y, and
then took flight to the trees.

"Now, Mr Gregory," shouted Mark, waiting till he came up, when they
fired together and each got a bird.

Following the flock after these had been retrieved and carried to the
boat they obtained another, Mark missing an easy shot. Soon after they
both missed, and then the mate obtained two with his right and left
barrels.

This was carried on for about half an hour, when with a bag of nine
birds they stopped, the supply being considered ample to last three or
four days.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

HOW THEY ENTERED CRATER BAY.

The birds were now stowed away in the bows and stern, the former lot
being investigated with plucking views by Jack, who, however, was
stopped by his master and forced to seat himself on one of the thwarts,
where he sat eyeing the game and evidently longing to begin, while the
boat was now once more propelled swiftly, and judging from the numbers
of these curious birds they saw, it seemed that a supply for food was
not likely to fail for some time to come.

They rowed steadily on for quite a couple of hours more, beyond where
Mark and the major had their encounter with the supposed savage, but
there was no sign of the ship.

"He didn't dream it, did he?" said the mate gruffly, as he stood up and
scanned the line of coast in front.

"He could not," said the captain smiling. "His coming here was no
dream."

"No; we did not bring him," assented the mate. "Let's see; we are going
due west now. No doubt, I think, about this being an island."

"Not the least," said the captain. "Come on now and let's take the
oars."

They changed places with the men, Mark also taking his turn, and pulled
steadily for quite a couple of hours more, but still there was no sign
of the ship; and at last, as they came abreast of a little stream
flowing down from a gorge in a high and rocky part of the land to leap
from rock to rock with a musical plashing before it came gurgling
through the sand, they decided to land, go and find a shady spot, and
there rest and partake of the provisions with which they were prepared.

The boat was run ashore, the grapnel placed on the sand, and as they
leaped on to the level surface one by one they reeled and caught at the
air to save themselves from falling, for the sand seemed to heave like
the sea.

"Are we giddy from rowing in the sun?" said the captain excitedly.

"No; the earth moved. Hush!"

It was Mark who spoke, and th