To speculate, sing, and converse on."

It was Mr. Goodfellow who worked the hand-lead, under Captain
Branscome's orders, from a perch just forward of the main rigging;
but at a mile's distance we carried deep water with us past Crabtree
Point, and around the unnamed small cape which formed the
south-western extremity of the island. We rounded this, and,
hauling up to the wind, found (as the reader may discover for himself
by a glance at the chart) that the shore made almost directly E. by
N., with scarcely an indentation, for Gow's Gulf.

Here the water shoaled, though for the first mile almost
imperceptibly. The inlet itself resembled the estuary of a mighty
river, its both sides well wooded, though very different in
configuration, the northern rising quietly from shelving beaches of
coral-white sand to some of the most respectable hills in the island,
while that on our starboard hand presented a succession of cliff and
chasm, the cliffs varying, as we judged, from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty feet sheer.

In three and a half fathoms (reported by Mr. Goodfellow) the water,
which was exquisitely clear, showed good white sand under us.
Ahead of us the creek narrowed, promising an anchorage almost
completely landlocked and as peaceful as the soul of man could
desire. We drew a short eight feet of water, and with such soundings
(for the tide had not been making above an hour) I expected the old
man to hold on for at least another mile, when, to my surprise, he
took the helm from Mr. Rogers and, sending him forward, shook the
_Espriella_ up in the wind, at the same time calling to Goodfellow
and me to lower the main throat-halliards.

"Leave go anchor!"

With a splash her anchor plunged over, took the ground, and in
another twenty yards brought us up standing.

"Hallo!" Miss Belcher scanned the shore. "You're giving the boats a
long trip, Captain."

"I take my precautions, ma'am," answered Captain Branscome, almost
curtly.

CHAPTER XXV.

I TAKE FRENCH LEAVE ASHORE.

In a sweating hurry I helped Mr. Rogers and Mr. Goodfellow to furl
sail, coil away ropes, and tidy up generally. After these tedious
weeks at sea I was wild for a run ashore, and, with the green woods
inviting me, grudged even an hour's delay.

We had run down foresail and come to our anchor under jib and
half-lowered mainsail. I sprang forward to take in the jib and carry
it, with the foresail, to the locker abaft the l