“Poor fellows,” murmured the captain.

The first mate and Ned were soon in the captain’s gig, and shortly afterward the boat with the hole in her filled and sank.

“Never mind,” consoled the captain.  “It’s shallow here and at low tide we may be able to get her.  Anything left in her, Mr. Carr?”

“Considerable provisions in the water-tight compartments.  Also some supplies.”

“Very good.  We’ll need ’em all.  We’re quite a party of castaways now.”

“How did you find Bob?” asked the first mate, for his boat had been near when the boy fell overboard.

“Oh, Bob discovered the island for us,” replied the commander, and he explained the various happenings.

Shore was soon reached, and then Mr. Carr and Ned, neither of whom had been able to eat much because of the necessity of bailing to keep from sinking, were given a good meal.

The two latest arrivals looked with interest on what had already been done to form a camp.  When their wet trousers were hung up to dry in the hot sun, they rested in the shade of the tent and Bob explained his adventures on first reaching the island.

“Have you any idea where we are, captain?” asked Mr. Carr, after a mutual exchange of experiences.

“Only a slight one.  I’m going to take an observation this noon.  Fortunately, my chronometer did not stop and I can get the correct reckoning.”

But the captain was disappointed.  At noon the sun was hidden under a dense bank of clouds, and, as “dead reckoning” would have been of no avail, since they had no previous record to go by, he had to postpone matters.

However, there was plenty to do.  When the tide went out late that afternoon they saw that it would he possible to get most of the things from the wrecked boat.  This kept them busy until dark.  Then a big campfire was lighted, and, though the tent was rather crowded with six in it, they managed to sleep fairly comfortably.

The next day it rained, and the castaways put in rather a miserable existence.  Fortunately, they had carried the food into the tent, where it was protected from the terrific tropical downpour.  The rain kept up for three days, and during all that time Mr. Tarbill never ceased complaining.

As for Bob and the others, they did not mind getting wet through, for the weather was very warm.  Under the captain’s directions they had built a sort of screen for the fire at the first sign of a storm, making it of green cocoanut tree leaves on slanting poles like a “lean-to,” and this kept the blaze going in spite of the wetness, as plenty of dry wood had been gathered before the rain began.

On the fourth day the sun shone brightly, the downpour had ceased, and they rejoiced in the beautiful scenery around them, even though they were shipwrecked and on a strange island.

“We must build a more substantial shelter than the tent,” Captain Spark decided that morning.  “We may have to stay here for several months, and the tent is not large enough.  Besides, we must keep our supplies dry.”