d, and with these he rigged us up a place for
sleeping in when it was time to lie down.

I felt happier than I had been for a long time. My hope of finding
Brother Jack was realised, and now my great wish was to return home with
him to Mary. I forgot for the moment that we were on a remote island,
and that we had only a small boat to carry us to civilised lands.

When we got up the next morning Jack seemed more refreshed and better
able to talk than on the previous evening. As soon as we had had
breakfast, which was very much like supper, we set off to join the rest
of the party at the bay. We found them all busily employed, some in
caulking the boat, others in splitting a tree to form planks.

We fortunately had a couple of axes with us, which were of great
service, and while Soper and I lent a hand Jack went down to collect
shell-fish, which he did much more rapidly than we could, being well
accustomed to it.

The weather was so fine that we required only a very slight hut, which
we formed partly of the boat's sails and partly of the boughs and stems
of small trees.

Jack showed us a way up to the top of the cliff, and here Mr Griffiths
erected a flagstaff with a whift, which we had in the boat, increased in
size by a couple of handkerchiefs. This was large enough to attract the
attention of any vessel passing near the island, but Mr Griffiths said
that he believed, owing to the surrounding reefs, none would
intentionally approach.

We were all anxious to get the boat finished as soon as possible and
commence our voyage. We had many reasons for being in a hurry, though
we might have lived very well on the island for months together, but the
burning mountain might again burst forth and overwhelm us, and the
savages might return in large numbers and either kill us or make us
prisoners, for as we had only two muskets and a scanty supply of
ammunition, we could scarcely hope to beat them off should they prove
hostile. Mr Griffiths and the doctor talked the matter over.

"One thing is certain," observed the mate, "the sooner we're away while
the fine weather lasts the better, but at the same time it won't do to
start until we have fitted the boat thoroughly for sea. We have a long
trip before us, and if we're caught in a gale we shall have reason to
regret it if we don't take the trouble to fit our boat in the best way
we can."

It took a long time, first with our axes to split up the planks, and
then to