On this he poured a few grains of powder, added a few blades of dried grass, and then set to work with his flint and steel.

After a blow or two, a spark fell into the powder.

It blazed up, igniting the blades of grass and the leaf, and in a minute the little pile was in a blaze.
Dried twigs, and then larger sticks were added, and soon a bright fire burned up.
"Throw on some of the green bush," Ned said.

"We do not want a blaze, for although we have thrown out the fellows in pursuit of us, there may be others about." "And now, Ned," Tom said, after sitting for some time gazing into the red fire, "what on earth are we to do next ?" "That is a question more easily asked than answered," Ned said, cheerfully.

"We have saved our skins for the present, now we have got to think out what is the best course to pursue." "I don't see any way to get back to the ship," Tom said, after a long pause.