h, with which they hoped to regale their shipmates, were quickly
thrown overboard.

"Shure, a fine feast we are giving to the sharks," observed Desmond, as
he was engaged in the work. They retained, however, a dozen or so of
the cocoa-nuts, in case they might be required for food. So slow was
the progress they made against the sea and wind, that it was almost dusk
before they got clear of the land. Tom had been keeping a look-out to
the westward, the side on which he expected the ship to appear.

"There she is," he exclaimed at length; "but she is under sail, standing
to the south-east, and I see no smoke coming out of her funnel."

Gerald agreed with Tom that such was the case. They asked Jerry Bird,
the oldest seaman on board, to give his opinion.

"You're right, sir," he said; "to my mind something has happened to the
machinery. Either the shaft or the piston rod is broken, and they
cannot get the screw to work. The commander, of course, did not like to
remain in the bay, with the chance of a hurricane blowing right into it;
and so he got up the steam, and was probably standing along the shore to
look out for us, when the accident, whatever it was, happened; and the
only chance he had of saving the ship was to go about and stand on the
course he is now doing. Maybe he will come about again before long to
look for us."

Tom and Gerald were very sure that the commander would not desert them,
at the same time they felt far from comfortable at seeing the ship at so
great a distance off. The wind was rapidly increasing; the seas came
rolling in far more heavily than before, while the spray from their
foaming crests being sent over the boat, soon thoroughly wetted through
all hands. This, of course, no one cared much about; the question was
whether their small boat would live in the furious sea they were likely
to encounter before they got on board. If Jerry Bird was right, the
ship herself must endeavour to get a good offing from the island in case
a hurricane should come on. Of that there now seemed every probability.
The gloom of night had rapidly increased, and now they could only
distinguish the ship from the light which she showed over her quarter.
Was it intended for a signal to them, or had the other two boats not yet
returned to her? As the night advanced, the weather became worse and
worse.

"It's that old rascal Harry Cane at his tricks again," cried Tim; "I
wish that he had waited a bit, and l