and set other
vessels on the search, till the whole bay, with all its shores and
islands, should be thoroughly ransacked.

Fortunate was it for him, he thought, that there was so large a supply
of drift-wood at hand on the beach, dry, portable, and in every way
convenient for use. Thanks to this, he might now disperse the gloom of
dark and foggy nights, and keep up a better signal in the dark than he
could do in the light. Thus the fuel was heaped on, and the fire
flamed up, and Tom sat near, looking complacently upon the brilliant
glow.

Thus far, for nearly a week, he had fed on biscuit only; but now, as he
ate his repast, he began to think that it was a very monotonous fare,
and to wonder whether it might not be possible to find something which
could give a zest to his repasts. The biscuit were holding out well,
but still he felt a desire to husband his resources, and if any
additional food could in any way be procured, it would not only be a
relish, but would also lessen his demand upon his one sole source of
supply. He thought earnestly upon the subject of fish. He turned his
thoughts very seriously to the subject of fish-hooks, and tried to
think of some way by which he could capture some of the fish with which
these waters abounded. But this idea did not seem to promise much. In
the first place, he could think of no possible way in which he could
procure any serviceable hook; in the second place, even if he had a
hook and line all ready and baited, he did not see how he would be able
to cast it within reach of any fish. His boat would not float him even
for the little distance that was required to get into the places where
fish might be. He could only stand upon the beach out of their reach.

But, in the course of his thoughts, he soon perceived that other
sources of food were possible to him besides the fish that were caught
by hook and line. His mind reverted to the populous realm of
shell-fish. These were all before him. Round the rocks and amid the
sea-weed there certainly must be mussels. At low tide, amid the ledges
and the sand, there surely must be some lobsters. Before him there was
an extensive mud flat, where there ought to be clams. Here was his
fire, always ready, by night and by day. Why should he not be able to
make use of that fire, not only for cheering his mind, and giving him
warmth, and signaling to passers-by, but also for cooking his meals?

This was the question that he as