ain bowed, and looked with admiration at the two highbred-looking
men, that this unpromising desert had produced. They told him what they
had told the midshipman, and the Captain said,--"It will be a very
serious thing for this country side, if these dogs have succeeded in
landing. Let us hope that the sea has done good service in swallowing
fourteen of the vilest wretches that ever disgraced humanity. Pray, are
either of you gentlemen magistrates?"

"My father, Major Buckley, is a magistrate," said Sam. "This gentleman
is Lieutenant Halbert, of the Bengal Artillery."

The Captain bowed to Halbert, and turning to Sam, said,--"So you are
the son of my old friend Major Buckley! I was midshipman in the
'Phlegethon' when she took him and part of his regiment to Portugal, in
1811. I met him at dinner in Sydney, the other day. Is he in the
neighbourhood?"

"He is waiting breakfast for us not a quarter of a mile off," said Sam.
"Will you join us?"

"I shall be delighted; but duty first. If these fellows have succeeded
in landing, you will have to arm and prepare for the worst. Now, unless
they were caught by the gale and drowned, which I believe to be the
case, they must have come ashore in this very bay, about five o'clock
last night. There is no other place where they could have beached their
boat for many miles. Consequently, the thing lies in a nutshell: if we
find the boat, prepare yourselves,--if not, make yourselves easy. Let
us use our wits a little. They would round the headland as soon as
possible, and probably run ashore in that furthest cove to our right,
just inside the reef. I have examined the bay through a telescope, and
could make out nothing of her. Let us come and examine carefully.
Downhaul!" (to his Coxswain). "Come with me."

They passed three or four indentations in the bay examining as they
went, finding nothing, but when they scrambled over the rocks which
bounded the cover the Captain had indicated, he waved his hat, and
laughing said,--

"Ha, ha! just as I thought. There she is."

"Where, Captain Blockstrop?" said Halbert. "I don't see her."

"Nor I either," said the Captain. "But I see the heap of seaweed that
the cunning dogs have raked over her.--Downhaul; heave away at this
weed, and show these gentlemen what is below it."

The Coxswain began throwing away a pile of seatang heaped against a
rock. Bit by bit was disclosed the clean run of a beautiful white
whale-boat, which when turned