for the first
voyage. Have another look, Bartlett, and see how far it is off."

The mate looked again through his long glass, and Jack with his short
one.

"Yes, there's the dark spot," said the latter. "Can't you see it now?"

"No. Your eyes are better than mine, my lad."

"Perhaps it's my glass that is better than yours," said the lad. "Try."

The mate lowered his own telescope and took the little binocular handed
to him, had a look, focussed it a little better for his own sight, and
then cried sharply--

"Yes, sir, there's the gap in the reef."

"How far away?"

"About a couple of miles, sir."

"Tut--tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated the captain; "and we shan't make it
till the wind rises at night."

"What! be rocking out here all day again?" said the doctor.

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid so."

"But we could land here in the boat."

"What, through that surf, Sir John? Impossible. It looks very trifling
from here, but it would be a certain capsize if it was attempted, and
the boat smashed to pieces. But we must do better than that;" and
giving the orders sharply, the firemen and engine-driver turned to
below, and five minutes later the great wreaths of black smoke were
pouring out of the funnel and rising high, forming a huge feather that
was very slowly left behind.

Before there was steam enough to use they were once more in a dead calm,
but the swell consequent on the check given to the current by the
obstacle formed by the reef was far heavier than on the previous day,
and the captain frowned as the yacht rocked from side to side, her masts
describing arcs against the sky.

"I don't like that," he said. "Bad place to be in if we had a bit of a
hurricane, with that reef just under our quarter."

"But there seems to be no likelihood of such a misfortune, for the glass
promised fine weather."

"All the same, though, sir," said Captain Bradleigh, "I am always
anxious when I find myself in a place which might prove dangerous, and I
am not so situated that I could get out of it."

At last there was a welcome hissing sound from the valve, the order was
given, and once more the yacht began to throb, as if it had its heart
pulsating rapidly, and the distance which separated them from the
opening in the reef was soon passed, the panorama being lovely in the
extreme. Once there the engine was slowed, stopped, and the captain
gave orders for one of the boats to be lowered.

"Why not steam in at once?" ask