Preston tried to whistle and failed miserably. The attempt was still too painful.
"You seem fond of putting boats ashore on small islands, old man," he remarked. "How about grub? Seen anything in the edible line?"
"A few coco-palms," announced Mostyn. "I didn't investigate. We may strike oil."
"I'd rather strike grub," rejoined the Acting Chief. "Well, there's one blessing—we've cigarettes."
Breakfast consisted of biscuits, fresh water, and fried fish. It was meagre fare, but the hungry castaways relished it. They could have eaten more, but Peter kept an iron hand on the biscuits, and fried fish without biscuits was neither satisfying nor appetizing.
The meal over, Mostyn set all hands—Preston excepted, by reason of his injuries—to work. He meant to keep everybody employed—even Mrs. Shallop. Idleness breeds discontent and discord, and he had no wish to have either.
The first task was to carry the tents and the small kit at their disposal to the high ground beyond the edge of the cliffs. Peter and the lascars managed the spars and canvas between them, while Olive and Mrs. Shallop carried up the lighter gear. Once she made up her mind that she had to work, Mrs. Shallop became quite energetic, finding her way up the cliff-path with tolerable speed in spite of her bulk. By ten in the morning the whole of the stuff brought ashore had been taken to a spot a hundred and fifty feet above the sea-level, and placed in a sheltered hollow within easy distance of the little stream that Peter had discovered.
While the two Lascars were setting up the tents, Peter and Mahmed constructed a stretcher in order to get Preston to the new camp.
The Acting Chief was practically helpless. At first it was thought that his injuries were confined to his head; but after he had been brought ashore his legs were found to have been crushed, and from the knees downwards the limbs were devoid of any sensation of pain, and the muscles incapable of responding to the dictates of his will.
It required twenty minutes of hard yet cautious work to carry Preston to the top of the cliffs, in spite of the fact that the path was fairly easy for an unencumbered person. The difficulty was for the bearers to keep their burden in a horizontal position, and at the same time maintain their footing. For the greater part of the ascent Mahmed was crouching and holding his end of the stretcher within a few inches of the ground, while Peter was supporting his end on his shoulders and cautiously feeling his way, since it was impossible for him to see where he was treading.