had been noticeable during
the two preceding days, and the other members of the expedition had to
move at a pace that would suit his stiff limbs.

"I'm unlucky," whispered Holman, as he sat beside me at the midday halt.
"I tried to show him how he could get a good snapshot, and now he's as
poisonous as a red-necked cobra just because he was silly enough to skin
his shins."

We crossed the lowest part of the valley during the early afternoon,
and commenced to ascend gradually toward the black walls on the far
side. Leith had remarked at the lunch table that we would probably reach
our destination on the following morning, and the information brought a
thrill of expectation in spite of the suspicions we entertained. The
undefined dread had upset our nerves, and I think the two girls, as well
as Holman and myself, were looking forward anxiously to the arrival at
the objective point so that our suspicions could be either verified or
abandoned. Leith was more affable than usual on that afternoon, and he
held forth in such a gloomy fashion upon the wonders that were within
reach that the Professor almost forgot his injuries and his animus
against Holman as he listened to the description.

"It is my opinion that the island was the burial ground of the chiefs of
the nearby groups," remarked Leith. "There is every indication that the
people who were buried here were not ordinary people, as you will see
when you view the wonders that will meet your eyes to-morrow."

The Professor beamed through his thick glasses, and, forgetting his
injuries, gave a little jump in negotiating an obstruction, but the look
of agony which passed across his face proved that his injured limb
objected to useless gambols.

"We may be wrong after all," muttered Holman, after he had listened to
Leith's description of the wonders of the tombs of the long-dead members
of Polynesian royal families. "I hate to be suspicious of a fellow, and
I'll be glad if he proves genuine in the end."

"So will I," I remarked. "If he measures up all right I'll be half
inclined to apologize before I go back to take a gruelling from Captain
Newmarch."

It was Kaipi who stampeded the small ray of charity that had pierced the
cluster of suspicions we had collected. The little Fijian performed the
trick about seven o'clock in the evening, and it was done in a most
effective manner. When we had made camp, Leith had sent Soma on ahead
with the ostensible purpose of locati