on seldom brought up since the day they
first saw the Silver City, because their peril had been so great as to
overshadow everything else. Now, however, when it seemed as if they were
very near home, the fear that but one boat of the four had lived to
reach the land came to both with painful intensity, and fully half the
night was spent in trying to persuade themselves that it was well with
the remainder of the Sea Dream's crew.

When they did finally sink into slumber Poyor was sitting bolt upright
with his back against a huge block of coral-like rock, looking out over
the water, and in the morning when Neal opened his eyes the Indian was
in the same position.

"Have you seen a vessel?" the boy asked.

"There is one," was the calm reply, and Neal sprang to his feet in the
greatest excitement to see a small, schooner-rigged craft with all sail
set moving slowly through the water on a parallel line with the coast,
about three miles away.

In another instant he had awakened the remainder of the party by
shouting vigorously, as if believing it possible that those on board
could hear his voice.

"What's the matter?" Cummings asked: but before the question could be
answered he also saw the craft.

"It looks as if she was bound in our direction, and we had better try to
attract attention; but you'll never do it by shouting, my boy."

"What shall we do?"

"Build a fire, of course," Jake replied. "They have got plenty of time
to send a boat ashore, for it is nearly calm, and in another hour there
won't be so much as a breath of wind."

Before he had ceased speaking Neal and Teddy were running back toward
the line of trees for wood, and in a short time a cloud of smoke was
ascending from the shore at the very edge of the water.

While the others continued to bring fuel Poyor sprinkled the flames with
a bough wet in the sea in order to prevent them from burning too freely,
and there was no interruption in the work until a flag was raised on the
schooner's main-mast to signify that the signal would be answered.

"We're in great luck," Cummings said, as he seated himself on one of the
boulders, for it was no longer necessary to keep the fire burning. "No
matter where she is bound I don't fancy we shall have much trouble in
persuading them to put into Progresso, and the tramp up the shore which
all have been dreading can be avoided."

As a matter of course the entire party were in the best of spirits, and
to Neal and