Page:Barbour--Lost island.djvu/261

 "Well, could n't we build a boat?" "I 've thought of that. But it's a big undertaking, you know, and I never made anything out of wood but a dog-kennel. I'm game to try, though, if you like. It 'll amuse us if it does nothing else. Let us start by giving her a name. What are you going to call this wonderful craft! How will the Mud Turtle do!"

"That 'll do finely," said the boy. "We will start on her as soon as you can walk."

Though neither Tempest nor Dave knew it, the day they laid the keel of the Mud Turtle the crew of the Manihiki were being landed at Melbourne, their plans having gone somewhat astray. They had covered half the distance to Fiji laboriously by tacking against adverse winds most of the time, and had reduced their ration of water by half, as their supply of that precious liquid was getting perilously low, when a steamer nearly ran them down in the middle of the night, the only lamp on the long-boat having been broken. The