was strewn with the wreck, while
here and there lay the dead bodies of their shipmates.

"Sad fate, poor fellows!" said Stephen. "We should be thankful to
Heaven for being preserved, to Captain Roberts for sending us on shore;
but, alack, what will become of the cargo? It will be a heavy loss to
Kempson and Company, and we might try to collect whatever is driven on
shore."

"I am afraid if we did that the natives would soon come down and deprive
us of our property. If we can find some food among the things cast on
shore it will be more to the purpose."

They searched about, and at length, to their infinite satisfaction,
discovered a cask of pork and a case containing bottles of wine.

"We are in luck," said Sam. "And I have a notion that the savages of
these parts will not drink the wine or eat the pork, so that we may have
a chance of its being left to us."

They broke open the cask of pork. Having no means of cooking it, they
were obliged to eat it raw, while the wine did little towards quenching
their thirst.

"I would give much for water," said Stephen, "though not a drop do I see
anywhere."

"There may be some, notwithstanding," observed Roger. "Many springs
exist in the interior which lose themselves in the sand. We must push
inland in search of one, and carry as much food as we can on our backs,
while we hide the rest, with the wine, in the sand."

Acting on this suggestion, the party provided themselves with broken
spars to support their steps and serve as weapons of defence. Before
starting they climbed to the top of a sandhill to take a look-out, but
no vessel was in sight. The foam-covered sea came rolling in and dashed
sullenly on the beach.

"While the gale lasts no vessel will willingly approach near the shore,"
observed Stephen. "Water we want, and water we must have, or we shall
perish."

They accordingly set out, and all that day pushed on eastward, and the
next, and the next. Their salt pork had turned bad, and the wine was
nearly exhausted, and they were well-nigh starving. At last, getting to
the top of a sandhill to look out, Roger fancied he saw some green trees
in the distance.

"There may be an oasis out there," he said; "we must try to gain it."

In spite of the hot sun beating down on their heads they went on. Still
the oasis, if such it was, appeared as far off as ever. Roger, whose
strength, though he was the youngest, held out, did his best to cheer
them on. A