ntlemen," said the captain, coming up with his face shining in
the morning light, "will this do for you? What do you say to my island
now?"

"Thank you," said Sir John, offering his hand. "I don't think we shall
want to go any farther, Bradleigh. There will be enough here to last us
for life."

"Right," cried the doctor, rubbing his hands. "Only to think of our
pottering away our existence at home when there were places like this to
see. I say, you know, Nature isn't fair. The idea of such grand,
clever chaps as we are--or think we are--having to put up with our
gloomy, foggy island, and a set of naked savages having such a home as
that. I say it's quite unnatural."

"I don't suppose they appreciate the beauties of the place," said Sir
John.

"Will it do?" cried the doctor. "I'm philosopher enough to say that
this is just the sort of place where a man can be happy. You don't get
me away from here, I can tell you. I mean to stay."

"For the present, at all events," said Sir John. "I question though
whether Captain Bradleigh here will want to stop very long."

"Just as long as you like, gentlemen," said the captain. "I can make
myself contented anywhere. That is," he added with a laugh, "if I can
find good safe anchorage for the vessel I command. Well then, if you
think this place will do for a stay, the first thing to be done is to
find the way through the reef into the lagoon. There's an opening
somewhere near here."

Just about that time Jack cast his eyes aft and saw that Edward was
standing by the cabin hatch with one of Sir John's serge jackets in his
left and a clothes-brush in his right hand, for though the clothes on
ship-board seemed as if they could not by any possibility gather dust--
they did get some flue in the corners of the pockets--Edward gave them
all a thorough-going turn every morning before he rubbed over the shoes
with paste, the blacking bottle remaining unopened and the brushes
unused.

Jack went quickly up to him, and Edward began rubbing his head with the
back of the clothes-brush; but before the lad could speak the man began.

"Beg pardon, sir," he said, "but you didn't happen to see me on deck in
the middle of the night, did you?"

"No, Ned," said Jack, staring.

"Of course you didn't, sir," said the man, speaking as if relieved.
"Made me feel as if my head was getting a bit soft."

"No wonder, if you keep on tapping it with the clothes-brush."

"Oh, that won't