ch came out of it?"

"Examine below and you will see."

Below the hole the side was rather steep, but when the surface of the
hill was examined there was no longer any doubt of the human agency
which made it.

It was with a certain sense of joy that the boys heard this news. The
island had been explored by white people; it might again be visited by
some wanderers on the sea. This was a comforting assurance. It had the
effect of giving new courage, as no other event had, since they reached
the rocky shore during that tempestuous night, nearly eight months
before.

"Don't you think we can get kerosene here?" was George's inquiry.

"I do not think it is likely. What we see here is a mere trace of
surface oozing, found in many places, and it generally indicates
petroleum at some depth, but whether in sufficient quantities to pay
cannot be determined without boring."

George's hope of a better light faded.

Under the direction of the Professor the balance of the day was spent in
gathering samples of minerals, and George, in one of his searches,
brought a sample of very peculiar greenish ore, interlaid with patches
of brown substance. The Professor was much delighted with this.

"You have found a fine sample of zinc, and if you direct us to the place
we must take a quantity of it. I have been specially looking out for
samples of this."

The ore was readily found, and a sufficient amount uncovered to complete
their load, and late that evening they reached home very tired, but
happy.

"Let us do some preliminary work with the furnaces to-day," was the
Professor's first observation. "The ore we found yesterday is too good a
thing to lie idle. You will remember I told you some time ago that we
want some of these metals to be working for us?"

"Just like the germs do?"

"Not just in that way, but nevertheless they must serve us."

"If people get to know so much and have the different things do all the
work there will not be much left for us to do?"

"Do you think so?"

"If one thing after the other is discovered, and it is found that one or
two elements can be made to do our work, the time may come when
everybody will know so much that man will do nothing but----"

"But direct?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that something? Working with the hands or thinking are not the
only things which man can do, in order to go forward and to advance."

"What I mean is this: We are told that idleness is wrong, and that
people are ha