glare
and shadow of the evening over all; in which they sat or lay, not
speaking, careless even to eat, men swindled out of life and riches by a
lying book. In the great good-nature of the whole party, no word of
reproach had been addressed to Hadden, the author of these disasters.
But the new blow was less magnanimously borne, and many angry glances
rested on the captain.

Yet it was himself who roused them from their lethargy. Grudgingly they
obeyed, drew the boat beyond tidemark, and followed him to the top of
the miserable islet, whence a view was commanded of the whole wheel of
the horizon, then part darkened under the coming night, part dyed with
the hues of the sunset, and populous with the sunset clouds. Here the
camp was pitched, and a tent run up with the oars, sails, and mast. And
here Amalu, at no man's bidding, from the mere instinct of habitual
service, built a fire and cooked a meal. Night was come, and the stars
and the silver sickle of new moon beamed overhead, before the meal was
ready. The cold sea shone about them, and the fire glowed in their faces
as they ate. Tommy had opened his case, and the brown sherry went the
round; but it was long before they came to conversation.

"Well, is it to be Kauai, after all?" asked Mac suddenly.

"This is bad enough for me," said Tommy. "Let's stick it out where we
are."

"Well, I can tell ye one thing," said Mac, "if ye care to hear it: when
I was in the China mail we once made this island. It's in the course
from Honolulu."

"Deuce it is!" cried Carthew. "That settles it, then. Let's stay. We
must keep good fires going; and there's plenty wreck."

"Lashings of wreck!" said the Irishman. "There's nothing here but wreck
and coffin-boards."

"But we'll have to make a proper blyze," objected Hemstead. "You can't
see a fire like this, not any wye awye, I mean."

"Can't you?" said Carthew. "Look round."

They did, and saw the hollow of the night, the bare, bright face of the
sea, and the stars regarding them; and the voices died in their bosoms
at the spectacle. In that huge isolation, it seemed they must be visible
from China on the one hand and California on the other.

"My God, it's dreary!" whispered Hemstead.

"Dreary?" cried Mac, and fell suddenly silent.

"It's better than a boat, anyway," said Hadden. "I've had my bellyful of
boat."

"What kills me is that specie!" the captain broke out. "Think of all
that riches--four thousand in gold, bad s