l as mine did, she will make it in two hours."

The craft was about twenty feet long, and was sharp at both ends. She
had a cuddy forward, which was large enough to accommodate both of her
crew in a reclining posture. It had been furnished with a couple of
berthsacks, and with several blankets. The provisions and water had been
placed in it, as well as a couple of lanterns, ready for use if occasion
should require.

It was a summer sea in this latitude, with a very steady breeze from the
westward. The overcoats they wore were hardly necessary, and they had
put them on mainly to conceal their changed garments from the crew of
the ship, who could only conjecture what the expedition meant.

"You are a younger man than I am, Christophe, and you have slept only a
couple of hours to-night," said M. Rubempre, as soon as the Eleuthera
was well under way; and the remark was called forth by a long gape on
the part of the younger person. "You can turn in and sleep a couple of
hours more just as well as not, for there is nothing whatever for you to
do. We may have to make a long day of it to-morrow."

"I am accustomed to doing without my sleep at times," replied
Christophe, which was his first name, according to the French
orthography, and was pronounced in two syllables.

"Of course you have, when your duty required you to be on deck; but
there is not the least need of doing so now."

The lieutenant complied with the advice of the skipper, and in five
minutes more he was sound asleep. The Bahama boat, with a Bahama name,
rose and fell on the long rolling seas, which were very gentle in their
motion, and made very good progress through the water. The light could
be plainly seen in its lofty position, and the detective steered for it
over an hour, and then kept it a little on the starboard hand; for the
opening in the outer reef through which he intended to pass was two
miles to the westward of the high tower. He had correctly estimated the
speed of the boat, for the faint light of the dawn of day began to
appear in the east when he was able clearly to discern the outline of
the hills on the most southern of the islands.

Although it was still quite dark, the Frenchman continued on his course
very confidently. The reefs extended out two miles from the main shore;
but the navigator was so familiar with the locality that they did not
trouble him. Bearing about north-west from the light was Wreck Hill, one
hundred and fifty feet