lions of 'em, of all sorts of colours--white,
yellow, green, red, purple--but I don't remember seein' any that were
really black."

"Is there a mountain on the island?" I asked.

"Well--no; not exactly what you'd call a mountain, I think; but there
are plenty of fairly high hills," answered Billy.

"And how big do you suppose the island to be?" I asked.

"How big?" repeated Billy. "Oh, really I don't know; quite a big place,
I'd say. It stretches athwart our bows as far as you can see, both
ways."

"The dickens it does!" I exclaimed. "That is very extraordinary. I
cannot understand it. At that rate the island must be at least thirty
miles long! Yet there is no such island shown on the chart; no island
of any sort, indeed, large or small, just where we are. Yet I have been
under the impression that these seas have been thoroughly surveyed. The
main fact, however, and the one most important to us is that _we are
here_, with very little prospect, I fear, of getting away again for some
time. I must turn out and begin to get busy; there is evidently no time
to waste. Billy, please find me my clothes."

Billy regarded me gravely; then shook his head.

"That's all very well, Mr Blackburn," he said, "but what's the good of
talkin' about turnin' out, when you haven't even got strength enough to
lift yourself up in bed? No, sir, please don't attempt to do anything
so foolish; you'd only fall, and hurt yourself worse. What you've got
to do is to get well as quick as ever you can; and the best way to do
that is to stay where you are until you've got your strength again. And
I'll help you all I can; I'll feed you up, and look after you, and tell
you everything that happens; but please--_please_ don't be in too great
a hurry; this is a case of `the more hurry, the less speed'; I'm sure of
it. Only trust yourself to me, Mr Blackburn, and I'll get you well as
quick as ever I can."

"By Jove, Billy," said I, "I believe you will. You have done
marvellously well, thus far. Why, boy, you must have been born to
become a great physician; and you talk more wisely than many lads of
twice your age. Yes; I will trust myself absolutely to you. But, now
that I come to look at you, your eyes are so heavy with sleeplessness
that you seem scarcely able to keep them open. How have you managed for
sleep while I have been ill?"

"Oh," answered Billy, "I've done pretty well. When you've been quiet
for a bit I've stretche