l, but finally a point was decided upon, some little
distance higher--a level spot being found on the rock where some trees
offered every convenience for pitching it, and the surface of the rock was
fairly flat. A few armfuls of coarse grass sufficed to fill up the
inequalities, and render it even enough for sleeping on. Here they had the
advantage of getting the sea-breeze, and of having a wide view across the
water, while trees growing behind them completely hid the tent from being
seen from the higher ground. Before erecting it they had deepened the
well, and found that the water was clear and good, and that it flowed in
so abundantly there was no fear whatever of the supply falling short.

The next morning Wilcox and Joyce started for an early walk, with a view
to seeing whether there were any things thrown up on the sand beyond the
rock. Stephen was to stay behind at the tent and keep watch for a sail.

"I will leave the gun behind with you, Master Stephen," Wilcox said; "Mr.
Joyce has got his pistols, and I have my cutlass. If you want us back, or
if you make out a sail, you fire it off; we will come back as quick as we
can. Don't you fidget if we are some time away; casks may have floated a
good bit along before they got thrown up, and it is just as well to see
the thing through now, and then we sha'n't have to do it again. We will
keep a good look-out for a sail too, for it is like enough that we may be
a long way beyond the sound of the gun. You see we can make out from here
that a mile further on the trees come down to near the sea again, just as
they did on the other island. We will take some cocoa-nuts with us, in
case we should not light upon any there. We sha'n't be uneasy about you,
because we know for certain that there ain't any natives near; and, in the
same way, you need not trouble yourself about us."

"All right, Wilcox! I will see whether I can't get some junk cooked for
you, ready for a meal at sunset."

The sailor smiled grimly. "All right, sir; if I find some meat cooked for
me, I will guarantee that I will eat it, even if it is as tough as an
alligator."

CHAPTER VI.

HOME.

As soon as his companions had left him, Stephen went off and brought up as
much dried wood as he could carry, among it a piece of plank that was
almost rotten. This he crumbled up. Then he set the cask of salt junk on
end, and with a heavy pi