Never in his life had the boy felt so utterly forsaken and alone.

He decided to pull diagonally across the current towards shore, the mere sight of which would be reassuring.

But where were the oars?
Until this moment he had not noticed that there were none in the boat.

For some unknown reason they had been taken from it when the party landed on the island; and now the lonely navigator was utterly without the means of propelling or even guiding his craft.

He tried to tear up one of the floor boards, with the idea of using it as a paddle; but it was nailed in place so firmly as to resist his utmost efforts.