“Oh, dear!” sighed Mr. Tarbill.  “I wish I was safe home!”

But the captain paid no attention to his protest.

“It’ll do him good,” he murmured, as the nervous one walked dejectedly off.  “He’ll not have any nerves left when we get through with him.”

Bob had good luck with his hook and line and soon returned with a dozen fine fish.  In the meanwhile the captain had built a big fire and had a bed of red coals ready to broil the fish over, for he knew just how to do it.

When the dinner was in process of cooking Tim returned.

“Did you hoist the signal?” asked the captain.

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“What did you use for a flag?”

“My shirt, sir.”

“Your shirt?”

“Aye, aye, sir.  You see I had two on, an outer shirt and an inner shirt.  I didn’t need the outer shirt as it’s so hot here, so I hoisted that on top of a tall tree.  It’s flying in the breeze now, sir.  You can see it from here.”

He led the way down to the edge of the water and pointed inland.  Sure enough, flying from a tall cocoanut tree was a white shirt.  It could be seen for a long distance.

“That’s a fine idea,” complimented the captain.  “I forgot when I sent you off that you hadn’t any signal flag.  But here comes Mr. Tarbill.  I wonder if he turned any turtles?  Any luck?” he called as the nervous man approached.

“No, sir.  The turtles all ran when they heard me coming.  Some of them left a lot of eggs behind.”

“Did you bring any?”

“No.  I didn’t think they were good.”

“Good?  Of course they’re good!  We’ll gather some later.  But come on.  It’s long past dinner time and I guess we’re all hungry.”

Every one proved it by the manner in which he ate.  The meal was a primitive one, with sticks for forks, though they all had pocket-knives, which answered very well to cut the fish.  For plates Captain Spark substituted large clam shells, in place of the leaves Bob had used.

“Now I think we had better rig up some kind of a hut for shelter against the night dews,” proposed the captain, when they were done eating.  “Gather all the cocoanut leaves you can and I’ll make a sort of framework.”

Bob started up, ready to go off into the forest after leaves, with the sailor and Mr. Tarbill.  As he gazed out to sea, where the big waves were still rolling, he saw something that caused him to utter a cry of astonishment.

“What is it?” asked Captain Spark, hurrying to Bob’s side.

“There,” replied the boy, pointing to some dark object that was rising and falling on the swell.

“It’s a boat!  A boat capsized!” exclaimed Captain Spark.  “We must secure it.  It’s one from the Eagle.  Probably the one we were in.”

“Shall I swim out to it?” asked Bob.  “Perhaps I can tow it in.”

“No, the current is setting toward the beach.  It will drift in presently.”