“That looks better than it sounds,” thought Bob.  And a moment later he was drinking his fill.  “Seems as if there might be fish in there,” he went on, glancing at the pool.  “Guess I’ll try it.”

Bob was fond of hunting and fishing and knew considerable about wood-lore.  Searching under the stones he soon found some worms, and, tossing one into the middle of the pool, he saw a hungry fish rise to it.

“Now if I had a pole, hook, and line I’d soon have a breakfast,” he went on to himself.  “I have the line, all right, and I ought to have a hook in one of my pockets.  I generally do.  As for a pole I can easily cut one.”

Bob hurried back to where he had piled the things he took from his pockets.  It did not take him long to discover that he had a stout cord that would answer for a line, while he also had several hooks.  With his knife he cut a pole, and baiting the hook with a worm, he cast in.

Probably no one, unless it might have been some unfortunate castaway in years gone by, had ever angled in that pool.  The fish at once rose to the bait, and soon Bob had several beauties on the grass beside him.

“Now to cook them,” he said to himself.  “Lucky I bought a water-proof match box before I started on this voyage.  I can now make a fire.”

Bob went back to the place he called “home”—­where he had first landed—­and looked in the water-tight match box which he always had carried since he had come aboard the Eagle.  To his delight the little fire-sticks were not harmed by his bath.  He only wished he had more of them.

Finding his clothes were now nearly dry, he put part of them on and proceeded to kindle a fire.  Then he cleaned the fish and set them to broil by the simple process of hanging them in front of the fire on a pointed stick, one end of which was thrust into the ground.

“That smells good!” exclaimed Bob, as the fish began to brown.  “But, I almost forgot.  There’s plenty of fruit to be had.”  For he had noticed several trees well laden as he passed through the woods.  “I’ll not starve here as long as I have fruit and fish.”

He gathered some things that looked a cross between an orange and a tangerine and ate several, finding them delicious.  By the time the fish were well done Bob, preparing to eat his odd breakfast, was suddenly startled by a groan.  It seemed to come from behind a pile of rocks off to the left.

“I wonder what that was?” thought Bob.  “An animal or a human being?  I wonder if there are any South Sea natives on this island?”

He put down his fish on some big green leaves he had plucked for plates and went toward the rocks.  As he approached, the groans became louder.  Peering cautiously over the stones, Bob saw the figure of a man lying on the sand, as if he had managed to crawl out of the water.

[Illustration:  “Bob saw the figure of a man lying on the sand.”]