us thing," he went on, "and I suppose I must be
suffering from hallucinations, but I could swear that just now I saw
looking through that door the same improper young woman clothed in a
few flowers and nothing else, whose photograph in that abominable and
libellous book was indirectly the cause of our tempestuous voyage."

"Indeed!" replied Bickley. "Well, so long as she has not got on the
broken-down stays and the Salvation Army bonnet without a crown, which
you may remember she wore after she had fallen into the hands of your
fraternity, I am sure I do not mind. In fact I should be delighted to
see anything so pleasant."

At this moment a distinct sound of female tittering arose from beyond
the door. Tommy barked and Bickley stepped towards it, but I called to
him.

"Look out! Where there are women there are sure to be men. Let us be
ready against accidents."

So we armed ourselves with pistols, that is Bickley and I did, Bastin
being fortified solely with a Bible.

Then we advanced, a remarkable and dilapidated trio, and dragged the
door wide. Instantly there was a scurry and we caught sight of women's
forms wearing only flowers, and but few of these, running over white
sand towards groups of men armed with odd-looking clubs, some of which
were fashioned to the shapes of swords and spears. To make an impression
I fired two shots with my revolver into the air, whereupon both men and
women fled into groves of trees and vanished.

"They don't seem to be accustomed to white people," said Bickley. "Is it
possible that we have found a shore upon which no missionary has set a
foot?"

"I hope so," said Bastin, "seeing that unworthy as I am, then the
opportunities for me would be very great."

We stood still and looked about us. This was what we saw. All the after
part of the ship from forward of the bridge had vanished utterly; there
was not a trace of it; she had as it were been cut in two. More, we were
some considerable distance from the sea which was still raging over a
quarter of a mile away where great white combers struck upon a reef
and spouted into the air. Behind us was a cliff, apparently of rock but
covered with earth and vegetation, and against this cliff, in which the
prow of the ship was buried, she, or what remained of her, had come to
anchor for the last time.

"You see what has happened," I said. "A great tidal wave has carried us
up here and retreated."

"That's it," exclaimed Bickley. "Look a