh of relief. "They're on their way out to sea and hopefully out of our lives for good."

"If we ever see them again, it will be too soon!" Sarah replied.

Jimmy felt relieved. He knew these men were dangerous and he didn't want to expose Sarah to any more danger if at all possible.

After taking in the view for a moment, Jimmy and Sarah proceeded back down the hillside. Jimmy wanted to get their gear together and see about traversing the rest of the island, but something told him he should try and go back to the bungalow and try hiding the transmitter if it still worked.

"I think we better take a look at the transmitter and see if it's still operational, Sarah," Jimmy suggested. "After that, we better have a look at the rest of the island…just to be sure there are no surprises.

Sarah went back into the cave and emerged with the knapsacks. She threw Jimmy his knapsack and climbed into her own.

"You're right, Jimmy, we can't afford any surprise visitors."

Just as Jimmy and Sarah were about to turn down the path towards the bungalow, a voice came from behind them along the path. "Well if it's visitors you want, lad, then I guess we came at the right time."

Jimmy spun in the direction of the voice. Standing behind them was Billy Bones and three of the pirates.

Jimmy and Sarah were frozen in place. Jimmy tried to speak but nothing was forming on his lips. How could this be? The Raven had sailed off earlier. He saw it sail!

Billy Bones could sense the astonishment of their faces and felt quite pleased with his little tactical victory. "I know…I know…it must be quite a shock to see the ol' Raven sailing off, only to find some of us still here," Billy Bones said with a full laugh."

Jimmy was the first to regain his composure and decided to play along until he could figure a way out. "I must admit captain, you had me fooled. I forgot about the ol' Greek story of the Trojan Horse…did you know we were still here yesterday?"

"I had an idea you were, but I wasn't sure," Billy Bones offered. "It wasn't until I was at the bungalow and I could still feel the warmth of the transmitter that I knew you were somewhere close by. By the way, where exactly were you hiding?"

"We were in the cave the whole time," Sarah blurted as she too began to regain her composure.

"Cave? What cave?" Billy Bones said as he listened intently.

"The cave behind the waterfall," Jimmy responded. "We'll have to be more careful next time."

"Oh, I'm afraid there won't be a next time, laddie. You and the Misses here are through playing hide and seek in this lifetime." Billy Bones motioned for one of his men, and the man emerged from behind Billy with a couple of rope. He started to walk towards Jimmy, but Jimmy was a step ahead of him. He flung his knapsack in the pirate's face and when the man instinctively caught it, Jimmy lifted his leg and drove it into the man. The pirate fell backwards into Billy Bones and the other two men, sending all four of them to the ground.

Jimmy spun towards Sarah and the two began to run towards the hillside. It looked for a moment that Jimmy and Sarah might be able to run down the path towards the other side of the island, but just as they turned towards it another pirate emerged from that area with a cutlass.

There was no place left to run but up. Jimmy and Sarah ran up the hillside and back onto the cliff by the waterfall.

Jimmy and Sarah turned to glance behind them. The pirates were now at the base of the hillside and slowly making their ascent towards the cliff. Jimmy took a look behind but there was no other way off the cliff except to jump…and that option was out of the question.

"Well, Sarah…I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep you out of harms way," Jimmy said apologetically.

Sarah looked over at him and tried to force a smile. "It's okay, Jimmy…you did the best you could…from a psychological stand point, you shouldn't blame yourself…it's not healthy."

"Did you learn that in Psych 101?" Jimmy replied.

"Yes…but here's something I didn't learn in Psych 101." Sarah came closer to Jimmy and put her arms around his neck and kissed him. The kiss only lasted for several moments, as the pirates had already reached the top of the cliff.

"Well, well…isn't this touching. Sorry to break up your fun, laddie, but time is money," Billy Bones said.

"We're going to get out of this again somehow, Billy Bones…and when we do, I'm going to see that you and your cutthroats are captured and locked up for good!" Jimmy blurted.

"You can save the speech, lad…there's no one here that cares to hear it," Billy Bones replied.

"YES THERE IS!" The voice that spoke was firm and loud. It had come from behind the pirates and had even taken Jimmy and Sarah by surprise.

The pirates turned to face the stranger, while Jimmy and Sarah tried to look through the wall of men to see who it was. Suddenly, Jimmy had his answer.

There at the edge of the cliff was a tall man in a blue suit and a red cape. Even without the gold emblem or the big red "S" on his chest, Jimmy would have recognized him anywhere…it was Superman!

"SUPERMAN! Are we glad to see you!" Jimmy shouted.

"Yes, but I suspect from the look on the faces of these pirates, they aren't!" Superman replied.

"Well, Well…if it isn't Superman…a little far off the beaten path for you, isn't it?" Billy Bones said with a touch of sarcasm.

