Part 57 (2/2)
”But we do not want it,” said Sir John.
”No, sir, it's on the road to nowhere.”
The captain went aloft, gla.s.s in hand, to have a good look ahead, and descended pretty well convinced that there would be nothing to hinder their progress round the island, the water of the lagoon being very calm, and deeper than on the other side of the island.
The gentlemen lunched and the men dined, and the afternoon was spent in gazing at the wonders of sea and sh.o.r.e. Shoals of silvery and golden fish, startled by the vessel, leaped out of the water and darted in all directions; a shark showed its back fin now and then, and twice over droves of pigs started up out of the hot sand to make for cover. But still there was no sign of inhabitant or opening in the reef, while scores of tempting places were pa.s.sed, all inviting to a naturalist, and above all to Jack; vistas among the trees took his attention, and valleys rising upward toward the higher parts of the mountain.
Upon one of these occasions, when he was sitting back in a deck-chair, sweeping the side of the mountain with his gla.s.s, the doctor came up behind him.
”Looking at the mountain?” he said.
”Yes; couldn't we get up there?”
”I vote we try,” said the doctor. ”Will you come?”
”Yes,” cried Jack eagerly; ”but we couldn't land and start now.”
”Hardly,” said the doctor, laughing. ”We should have to start at daybreak.”
”What, to get up a little way like that?”
”Yes, to get up that little way,” said the doctor, with a queer twinkle of the eye. ”Well, we don't seem to see anything likely to hinder our landing to-morrow and having a good time at collecting. We must soon get round to our starting-place. Let's ask the captain how far we have come.”
”Roughly speaking, nearly fifty knots,” said the captain. ”It's getting well on toward six bells now, and we've been coming at a fair speed, and are going a bit faster. I want to reach the anchorage before dark.”
At one time this seemed to be doubtful, but just as the captain announced his intention of dropping anchor for the night, Mr Bartlett hailed him from above.
”I can just see the opening in the reef over that low strip of sand.”
”How far off?”
”About a mile,” was the reply; and the speed being increased, they picked up the buoy they had left in the morning just as it was beginning to grow dark, having completely circ.u.mnavigated the island.
”I say, Mr Bartlett,” cried Jack suddenly, as the mate approached him, and he pointed toward the sh.o.r.e. ”Wasn't it just there that we killed the sharks?”
”Yes; just there. Can you see any back fins?”
”No; but where's the wrecked canoe?”
The mate clapped his gla.s.s to his eye, and swept the sh.o.r.e for some minutes.
”Could it have been carried out to sea?” said Jack excitedly.
”No; hardly possible.”
”Then has it sunk?”
”No; it could not sink.”
<script>