CHAPTER XX.
MAKING THE BEST OF IT Captain Spark and the sailor turned at the sound of Bob's voice.
The captain gave a joyful cry and started forward.

But Tim Flynn, the sailor, with a yell of fear, ran off down the beach in a different direction.
"Here! Come back!" cried the captain, pausing.

"What's the matter with you, Tim ?" "Sure I don't want to meet no ghost!" exclaimed the man.
"Ghost?
What do you mean ?" "Him," replied Tim, pointing a shaking finger at Bob.

"Didn't we see him drown, an' now ain't he here ahead of us to haunt us?
Let me go, cap'n." He was about to run off again, but Bob, who began to understand the superstitious rears of the man, called out: "It's me, Tim! I'm alive, all right!" The sailor paused, turned, and, after a long and rather doubting look at the boy, came slowly bade.
"Well, maybe it's all right," he said, "but it's mighty queer.
How'd ye git here ?" "Swam until I struck land.

But how did you get here, captain ?" and Bob clasped his relative warmly by the hand.
"Our boat must have been close to the island when it capsized," replied the former commander of the _Eagle_.