Here is the repast which Tom, on that occasion, spread before himself:—­

1.  Roast clams, 2.  Baked lobster, 3.  Boiled mussels, 4.  Boiled shrimps, 5.  Roast eggs, 6.  Dandelions, 7.  Dandelions with eggs, 8.  Roast dulse, 9.  Strawberries, 10.  Pilot-bread.

In one thing only did Tom fall short of his wishes, and that was in the way of drinks.  But before that dinner was finished, even this was remedied; for necessity, the great mother of invention, instigated Tom to squeeze about half of his strawberries into a little water.  Out of this he formed a drink with a flavor that seemed to him to be quite delicious.  And that made what Tom called,—­

11.  Strawberry cordial.

XX.

New Discoveries.—­The Boat.—­A great Swell.—­Meditations and Plans.—­A new, and wonderful, and before unheard-of Application of Spruce Gum.—­I’m afloat!  I’m afloat!

Tom sat there over his banquet until late.  He then went down to the beach, and brought up a vast collection of driftwood, and throwing a plenteous supply upon the fire, he lay down beside it, and looked out over the water, trying, as usual, to see something through the thick mist.  The flames shot up with a crackle and a great blaze, and the bright light shone brilliantly upon the water.  The tide was now up, and the boat was full before him.  Tom fixed his eyes upon this boat, and was mournfully recalling his unsuccessful experiment at making her sea-worthy, and was waiting to see her sink down to her gunwales as she filled, when the thought occurred to him that she was not filling so rapidly as she might, but was floating much better than usual.  A steady observation served to show him that this was no fancy, but an actual fact; and the confirmation of this first impression at once drove away all other thoughts, and brought back all the ideas of escape which he once had cherished.

The boat was admitting the water, certainly, yet she certainly did not leak quite so badly as before, but was floating far better than she had done on the night of his trial.  What was the meaning of this?

Now, the fact is, he had not noticed the boat particularly during the last few days.  He had given it up so completely, that it ceased to have any interest in his eyes.  Raising his signal, building his house, and exploring the island had taken up all his thoughts.  Latterly he had thought of nothing but his dinner.  But now the change in the boat was unmistakable, and it seemed to him that the change might have been going on gradually all this time without his noticing it until it had become so marked.

What was the cause of this change?  That was the question which he now sought to answer.  After some thought he found a satisfactory explanation.