pinnacle upon which they
stood literally rocked and threatened to fall.

"Quick! get down," said Oliver, taking out the watch-like object once
more, glancing at it, and then replacing it in his vest.

"Comin' too, sir?"

"Yes, all right; five thousand nine hundred feet."

Smith stared, but went on descending, followed by Oliver, while the glow
shed upon them was for a few moments unbearable. Then the huge fountain
of molten rock ceased playing, the glow scorched them no longer, and
they scrambled and slid down in safety to where their friends were
waiting, and commenced their descent after taking their bearings as well
as they could.

"What did you make it?"

"Just over five thousand nine hundred."

"And we've got nearly all that distance to go down," said Drew. "I'm
tired already."

But there was no help for it, and they toiled on down among the crevices
in safety, and finally reached the brig, but not till close upon
midnight, rejoicing, in spite of their weariness, upon a great feat
achieved.

"But it caps me, that it do," said Smith in the forecastle.

"What does?"

"Why, for that Mr Oliver Lane. I knows as we say they gents has got
tools for everything, but I never knowed as there was watches made as
could tell yer the time and how high up yer are all at once. Well,
there is, and I see it all, and it's quite right. I mean to have one of
them watches, and I asked Mr Oliver Lane about 'em. He says you can
buy 'em in London for thrippenten apiece, and I think he says as they
was made by a woman, Mrs Annie Royd, but I aren't quite sure."

"But yer can't afford to give thrippenten for one of they things,"
growled Wriggs.

"How do you know, matey? Mebbe I can, my lad."

"What yer want it for?"

"See how high yer are up when yer climbs mountains. I mean to say it
would be grand."

"Ah, well, I don't want one o' them," said Wriggs, thoughtfully.

"What do you want, then?"

"One o' them things as yer looks through into a drop a' water and sees
as what yer drinks is all alive."

"Not you," said Smith, contemptuously; "what you wants is plenty more
water in big tanks in our hold, and if I was Mr Rimmer, cap'en of this
here ship, I should make some, and keep 'em full."

"What for? Swimmin' baths?"

"Swimmin' great-grandmothers," growled Smith, contemptuously. "No, my
lad, I've got a sort o' sentiment as one o' these days the niggers'll
come and catch us on the hop, and if so be as they do