would serve their purpose infinitely better
than their own canoe, and forthwith appropriated her. That they did not
do so was perhaps due to the fact that she was practically unmanageable
except under sail, rather than to any innate sentiment of honesty on
their part.

The catamaran having been once more rendered fit for service, Leslie
decided to devote a few hours to the examination of "Flora's Cave," as
he called it, while its situation and the landmarks in its vicinity were
fresh in his memory; he accordingly set off immediately after breakfast
on the following morning, telling Flora where he was going, but
suggesting that she should remain in camp and take a thorough rest.

Going easily, he arrived at the cave in about an hour and a half after
starting; and at once proceeded with his investigation. He had adopted
the precaution to take a packet of candles along with him, and he
commenced operations by lighting these, one after the other, and setting
them up on the most convenient rock projections that offered. He thus
succeeded in illuminating the entire interior of the cavern quite
sufficiently for his purpose. Meanwhile, during the process of lighting
up the cavern, he had already discovered that his first impression
relative to the suspicious-looking object was well-grounded; it was
indeed a skeleton; and his first act after completing his lighting
arrangements was to subject this grisly object to a careful examination.
He found it to be the skeleton of a man who must have stood about six
feet high in his stockings, when alive. Attached here and there to the
bones were fragments of clothing, while on the ground beside the ghastly
framework were other fragments of fine linen, lace, gold-embroidered
velvet, and silks, showing that the wearer must have been a man of some
consequence. The waist was girded by a broad leather belt, so dry and
rotten that it crumbled to powder in Leslie's fingers, and attached to
this was a long, straight rapier with an elaborately ornamented hilt and
sheath, all rotted and rust-eaten. To the same belt was also attached
the sheath of what must have been a long and formidable dagger. And a
couple of feet away from the head there lay a handsome steel casque very
beautifully engraved and chased, but thickly coated with rust, like the
rest of the steel accoutrements. A closer inspection of the skeleton
disclosed the fact that the skull had been battered in, while a dagger
that m