ful as a bath; for it was
highly dangerous to attempt bathing in the sea, the likelihood being
that the adventurous swimmer would be snapped up by some voracious shark
before he had been a minute in the water. He therefore went off,
dragging the shell after him, while Bevan returned to the turtle's nest
for the remainder of the eggs, and Roger busied himself with the
simmering turtle soup, also taking a few strips of the meat and impaling
them on pieces of wood in readiness for the next meal. Having performed
this part of his duty he strolled away down to the beach to watch Jake
clean the turtle's shell. As he came in sight of the beach, what was
his surprise to see Jake Irwin in the water up to his arm-pits, reaching
out as though endeavouring to get hold of some object just beyond him.
The man did not see Roger, and continued his strange antics; but
presently he got hold of what he was after, which had the appearance of
a small keg that seemed to be about as much as he could conveniently
carry. He then turned round and began to make his way ashore again,
carrying his prize with him. He glanced up, saw Roger, and shouted: "I
have something here, Master Trevose, which will be very valuable to us
if it is what I believe it to be." He soon waded out and flung down a
small barrel on the sand at his feet.

"Why," said Roger, "what is that? It is a barrel of some sort, as, of
course, I can see; but what do you suppose its contents to be?"

"Well," responded the sailor, "as I was getting water to clean the
shell, I saw some object washed up and then taken out again by the
undertow; so I determined to get hold of it if possible; and next time
it rolled in I made a grab at it, but missed it; then I ran out after
it, and, after making several attempts, managed to get a hold of it, and
brought it ashore; and here it is. And I think it valuable because it
looks to me like one of the ship's spirit-casks. It may be brandy, and
if the brandy has not been spoiled by the salt water getting at it, it
will be a great blessing to that sick man Evans, and may even save his
life. And it may save ours too, if we get taken ill; for there is no
knowing when the fleet will be here again."

"Very true," responded Roger. "I do not believe that the skipper will
give up looking for us while his ships hold together; but, as you say,
it may be a long time before we are rescued, so it is as well to secure
everything we can lay our hands o