ated by the new
and peculiar feeling which was just then so strongly asserting itself
within his breast, the lad could think only of the mysterious island
ahead, and of those who were so soon to be landed upon it; and his
imagination, powerfully stimulated as it just then was, already pictured
the little party abandoned there, and reduced to the most primitive
state of self-dependence, given over to battle for their very existence
as best they might: houseless, exposed to a thousand perils, and
destitute of even the commonest necessaries of life until such could be
provided by their own exertions. There was one--and only one--grain of
comfort to brighten the gloomy prospect as it presented itself to Ned's
mental vision, which was that Mr Gaunt seemed to be a man of infinite
resource; one of those extremely rare individuals who can never be taken
wholly by surprise, and who no sooner find themselves confronted by a
difficulty than they are ready with a remedy for it. The doctor, too,
though a singularly quiet and unassuming man, struck Ned as one who, his
work once fairly cut out for him, would go manfully through with it.
But what could two men, however resolute, do in the position they would
soon occupy, unless well provided with arms, ammunition, and tools?
And, determined to let slip no opportunity to help those in whom he was
so strongly interested, the lad turned to Williams and said:

"As I suppose you do not intend to turn these people adrift without
arms, or the tools with which to construct for themselves some sort of a
shelter, would it not be well to look up a few things for them at once,
so that the ship may not be detained in a position of danger when the
landing takes place?"

"Arms! tools!" growled Williams. "Who spoke of supplying them with
either?"

"Nobody," answered Ned; "but you cannot surely be thinking of putting
them ashore without them?"

"Now, supposing that you had the management of this job," snarled
Williams, "what would you give them?"

"Well," said Ned, "I should let them have one of those spare topsails
out of the sail-room; a couple of rifles apiece, including the women,
with plenty of ammunition, two or three axes, a hammer or two, and a few
bags of nails."

"Oh! you would, eh?" sneered Williams. "And what use do you suppose all
those things would be to them?"

"The sail," said Ned, "would serve them for a tent until they could
build a house, the tools would enable them to b