alo----"

Clara clasped her hands, looking into my face.

"Yes," she said, "tell me about it."

Meantime I could see that Edith had gone over to John Croyden.

"John," she said, "you shouldn't sit on the wet sand like that. You will
get a chill. Let me help you to get up."

I looked at Clara and at Croyden.

"How has this happened?" I asked. "Tell me."

"We were on the same ship," Croyden said. "There came a great storm.
Even the Captain had never seen----"

"I know," I interrupted, "so had ours."

"The ship struck a rock, and blew out her four funnels----"

"Ours did too," I nodded.

"The bowsprit was broken, and the steward's pantry was carried away. The
Captain gave orders to leave the ship----"

"It is enough, Croyden," I said, "I see it all now. You were left behind
when the boats cleared, by what accident you don't know----"

"I don't," said Croyden.

"As best you could, you constructed a raft, and with such haste as you
might you placed on it such few things----"

"Exactly," he said, "a chronometer, a sextant----"

"I know," I continued, "two quadrants, a bucket of water, and a
lightning rod. I presume you picked up Clara floating in the sea."

"I did," Croyden said; "she was unconscious when I got her, but by
rubbing----"

"Croyden," I said, raising the shovel again, "cut that out."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's all right. But you needn't go on. I see all the rest of your
adventures plainly enough."

"Well, I'm done with it all anyway," said Croyden gloomily. "You can do
what you like. As for me, I've got a decent suit back there at our camp,
and I've got it dried and pressed and I'm going to put it on."

He rose wearily, Edith standing beside him.

"What's more, Borus," he said, "I'll tell you something. This island is
not uninhabited at all."

"Not uninhabited!" exclaimed Clara and Edith together. I saw each of
them give a rapid look at her goatskin suit.

"Nonsense, Croyden," I said, "this island is one of the West Indian
keys. On such a key as this the pirates used to land. Here they careened
their ships----"

"Did what to them?" asked Croyden.

"Careened them all over from one end to the other," I said. "Here they
got water and buried treasure; but beyond that the island was, and
remained, only the home of the wild gull and the sea-mews----"

"All right," said Croyden, "only it doesn't happen to be that kind of
key. It's a West Indian island all right, but there's a summe