ed half starved. She pitied him despite his character.

"Yes, we have plenty to eat," she said.

"Then give me something at once," he cried. "Give me something at once!"

"Come with me."

There was now a crashing in the bushes back of Dan Baxter, and in a
second more Jack Lesher appeared on the scene. He too was haggard
and dirty, and his eyes were much blood-shot, the result of living
almost entirely on liquor for several days after being wrecked on
the islands.

"Well, is it possible!" cried the mate of the _Golden Wave_.

"They've got lots to eat," muttered Dan Baxter. "I'm going to have
something to fill me up before I start to talk."

"How many more of you are here?" asked Dora, in something of dismay.

"We came along alone," said Baxter. "Show us that grub."

Dora led the way to the camp-fire, where Nellie and Grace were also
surprised at the unexpected visitors. Some food was brought forth,
and both Baxter and Lesher ate like two famished wolves.

"Got any liquor?" questioned the mate, casting his eyes toward the house.

"We have a little," answered Nellie, for Captain Blossom had brought
over several bottles from the wreck.

"Bring it out."

When the liquor was brought Jack Lesher took a long draught and then
handed the bottle to Dan Baxter.

"That's the stuff!" cried the mate, with a sly wink at Dora. "Better
than eatin,' twice over," and he took another drink.

The manner of the two newcomers was not at all pleasing to the girls,
and they were sorry that none of the men folks were at hand. They
asked the pair to tell their story, and Baxter spoke up, while Lesher
applied himself to the bottle.

"We floated around the ocean for several days," said the bully. "One
sailor went crazy from the sunshine and leaped overboard, and was
drowned. Then a heavy wind came up and drove the boat, in the night,
onto an island close to this one. We were cast ashore with hardly
any provisions, and two of the sailors were sick. We had to live on
fish, birds, and fruit, and we've had a hard lot of it, I can tell
you that. Yesterday Lesher and I resolved to explore this island,
thinking that perhaps some of the wreckage from the schooner had
washed ashore here. We came over in the afternoon and tramped along
the north shore until it grew dark, but without finding anything. We
slept at the shore last night, and this morning started to go over
the hill back there. But the snakes chased us off, and then we came
aro