m on the island. This was only a repetition of what they had done
when they were in peril of their lives on board the _Nancy Bell_, at
which momentous time, it may be remembered, Mr McCarthy, speaking on
behalf of all, had asked him to assume the direction of things and
endeavour to extricate them from danger, looking upon him as the most
competent person to guide them in the emergency.

Just so, now, on his speaking of relinquishing the leadership, he was
requested to retain it for the common benefit, at least until Captain
Dinks should be able to get about. This was the more desired from the
fact of Mr Meldrum having managed matters so well for them already that
they expected him to "see them through" all present difficulties.

As on the previous occasion, Mr Meldrum did not hesitate to retain the
post, believing from his training and experience in commanding bodies of
men that he really would be the best leader they could have, in default
of the captain; but, before consenting to the general wish, he addressed
all hands, impressing on them the necessity of implicit obedience to his
orders and a rigid attention to whatever duties he might set them--
adding that they might be certain he would not tell them to do anything
which was not, to the best of his impression, for their own good.

To this the men assented with a cheer of acquiescence, and he then
dismissed them with the assurance that he would endeavour to deserve the
confidence they had displayed in him. But, prior to separating from Mr
McCarthy and Adams, Mr Meldrum drew up a code of rules for their
guidance, premising that where a large party of seamen such as they had
under them were thus thrown ashore with no regular duties to perform,
such as they had on board ship, it was most urgently necessary that
employment of some sort should be made for them; not only to keep them
out of that mischief which the evil one is proverbially said to find
"for idle hands to do," but also to prevent them from dwelling on the
misery of their situation.

"We must keep watches, turn and turn about," Mr Meldrum explained,
"just the same as we did on board the ship; for, although there'll be no
sails to attend to, in the cold nights which we will shortly have the
fire will need careful looking after to prevent it from going out and
leaving us all perhaps to freeze to death, while, in the daytime, there
will be seal-hunting and water fetching to employ the hands, besides
see