ent on deck, to find the men
in the boats, and the mate waiting with Edward who had slipped up by his
side.

"Hullo!" cried the doctor. "You're not going, Ned?"

"Yes, he is, doctor," said Jack quickly. "I want him."

Sir John said nothing, but stepped down into the large boat.

"I'll go in the other," said the doctor.

"You'll come with us?" said the mate to Jack.

"No; I'll go in the little boat," replied the lad; and he followed the
doctor, Edward, whose face by the gleam of one of the lanterns was
puckered up by a broad smile of satisfaction, entering the gig after
him.

"You'll be able to go a bit farther to-day, sir," said the captain at
parting. "I'd halt at the best place you can find at mid-day, and have
a good meal, rest for a couple of hours, and then make the best of your
way back."

Sir John nodded.

"Save the men all you can, Bartlett. You have the sails."

"Yes, sir," cried the mate. Then the oars dropped into the dark water
and they rowed away, the lesser boat about a length behind.

They seemed to Jack to have started too early, for it was very dark, and
the lanterns they carried in the bows shed a strange light across the
smooth water. There was the black forest on their left, and the
ghostly-looking reef with its billows on their right, with the dull
thunderous roar sounding strangely awe-inspiring, and the boy could not
help feeling a sensation of nervousness as he thought of what the
consequences would be if they rowed on in the dark to a part of the
lagoon where the protecting coral bank came to an end.

"You're very quiet," said the doctor suddenly, from his seat in the
stern sheets. "What are you thinking about?"

The boy told him.

"Shouldn't have much chance then, my lad," said the doctor. "But no
fear, we should have ample warning long before we came to such a spot.
The water of the lagoon would not be like this. Perhaps, though, there
is not another opening, for though the waves are always breaking on the
outside, the little coral insects are always building on the in. But
only think; we must be passing over the most wonderful specimens here,
and we can't see a thing. How long is it going to be before the light
comes?"

"It's coming now," said Jack, pointing up to his left at a bright golden
speck that seemed almost over their heads, and once more they witnessed
all the glories of a tropic sunrise, the change from darkness to light
being wonderfully quick, and s