Page:Barbour--Lost island.djvu/191

 "Shiver my timbers!" said Captain Grummitt "Have you found her, lad?"

Dave shook his head regretfully, with a smile.

"No such luck," he said, "though Tempest keeps joking with me about it."

"It's no joke, laddie," said Tempest. "It seems to me you got nearer to it than any one else ever did, only you did n't realize it at the time."

"Well, out with it," urged Grummitt. "What happened?"

"As far as we know at present," Tempest explained, "There has only been one bark of that name lost in the South Seas. Dave happened to be talking to an old sailor on the quay at Brooklyn this year, and got wind of a bark called the Hatteras that was lying half buried in sand on some island."

"Where?" Captain Grummitt asked, his interest aroused.

"Goodness knows! But wait a minute. The