Jack was the first of the boys on deck, and when he reached there he saw Dr. Wise talking to the captain and the first officer, there being a grizzled old seaman conversing with Bucephalus at a short distance.

The doctor and the officers seemed to be carrying on a very earnest conversation, and Jack heard a little of it as he came forward, and then suddenly stopped, fearing that he might be intruding.

“We are on the bottom, sir, and I don’t know how long we may be there,” said Captain Storms.  “The next high tide may raise us, and it may not.  It is my opinion that we have been on the bottom ever since we came into the bay, and how we are going to lighten her I don’t know.”

“But there are no holes, we have opened no seams, we have not taken in any water?” asked the doctor, looking fixedly at the captain through his big black-rimmed spectacles.

“No, there are no open seams and no water.  The bottom is sandy, too, I think, and not the sharp coral rock you find in these parts that will cut a hole in anything that touches it.  No, it is simply a case of too little water to float us, but that, as I may say, may be remedied.  Time will tell.”

“Then you do not think there is any cause for alarm, sir?”

“Not any great amount, no, sir.  The moon is not quite full, although it looked so last night, and when it fills we may get higher water.  We can tell to-night.  Meanwhile, there are the boats, and your young gentlemen may go on shore and explore the island.  I don’t think there are any people on it, as it seems very small.  Many of the islands hereabouts have no one on them.”

“You don’t know which one it is as yet?”

“No, I don’t.”

The doctor walked forward, and looked over the rail, and Jack went up to Bucephalus, and the old sailor and said: 

“You don’t know where we are, either of you, I suppose?”

“Ah haven’t de remotest ideah, sah,” replied the negro, “an’ far as Ah can make o’t dis gentleman am in de same predicament.  He says we am in de tropics at a island ob not werry big size an’ importance, but Ah was aware of dese fac’s mahself befo’ Ah interrogated him, sah, so dat Ah am no furder dan Ah was befo’, sah.”

“This here is an island in the Spanish Main, the place where the old pirates and buccaneers used to roam,” said the old sailor whose name Jack learned later was Ben Bowline, “and that’s all I know about it.  You didn’t come lookin’ fur Cap’n Kidd’s treasure, did you?”

“No, we did not, and I don’t believe we would find it if we had.  Men are foolish that go looking for such things.  I don’t believe that Captain Kidd buried the hundredth part of the gold that he is reputed to have buried.  I have other things to do besides looking for buried gold.”

“You’re about right,” said Ben, “but there’s plenty who do look for it, and spend their lives at it and don’t get nothing.  This here is one of them islands, and I thought mebby you boys had come a-lookin’ for something like that.  Boys haven’t anymore sense.”