THE eatables which Mr. Long had brought with him were not such as would have been welcome to a fastidious taste or a dainty appetite; but to these long-fasting, hard-working, and half-starving, and altogether ravenous boys, anything that was eatable was precious. The brown ship-bread and salt pork, which Mr. Long handed up to them, were seized as eagerly as if they had been roast beef and plum pudding, and soon disposed of. A knife drawn from Phil’s belt served very quickly to cut the pork into slices, after which the pork and the brown biscuit vanished. “What a pity,” said Mr. Long, as he looked around, “that we didn’t get here an hour earlier! The water’s going out fast; the schooner is aground, and we’ll have to wait till the next tide before we can start for the cove.” “It’s a pity that we can’t do something while waiting, so as not to throw our time away,” said Mr. Simmons. “There don’t seem to be much prospect of doing anything just here, but we can try.” “Nor do I see that there are any people living about here.” “No: Captain Corbet told me there were no inhabitants within eight miles.” “These banks are not very inviting to a mineralogist--are they?” said Mr. Simmons, with a sigh, as he looked along the beach. “No; we’ll have to lay out our strength on the mud flats. Perhaps we may find some interesting footprints at low tide.” “Well, we may as well go ashore now, I suppose. It’s rather monotonous standing here on an inclined plane, with the vessel aground on her side. I think I’ll climb the bank, and take a general view of the country.” “Very well; I’ll go with you,” said Mr. Long. “And now, boys,” he continued, “remember this: don’t go out of sight. This beach is long, and it will soon be wide, for the tide will leave it all uncovered. This will give space enough for even such extensive and wide-spreading desires as yours. Now, don’t go off the beach or the flats. Don’t go up in the woods, and get lost; don’t go into the water, and get drowned; don’t blow yourselves up with that pistol; don’t get into any more fights with ‘shovel-mouth sharks,’ or, if you do, be sure to call me; don’t get into air-holes if you can help it. As to going adrift again, I don’t see how you can manage that, as there is nothing afloat just yet; but, dear hoys, if you can possibly help it, don’t do it. Try and see if you can’t manage’ to keep your clothes on. It’s much better, as a general thing, to do so.” All this the hoys greeted with loud laughter; after which they sprang over the vessel’s side, and scattered themselves along the beach. Captain Corbet stood looking after them, with a beaming smile irradiating his venerable countenance.