s acting up pretty bad, sir."

Captain Parkinson went on deck, followed by the rest.

II

THE JOLLY ROGER

Feeling the way forward, the cruiser was soon caught in a maze of cross
currents. Hither and thither she was borne, a creature bereft of volition.
Order followed order like the rattle of quick-fire, and was obeyed with
something more than the _Wolverine's_ customary smartness. From the bridge
Captain Parkinson himself directed his ship. His face was placid: his
bearing steady and confident. This in itself was sufficient earnest that
the cruiser was in ticklish case. For it was an axiom of the men who
sailed under Parkinson that the calmer that nervous man grew, the more
cause was there for nervousness on the part of others.

The approach was from the south, but suspicious aspects of the water had
fended the cruiser out and around, until now she stood prow-on to a bold
headland at the northwest corner of the island. Above this headland lay a
dark pall of vapour. In the shifting breeze it swayed sluggishly, heavily,
as if riding at anchor like a logy ship of the air. Only once did it show
any marked movement.

"It's spreading out toward us," said Barnett to his fellow officers,
gathered aft.

"Time to move, then," grunted Trendon.

The others looked at him inquiringly.

"About as healthful as prussic acid, those volcanic gases," explained the
surgeon.

The ship edged on and inward. Presently the sing-song of the leadsman
sounded in measured distinctness through the silence. Then a sudden
activity and bustle forward, the rattle of chains, and the _Wolverine_ was
at anchor. The captain came down from the bridge.

"What do you think, Dr. Trendon?" he asked.

More explicit inquiry was not necessary.

The surgeon understood what was in his superior's mind.

"Never can tell about volcanoes, sir," he said.

"Of course," agreed the captain. "But--well, do you recognise any of the
symptoms?"

"Want me to diagnose a case of earthquake, sir?" grinned Trendon. "She
might go off to-day, or she might behave herself for a century."

"Well, it's all chance," said the other, cheerfully. "The man _might_ be
alive. At any rate we must do our best on that theory. What do you make of
that cloud on the peak?"

"Poisonous vapours, I suppose. Thought we'd have a chance to make sure
just now. Seemed to be coming right for us. Wind's shifted it since."

"There couldn't be anything alive up there?"

"Not so mu