“Yes, indeed!” said Pencroft, “that was a man of the right sort.” “Was!” exclaimed Herbert, “do you despair of ever seeing him again?” “God forbid!” replied the sailor. Their work was soon done, and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. “Now,” said he, “our friends can come back when they like. They will find a good enough shelter.” They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. This, if the smoke did not take the heat out with it, would be enough to maintain an equal temperature inside. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms, and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood. The seaman was busy with this, when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. “Certainly,” replied Pencroft, “and I may say happily, for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix.” “Still we might get fire as the savages do,” replied Herbert, “by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other.” “All right; try, my boy, and let’s see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms.” “Well, it’s a very simple proceeding, and much used in the islands of the Pacific.” “I don’t deny it,” replied Pencroft, “but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood, for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way, but I could never manage it. I must say I prefer matches. By the bye, where are my matches?” Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box, which was always there, for he was a confirmed smoker. He could not find it; he rummaged the pockets of his trousers, but, to his horror, he could nowhere discover the box. “Here’s a go!” said he, looking at Herbert. “The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely, Herbert, you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly make fire!” “No, I haven’t, Pencroft.” The sailor rushed out, followed by the boy. On the sand, among the rocks, near the river’s bank, they both searched carefully, but in vain. The box was of copper, and therefore would have been easily seen. “Pencroft,” asked Herbert, “didn’t you throw it out of the car?” “I knew better than that,” replied the sailor; “but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?” “Look here, the tide is going down,” said Herbert; “let’s run to the place where we landed.”