ptain Bradleigh?"

"Oh, I thought you must be, sir, after what you have gone through.
Nobody could like that."

"Of course I did not," said the lad, flushing. "It was terrible and
risky while it lasted, but I don't mind it all now, and we might stay
here for months and never see the blacks again."

"That means you would like to stay a little longer?"

"Yes, father," cried the lad excitedly. "It would be dreadfully
disappointing to go away and not climb right to the crater now I have
been so near, and know the way."

An hour later Jack was on deck watching the stars, and listening to the
deep, heavy boom of the surf on the reef, thinking of how wonderful the
contrast was, and mentally going over the horrors of the past night,
when he heard a familiar air being whistled forward, one he had often
heard coming from the pantry at home, and he walked ahead, to find Ned
leaning over the side.

"Ah, Mr Jack! here you are then. I say, I'm not going to have any more
of this nonsense. Doctor's all very well, but it's a strange thing if a
man don't know best how he is."

"Why, what's the matter?"

"Doctor Instow's the matter, sir; and after all he ain't my master. If
the guv'nor says I ain't to do a thing, or you, my young guv'nor, says
it, why that's enough; but Doctor Instow don't pay me my wages."

"What has he been saying to you?"

"Put his foot down, and wouldn't let me wait dinner, sir. But I mean to
go on as usual to-morrow morning."

"Oh, very well; go on, then. But what do you think of our starting for
home to-morrow morning, Ned?"

"What, sir? Start for home--to-morrow morning?"

"Yes, aren't you glad?"

"Glad, sir? Will you excuse me asking you a question?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Would you be good enough to tell me why we come out here, if, as soon
as we find a place like this, we want to start back?"

"The place is dangerous. These blacks--"

"Bother the blacks! Who cares for the blacks, sir? Why, haven't we
licked 'em over and over again? Oh, well, sir, I'm not master. All
I've got to say, sir, is, I'm jolly sorry we came."

"Then you are glad we are going back?"

"That I ain't, sir. I say it's a shame. Why, the fun has only just
begun."

"Ah, well, we're not going yet. I said I should like to stay and see
more, and do more collecting, and ascend the mountain by the way we came
down."

"There, I beg your pardon, Mr Jack, sir, I do indeed, for I was all
wrong. Though