While the Howells stayed in the hut they found, the 5 others scavenger around close to this old campsite they found. They were clearly on the other side of the island and things were less than pleasant.
Gilligan and The Skipper were walking near the shore and found a very old ship partially buried in the sand. " WOAHHH Skipper, look at this boat!" he said as they stood in front of the beached vessel.
" I know little buddy. It looks like she suffered a pretty bad voyage." Skipper said as he surveyed the boat.
He and Gilligan managed to put the skeletal remains of old blue and white wood from the sand surprised to find some of the inside still intact.
There wasn't a radio on board this ship. Or any type of mechanical parts whatsoever. The skipper found a photo in the wreckage of the family that had passed. The couple looked rather young and it was tragic.
" It's all my fault." the Skipper mumbled, hoping his group didn't succumb to the same fate.
The girls were going through the old huts they found. There were two other huts and one smaller one similar to their supply hut.
It was pretty haunting to see everything.
" Gee Ginger, do you think we'll ever go home?" MaryAnn asked the movie star.
" I don't know- I hope so because I want to turn this story into a movie." She said as she went through the tattered belongings.
They found clothes, old jewelry, hair brushes and combs, and several other knick-knacks.
Meanwhile, the professor was examining documents Mr. Howell had found the night before.
There were so many. Journals, newspaper clippings, various drawings and notes, letters, etc…
The family had kept a detailed account of their voyage and their 15 years on the island and from the looks of it, they made out pretty well for a while.
" What all have you found professor? Does it say where they came from?" Thurston asked.
He was curious about the man named John Richardson and his family.
" Well as far as I can tell they were settled out west in California and had two kids by the time they set sail. John was a banker and owned some properties and oil and struck it rich. He moved into the city with his wife Mildred and 2 teenage boys and bought a boat and a villa and they set sail on a family trip when the storm came in and the rest is history... From what I've gathered they were in their mid 30's and it says here from the journal that 3 kids were born here as well. What a sad way to go." He said.
Thurston agreed. " I just hope this isn't our fate… The poor man didn't have anyone to leave his fortune too."
" Well, actually it says here he left it buried near the wreckage…" The professor said as he scanned his notes, making the millionaire perk up a bit.
He stared over at his sleeping wife to tell her what they found but she was out cold. He was a bit worried about her. Professor had sedated her so she could rest up and her ankle would heal faster.
" She'll be just fine Mr. Howell." he reassured the worried man.
Thurston agreed and went through documents with the Professor until the others all came back to share what they had found.
The girls divided out the rations they brought along and drank some coconut milk before going to sleep for the night.
The next morning they all stayed in the cabin. Thurston was helping his wife limp around so she could start walking again so they could leave.
" Really Thurston, I'm alright." She argued to her overprotective husband.
They ate breakfast and the Professor set off to see if he could find any easy way to get back to their own camp.
Thurston Howell went off with Gilligan to find the fortune and some other fruit while the Captain was at the nearby beach fishing.
The girls were left to gossip alone in the hut.
" It's all my fault. If I hadn't of fallen, we wouldn't even be in this mess, or know our fate.." Lovey said with a sign.
" Don't think like that Mrs. Howell! It's not your fault. We will find a way off." MaryAnn said. Ginger readily agreed and they tried to cheer the middle-aged millionaire's wife up, but it was no use. She shut her eyes and tried to sleep.
Being in this predicament and hearing about the castaways, she knew Thurston was worried about their lives and his fortune of course. Who would he leave his millions too? They had no heirs. That was her fault. So was deciding to on the 3-hour tour in the first place, much to Thurston's argument against it. Lovey hadn't been happy in her own life or her marriage.
Money never could buy happiness or bring you what you didn't have. Now they were shipwrecked and it looked like they had sealed their fates.
The Professor arrived back around mid-afternoon with a way to easily get them back to their own camp. He was happy he'd found the way. It wasn't much further than from where they were at. He put his things down, checked Mrs. Howells' foot and headed to find the girls and see if they had any luck.
….
On the beach, Skipper was fishing away. He was enjoying some peace and quiet as he fished and was having quite a bit of luck with some hearty fish. He heard the commotion and saw Gilligan and Howell doing something.
" Dig faster my boy!" Thurston ordered as he too was shoveling away at the sand. " Mr. Howell, what is going on?" Skipper asked as he wandered over with a bucket full of fish.
" Money, Captain. Money. There is a vast fortune buried beneath the sands of this beach. I'll give you each $100,000 if we find it." He said.
" And if we don't?" The Skipper asked.
" I'll give all of you $100,000 for looking." The millionaire said with a gleam in his eye, much like when he had come across the diamond mind.
" Well, let me help...I'll take the fish back and get the others!" The Skipper said. He would skip dinner if it meant getting money.
The others all joined in and dug for hours.
Dinner was a bit late that night, but it was a great reward for the big black chest they found.
Thurston was eager to crack it open to see what he was going to find. He could practically smell the uncirculated cash. His nose knows.
The others, even his wife watched with anticipation as the professor picked the lock on the chest.
When they all heard the click- everyone fell silent and the chained lock fell with a muffled thud into the sand.
Thurston stepped over and carefully opened it hoping he would find this fortune.
" Well?! What is it?" The Skipper asked the motionless millionaire.
" By George, I just don't believe it." he said.
The others eagerly hurried over.
Inside the big chest was nothing more than more papers- newspaper clippings and other things as well, it looked like deeds, stock information, and real estate papers which Thurston grabbed up, leaving whatever was beneath it behind.
The papers weren't of interest to any of them. The men hoisted out the giant black rubber thing. " If this is what I think it is professor-" The Skipper said.
They carefully unfolded it on the ground. " It's a raft...and it's in perfect condition…" The professor said.
They all gasped. A raft. " What would a raft be doing in here?" Gilligan asked.
Thurston was too busy staring at all of the papers and counting out just how much $$ he'd be bringing into notice what was going on around him. Money put him in a trance.
" Mr. Howell did you hear what we said?!" Gilligan ran over shaking him.
" I'm afraid I didn't my boy, say that again?" He asked.
" We're saved- what you thought was junk beneath those papers, was a raft!" he said.
Thurston turned his attention to the giant raft and the others all celebrating!
" WE ARE GOING TO BE RESCUED!" They chanted and hugged each other.
Thurston went back to the hut to tell his wife their good news. " Lovey, Lovey my darling the most marvelous thing has happened!" He exclaimed as he shook her.
She was asleep. She turned over and looked at her husband.
" You struck gold?" She said nonchalantly.
" Even better than that my darling, we are going HOME!" He smiled and kissed her.
Lovey gasped. " What? Home? How?" She asked.
" A raft. It was buried along with this fortune…" He said as he waved the papers in his hands.
Maybe they wouldn't suffer the same fate after all... or was all of this so convenient and too good to be true?
Will the castaways make it off? TBC...