specimen alone," replied Drew. "We'll
go on round that corner where the forest edge seems to bend away to the
south, and wait for him there."

He indicated a spot about a hundred yards farther on, and the party
walked slowly along till the bend was reached, when as they caught a
puff of the soft warm air from which they had been sheltered, Smith
suddenly threw up his head, expanded his nostrils, as he drew in a deep
breath and exclaimed,--

"Hysters!"

"Nay, lad," cried Wriggs, who had followed his example.

"Mussels!"

"It's both on 'em, matey," cried Smith. "Hear that?"

Everyone did hear "that"--the deep, heavy, dull, booming thud of a
roller, as in imagination they saw it come running in like a wall of
water to strike on the reef; curl over in a brilliant, many-hued arch,
and break in thousands of sheaves of diamond spray.

"It can't be more than a mile away," said Drew, quickly, as he began to
look about for a spot where he could throw himself down and rest while
they waited.

"No," said Panton; "the wave must have swept along here and spread off a
little to the south, clearing the forest away to the edge of the lagoon.
Yonder's the still water; I can just catch the gleam of it and the long
roll of the breakers farther away. Hah it's nice here. How fresh the
sea air smells!"

"Salt," said Drew, quietly.

"Any objection to me and Billy Wriggs going and having a dip, sir?" said
Smith, respectfully.

"Yes--now," said Panton. "Mr Lane may be back directly, and we had
better keep together; perhaps we shall all go down to the sea when he
joins us."

"Thank-ye, sir, all the same," said the sailor--"whether we gets what we
wants and whether we doesn't," he added to himself; as he walked away.
Then aloud,--"Billy, my lad, it aren't no go, and we've got to stop
dirty till we all goes down to the sea together. So let's you and me,
matey, begin to look for cooriosities. How do we know as we mayn't find
dymons and precious stones, pearls, and silver and gold, all a-lying
about waiting to be picked up and put in your pockets."

"Gammon! I wants a bit o' pig-tail, matey," replied Wriggs. "Let's go
along here to that there bit o' stone, where we can sit down and talk
without their hearin' on us. Come on."

He led the way, and, in a few yards, the beautiful lagoon, hidden before
by an irregularity, lay spread out before them like a sheet of blue and
silver, spreading for miles along the western shore.