nty
miles since her departure from Lincoln Island, that is to say in
thirty-six hours, which would give her a speed of between three and
four knots an hour. The breeze was very slight and might soon drop
altogether. However it was hoped that the next morning by break of
day, if the calculation had been correct and the course true, they
would sight Tabor Island.

Neither Gideon Spilett, Herbert, nor Pencroft slept that night. In the
expectation of the next day they could not but feel some emotion.
There was so much uncertainty in their enterprise! Were they near
Tabor Island? Was the island still inhabited by the castaway to whose
succour they had come. Who was this man? Would not his presence
disturb the little colony till then so united? Besides, would he be
content to exchange his prison for another? All these questions, which
would no doubt be answered the next day, kept them in suspense, and at
the dawn of day they all fixed their gaze on the western horizon.

"Land!" shouted Pencroft at about six o'clock in the morning.

And it was impossible that Pencroft should be mistaken, it was evident
that land was there. Imagine the joy of the little crew of the
_Bonadventure_. In a few hours they would land on the beach of the
island!

The low coast of Tabor Island, scarcely emerging from the sea, was not
more than fifteen miles distant.

The head of the _Bonadventure_, which was a little to the south of the
island, was set directly towards it, and as the sun mounted in the
east, his rays fell upon one or two headlands.

"This is a much less important isle than Lincoln Island," observed
Herbert, "and is probably due like ours to some submarine convulsion."

At eleven o'clock the _Bonadventure_ was not more than two miles off,
and Pencroft, whilst looking for a suitable place at which to land,
proceeded very cautiously through the unknown waters. The whole of the
island could now be surveyed, and on it could be seen groups of gum
and other large trees, of the same species as those growing on Lincoln
Island. But the astonishing thing was that no smoke arose to show that
the island was inhabited, not a signal appeared on any point of the
shore whatever!

And yet the document was clear enough; there was a castaway, and this
castaway should have been on the watch.

In the meanwhile the _Bonadventure_ entered the winding channels among
the reefs, and Pencroft observed every turn with extreme care. He had
put Herbert a