d muscles (he
had been in the boats at Oxford) stood him in good stead. They reached
the mainland, carrying the steerage passenger with them; for the poor
man, not yet half-recovered from the effects of exposure and privation,
and now suffering from a fracture of the bone just above the ankle, was
certainly not in a fit state to help himself. On the island they found a
few cocoa-nut trees: under one of these they laid their burden, and then
returned to the shore to see whether there was any other castaway whom
they could assist.

In this search they were successful. One man had already followed their
example and swam ashore, but he was so much exhausted that they felt
bound to help him to the friendly shade of the cocoa-nut trees, where
the steerage passenger, now conscious of his position, and as deadly
white with the pain of his broken bone as the discolouration of his
scorched face permitted him to be, moved aside a little in order to make
room for him. There was another man on the reef; but he had been crushed
between the upper and lower topsails, and it was almost impossible to
get him to shore. Percival and Jackson made the effort, but a great wave
swept the man into a cavern of the reef to which he was clinging before
they could come to his assistance, and he was not seen again. With a lad
of sixteen and another sailor they were more fortunate. So that when at
last they met under the tree to compare notes and count their numbers,
they found that the party consisted of six persons: Heron, Thomas
Jackson, and his pet, the steerage passenger; George Pollard, the
steward; Fenwick, the sailor; and Jim Barry, the cabin boy. They stared
at each other in rather helpless silence for about a minute, and then
Heron burst into a strange laugh.

"Well, I've heard of a desert island all my life," he said, "but I never
was on one before."

"I was," said Fenwick, slowly, "and I didn't expect to get landed upon
another. But, Lord! if once you go to sea, there's no telling."

"You must feel thankful that you're landed at all," remarked Percival.
"You might have been food for the fishes by this time."

"I'd most as soon," said Fenwick, in a stolid tone, which had a
depressing effect on the spirits of some of the party. The lad Barry
began to whimper a little, and Pollard looked very downcast.

"Cheer up, lads," said Percival, quickly. It was wonderful to see how
naturally he fell into a position of command amongst them. "That