“That looks all right to me,” exclaimed Fred eagerly and a moment later he was flat on his stomach, taking long draughts of the clear water.
“Whew, that’s fine,” he said enthusiastically, as he rose to his feet once more and sighed with satisfaction.
“Is it cool?” asked John.
“It’s almost cold,” said Fred. “Why don’t you try it?”
John did try it and so did every one else. All pronounced it to be just as Fred had described it. “We can live for a long while on that water and the fruit that’s here,” remarked Fred. “We won’t have to worry about starving anyway.”
“Just the same we want to get our flag up,” exclaimed Grant. “Let’s do it now and get it over with.”
Without further delay they proceeded to the top of the hill. There were no trees on the summit and for a space of two or three hundred yards, the ground was bare and unobstructed. The very highest point on the island was selected and there a hole was dug. Sticks and knives and fingers and anything that could be found was used in the task, for no tools had been put in the life-boat.
“If we only had the oars,” said George, “we could have tied them all together and made a real flag pole.”
“What’s the matter with this?” demanded Fred. “It may not be very beautiful, but it’ll do the work all right. It’s limber too, so that if a high wind comes up it will bend and not break.”
“All right,” exclaimed George, “put the flag on and we’ll set it up.”