"Maybe it's the one we're after," Jack suggested.
"We'll know in the morning," his uncle promised him.
"Seems as though we ought to pick it up pretty soon," the captain said a little later.
"I reckon it must have been further off than it looked," Mr. Lakewood said.
But when another half hour had passed and there was no sign of the island it was plain that the captain was beginning to be worried.
"It's mighty strange," he muttered.
"Isn't it possible that we've gone past it?" Bob asked.
"Hardly, unless something has happened to the compass and that's not likely."
When another half hour had slipped by and they had not picked up the island the captain gave the signal to stop and the boat slowly lost headway.
"We've gone by it or else it's moved," he declared, "See how much water there is under her," he shouted to the first mate who was standing in the bow.