ccompanied by half a dozen or more of his men.

As he spoke he rose from his seat and led the way toward the canoe,
Turnbull following him. Upon reaching the gangway, however, Dick looked
over the side, and then, turning to his companion, said--

"I think you would find it more convenient if your people rigged the
side-ladder. My canoe is rather crank, and if you should happen to
tumble overboard in getting into her I would not answer for your life;
the lagoon swarms with sharks, and as likely as not there are one or two
under the ship's bottom at this moment."

Turnbull grunted and turned away, looking forward to where two or three
men were loafing about on the forecastle, hard at work doing nothing.

"For'ard, there!" he shouted; "rouse out the side-ladder and rig it,
some of ye, and look sharp about it. Steward," he added, turning toward
the cabin under the poop, "bring me out a handful of cigars."

The two men with the ladder, and the steward with the cigars, appeared
simultaneously; and, pocketing the weeds, the skipper proceeded to the
gangway to supervise the rigging of the ladder. As he did so, Leslie
felt something being thrust surreptitiously into his hand. It felt like
a folded piece of paper, and he calmly pocketed it, glancing casually
about him as he did so. The steward was the only man near him, and he
was shuffling off nimbly on his way back to his pantry.

Leslie took his time paddling ashore, and when at length the pair landed
on the beach the sun had passed the meridian.

"Now, Captain," said Dick, "where would you like to go in the first
place?"

Turnbull stood and looked about him admiringly. "Why," he exclaimed,
"this here hisland is a real beautiful place, and no mistake. Dash my
wig! why, a man might do a sight worse than settle here for the rest of
his natural, eh?"

"Ay," answered Leslie, indifferently; "I have often thought so myself.
Indeed it is quite on the cards that I may return here some day, with a
few seeds and an outfit of gardeners' tools. As you say, a man might do
worse. By the way, perhaps it will be as well to get lunch before we
start out on our ramble. Will you come up to my tent? You will find it
a very comfortable little shanty. I must apologise for the fare that I
shall be obliged to offer you, but I have lived on tinned meat and fish
ever since I have been here; and I have caught no fish to-day."

"Well, I must say as you've managed to make yourself p