three or four miles in length. Nowhere was there any sign of even a
hut.

"Well?" queried Harrigan, seeing McTee frown.

"We can live here," explained the captain, "but God knows how long it
will be before we sight a ship. Our only hope is for some tramp
freighter that's trying to find a short cut through the reefs. Even if
we sight a tramp, how'll we signal her?"

"With a fire."

"Aye, if one passes at night. We could stack up wood on the top of this
hill. The island isn't charted. If a skipper saw a light, he might take
a chance and send a boat. But how could we kindle a fire?"

They went slowly down the hill, their heads bent. At the base, as if
placed in their path to cheer them in this moment of gloom, they found
a spring. It ran a dozen feet and disappeared into a crevice. They
cupped the water in their hands and drank long and deep. When they
stood up again, McTee dropped a hand on Harrigan's shoulder. He said:
"You've cause enough for hating me."

"Pal," said Harrigan, "you're nine parts devil, but the part of you
that's a man makes up for all the rest."

McTee brooded: "Now we're standing on the rim of the world, and we've
got to be brother to each other. But what if we get off the
island--there's small chance of it, but what if we should? Would we
remember then how we took hands in the trough of the sea?"