Page:Ballinger Price--The Happy Venture.djvu/184

166 "Even if I reached a desert island," Kirk thought mournfully, "I don't know what I'd do. People catch turklesturtles [sic] and shoot at parrots and things, but they can see what they're doing."

The boat rolled on, and Kirk began to feel quite wretchedly sick, and thirstier than ever. He lay flat under the tarpaulin and tried to count minutes. Sixty, quite fast—that was one minute. Had he counted two minutes, now, or was it three? Then he found himself counting on and on—a hundred and ﬁfty-one, a hundred and ﬁfty-two.

"I wish I'd hurry up and die," said poor Kirk out loud.

Then his darkness grew more dark, for he could no longer think straight. There was nothing but long swirling waves of dizziness and a rushing sound.

"Phil," Kirk tried to say. "Mother."

At about this time, Ken was standing in the government wireless station, a good many miles from Asquam. He had besieged an astonished young operator early in the morning, and had implored him to call every ship at sea within