usion that it had
been the work of a saw-fish."

"Dear me, Mr Shipton," said Mrs Langley, "you speak as if every part
of the world were connected by electric cables."

"And such is the case," said Sam; "we have now direct communication by
submarine cable and land telegraph with every part of Europe; with
Canada and the United States; down South America, nearly to Cape Horn;
with Africa from Algiers to the Cape of Good Hope; with India from
Afghanistan to Ceylon; with China from Pekin to Hong-Kong; and down
through the Malacca Archipelago, Australia, and Tasmania."

"I say, Sam, are you a member of the Royal Geographical Society, or a
walking atlas?" asked uncle Rik.

"In short," continued Sam, not heeding the interruption, "there isn't a
civilised quarter of the globe which is not tied to us by telegraph, and
from which we might not hear any morning of the events of the preceding
day."

"Always excepting Central Africa and the two poles," said the captain.

"I said civilised quarters," retorted Sam, "and, as far as I know, the
poles are inhabited only by bears."

"True, I forgot, the poles are barely civilised," said uncle Rik.

"Now, Master Sammy," growled a deep voice from the adjoining galley,
"you keep your hands out o' that copper."

"Fasser," shouted a silvery voice from the same region, "'Tumps is
naughty. I wants to wass my hands in de soup, an' he won't let me."

"Quite right. Keep him in order, Stumps," said the unfeeling Sam,
senior.

"Dere--pa says I's kite right, an' to keep you in order, 'Tumps," said
the silvery voice. (Then, after a few minutes), "Grunkle Rik, is you
finish bekfist?"

"Ay, ay, Sunbeam, quite finished."

"Den come on deck an' p'ay vid me."

Uncle Rik rose with a laugh, and obediently went on deck to play. But
the play did not last long, for that day ominous clouds rose in the
west, and, overspreading the sky, soon drenched the little yacht with
rain. Towards evening the rain ceased, but the wind increased to a
gale, and the weather showed signs of becoming what is known among
seamen, we believe, as dirty. Ere long the low mutterings of thunder
increased to mighty peals, and the occasional gleams of lightning to
frequent and vivid flashes, that lit up the scene with the brilliancy of
full moonlight.

"I wish we were nearer shore," said Letta, timidly, to Robin, as they
stood looking over the bulwarks; "what is the land we see far away on
our left?"

"The Island