ust be about half-way across now."

Ready and William recommenced their journey; and, after half-an-hour's
walking, they found that the ground was not so level as it had been--
sometimes they went gradually up hill, at others down.

"I am very glad to find the island is not so flat here; we have a better
chance of finding water."

"It is much steeper before us," replied William; "it's quite a hill."

The ground now became more undulating, although still covered with
cocoa-nut trees, even thicker together than before. They continued
their march, occasionally looking at the compass, until William showed
symptoms of weariness, for the wood had become more difficult to get
through than at first.

"How many miles do you think we have walked, Ready?" said Willy.

"About eight, I should think."

"Not more than eight?"

"No; I do not think that we have made more than two miles an hour: it's
slow work, travelling by compass and marking the trees; but I think the
wood looks lighter before us, now that we are at the top of this hill."

"It does, Ready; I fancy I can see the blue sky again."

"Your eyes are younger than mine, William, and perhaps you may--however,
we shall soon find out."

They now descended into a small hollow, and then went up hill again. As
soon as they arrived at the top, William cried out, "The sea, Ready!
there's the sea!"

"Very true, William, and I'm not sorry for it."

"I thought we never should get out of that nasty wood again," said
William, as he impatiently pushed on, and at last stood clear of the
cocoa-nut grove. Ready soon joined him, and they surveyed the scene
before them in silence.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

"Oh! how beautiful!" exclaimed William, at last; "I'm sure mamma would
like to live here. I thought the other side of the island very pretty,
but it's nothing compared to this."

"It is very beautiful," replied Ready, thoughtfully.

A more lovely scene could scarcely be imagined. The cocoa-nut grove
terminated about a quarter of a mile from the beach, very abruptly, for
there was a rapid descent for about thirty feet from where they stood to
the land below, on which was a mixture of little grass knolls and
brushwood, to about fifty yards from the water's edge, where it was met
with dazzling white sand, occasionally divided by narrow ridges of rock
which ran inland. The water was a deep blue, except where it was broken
into white foam on the reefs, which extended for mi