ly intimate, the skipper hurried the end
of the meal by suggesting that he should once more sound the well.

They went on deck at once, to find both pumps were being kept
energetically going, the half-dozen men from the schooner taking their
turns in the heartiest way, a general fraternisation having taken place,
while on seeing the result of the skipper's examination, the delight of
the Count and his son seemed unbounded.

"There you are, then, sir," said the skipper, in answer to a look from
the doctor, "and now we will leave you to it."

"And I suppose," said Uncle Paul, "that you will have no hesitation,
sir, in following Captain Chubb's advice?"

"And making for the mouth of some river," said the Count, glancing at
his son, "to get the brig ashore, so as to repair her?"

"Exactly," said Uncle Paul. "You must see that there is nothing else
that you can do."

"Nothing else that I can do," said the Count slowly, and Rodd gave him a
wondering glance, for the skipper's remarks about the brig's owner being
out of his mind came to his memory. "You intend to cruise about here,
then, Dr Robson?"

"Here or anywhere," was the reply. "Probably here until I seem to have
exhausted the natural history specimens that I can collect."

"Yes," said the Count, gazing fixedly at his son, "until you have
exhausted the natural history specimens that you can collect."

He spoke in a curious dreamy way as if he were thinking hard, while Rodd
coloured a little as he saw that the young Frenchman was gazing at him
fixedly, for once more he could not help thinking of the skipper's
words.

"Do you know of a place that would be likely, doctor?" said the Count.
"I mean a river that we could sail up into shallow water, if we were so
fortunate as to reach one without sinking first."

"Not I," said the doctor, "but my captain here has cruised along this
coast in by-gone days, and he tells me that it would be easy enough to
find inlet after inlet, and deltas with streams, running up through the
muddy mangrove swamps."

"But then we might never reach the shore," said the Count slowly--"not
with the brig--in spite of your kindly, I may say brotherly aid."

Rodd felt that the Count's son was still gazing at him searchingly, but
he did not turn his head, for the doctor began speaking at once.

"Really, my dear sir," he said almost curtly, "national dislike seems to
exist to a great extent amongst your countrymen. Do you really think w