to contain a handsome
and highly finished set of spars, evidently intended for a yacht of
about fifteen tons measurement. Close to this was found another case,
bearing the same marks as the first, and containing two complete sets of
cotton canvas sails, clearly intended for the same craft. These
valuable finds not only filled Leslie's heart with immeasurable delight,
but set him eagerly searching for further cases, similarly marked. Nor
was he disappointed, for the next day's search resulted in his finding a
third case, the contents of which consisted of a complete set of
gun-metal belaying-pins and other fittings, together with a number of
patent blocks, single, double, and threefold, that he had no difficulty
in identifying as intended for the same craft.

"Little woman," he exclaimed, "this find is worth more than all the rest
of them put together. These spars and sails will save me months of
work, and shorten our term of imprisonment here by just that much. They
are intended for a craft of about the size that I had in my mind, and
now, of course, I shall design her of exactly such dimensions as they
will fit. Are you not glad?"

"Of course I am, Dick," she replied; "I am glad of anything that will
ease your work for you, for indeed you have been making a perfect slave
of yourself ever since we landed here. The discovery of these things
has, I suppose, relieved your mind of a great deal of anxiety; and I
hope that now you will be able to take matters more easily."

"I am afraid," said Dick, "there still remains a great deal to be done
before I can think of `taking matters easily.' I must complete my
examination of this cargo, for one thing; and when that is done I must
begin to pull the poor old brig herself to pieces for the sake of her
timber, that being the only material available out of which to build our
boat."

"But surely there is no such very urgent need for hurry over all this
work, is there, Dick?" remonstrated Flora.

"Oh yes, there is," insisted Dick; "for the reason that, if another gale
were to spring up, the brig would most probably go to pieces, and then
everything in her would be lost, excepting, of course, such matters as
might be washed ashore. And the timber of which she is built would be
more or less smashed up and generally made less fit for use than it will
be if I am afforded time to break her up carefully."

"I see," assented Flora, thoughtfully. "In that case I suppose we had