s of the game say we've got to."

"I'm so glad it wasn't Oxenthorpe or Bristol," I said. "It'll be a grand
voyage, this. Look at all the sea we've got to cross. Will it take us
long?"

"Oh, no," said the Doctor--"not very. With a good boat and a good wind
we should make it easily in four weeks. But isn't it extraordinary? Of
all the places in the world you picked out that one with your eyes shut.
Spidermonkey Island after all!--Well, there's one good thing about it: I
shall be able to get some Jabizri beetles."

"What are Jabizri beetles?"

"They are a very rare kind of beetles with peculiar habits. I want to
study them. There are only three countries in the world where they are
to be found. Spidermonkey Island is one of them. But even there they are
very scarce."

"What is this little question-mark after the name of the island for?" I
asked, pointing to the map.

"That means that the island's position in the ocean is not known very
exactly--that it is somewhere ABOUT there. Ships have probably seen it
in that neighborhood, that is all, most likely. It is quite possible we
shall be the first white men to land there. But I daresay we shall have
some difficulty in finding it first."

How like a dream it all sounded! The two of us sitting there at the big
study-table; the candles lit; the smoke curling towards the dim ceiling
from the Doctor's pipe--the two of us sitting there, talking about
finding an island in the ocean and being the first white men to land
upon it!

"I'll bet it will be a great voyage," I said. "It looks a lovely island
on the map. Will there be black men there?"

"No. A peculiar tribe of Red Indians lives on it, Miranda tells me."

At this point the poor Bird-of-Paradise stirred and woke up. In our
excitement we had forgotten to speak low.

"We are going to Spidermonkey Island, Miranda," said the Doctor. "You
know where it is, do you not?"

"I know where it was the last time I saw it," said the bird. "But
whether it will be there still, I can't say."

"What do you mean?" asked the Doctor. "It is always in the same place
surely?"

"Not by any means," said Miranda. "Why, didn't you know?--Spidermonkey
Island is a FLOATING island. It moves around all over the place--usually
somewhere near southern South America. But of course I could surely find
it for you if you want to go there."

At this fresh piece of news I could contain myself no longer. I was
bursting to tell some one. I ran dan