the
stricken mother, clasping her hands; "I canna, I winna believe it. Are
ye sure that was the ship's name?"

"Yes, too sure," answered her husband. "I've mislaid the dear boy's
letter, but I'll go and see Mrs Niven. He mentioned it, I know, to
her."

There was yet another house in Scotland into which the message carried
profound grief; namely, that of Bailie Trench. Need we say that the
supposed loss of an only son was a crushing blow, rendered all the more
terrible by the thought that death had been met so suddenly in a voyage
which had been undertaken in search of health?

But we will spare the reader further details, and return once more to
the Coral Island, where we left the castaways making themselves as
comfortable as the nature of the place would admit of.

And, truth to tell, there are many people in civilised lands much less
comfortably situated than were these same castaways.

The weather, as O'Rook said, "was splendacious, almost equal to that of
ould Ireland." Cocoa-nuts and other fruits were abundant. The lagoon
swarmed with fish, including sharks, which rendered fishing an
excitingly dangerous, as well as enjoyable, pastime. Polly Samson found
gardens of coral and seaweed in crystal pools, which she could gaze at
and admire for hours, though she could not walk in them. But she could,
and did, sympathise with the little fish of varied size and colour which
darted about in these water gardens, and Philosopher Jack found in them
an inexhaustible theme for discourse to the teachable and inquisitive
Baldwin Burr. The captain found enough of employment in directing and
planning generally for the whole party. Cutting firewood, gathering
nuts and wild fruit, fell to the lot of Bob Corkey; and Simon O'Rook
slid naturally into the office of cook. The remainder of the men were
employed at various jobs, according to circumstances.

Watty Wilkins was a passionate fisher. He divided his time between the
lagoon and the couch of his sick friend Bell Trench, who soon began to
improve on rest, sunshine, and cocoa-nut milk. As for Mr Luke, being
fit for nothing, he was allowed to do very much what he pleased, except
at meal times, when O'Rook made him wash the dishes, many of which were
merely flat stones. In short, the place was, according to Polly, a sort
of paradise, and would have been almost perfect, but for a tendency in
one or two of the men to quarrel, and a powerful disposition in Bob
Corkey a