rning?"

"Yes, I have made a discovery. I have discovered that the provisions
will not last us another week; that our vigour is not what it used to
be; that a sort of apathy is stealing over us all; that the sands of
life, in short, are running out while we are sitting idle here making no
effort to help ourselves."

"What can we do, lad?" said the captain sadly, supposing that the youth
was merely giving vent to a spirit of desperation.

"I'll tell you what we can do," said Will, rising; "we can cut down most
of the trees and make a huge pile of them, which, with the broken pieces
of the long-boat to kindle them, will create a blaze that will attract
the attention of the people who live on yonder island--if there be any.
I know the character of South Sea islanders, but it is better to live in
captivity or die by the hand of savages than to perish of hunger and
thirst. Come, Captain Dall, we _must_ stir the men up to make a last
effort. Rather than die here, I will make a raft and hoist a sail on
it, and commit myself to the winds and waves. What say you? Shall we
try?"

"There is something in what you say, doctor," replied the captain,
pondering the subject; "at all events, no harm can come of making the
attempt. I'll go speak to the men."

In pursuance of this intention he left the place of outlook accompanied
by Will, and the result of their consultation with the men was, that in
a few minutes Larry O'Hale and Mr Cupples set to work with all the
energy in their natures to fell trees with the two axes they possessed.
When they were exhausted, Will Osten and Goff relieved them, and then
the captain and old Bob took the axes. Thus the work went on all day,
and in the evening a pile of logs was raised almost as large as a
medium-sized cottage.

There was something hopeful in the mere act of working with a view to
deliverance that raised the spirits of the men, and when the sun began
to sink towards the western horizon, they sat down to their slight meal
of biscuit and cocoa-nut milk with more appetite and relish than they
had experienced for many days.

"I've bin thinkin'," said Larry, pausing in the midst of his supper.

"Well, wot have 'ee bin thinkin', lad?" said Muggins, wiping his mouth
with the sleeve of his coat and wishing for more food--but wishing in
vain, for he had finished his allowance--"you're a good deal given to
thinkin', but there's not much ever comes on it, 'xcept wind in the
shape o'