"I should rather hear what you think best. I'm sure I shall be ready to
agree with you," answered Dick.

"No, no; I would rather hear what you think best," said Lord Reginald.

"Then I would stay where we are, and explain that we have been
shipwrecked, and would prefer remaining on the island to leaving it."

"To tell you the truth, I am afraid, Hargrave, that they'll not give us
the choice; but still, I agree with you that is the best plan to try
them. They may possibly allow us to remain, and not injure our
property; but I own I very much fear that they will carry us off, for
the sake of exchanging us for any of their countrymen who may have
fallen into the hands of the English."

During this conversation they remained concealed in the bushes, watching
the progress of the boat. The anticipation of being detained on board a
French ship of war, and afterwards, perhaps, shut up in prison, was not
a pleasant thought. That such would be their fate, neither Dick nor
Lord Reginald had any doubt. They saw that the boat was a large one,
and the gleam of musket barrels showed that she carried armed men.

All this time the wind had been increasing, and the weather looked worse
and worse. Presently a flash issued from the side of the ship, and a
loud report reached their ears.

"That's a signal for the recall of the boat," observed Lord Reginald.

The officer in command, now that he was so close in, appeared unwilling
to obey it, but another gun was fired to show that the captain was in
earnest in the matter, and the boat being put round, the crew, bending
their backs to the oars, pulled away towards their ship.

They had no time to lose, for the threatened gale was fast approaching.
A third gun was fired to hasten them; the wind, however, came from the
north-west, which was in their favour, while Lord Reginald and Dick were
thankful that there was little risk of the _Janet's_ suffering. They,
however, as a precautionary measure, by rigging an additional tackle,
got her higher up the beach. They also secured her by stays at either
side, fixed to pegs run deeply into the sand, for they well knew the
effects of a hurricane in those seas.

They had good reason to be thankful that they had got on shore before it
came on. Dick looked towards the volcano. The eruption had, however,
subsided, and the rain, which now came down in torrents, had apparently
extinguished the fire which they had so much dreaded. What ha