en
they was kids a year old, and nobody had any use for such silly things;
so he dumped the last pair he had in the ash bin. Just think what
measly luck! That was only two days ago. See what I missed by your
old machine breaking down on us, George. I might have had that bully
pair."

"I was thinking," said Jack, with a smile at the forlorn expression on
his fat chum's face, "why you didn't depend on that cork life
preserver. You couldn't sink, and if you flapped pretty hard I think
you could learn to paddle after a bit."

"Oh! do you really think so, Jack?" cried the sad one, his face
lighting up with a new hope. "It's awful good of you to crack your
brain thinking up such a bully idea for me. And how silly that I never
once jumped on that plan. I'm going to try it the very next time our
engine kicks up a shindy, and holds us up."

"Well, you've got another think coming then," burst out George. "For
this machinist assures me that after he's through with the engine it
will run as smooth and regular as--well, that Old Reliable in the
_Comfort_.

"What's the matter wid ours?" burst out Jimmie, his fighting blood up
at once. "Sure, we've niver had wan bit of throuble up till now."

"Oh! all right. Consider yourself kicked then, ditto, Jimmie," laughed
George.

At three p. m. the _Comfort_ was sighted, sailing along on the current
"like a big ship," as Nick declared. The conch shell lured the third
crew ashore, and once more the party found itself intact.

Herb and Josh had no thrilling adventure to relate. Their voyage up to
date had been a most uneventful one. And how they did listen with wide
open eyes when Jack modestly narrated the astounding event that had
overtaken himself and the crew of the _Tramp_ since last seeing the
others.

"It beats the Dutch," complained Josh, as the story was completed, "how
some fellers are lucky. Why, we've got all our lightning rods out, but
never a thing happened. We go sailing along like a duck in a mill
pond; and it's nothing but cook and stuff with Herb here. I'm sick of
the sight of grub, that's what."

"That will do for you," spoke up his skipper. "You know you've begun
to feel like a fighting cock, so you said. And Josh, you ate twice as
much the last supper we had as I ever knew you to before. I wager that
before this trip is over you'll be rid of that feeling of indigestion
that's been troubling you so long."

"That's right," declared Jack, cheer