"That was only a morning growl. But
tell me this: will my shoulders and neck be all right again some day?"

"I tell you yes, and the more patient you are, and the more careful not
to jar the mending bone, the sooner it will be."

"There, then, I'll never grumble again."

"Till next time," said the doctor, smiling.

"I won't have any next time," cried Carey, eagerly. "Now then, what are
we going to do to-day?"

"You must be tired with your exertions yesterday."

"No; not a bit," cried Carey, "and going out seemed to do me so much
good."

"Very well, then, we'll sail to the island again, and fish and collect."

"And get some more cocoanuts. I say, I could climb one of the trees,
couldn't I? That wouldn't hurt my shoulder."

The doctor gave the boy a droll look.

"There, how stupid I am!" cried the boy, flushing. "I want to do things
like I used to, and I keep forgetting."

"Try not to, then, my boy. Surely your own common-sense tells you that
nothing could be more injurious than the exertion of dragging yourself
up a tree by your arms."

"Of course, doctor," said the boy, grinning. "It's my common-sense has
a bad habit of going to sleep."

"Keep it awake, then, not only now, but always."

"All right, sir. What are we going to collect, then?"

"Well, it is tempting to try and find some more pearls."

"Yes, very; but I say, doctor, oughtn't we to--I don't want to go yet,
for there's so much to see here--but oughtn't we to try and do something
about going on to Moreton Bay?"

"Ha!" ejaculated the doctor. "I've lain awake night after night
thinking about that, my lad, but I always came to one conclusion."

"What's that?" asked the boy, eagerly.

"That we are perfectly helpless. I don't think we could construct a
boat sufficiently seaworthy to warrant our attempting a voyage in her.
There is plenty of material if we tore up the deck or the boards from
below, and of course Bostock is very handy; but I am wanting in faith as
to his making us a large enough boat."

"Why not a bigger raft?"

"My dear boy, we should be washed off in the first rough sea. Besides,
a raft would be perfectly unmanageable in the fierce currents. We might
be stranded on the mainland, but more probably we should be drifted out
to sea. Either there or ashore we should perish from want of food. I
am not wanting in enterprise, Carey, my lad, and it is terrible in spite
of the beauty of the place to be stranded here; b