ng the adjacent coast would surely pick up
the cry for help.

It was an important thought, but he had no time that evening to mention
it to Mr. MacMasters. He and Torry shared one of the wide and fishy
smelling bunks together, and they did not wake up until it was broad
daylight.

There was a heavy smell of rank, boiling coffee in the air. Bacon was
sizzling over the fire and a huge corn pone was baking on a plank before
the coals. Mag did not propose to starve her guests, that was sure.

The sun had burst through the clouds and the gale had ceased. The surf
still thundered upon the outer shores of the island; but the sound, upon
which the cabin fronted, was smooth and sparkling. It was a pretty view
from the cabin door.

And almost at once, when Whistler and his chum ran out of the cabin to
look about, they saw a number of familiar figures approaching along the
rock-strewn shore. These newcomers were as shabby and bedraggled as
themselves, and it was easy to identify them.

"Here they come!" yelled Torry, and rushed toward the approaching party.

Whistler was not behind him; but when they reached the refugees they
discovered that Mr. MacMasters was already with them. The ensign had
been up since before dawn and had searched out Mr. Mudge and his
companions at the other end of the island.

"Oi, oi!" wailed Ikey Rosenmeyer, meeting the older boys. "Such a time!
I swallowed enough salt water to make me a pickled herring yet!" Ikey
could not get away from memories of the delicatessen shop.

"By St. Patrick's piper that played the last snake out of Ireland!" was
Frenchy Donahue's complaint, "it was holdin' a wake over you two
fellers, we was, all the night long."

"Where did you put in the night, anyway?" asked Whistler.

"Say! we didn't have no more home than a rabbit," cried Ikey.

"After we got ashore," began Frenchy, when Torry interrupted to ask:

"How did you do that? Give us the particulars."

"Why, when you fellers went off and left us without sayin' 'by your
leave,' even----"

"What's that?" growled Whistler. "You know that hawser snapped."

"Just the same you parted company from us mighty brusk," grinned
Frenchy. "We drifted in with the tide. Mr. Mudge took a line ashore--Oh,
boy! he's some swimmer. So we followed him along the line, hand over
hand----"

"And head under water," grunted Ikey. "Oi, oi!"

"Aw, Ike would kick if you was hangin' him," scoffed Frenchy, "unless
you tied his feet. We