nd he began to divest
himself of his few remaining clothes as rapidly as possible.

"What do you think you're going to do, Pop?" demanded Grant.

"I'm going after that boat."

"By swimming?"

"Of course. How else could I reach it?" and by this time George was
almost stripped to his skin.

"Don't be silly, Pop," exclaimed Fred. "That boat is at least a
half-mile from shore and you couldn't possibly catch it. It's getting
farther away all the time."

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" demanded George. "You don't want to stay
here the rest of your life, do you?" He was a splendid swimmer and had
won many prizes in this line of sport. At the same time what he proposed
to attempt now was most ambitious.

"You're crazy, Pop," said Grant earnestly. "You can't possibly make it."

"I'll tell you that later," said George doggedly, and he made as if to
start down the beach. John, however, seized him and held him firmly.

"Please don't try it," he begged. "You'll only drown."

"Let me go," exclaimed George.

"Think ob dem sha'ks," said Sam. "Dey's millions ob dem out dar."

"That's right, Pop," cried Grant. "Think of those sharks. Even if you
could swim that far the sharks would get you."

"Put your clothes on again," said Fred. "We need you worse than we do
the boat."

The argument about the sharks had more influence on George than anything
else. He did not mind the ocean, but the thought of its hungry
inhabitants was too much for him. He yielded to the pleas of his
comrades and slowly began to put on his clothes.

"What'll we do?" he said dazedly. "It looks as if we were stranded."

"I guess we are," agreed Grant grimly. "We'll have to sit here and wait
until some steamer happens by and picks us up."

"But how will any one know we're here?" said George.

"We'll hoist a flag."

"That's all right, but where are we going to get a flag?"

"I'll show you," exclaimed Grant, and he made his way to the spot where
their stores and provisions were piled. A moment later he returned with
the canvas tarpaulin that had been used as a cover. "Here's our flag,"
he said, waving the heavy piece of canvas around his head.

"It's too heavy," objected John. "It would take a gale to make that
stand out."

"It is heavy," admitted Grant. "I don't know of anything else we can use
though."

"Except my shirt," said George quickly. "That'll make a real flag."

"But what will you wear?" said John.

"Nothing maybe," replied George,