feathers sprang. This covering stood out the more strongly
from the fact that at first sight the bird appeared to be of a dense
black, but at the slightest movement it glowed with bronze metallic
blue, and an indescribable tint, such as is sometimes seen in
freshly-broken sulphur and iron ore.

For some moments no one spoke, and with tender touches Oliver turned his
bird here and there, so that the sun should play upon its glistening
plumage at different angles. Now he was carefully raising some feather
which was slightly out of place, now raising the six crest feathers
through his hand, and bending over it as if it were the most glorious
object he had ever seen.

"Seems a sin to attempt to skin it," said Oliver at last. "I shall
never get those feathers to look so smooth again."

"Oh, yes, you will. Go on," said Panton, "and get it done. The weather
soon makes a change."

"Yes, I must carefully preserve this," cried Oliver; and Drew sighed.

"I've worked pretty hard," he said, "but I have found nothing to compare
with that in rarity or beauty."

"Then you think it'll do, sir?" said Smith, with his face shining with
pleasure.

"Do, my man! I can never be grateful enough to you both for finding
it."

"Worth long rigmarole, eh, sir?" said Wriggs with a chuckle.

"It's worth anything to a naturalist, my man."

"What is?" said Mr Rimmer, coming up; and the bird was held up for his
inspection.

"Another kind of bird of Paradise?" he said.

"Yes, isn't it lovely?"

"Very, gentlemen, but I want to talk to you about launching our lugger,
she's getting well on toward being ready."

"Ready?" said Oliver. "Oh yes, of course. But don't hurry, Mr Rimmer,
we shan't be ready to go for some time yet."

"Mean it?" said Rimmer, smiling.

"Mean it!" cried Oliver, looking up from his bird. "Why, you don't
suppose we can go away from a place where such specimens as this are to
be had. I can't."

"No," said Panton, quietly, "since I got better I have been finding such
a grand series of minerals that I must stay if I possibly can. What do
you say, Drew?"

"It would be madness to hurry away."

"And what about the niggers?" said Mr Rimmer, who looked amused.

"They haven't worried us lately."

"But the volcano? Really, gentlemen, I never feel safe from one day to
another. I am always expecting to see the earth open and swallow us
up."

"Yes, we are in a doubtful position," said Panton, thoughtfully, "a