Rest, freedom from peril, wounds and bruises amending, and the fact that the previous day's supply had been very short, combined to make everybody ravenous; and the captain, though without a ship, had his hands full.
He satisfied himself that Morgan and the sailor were better, the fever having abated, and then gave his orders shortly.
Two men were set to make a fire, two more to cut down a cocoa-nut tree that was of small size and yet bore several fruits.
The major and Widgeon started off along the shore with a biscuit-bag to collect shell-fish, and at the muddy exit of a tiny stream came upon quite a swarm of little crabs, who challenged them to fight--so Billy afterwards said--by snapping their claws at them and flourishing them above their heads as they retreated to their holes.
Mark and Small provided themselves with a bag of bivalves for bait and went off to the boat to fish.
Lastly, the captain and the ladies walked to the edge of the jungle in search of fruit, while the former shot a few birds.
The morning was delightful, and Mark and Small were soon afloat, to Billy Widgeon's intense disgust, for it had been his full intention to take Mark's place and form one of the fishing party.
Mark soon had a line ready, and after opening some of the shell-fish with his knife baited a couple of hooks and waited till the boatswain had piloted the boat to where there was an opening in the reef and the sea was setting into the lagoon.
"Now, lookye here, my lad," said Small; "when I was a boy I used to fish in the mill-dam at the back of our cottage, and I always found as there was most fish where the stream set in or came out.

Now that's deep water, and I'll hold on to the bit of rock here while you chuck in; and if you don't get a bite we'll try somewheres else." He laid in the oar, and taking the boat-hook had no difficulty in taking hold of the coral, which was only a couple of feet below, and Mark made his first cast right into the running current.
It was a good throw, and he stooped down and picked up the loose rings, to lay them out quite neatly and wind some of the superabundant line about the little frame, when there was a whiz over the side, the line darted out, there was a painful sensation of cutting, a jerk at the lad's arm as if it were about to be dragged out of the socket, and--that was all! "Well, you hooked him," said Small grimly.

"He must have been a big un." "Big ?--a monster!" cried Mark excitedly.

"He must have broken the line." "Haul in and bait again," said Small; and as the line was drawn in it was found that there was no breakage, but the soft metal hook had bent out nearly straight and torn from the fish's mouth.
"It hurt my hand horribly," said Mark as he bent the damaged hook back into position; "but it must have hurt the fish more." "Sarve him right, my lad!--he was on his way to kill and eat some other fish.

That's it.