eet that the men laughed as they stepped gingerly about.

"I say, mate," said one of them in the intervals of hauling up a case,
and just as he had noted that Syd was close by, "d'yer know what's for
dinner to-day?"

"Ay, lad; cold junk and biscuit."

"Better than that, messmate; on'y it wants the young gen'leman to set to
work and ketch some shrimps for sarce."

"What d'yer mean, lad?"

"Fried soles, lad, fried soles," said the other. "Mine's 'most done
brown."

Syd was not supposed to be on duty, but he was so much interested in the
whole affair that he was as busy as any one, and it was while he was
high up on the rock, looking on at the rigging up of a couple of spars,
crane-fashion, for hoisting the stores, that he came across the
lieutenant, who gave him a peculiar look and a smile, and then went on
giving a few orders before going higher to re-inspect the chasm, prior
to getting the stores and light things in there.

"Couldn't see yer, Master Syd," whispered the boatswain. "'Stonishing
how invisible young gents is sometimes."

But there was little time for talking. Work was the order of the day,
and so clever were the contrivances for hoisting, and so well did the
men work, that by sundown all the light things were under cover in the
chasm, and only the guns, barrels, and heavy cases down by the natural
pier. These latter were covered in turn, and made fast with pieces of
rock piled upon the edge of the tarpaulins, after which the men of the
barge embarked and went back to the ship, the crew of the second cutter
following, and the garrison being gathered in their new quarters, high
up in the cleft of the great rock, for a hearty meal, to which Sydney
came down from the bare fork of the cleft, ravenously hungry, and at
once fell to.

He was partaking of his portion with eager zest, when Roylance, who had
been busy below seeing to the covering of the barrels, came up.

"Why, Belt," he said, in a whisper; "not gone back?"

"No," said Syd, laconically.

"But I thought you'd gone back in the second cutter."

"No," said Syd, with his mouth full; "I did mean to, but I've been
exploring, and when I came back the boat was gone."

"What are you doing here?" said a sharp voice.

"Eating," said Syd, without looking up.

"Don't be insolent, sir. I am one of the officers of this expedition,
and on duty. You have no business here."

"Look here, Terry," said Syd, eating away in the most nonchalant
fas