"We hit some floating wreckage last night," explained Mr. Carr. "Stove quite a hole, but I managed to stuff part of a sail in it, and we did very well until early this morning. Then some of the seams began to open, and we're filling fast."
"I'll take you aboard," said the commander. "We've got a nice little island waiting for you. Where are the other men?"
"Drowned," replied Mr. Carr solemnly. "That is, those who were with me. When we got the hole in us they became frightened and leaped overboard—that is, all but Ned here. I tried to make 'em stay in, but they wouldn't. That is the last I saw of them. The other boat, with Sam Bender and his crew, we lost sight of."
"Poor fellows," murmured the captain.
The first mate and Ned were soon in the captain's gig, and shortly afterward the boat with the hole in her filled and sank.
"Never mind," consoled the captain. "It's shallow here and at low tide we may be able to get her. Anything left in her, Mr. Carr?"
"Considerable provisions in the water-tight compartments. Also some supplies."
"Very good. We'll need 'em all. We're quite a party of castaways now."
"How did you find Bob?" asked the first mate, for his boat had been near when the boy fell overboard.
"Oh, Bob discovered the island for us," replied the commander, and he explained the various happenings.