Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/69

Rh for Gordon made a proposal which gave them something else to do.

"My comrades," he said, "we are now going away from this bay, and will no more be able to look out over the sea, and if any ship comes in sight of the island, we shall not be able to signal to her. It will therefore be best, I think to rig tip a mast on the cliff, and hoist one of our flags and keep it flying. That will probably be enough to attract the attention of any ship that may pass within sight of it."

The idea having been adopted, the schooner's topmast, which had not been used in the raft, was dragged to the foot of the cliff where the slope by the river-bank was not too great, and it required a good deal of effort to get it up the rugged slope of the ridge. Success came at last, however, and the mast was firmly fixed in the ground. Then with a halliard Baxter hoisted the British flag, and the same moment Donagan saluted it by firing his gun.

"Hallo!" said Gordon to Briant. "There is Donagan taking possession of the island in the name of Great Britain!"

"I shall be much astonished if it doesn't belong to Great Britain already," said Briant.

Gordon's reply was a grimace, and by his always speaking of it as "his island" it seemed as though he had claimed it for the United States.

Next morning at sunrise all were astir. The tent was taken down and the bedding carried on board the raft, with the sail put over it to protect it from the weather, which, however, promised to be favourable enough, although a change in the direction of the wind had brought a good deal of mist in from the sea. By seven o'clock everything was ready. The raft had been so loaded that it gave accommodation for the company for two or three days, and Moko had cooked enough food to last, so that a fire would not be needed.

At half-past eight the boys all gathered on the raft.