As for clothes, they could take only what they had on; for when the work of loading was complete, the Wondership carried a pretty heavy cargo, besides the six persons who were to travel in her. This number, too, was augmented by a seventh in the person of Judkins. Feeble groans from his cabin had led to the discovery that the injured man had been left behind by his companions. He was carried out and placed in the machine before it was launched so as to lose no time later in hoisting his helpless form over the side.

The tackles by which the craft had been hauled on board luckily remained intact, and by passing the ropes around a hand winch they found that they could hoist her into the air and drop her gently upon the water. The list of the ship aided the transfer materially, and the work of immediate preparation for their adventurous trip occupied but a small portion of an hour.

and the Wondership floated alongside, they descended by the companionway, and a few minutes later the engine was started. As they glided off to the westward, they noticed that the island was almost awash. Before they had gone five miles, nothing was visible but the masts of the yacht and her yellow funnel. Within ten minutes more these, too, had vanished, and they knew that the Valkyrie had ended her last cruise. They were alone on the ocean.

Their plan was to keep on a due westerly course, which would bring them in time to land, without fail. Once landed, the proposal was for a part of the castaways to strike off and seek out a town or village where aid might be procured. Aside from this, their plans had been left to such circumstances as might confront them on the Brazilian shore.