said his brother in reassuring tones, "she'll soon
come round. Lend a hand to lift her."

They bore the fainting girl up the beach, and laid her on a grassy spot
under a bush. And now Dominick was glad to find that he had been
mistaken in supposing that the coral reef was a mere sandbank, destitute
of vegetation. Indeed, before landing, he had observed that there were
a few trees on the highest part of it. He now perceived that there was
quite a little grove of cocoa-nut palms, with a thicket of underwood
around them, which, if not extensive, was at all events comparatively
dense. He pointed out the fact to Otto, who was chafing his sister's
hands.

"Ay," responded Otto, "and the island on the other side must be a
goodish big one, for I got a glimpse of it through the trees as we came
rushing in on that monstrous wave."

In a short time Pauline recovered, and Dominick returned to the water's
edge with Otto.

"Our first care must be," he said, "to save our little boat if we can,
for it is the only means we have of escaping from this island."

"Escaping!" repeated Otto, in surprise. "I don't want to escape from
it, Dom."

"Indeed! why not?"

"Why, because I've dreamed about being cast on a desolate island
hundreds of times, and I've read about Robinson Crusoe, and all the
other Crusoes, and I've longed to be cast on one, and now I am cast on
one, so I don't want to escape. It'll be the greatest fun in the world.
I only hope I won't wake up, as usual, to find that it's all a dream!"

Dominick laughed (not scornfully, by any means) at the boy's enthusiasm;
nevertheless he had strong sympathy with him, for the period had not
passed so long ago when he himself entertained a very vivid impression
of the romance of such a situation, and he did not trouble his mind
about the stern realities.

"I sincerely hope it may come up to your expectations, Otto, my boy;
nevertheless we must secure the boat for fishing purposes, even though
we don't try to escape in it."

"For fishing! why, we have neither hooks nor lines."

"True, lad; but we have got fingers and brains. It strikes me that we
shall have occasion to use all our powers and possessions if we are not
to starve here, for the reef seems to have very little vegetation on it,
and there is sure to be a lagoon of water on the other side, separating
it from the island beyond."

"I wonder if there is fresh water on the reef," said Otto, with a very
sudden look