o the right and
left, and to maintain as great a distance apart during the day as would
be compatible with an easy interchange of communication by signal; to
keep a sharp look-out all day; and to close in again upon the launch at
nightfall.

The order was promptly obeyed, and in five minutes afterwards the little
fleet were dancing gaily along over the low liquid hills of the Pacific
swell, tossing tiny showers of spray out on each side from their bows,
and leaving a long glistening wake of miniature whirlpools behind them.

The slight bustle of making sail on the boats, combined with the novelty
of their situation, was sufficient to rouse all hands; and a few minutes
after the boats were fairly under weigh, the ladies and little May
emerged from their quarters in the stern-sheets of the launch. The
excitement of the previous night had been completely overcome by the
fatigue of preparation to desert the ship, and the lateness of the hour
of retirement had secured for these, our heroines, a few hours of sound
repose, so that when they made their appearance aft, refreshed by sleep
and exhilarated by the pure bracing morning breeze, they looked and felt
as little like castaways as one can well imagine. Indeed, they appeared
more disposed to regard the adventure as a pleasantly exciting escapade
than anything else--a state of feeling which the gentlemen of the party
were careful to foster and encourage by every means in their power,
judging it highly probable that there would be enough and more than
enough to damp their high spirits before this singular boat-voyage, just
commenced, should be over.

On board the launch, the fortunes of which we propose to follow for the
present, all was pleasant activity. Even the skipper, whose reflections
must necessarily have been of a somewhat sombre character, glad to
observe such a prevalence of good spirits among his fellow voyagers,
resolutely put all disagreeable thoughts behind him, and chimed in with
the others, feeling the importance of prolonging to its utmost extent so
favourable and pleasant a state of affairs.

Lance, whose experiences in the Australian bush had evidently made him
fertile of resource, now rummaged out from among his baggage a
diminutive but effective cooking apparatus, the fuel for which was
supplied from a goodly jar of spirit stowed away in the eyes of the
boat; and, initiating the steward into the peculiarities of its
management and explaining to hi