; "but we found him less than a month ago."

The old man leaned forward in his eagerness. "Where is he?" he asked.

"He is dead," answered John, gravely.

"Dead!" he exclaimed. "Dead! and do you know his name?"

"No, but we found his remains, together with the boat to which he had
been tied, on the shore of an island south of this."

"Then it is true, after all!" he muttered.

"Did you know about it?" asked John, who was the interested one now.

"No, this is sad news to me. His name was Clifford,--Ralph S. Clifford,
and when he and Walter undertook,--"

The boys were all impatience now, as George cried out: "Walter! did you
know Walter?"

"Yes; he was my companion for a time. He and I were making explorations
on the island on which we were wrecked, and when the two undertook to go
on a search, to ascertain what the island was like, I was too ill to go
with them. Walter returned, and told me of meeting with a band of
savages on the western side of the mountain, and of the capture of
Clifford by the natives."

"Did you know a man by the name of Wright?"

"No, I never heard of any one by that name in this section of the
globe."

"Do you know what became of Walter?"

"I was about to say, that we went north along the shore, and camped near
the beach, and there found a boat, rather crudely made, with which we
proposed sailing around the island. Before we could complete our
arrangements, Walter disappeared."

"Did he take the boat with him?"

"No; the boat and all his effects were still with me. I was still very
ill, and I concluded to remain there until my strength returned, but
four days afterwards, when I was able to move about, I found that the
boat had disappeared."

The strain of the conversation appeared to affect him, and the three
visitors stated they would call on him later for further information.

When the boys returned to their huts, with John, the latter was quiet
and very much reserved. The boys were so much interested in the story of
the old man, that they could not wait until they were seated before they
began to question him.

"What do you think of his story?" asked Harry.

John did not answer promptly, as was his habit. Instead, he reflected
for some time, and at last said slowly: "The story may be true. Clifford
was, in my opinion, tied to the boat and set adrift, and his death was
due to that, unquestionably."

"Do you think this man had anything to do with it?" asked George.

"S