amenting the fact that he had ever undertaken the trip,
that, to get rid of him, Captain Spark sent him off once more to
catch turtles, or, if he could not do that, to gather some of the
eggs. This last Mr. Tarbill was able to do, but he was not
successful in turning any of the crawling creatures over on their
backs.

The tent was erected before dark, and, with a cheerful fire burning
in front of it, supper was prepared. This time they had tin dishes
to eat from, as a supply was found in the gig's lockers.

Tired out with their day's work, and by the struggle with the sea,
the castaways all slept soundly. Nor was there any need to stand
guard during the night. On beds of palm leaves, under the tent,
they slumbered undisturbed until the sun, shining in on them, awoke
all four.

"Well, I'm beginning to feel quite to home," remarked the captain,
who could be cheerful under misfortune. His good spirits should
have been a lesson to Mr. Tarbill. That gentleman had lost nothing
but what could be easily replaced, but the captain had lost his
fine ship. Still he did not complain, and Bob, seeing his demeanor
under trying circumstances, resolved to try and be like the stanch
mariner.

After breakfast Captain Spark looked carefully over the gig to see
if the craft was seaworthy. He decided that it was, and he sent
Tim to look about for a suitable small tree to be cut down as a
mast for the sail.

"Are you going to sail away?" asked Mr. Tarbill nervously.

"I don't know. I want to be all ready to do so in case we find it
necessary. This noon I will work out our position and locate this
island on the chart. Then I can determine how far it is to the
nearest mainland, or to a larger island."

"I'll never go in a small boat on this big ocean," declared Mr.
Tarbill.

Captain Spark, who had completed his examination of the gig, was
standing near it, idly gazing off across the waste of water, which
had greatly subsided since the storm, when he caught sight of some
small object about two miles off shore.

"Bob!" he called, "bring me the binoculars," for a pair of marine
glasses had been found in one of the lockers.

The captain gazed through the glasses for several seconds. Then he
cried out:

"More arrivals! Prepare for company, Bob!"

"Who, captain?"

"There's a boat off there and in it are Mr. Carr, the first mate,
and Ned Scudd! But they seem to be in trouble, for they are
bailing fast. Their boat mus