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But before he could gather a dozen of the brilliant flowers a glad shout

reached his ears, and, looking up, he saw two men running towards him

from the trees.

They were dressed in sailor fashion, but their clothing was reduced to

rags and scarcely clung to their brown, skinny bodies. As they advanced

they waved their arms wildly in the air and cried in joyful tones:

A boat! a boat!"

Rob stared at them wonderingly, and had much ado to prevent the poor

fellows from hugging him outright, so great was their joy at his

appearance. One of them rolled upon the ground, laughing and crying

by turns, while the other danced and cut capers until he became so

exhausted that he sank down breathless beside his comrade.

How came you here?" then inquired the boy, in pitying tones.

We're shipwrecked American sailors from the bark 'Cynthia Jane,' which

went down near here over a month ago," answered the smallest and

thinnest of the two. "We escaped by clinging to a bit of wreckage and

floated to this island, where we have nearly starved to death. Indeed, we

now have eaten everything on the island that was eatable, and had your

boat arrived a few days later you'd have found us lying dead upon the

beach!"

Rob listened to this sad tale with real sympathy.

But I didn't come here in a boat," said he.

The men sprang to their feet with white, scared faces.

No boat!" they cried; "are you, too, shipwrecked?"

No;" he answered. "I flew here through the air." And then he explained

to them the wonderful electric traveling machine.

But the sailors had no interest whatever in the relation. Their

disappointment was something awful to witness, and one of them laid his

head upon his comrade's shoulder and wept with unrestrained grief, so

weak and discouraged had they become through suffering.

Suddenly Rob remembered that he could assist them, and took the box

of concentrated food tablets from his pocket.

The Master Key