upon his shoulder.

The sky was a vault of purple with a flaming topaz in the center; the
sea, a heavenly blue; the warm air breathed heavenly odors; flaming
macaws wheeled overhead; humming-birds, more gorgeous than any flower,
buzzed round their heads, and amazed the eye with delight, then cooled it
with the deep green of the jungle into which they dived.

It was a Paradise with the sun smiling down on it, and the ocean smiling
up, and the air impregnated with love. Here they were both content now to
spend the rest of their days--

"The world forgetting; by the world forgot."

CHAPTER XLIX.

THE _Springbok_ arrived in due course at longitude 103 deg. 31 min., but
saw no island. This was dispiriting; but still Captain Moreland did not
despair.

He asked General Rolleston to examine the writing casefully, and tell him
was that Miss Rolleston's handwriting.

The general shook his head sorrowfully. "No," said he; "it is nothing
like my child's hand."

"Why, all the better," said Captain Moreland; "the lady has got somebody
about her who knows a thing or two. The man that could catch wild ducks
and turn 'em into postmen could hit on the longitude somehow; and he
doesn't pretend to be exact in the latitude."

Upon this he ran northward four hundred miles; which took him three days;
for they stopped at night.

No island.

He then ran south five hundred miles; stopping at night.

No island.

Then he took the vessel zigzag.

Just before sunset, one lovely day, the man at the mast-head sang out:

"On deck there!"

"Hullo!"

"Something in sight; on our weather-bow."

"What is it?"

"Looks like a mast. No. Don't know what it is."

"Point."

The sailor pointed with his finger.

Captain Moreland ordered the ship's course to be altered accordingly. By
this time General Rolleston was on deck. The ship ran two miles on the
new course; and all this time the topman's glass was leveled, and the
crew climbed about the rigging all eyes and ears.

At last the clear hail came down.

"I can make it out now, sir."

"What is it?

"It is a palm-tree."

The captain jumped on a gun, and waved his hat grandly, and instantly the
vessel rang with a lusty cheer; and, for once, sailors gabbled like
washerwomen.

They ran till they saw the island in the moonlight, and the giant palm,
black, and sculptured out of the violet sky; then they set the lead
going, and it warned them not to come too close. They anc