that he did. Oh, I think it's perfectly possible."

"It's certainly strange," mused George.

"It surely is," exclaimed John. "Still if he wasn't telling the truth he
certainly is a fine actor."

"I've heard of such things happening before," remarked Fred.

"What do you mean?" said John.

"Why, people being in sort of a blank state when they do things that
they don't remember at all later."

"What made Sam that way?" said John.

"I told you," exclaimed Grant. "He was so frightened it probably drove
him temporarily out of his head. Unconsciously he blamed it all on poor
Petersen so that when he saw him right here in the same boat, his one
idea was to get revenge."

"Can we blame him then?" said Fred. "If a man doesn't know what he is
doing, is he responsible?"

"I'd hate to decide that," said Grant. "At the same time I don't see how
we can hold it against him, especially when he doesn't know what it
was."

"When we get back to civilization we may have to tell on him though,"
remarked John. "Don't you think we'll have to do that?"

"Wait till we get there," advised Grant. "From the look of things right
now, it doesn't seem that we are going to get there very soon."

"It's funny we don't see any boats," said George.

"Or land," added John.

"How about some food?" exclaimed Fred. "We haven't eaten in a long time
you know."

"That's right," Grant agreed. "We can eat something anyway. Somebody
open up the food, and the water too."

Ample provisions for several days were found to have been placed aboard
and the taste of food worked wonders with the unfortunate boys. They
were sparing of it, however, and even more careful of their water
supply. While in all probability they would be picked up before long by
some passing steamer, it was deemed advisable to go slowly. The rations
apportioned were divided into five equal parts, the four boys quickly
consuming their shares while Sam's was kept out for him until he should
awaken.

"Don't a good many steamers pass this way?" said Fred.

"I don't know," said Grant grimly. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere near the West Indies, I suppose," said Fred.

"Perhaps we are," Grant agreed. "Personally I don't know."

"Shall we row?" suggested John.

"What's the use?" exclaimed Fred. "We don't know which way to go."

"I've a compass, you know," said George.

"That won't help us now, I'm afraid," said Grant. "If we knew where we
were, it might."

"We're in the tropic