ly, eh? What time do you suppose it is?"

Carey glanced towards the round window, which looked dim and grey, and
the cabin quite gloomy.

"I don't know," he said. "Close upon sunrise, I suppose."

"Close upon mid-day. Don't you hear the rain?"

"Rain? Yes, I was wondering what it was."

"A regular tropical downpour. No going ashore to-day."

"Oh, how tiresome! I say, though, why did you let me sleep so long?"

"Because Nature said you wanted rest. It was better to let you have
your sleep out."

"But it will soon clear up, will it not?"

"I'm thinking it will not," said the doctor.

He thought right, for on and off the downpour lasted a fortnight, with
storm after storm of thunder and lightning, and the occupants of the
stranded vessel were kept close prisoners, only getting a short visit
occasionally to the drenched deck, where Carey used his glass to watch
the torrent ashore, which had grown into a tremendous fall, whose roar
came like muffled thunder to his ears.

"It's horribly disappointing," he said, gloomily, on the fourteenth day.
"I did so want to go ashore."

"Out of evil comes good," said the doctor, cheerily. "You have had
another fortnight's enforced rest, and it has done wonders towards the
knitting up of the bone."

"No," said the boy, quickly, "it's not so well. It aches more than ever
to-day."

"That's only from the weather," said the doctor, laughing. "I daresay
you will feel aching sensations like that for months to come, whenever
there's a change in the weather."

Carey looked at him with so pitiful a countenance that the doctor
laughed now heartily.

"I don't see anything to laugh at," said the boy.

"Bah! you don't mind a little pain. Come, cheer up; this long wait has
been all for the best. You are a wonderful deal stronger now."

"But look here, Doctor Kingsmead," said the boy, earnestly; "am I really
better and stronger, or are you saying that to comfort me?"

"I am saying it because it is the simple truth."

"Ha!" ejaculated Carey, and his face lit up, and then grew brighter
still, for the sun came out, glorifying everything, the clouds were
floating off the hills so that they could once more be seen, looking
dazzlingly green, and the island, as far as they could see, appeared ten
times more beautiful than ever.

"You'll have the raft lowered at once now?" cried Carey, eagerly.

"What, while everything is still drenched with rain? No, let's wait
till to-m