nside of an hour the little, island faded from their
view and once more they found themselves alone on the bosom of the
broad Pacific.

The captain had great hopes of the small compass, but he and the
others were doomed to disappointment. The compass proved
unreliable, as they discovered that night, when the stars came out.

"It's no use," said Captain Spark. "We have got to sail by our
wits, if we ever expect to reach a place of safety." And all that
day they kept on, not knowing if they were heading in the proper
direction or not.

It was just getting dusk of the second day of their voyage, when
Tim Flynn, opening a forward locker to set out some things for the
evening meal, made a startling discovery.

"The gig has sprung a leak!" he exclaimed.

"A leak!" cried the captain.

"Yes, this locker is half full of water, and all the stuff in it is
soaked."

It was true enough. The salt water had come in through some
opening of the seams of the previously tight compartment and had
done much damage. The victuals were only fit to throw overboard.

"Half rations from now on," said the captain sternly.

"Half rations!" repeated Mr. Tarbill. "Why, I'm awful hungry!"

"And you're liable to be for some days to come," answered the
commander. "We'll share and share alike, but every one will have
to curb his appetite."

"Oh, this dreadful shipwreck! I wish I had stayed home!"

The others wished the same thing.

It was a night without hope, and the morning broke dull and gray,
with the promise of a storm. The wind shifted from point to point
until the castaways did not know in which direction they were
going, for there was no sun to guide them. The leaky locker was
tightly closed, so that there was no danger of the boat filling
from it.

The amount of breakfast seemed woefully small to Bob, and he
recalled with a start the wish Dent Freeman, the hired man, had
expressed, that the boy who tormented him would have to eat seaweed.

"Perhaps I shall before we're through with this," said the lad to
himself. "There isn't much more food left."

Still he did not complain, setting a good example in this respect
to Mr. Tarbill, who did nothing but find fault, until Captain Spark
ordered him to take an oar and with one of the sailors aid in
propelling the boat, for the wind had suddenly died out.

For two days more they sailed or rowed on.

The weather continued unsettled, but fortunately not breaking into
a s