The two sailors, Bob and Mr. Tarbill were divided between the two heads of the watch, Bob and Tim Flynn being chosen by the captain.

The food had been carefully stowed away in the lockers, the captain’s charts, chronometer and sextant were put where he could easily get at them, and as they had breakfasted before they set off on their voyage, there was nothing to do for several hours but to make themselves as comfortable as possible in the boat.

Had it not been for the worry over what might be the outcome, and had not the dreadful memory of the shipwreck been in all their minds, they might have enjoyed the sail.  As it was, no one felt very jolly.  Mr. Tarbill was particularly miserable, and was continually finding fault.

“Oh, dear!  It’s dreadfully hot!” he exclaimed when they had been sailing for several hours and Bob’s Island was out of sight.  “I’m afraid I shall be sunstruck.”

“Get in the shadow of the sail.  Go forward,” advised Captain Spark.

“I’m afraid to move for fear I’ll slip overboard as Bob did.”

“Well, if you do we can see to fish you out.  It’s daylight now.”

“Oh, I’m miserable!  I wish I had never come on this trip!  I know I shall never live to see home again!”

“I, too, wish you hadn’t come,” thought the captain, but he really felt sorry for the nervous man.

Finally it grew so hot that Mr. Tarbill could stand it no longer.  He decided he would make his way forward, where he could be in the shade of the sail.  The others were very warm also, but they did not complain.  Even Bob, who was not used to roughing it as were the sailors, stood it bravely, though the hot sun made his head ache.

Mr. Tarbill, who was in the stern, near Captain Spark, arose and started forward.  As he did so a wave, larger than any that the boat had previously encountered, careened the craft a bit.

“Oh, I’m going overboard!” exclaimed Mr. Tarbill.

He made a frantic clutch at the air, and really did almost go over the side, but it was due more to his own awkwardness than to anything else.  Then he slipped down into the bottom of the gig, but as he did so his arm shot out and something bright and shining was knocked from the after locker over the gunwale into the sea, where it fell with a little splash.

“Now you have done it!” cried the captain, standing up and making a vain grab.

“Done it?  Done what?” asked Mr. Tarbill.

“You’ve knocked overboard the only compass we had!  How we’re going to find the island now is more than I can tell!  This is a serious loss.”

CHAPTER XXIV

DAYS OF HOPELESSNESS

The captain’s announcement struck terror to every heart.  Even Bob, with the little knowledge of the sea he possessed, realized what that meant.  They would have to “go it blind” now, and the chances of finding a comparatively small island in that vast ocean were little indeed.