But let us listen to the tale as Ralph told it: "We were on the after part of the ship at the time the explosion took place. It was between nine and ten at night. The explosion seemed to break the ship in two, and an officer, a seaman, and three of my companions, including Tom here, launched one of the boats, and when it was apparent that the vessel was sinking, the officer ordered the boat away. We saw two of the lifeboats, and made for the nearest one, when the wave from the sinking ship nearly overturned us. Soon after a heavy fog covered everything, and when that disappeared a high wind arose, and the sea became choppy and the froth was blown over us so that all became drenched."
"All that tallies exactly with our experience," remarked George.
"Instead of decreasing the wind grew more furious during the following day, and Tom and myself became very ill and helpless. When I recovered consciousness there was only Tom and another companion in sight, and neither of them knew what happened, or how the others disappeared. We were lashed to the boat, and just before I became unconscious I remembered that the seaman gave me some biscuits and canned meat, as well as a flask of water, and those I found beside me when I awoke. During the night Tom also awoke and began to rave, and I tried to quiet him, and after making a number of trials found the locker and gave him some stimulating medicines, which you will remember were put up and in the use of which we were instructed. Our other companion died of exposure the fourth day."
"Weren't the others lashed to the boat?"
"I don't remember. How many days we were washed by the sea I do not know, but it must have been fully a week, and we were both entirely exhausted, when something happened to our boat, and everything appeared motionless, but still I could hear a terrific roaring sound. When I regained my senses, I recognized Tom bending over me, and the first words I remember were: 'I thought you would never come to again.' I learned that we had been cast ashore the night before, and we could see the wrecked parts of our lifeboat strewn all about, as the winds had died down, but the sea was still running high."
Harry looked at him eagerly: "Didn't you save your boat or any part of it?" And George was almost at the limit of nervous tension as he leaned forward and waited for the reply.
"No; our boat was crushed beyond all hope of recovery. We did not find any of the food stored in it, and when we were able to leave the beach on which we were thrown, we saw that not fifty feet to the left of us was the first of a series of rocky projections running to the west, against which we were no doubt landed when carried up by the immense breaker."
"Have you any idea where you landed—that is, on what part of the island?" was the Professor's first question.
"I haven't the slightest idea, for reasons which you will now learn."
"But," broke in Tom, "don't forget to relate what we saw the first day, before we had gotten a half mile from the shore."