thout
further urging they did full justice to the meal, Teddy saying as he
helped himself to the third slice of preserved meat:

"It wouldn't be a bad idea for us to hunt a little while for something
in the shape of a vegetable, or we shall soon run short of provisions."

"It's the very plan I was thinking of. In these woods we should be able
to find many things that would help out on the bill of fare; but in case
that can't be done, you boys must turn hunters. It's mighty lucky you
have your guns and plenty of ammunition."

This last suggestion pleased the boys wonderfully and if Jake had not
insisted very strongly that they sleep during the hottest portion of the
day, both would have started into the forest without delay.

After lying down in the shade slumber came to their eyelids quickly, and
when he was convinced they were across the border of dreamland, Jake
arose softly, saying to himself as he stole up the shore:

"This goes ahead of any scrape I ever had the bad luck to fall into, an'
I'd give all I've got to know exactly where we are, for I'm certain it
ain't Cuba. If two days pass without our sightin' a sail I must fix up
some story to make the boys eager to tramp across the country. That'll
be better than stayin' here where, 'cordin' to my idea, there's mighty
small chance of our finding anybody who can help us."

He walked along the shore fully two miles; but there was no diversity of
scene. The coast strewn thickly with coral rocks, and backed by a dense
forest, was all that could be seen either above or below the place where
they landed.

Then Jake forced his way through the tangled undergrowth, experiencing
no slight difficulty in so doing, and the vegetation confirmed his
belief that the little craft had been carried by the wind to some land
further south than was at first supposed.

On the water not a sail was in sight, and when Jake returned to the
place where the rude shelter had been put up he was in even a more
despondent mood than Teddy and Neal had been.

"I s'pose we must wait here a couple of days to satisfy the boys the
other boats won't come, an' then it's a case of strikin' across the
country with good chance of wanderin' around until fever or wild animals
puts an end to it."

His companions were yet asleep, and he lay down beside them in order to
prevent any suspicion that he had been spying out the land.

Under other circumstances the monotonous roar of the surf would have
lul