As he spoke the party emerged from a somewhat rugged pass, close to the
highest peak of the mountain-ranges. A few minutes' scramble brought
them to the summit, whence they obtained a magnificent view of the
entire circuit of the island.

We have said that the peak is just over a thousand feet high. From this
commanding position the Pacific was seen with a boundless horizon all
round. Not a speck of land visible save the rocky isle on which they
stood. Not a sail to mark the vast expanse of water, which, from that
height, seemed perfectly flat and smooth, though a steady breeze was
blowing, and the islet was fringed with a pure white ring of foam. Not
a cloud even to break the monotony of the clear sky, and no sound to
disturb the stillness of nature save the plaintive cries, mellowed by
distance, of the myriads of sea-fowl which sailed round the cliffs, or
dipped into the water far below.

"Solitude profound," said Christian, in a low voice, breaking the
silence which had fallen on the party as they gazed slowly round them.

Just then a loud and hideous yell issued from, apparently; the bowels of
the earth, and rudely put to flight the feeling of profound solitude.
The cry, although very loud, had a strangely muffled sound, and was
repeated as if by an echo.

The explorers looked in each other's faces inquiringly, and not without
an expression of awe.

"Strange," said Adams; "an' it sounded very like some one in distress."

It was observed suddenly that Isaac Martin was absent.

"But the voice was not like his," said Brown.

The mysterious cry was repeated at the moment, and Christian ran quickly
in the direction whence it seemed to come. As they neared a rugged mass
of rocks which lay close to the peak on which they had been standing,
the cry lost much of its mystery, and finally assumed the tones of
Martin's voice.

"Hallo! hi! murder! help! O my leg! Mr Christian, Adams, Brown, this
way. Help! ho! hi!"

What between the muffled sound and the echo, Martin created a noise that
would have set his friends into fits of laughter if they had not been
greatly alarmed.

In a few seconds the party reached what seemed to be a dark hole, out of
which the poor man's left leg was seen protruding. Christian and Adams
grasped it. Brown and one of the Otaheitans lent a hand, and Martin was
quickly dragged out of danger and set on his legs.

"I say, Martin," said Brown, anxiously, "sit down or you'll bu'st