cheerfully. "In this climate I don't
believe any one would suffer much from lack of clothes."

"Probably not," Grant agreed. "Why use your shirt in preference to any
one else's though."

"Because I offer it first."

"All right," laughed Grant. "Pass it over."

George handed his shirt to Grant and soon the seams were ripped so that
it covered the largest amount of possible space. "Now for a flag-pole,"
exclaimed Grant.

"I'll attend to that," exclaimed Fred and he straightway fell upon a
nearby tree with his jackknife. He cut off one of the longest and
straightest branches after considerable trouble, and presented it for
his companions' approval. "How's that?" he demanded proudly. "It's about
thirty feet long and stuck up on top of that hill, it could be seen for
a long, long distance."

"We'll now go up and raise the flag," cried Grant, and leading the way
he set out for the top of the hill.

"Look at the brook," exclaimed John suddenly, after they had covered
about half the distance to their destination.

"It's not a very big one," remarked George as he stepped across the tiny
stream. "I wonder where it comes from."

"We can follow it and see," said Grant. "If the water is good to drink,
we are in luck, for we may need it desperately before long."

"It looks clear enough," said Fred. "I'll taste of it."

"Wait till we find the source," advised Grant. "We can tell better then
whether it is good or not."

They soon discovered the origin of the little stream. Set in among a
grove of scrub palmetto trees was a spring. The water bubbled merrily
out into a little pool, the bottom of which was covered with shining
white pebbles.

"That looks all right to me," exclaimed Fred eagerly and a moment later
he was flat on his stomach, taking long draughts of the clear water.

"Whew, that's fine," he said enthusiastically, as he rose to his feet
once more and sighed with satisfaction.

"Is it cool?" asked John.

"It's almost cold," said Fred. "Why don't you try it?"

John did try it and so did every one else. All pronounced it to be just
as Fred had described it. "We can live for a long while on that water
and the fruit that's here," remarked Fred. "We won't have to worry about
starving anyway."

"Just the same we want to get our flag up," exclaimed Grant. "Let's do
it now and get it over with."

Without further delay they proceeded to the top of the hill. There were
no trees on the summit and for a space of