ases below are not quite
extinct, but are smouldering ready to burst out at any time, sending
forth the fiery rain to destroy the verdure, torrents of molten stone to
run in streams down to the sea, or a flood of boiling mud to turn the
lovely island into a wilderness. All is so beautiful that we can hardly
turn away to begin our descent to where the yacht is lying in the
lagoon, which forms a perfectly safe port into which it has been towed
by the crew. But go down we must, for we are choking with thirst--at
least I am, through talking; so long, and I'll trouble you, steward, for
another glass of water."

"Oh," cried Jack, who had been drinking in every word, his face flushed
and eyes bright with excitement as he pictured mentally the glorious
place the doctor had described, "what a cruel mockery to raise one's
expectations like that. It's like waking one suddenly from a beautiful
dream."

"Don't quarrel with him, my boy. I say, Jack! I did not know the
doctor could be so florid."

"I didn't either," said the doctor, laughing, "not till I tried."

"Capital!" cried the mate, clapping his hands softly.

"Yes, excellent," said the captain, smiling, with a peculiar twinkling
about the eyes. "But it seems to me, Sir John, that you do not need any
guide."

"Why not?"

"Because I see the doctor has been there."

"I never was farther from home than Switzerland in my life."

"That's strange," said the captain, "for that's the very island I am
making for now."

"Oh! won't do," said the doctor. "Mine was all exaggeration, built up
out of old books of travels."

"The description was perfect, sir," said the captain quietly. "Eh,
Bartlett?"

"Photographic," said the mate.

"Come, come, gentlemen, that won't do," said the doctor merrily. "I
gave rein to my fancy. I knew that the coral islands are very lovely,
and the volcanic islands very grand, and so I said to myself, I'll paint
a regular tip-top one, such as ought to please friend Jack here, and I
joined the volcanic on to the coral and astonished myself."

"And me too," said Sir John, laughing.

"And disappointed me horribly," said Jack; "I really thought there was
such a place."

"So there is, Mr Jack, and we're sailing for it now," said the captain
quietly.

"Aha! Which?" cried the doctor merrily, as he felt that he was trapping
the captain fast,--"coral or volcanic?"

"Both, sir," said the latter, and he looked at Jack as he spoke. "There