"I go wherever crime and injustice take me…you boys are a little old to be playing pirates, aren't you?" Superman offered.

"You're beginning to bore me, Superman," Billy Bones responded. "GET HIM MEN!"

Suddenly, one of the pirates lunged at Superman with his sword but Superman took it away from him and bent it around the man to keep him firmly tied up. Another pirate swung his cutlass down on Superman but the blade broke when it struck him. The pirate turned to run but Jimmy grabbed him by the shoulder and punched him firmly in the face. The man spun around and down onto the ground. When Jimmy turned to see how Superman was doing he saw that Superman had wrapped their cutlasses around them.

"Thanks Superman…you came not a moment too soon," Jimmy stated.

"My pleasure, Jimmy," Superman responded.

"That'll be quite enough for now, boys," Billy Bones blurted from behind them.

Jimmy and Superman looked over at Billy Bones. He had his cutlass pointing into the back of Sarah.

Sarah looked over at Jimmy with a look of apology. "I'm sorry, Jimmy," she said. "I didn't see him sneak up behind me in all the commotion."

Jimmy wanted to get his hands on Billy Bones, but he knew that any sudden moves would endanger her. Something he wasn't prepared to do at any cost.

In the interim, Superman had stepped forward to face the menacing pirate.

Billy Bones poked Sarah with his cutlass and she let out a wince. "That's close enough, Superman. No need to get any closer. The little lady and I are leaving and you two are going to stay here. The Raven will be back within the hour to pick us up and we'll sail off into the sunset. Don't worry, we'll be sure and send you a postcard."

Billy Bones began to prod Sarah into moving towards the side of the hill. He backed his way over to the edge of the hillside as he took Sarah by the arm. When he made that move, he was vulnerable for a split second and Superman made his move.

Without warning, Superman used his heat vision on the cutlass and the blade became fiery hot.

Billy Bones let out a scream and dropped the cutlass.

In that instant, Jimmy lunged between Sarah and the pirate captain and the two began to scuffle. As they stood up, the pirate captain took a swing at Jimmy but he ducked.

Jimmy then swung with his right arm as hard as he could and his fist connected with the face of Billy Bones.

The pirate captain fell backwards over the cliff, down the waterfall and smashed into the pool of water below. When he came to the surface he was splashing frantically and screaming something that only Superman's hearing could pick up.

"What's he saying, Superman?" Sarah said with a touch of curiosity.

"It appears that our pirate captain can't swim," Superman replied.

Jimmy had moved to the edge of the cliff to look down into the water. "Can't swim? That's absurd! Whoever heard of a pirate that can't swim?" Jimmy asked gleefully.

"I better go get him," Superman responded. He leaped into the air and down into the bottom of the pool. He hit the water like a bullet and was under water for several seconds.

When he came up, he grabbed Billy Bones by the shoulders and lifted him up out of the water and back up to the top of the cliff. After setting him down he took the pirate captains cutlass and wrapped it around Billy Bones to keep him in place.

The pirate captain was too busy gasping for air to be of any trouble.

Jimmy and Sarah came over by Superman to thank him again. The three of them were still laughing at the fact that the pirate captain couldn't swim.

"How did you know we were here, Superman?" Sarah inquired.

"It wasn't all that difficult, Sarah. Once they got word over at the Daily Planet that you two were stranded on an uncharted island in this area, Clark got in touch with me and I came as soon as I got word. That Norwegian freighter you contacted gave us some pretty accurate coordinates and I took it from there.

"Well, we were just lucky that the transmitter worked. If it didn't we'd be prisoners of those pirates right about now," Jimmy said with a sigh of relief.

***

For several minutes, Jimmy and Sarah proceeded to tell Superman about their adventure. They talked about being on the schooner, and out on the high seas in a row boat. They talked about finding the island and the bungalow, and pointed to where Winston Barlow's remains were. They also told Superman about the Spanish Galley, the Santa Lucia and the gold that was supposedly on the island.

After listening to their story, Superman reached over and dropped something in Jimmy's hand. For several seconds Jimmy studied it closely and then looked up at Sarah and Superman with amazement. "This is a gold coin!" Jimmy blurted. "Look at it Sarah…it's solid gold."

Sarah looked down at the coin in Jimmy's hand. "Where did you get it Superman?"

"It was in the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. When I dove into the water to get Billy Bones, I went to the bottom of the pool and found that coin at the bottom. There were several spread out on the bottom of the pool as well as two large chests. Just a minute, I'll be right back."

Superman leaped into the air again and proceeded to retrace his actions from before. When he came up from the bottom of the pool this time however, he had a large chest with him.

After setting it down on the rocks, he repeated his actions and came up with the second chest.

By that time Jimmy and Sarah were trying to open the first chest without much success.

Superman smiled at them and motioned for them to stand back. Effortlessly, he opened the first chest which contained items made from gold such as chains, cups, and crosses. There were jeweled knives and crowns, as well as just jewels by themselves.

