hundred miles."

"But how can we go two hundred miles?" asked Mr. Tarbill.

"In the small boat--my gig--to be sure. We have sufficient
provisions for twice that journey, and the boat is large enough,"

"I'll never venture to sea in a small boat!" declared the nervous
passenger.

The others paid little attention to him, being too much interested
in what the captain had to say about the other island. He had
never been there, but he had heard of it. It was inhabited by a
tribe of friendly natives.

"Shall we start soon?" asked Mr. Carr.

"I think we'll wait a week or two and see what turns up here. We
are very comfortable, and I don't want to undertake the voyage in
the small boat if there is any chance of a ship taking us off from
here."

The thought that they were not so very far from an island, where
the chances of rescue were most excellent, put every one in good
humor, save Mr. Tarbill. He remained gloomy and nervous.

It was decided to proceed with the building of the hut, and in a
few days it was finished and thatched with thick green leaves, that
were almost as good as shingles.

"There, now let it rain if it wants to," said Mr. Carr. "We'll be
good and dry. The tent can be used as a storehouse for what the
hut won't hold."

It seemed as if the rain was going to take them at their word, for
there came a steady downpour the next day, and it lasted a week
with but few intermissions. They were very weary of it.

Yet through it all Bob kept up his good spirits. He was a changed
boy, and though, once or twice, the spirit of mischief seemed about
to break out in him, he restrained it, to the secret delight of
Captain Spark.

"I was right, after all," he said to Mr. Carr, one day when the
rain had ceased. "It needed a sea voyage to straighten Bob out,
but I didn't figure on a shipwreck doing it."

The boy was very helpful about camp. No task was too hard for him,
no labor too much, and he never grumbled. He had grown almost used
to life on the island, as had the other castaways. But Captain
Spark had not given up the plan of sailing for the large island.
He waited until he thought the weather had settled down and then,
one fine morning, he gave the word to load the small boat with all
their supplies.

"Do you think we can make it?" asked Mr. Carr.

"I think so. We can try, at any rate. We'll have this island and
the log cabin to return to in case we have to turn back."

"Are you real