bountiful meals aboard the Southern Cross.

Breakfast over, Ben announced that the first thing to do was to try to
find out where they could be. It was agreed for this purpose to
advance along the beach for five miles or so in opposite directions,
the group being formed into two parties for the purpose. Harry and
Frank paired off in one party and Ben Stubbs and Billy formed the
other. They were to meet at noon or as soon thereafter as possible and
compare notes.

Frank and Harry tramped resolutely along the beach under a baking hot
sun till they felt as if they were going to drop, but they held
pluckily on, fortunately having found several springs along their line
of march.

From time to time they eagerly scanned the expanse of sparkling sea
that stretched before them; but it was as empty of life as a desert.

"Do you suppose the ship will make a search for us?" asked Frank.

"How can we tell," rejoined his brother, "they will have found out we
are gone by this time and will naturally conclude that we fell
overboard and were drowned or eaten by sharks."

Both agreed that such was probably likely to be the fact and that if
the coast on which they were cast away proved to be uninhabited their
situation might be very serious.

"On the other hand, the ship may have gone down after the collision,"
suggested Harry, "how she ever came to graze this land and then escape