Sarah and Jimmy looked at the treasure, and then each other. "There's a kings ransom here," Jimmy offered. "All that time poor Winston was here and the treasure was right under his nose…It's a shame he never found it."

"The officers of the Santa Lucia must have dumped it in the pool without their crew's knowledge," Sarah replied. "It's a good thing those pirates never found it."

Superman came over to where Jimmy and Sarah were. "Well, are you ready to get back to the friendly confines of Metropolis?" Superman asked with a smile.

"You bet, Superman," Jimmy responded. "I'm ready for a vacation from our vacation."

The three of them looked at each other and laughed.

***

(Epilogue)

It had been several days since Superman found the treasure of the Santa Lucia. The pirates had been arrested and their captives freed.

Captain Jack had called to thank Jimmy and Sarah for getting the rest of the passengers out of a tough jam.

After the pirates had been arrested, Billy Bones began to turn over evidence in exchange for a reduced sentence. He told the police how they were actually being funded by the Sterling Corporation in England, and that the Sterling Corporation would go find qualified people who would search for various lost treasures.

Once found, and the whereabouts revealed, representatives from the Sterling Corporation would notify the pirates, and the pirates would move in and secure the gold. They would then get rid of the original discoverer, and turn the treasure over to representatives of the Sterling Corporation.

Thus, the Sterling Corporation would keep the entire treasure and the pirates would get a percentage.

Clark, Sarah, and Lois stood around Jimmy as he stared at the Daily Planet headline. "CUB REPORTER HELPS SUPERMAN NAB MODERN DAY PIRATES."

Lois smiled at Jimmy. "So, Jimmy…how do you feel?" she asked.

"Tired, Lois…very tired…I think I need another vacation," Jimmy responded.

Clark patted Jimmy on the back. "Well Jimmy…it was really nice of you to return the treasure to the Spanish Government, and send the reward money to Winston Barlow's widow and kids."

Jimmy looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Ah yes, the reward money. Well, they deserved it. Poor ol' Winston spent a lot of years away from his family searching for that stuff. Little did he know that the Sterling Corporation had no intention of giving him any reward. They just sent the pirates in too soon, thinking he had already found it when he called in to say he discovered the ship's log for the Santa Lucia and that he was sure it was going to reveal where the treasure was."

Sarah nodded her agreement. "That's true. That's why the pirates kept coming back to the island. They felt if they searched long enough, maybe they could find the treasure…and all the while it was right under their noses."

"Have you heard from the Barlow family, Jimmy?" Lois inquired.

"Yeah. Winston's widow called yesterday to thank us for finally putting an end to the final chapter of Winston…she said they can all feel relieved now, knowing what finally happened to him.

She also thanked us for the reward money. She plans on using it to put the kids through college when they're old enough to go."

"Well, Jimmy…you did the right thing," Sarah offered. "In Psychology 150 we're taught that it's healthy for the mind and body to do things for other people. I remember one time when I was home for the summer…"

Jimmy quickly cut Sarah off. "Oh, I just remembered…I have to go to Lucille's and pick up some jelly donuts for the Chief. I'll be right back."

Lois and Clark gave each other one of those "UH OH" looks and looked away.

Just then Perry White came out of his office to join the group. "Hey, Hey, Hey…what is this…afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace? Give the kid a little publicity and it goes right to his head. Let's get back to work here, people, we've got a newspaper to run."

Lois and Clark started for their desks as Perry turned back to Jimmy. Now, son, I thought I told you to go home and take a few days off…what are you still doing here?"

Sarah was staring at Jimmy with the intensity of a furnace. "Jelly donuts from Lucille's my foot!" Sarah blurted. "Okay, Mr. Olsen…you just wait until we're alone again…I'm going to give you a piece of my mind but good!"

Jimmy gulped and turned back to Perry White. "Any chance there's some room left in that cell with the pirates, Chief?

Perry White was heading back to his office. He laughed and responded without turning around. "You're on your own, kid."

Jimmy had grabbed his knapsack and was heading to the elevator.

Sarah was right behind him.

Jimmy could sense the heat from her glare and wished he could catch a different elevator down.

When they reached the elevator and stepped inside, Sarah turned to him. "Well, I guess if you offer to take me to dinner, I'll let you off the hook.

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. "That sounds like a fair exchange."

"Yes, it is," Sarah replied. "I learned that in Psych 201…make the man feel guilty, and then that's when he becomes the most vulnerable."

Sarah and Jimmy looked at each other and then they busted out laughing. They emerged from the elevator and through the revolving door.

As they walked down the street, Jimmy realized how glad he was to be back home. He barely noticed Sarah slide her hand in his.

(This ends SWISS FAMILY OLSEN)

THE END

(swiss.txt)