continued to mount, a cawing,
followed by a rapid flapping of wings, showed him that it was some bird
ensconced in the tree whose sleep he was doubtless disturbing.

Many a "frrr-frrr!" which he gave out with the whole power of his lungs,
soon determined the intruder to clear off.

It proved to be a kind of jackdaw, of huge stature, which scuttled out
of the opening, and disappeared into the summit of Will Tree.

A few seconds afterwards, Godfrey's head appeared through the same
opening, and he soon found himself quite at his ease, installed on a
fork of the tree where the lower branches gave off, at about eighty feet
from the ground.

There, as has been said, the enormous stem of the sequoia supported
quite a forest. The capricious network of its upper boughs presented the
aspect of a wood crowded with trees, which no gap rendered passable.

However, Godfrey managed, not without difficulty, to get along from one
branch to another, so as to gain little by little the upper story of
this vegetable phenomenon.

A number of birds with many a cry flew off at his approach, and hastened
to take refuge in the neighbouring members of the group, above which
Will Tree towered by more than a head.

Godfrey continued to climb as well as he could, and did not stop until
the ends of the higher branches began to bend beneath his weight.

A huge horizon of water surrounded Phina Island, which lay unrolled like
a relief-map at his feet. Greedily his eyes examined that portion of the
sea. It was still deserted. He had to conclude once more, that the
island lay away from the trade routes of the Pacific.

Godfrey uttered a heavy sigh; then his look fell on the narrow domain on
which fate had condemned him to live, doubtless for long, perhaps for
ever.

But what was his surprise when he saw, this time away to the north, a
smoke similar to that which he had already thought he had seen in the
south. He watched it with the keenest attention.

[Illustration: There was the column of smoke. _page 152_]

A very light vapour, calm and pure, greyish blue at its tip, rose
straight in the air.

"No! I am not mistaken!" exclaimed Godfrey. "There is a smoke, and
therefore a fire which produces it! And that fire could not have been
lighted except by--By whom?"

Godfrey then with extreme precision took the bearings of the spot in
question.

The smoke was rising in the north-east of the island, amid the high
rocks which bordered the beac