The smells came from the opposite direction.
"We must turn this boat around," Dr. Dolittle stated.
"Jip, are you sure?" said, Gub-Gub, sniffing. "I don’t smell anything."
"That’s because you’re a pig!" barked Jip.
"Pigs have a good sense of smell, too!" Gub-Gub said proudly. "I can smell coffee, biscuits, strawberry jam . . ."
"You’re holding a biscuit . . . with strawberry jam!" Jip shouted. "And there’s coffee downstairs!"
"Stop arguing! Let’s find the boy’s uncle!" Dr. Dolittle scolded.
Jip continued to sniff the air. "We’re getting closer, Doctor," the dog said.
"I’ll look from up here," said Too-Too as he flew up to the mast.
They sailed all day, but they saw no land anywhere. Even the boy began to lose hope.
"Is Jip sure, Dr. Dolittle? Can you ask him again?" he asked.
But Dr. Dolittle trusted his faithful dog. "I believe Jip. I’m sure he knows what he is doing," the doctor replied. Jip suddenly howled loudly.
"What’s the matter, Jip?" asked the worried doctor.
"We must hurry! The smell is getting weaker! Hurry!" Jip barked.
Dr. Dolittle and the animals found some rope. They made it into thin strings again. Then the doctor called the birds.
"This pirates’ ship is fast," he told them, "but we must go faster!"
Just like before, the birds pulled the ship. It moved faster than ever.
"I’m flying! I’m flying!" the boy shouted excitedly.
"Jip! Jip!" Too-Too suddenly cried. "There’s an island ahead of us!"
The island was small but it had a huge rock on it.
"Let’s sail around the island first," suggested Dab-Dab.
Dr. Dolittle thanked the birds for their help. Then he slowly guided the ship around the island. He could see no living creatures thereㅡno man, birds or animals.
"Hello!" Dr. Dolittle called out.
"Hello!" echoed the rock. Dr. Dolittle shook his head and looked at Jip.
"But he’s here! I know it!" Jip said.
So the doctor put down the anchor. Everyone got off the ship. Jip started to sniff the ground and walk toward the rock.
"Do you think my uncle is here?" asked the boy. But Dr. Dolittle could not answer him.
At last Jip let out a great bark. He stood beside a big deep hole in the middle of the rock.
"Can you see anything?" the boy asked Dr. Dolittle.
"I will go down and look," the brave doctor replied.
It was very dark inside the hole.
"It looks like a cave," Dr. Dolittle shouted out.
"Do you see anything?" Dab-Dab called down.
Dr. Dolittle lit a match. "I do!" said the doctor excitedly.
There, in the corner of the cave, lay a man with red hair!