Part 47 (1/2)

”And see unknown creatures in the sea, and b.u.t.terflies as huge as umbrellas--”

”Catch fevers and get well again--”

”We must make notes of the language, and coax the people to give us some of their ancient books.”

”O! I say,” said Mark, ”when you were on the Unknown Island did you see the magician with long white robes, and the serpent a hundred feet long he keeps in a cave under the bushes?”

”No,” said Bevis, ”I forgot him.” So he had. His imagination ran so rapidly, one thing took the place of the other as the particles of water take each other's place in a running brook. ”We shall find him, I dare say.”

”Let's land and see.”

”So we will.”

”Are you sure you're steering right?”

”O! yes; it's nothing to do, you only have to keep the wind in the sails.”

”I wonder what bird that is?” said Mark, as a dove flew over. He knew a dove well enough on land.

”It's a sort of parrot, no doubt.”

”I wonder how deep it is here.”

”About a million fathoms.”

”No use trying to anchor.”

”Not the least.”

”It's very warm.”

”In these places s.h.i.+ps get burnt by the sun sometimes.”

Another short silence. ”Is it time to take a look-out, captain?”

”Yes, I think so,” said the captain. Mark crept up in the bow.

”You're steering too much to the right--that way,” he cried, holding out his right arm. ”Is that better?”

”More over.”

”There.”

”Right.”

As the boat fell off a little from the wind obeying the tiller, Bevis, now the foresail was out of his line of sight could see the Unknown Island. They were closer than they had thought.

”Shall we land on Serendib?”

”O! no--on your island,” said Mark. ”Steer as close to the cliff as you can.”