just ignorant--probably never saw white folks
before."

So, feeling a little bit discouraged by our first reception, we moved
off towards the mountains in the centre of the island.

THE SIXTH CHAPTER. THE JABIZRI

WE found the woods at the feet of the hills thick and tangly and
somewhat hard to get through. On Polynesia's advice, we kept away from
all paths and trails, feeling it best to avoid meeting any Indians for
the present.

But she and Chee-Chee were good guides and splendid jungle-hunters; and
the two of them set to work at once looking for food for us. In a very
short space of time they had found quite a number of different fruits
and nuts which made excellent eating, though none of us knew the names
of any of them. We discovered a nice clean stream of good water which
came down from the mountains; so we were supplied with something to
drink as well.

We followed the stream up towards the heights. And presently we came to
parts where the woods were thinner and the ground rocky and steep. Here
we could get glimpses of wonderful views all over the island, with the
blue sea beyond. While we were admiring one of these the Doctor suddenly
said, "Sh!--A Jabizri!--Don't you hear it?"

We listened and heard, somewhere in the air about us, an extraordinarily
musical hum-like a bee, but not just one note. This hum rose and fell,
up and down--almost like some one singing.

"No other insect but the Jabizri beetle hums like that," said the
Doctor. "I wonder where he is--quite near, by the sound--flying among
the trees probably. Oh, if I only had my butterfly-net! Why didn't I
think to strap that around my waist too. Confound the storm: I may
miss the chance of a lifetime now of getting the rarest beetle in the
world--Oh look! There he goes!"

A huge beetle, easily three inches long I should say, suddenly flew by
our noses. The Doctor got frightfully excited. He took off his hat to
use as a net, swooped at the beetle and caught it. He nearly fell down
a precipice on to the rocks below in his wild hurry, but that didn't
bother him in the least. He knelt down, chortling, upon the ground
with the Jabizri safe under his hat. From his pocket he brought out a
glass-topped box, and into this he very skillfully made the beetle walk
from under the rim of the hat. Then he rose up, happy as a child, to
examine his new treasure through the glass lid.

It certainly was a most beautiful insect. It was pale blue underneat