she would never
shake hands with him again.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

HOW THERE WAS NO PEACE ON THE BEAUTIFUL ISLE.

Three months glided happily away, during which time there was no renewal
of the earthquake, the lightning ceased to play about the cone of the
beautiful mountain, and the roar from the lion's mouth, as Mark and Mary
christened it, grew gradually less and less audible till it finally died
away.

It was a busy time, and seemed to pass like magic in that wonderful
clime of sunshine, verdure, and brightly winged bird and insect. There
were occasional showers, such as fall with terrible violence in the
tropics, but the mornings after were so delicious that the rains were
welcomed.

There was shooting, and fishing, and fruit gathering, climbing for
cocoa-nuts, work in abundance, which seemed almost like play; but the
main task was the journey round to the ship to bring stores, of which
there were ample, and to commence building a small sailing vessel, which
would easily convey them all to Singapore.

But this part of the daily work was the only one which was distasteful
to the men.

"You see, Mr Mark, sir, it's like this here," said Billy. "Me and my
monkey's as happy here as the day's long, and so's my mates; for now, as
Mr Morgan and Stowaway Jimpny and t'other chap's strong as horses
again, what we says is this here, what call is there for us to want to
get back to London town?"

"Ah, what, indeed, Billy!" said Mark.

"To smoke and fog and blacks, and black-beadles, and blackguards, and
colds and coughs, and no sun never shining. Let's stop here, I says."

"To be sure, Billy!"

"I'm glad you think so, sir. Jack does, and so does old Bruff; and as
for David Jimpny, `Let me live and die here,' he says, `for I didn't
know as there was such places in the world.' But Mr Small says `No,'
he says, `We've got to make that there boat,' he says, and he's a
nigger-driving all day long. Blow the boat! I wish as it had never
been begun, and the gig was burned."

But the making of the boat progressed, and at the end of six months from
their landing she was finished, fitted with stores, and lay in Crater
Bay ready for the projected voyage.

This readiness was welcome and unwelcome, for though the idea of getting
back to civilisation was gladdening for some reasons, and the captain
longed to give an account to the owners of the _Petrel_ of his
misfortune, and to get a vessel and men from Singapore to