here we are, sir?" Stephen asked, as the mate stood silently
looking at the peak.

"No, I wish I did. I have either never seen that hill before, or, if I
have, it has been from some other side that gave it quite a different
outline. You see, we were nine hours in the gale, and during that time I
fancy we must have run nearly a hundred miles; but I do not suppose we are
half that distance from the point where we started, for we are sure to
have gone round and round several times in the first hour or two. The
island we were at, was some fifty or sixty miles from the coast of
Sumatra, and possibly it is there that we have been cast ashore; but, on
the other hand, we may have gone quite in another direction. Anyhow, there
is no denying that we are in an awkward fix. It matters little enough
which of the islands we have hit upon, the natives are all pirates and
scoundrels, and the possession they prize most is a human head. The first
thing to do, lads, is to draw the charges from our muskets and pistols and
to reload them, then we will have a consultation."

This was done, and then they went down to the boat.

"I half expected it," the mate went on, after examining her; "the shock
has started the butts of three planks on one side, and two on the other.
We will get the sand out first and turn her over, bottom upwards."

This was done.

"I think we might make a shift to cobble it up," the mate said. "Some of
the wood here is as hard as iron, and we might cut some pegs and fasten
the planks into their place again. I don't suppose we shall be able to
make them watertight, but we might caulk them up with pitch or gum from
some of the trees. But that is not the first thing to think of; it is no
use having a boat if we have not food or water to put into her. These
biscuits would last us two or three days, and the water, if we are
careful, as long again, but that is not enough to start with on a long
cruise. The place we have to make for is Timor. Do you think that you
could find your way there, Steve, and how far is it?"

"I was looking at the chart the last day I was on board, sir, and I
noticed that Timor lay to the south of where we were then, and I should
say it was something like six or seven hundred miles away."

"Well, it is of no use starting on such an expedition as that with such a
stock of provisions as ours, so I propose that, in the first place, we see
what is to be found in the forest. It will be hard if we do n