camp, for we are about to return
there at once, preparatory, I hope, to sailing for home to-morrow."

"Do you think Dick, it would be quite safe for me to take the walk
alone? Because, if so, and we are actually going to sail to-morrow, I
should so like to do it. It is a lovely walk; and there are
associations connected with it that endear it to me," she said shyly.

"Very well, little girl," responded Dick. "Then take the walk, by all
means, for it is perfectly safe. Only be very careful not to look in at
the cave on your way, for I have three prisoners stowed away there, now,
and although they are too firmly secured to be able to hurt you, they
may say things that would offend your ears."

Flora promised that she would most carefully avoid the cave, and was set
ashore by the catamaran, Dick instructing Nicholls and Simpson to
afterwards proceed round to the camp in that craft while he himself
undertook to work the cutter round to the same point single-handed.
While, therefore, the two seamen were conveying Flora to the
landing-place, Leslie busied himself in taking a pull upon the halliards
all round and getting up the cutter's anchor. He was still thus engaged
when the catamaran pushed off, under sail, and, passing close under the
cutter's stern, hailed, inquiringly which way she was to steer.

"Keep the land close aboard on your starboard hand all the way, and you
cannot go wrong," answered Leslie, adding: "But I shall be after you in
a few minutes, and will give you a lead."

The catamaran stood out of the cove, and headed away to the eastward on
the starboard tack; and a few minutes later Dick followed in the cutter.
Within the cove, the breeze that came in over the overlapping headlands
was light and baffling, yet the _Flora_ gathered way quickly and glided
along at a pace that rejoiced Leslie's heart. But when she passed
outside beyond the shelter of the heads, and felt the full strength of
the briskly blowing trade wind, her solitary navigator found that he
would have his hands full when it presently came to working her. For
Simpson had hoisted the big jack-yard topsail, to give the sail a good
stretching, and Dick had been too preoccupied to notice the fact; the
little craft therefore made her first essay _in_ the open ocean under
precisely the same canvas that she would show to the most gentle of
breezes, whereas the trade wind was piping up quite fresh. The breeze
struck her with something of th