Tom, Mary and Jill looked at Andy, excited.
"Do you really know a way of escape, even now that our ship has been taken?" asked Jill. "You are clever, Andy."
"Well, it's no use us trying to take one of the enemy's boats again, or to get our own ship back," said Andy. "And it's no use putting up a signal to passing ships, for two reasons—one is that I am perfectly certain no ship ever passes near these islands, or they would have discovered the secret of the submarines before this—and the second reason is that I am jolly sure the enemy wouldn't let us have a signal up anyhow!"
"Go on," said Tom, feeling sure Andy had got a very good idea coming.
"Well, my idea is—we'd better make a raft!" said Andy. "We can't get a boat or make one—but we could make a rough kind of raft, and get a mast of some sort to rig a sail on. We've plenty of food to take with us—and you and I, Tom, could set off alone on it to try and jnake for home. I daren't take the girls—they would be so cold on an open raft, and they would be safer here."
"Not take us!" cried Jill indignantly. "Of course you'll take us! We won't be left behind—will we. Mary?"
"Listen, Jill—you're only ten years old and not very big," said Andy patiently. "If we take you it will make tilings much more difficult for Tom and for me. If we get home safely we can have you rescued at once—if we don't get home you will at least be safe on the island."
The girls cried bitterly at this. They thought it was very unfair. They couldn't know that Andy didn't feel at all certain of ever getting home, and was very much afraid of the girls being washed overboard when big waves came. He and Tom were strong—and besides they were boys—but the girls would never be able to stand tossing about on a raft for days and days.
Andy was quite firm about it, and the girls dried their eyes and listened to his plans. Tom wondered what the raft was to be made of.
"We shall have to pull our wooden hut to pieces and use the planks," said Andy. "Luckily we've got plenty of nails to use."