the boat ploughed her stem into the hard white
sand, and the men jumped out.

"Three of you stay in the boat and keep her afloat," said Barry. "You,
Velo, and you, Joe, come with me. We'll have a look around here and
then walk along the beach and meet those three natives."

Taking their rifles with them, the mate, with Velo and the white sailor
Joe following him closely, walked up the beach and entered the forest
of coco-palms. Every tree was laden with fruit in all stages of
growth, and at Barry's request Velo at once climbed one and threw down
a score or so of young drinking-nuts.

Throwing some to the men in the boat, Barry and his companions drank
one each, and then set out to look about them. Although the island was
of great length, it was in no part more than a mile in width from the
lagoon shore to the outer ocean beach, and the thunder of the surf on
the reef could be heard every now and then amid the rustle and soughing
of the palm-trees.

"It's nice to smell this 'ere hearthy smell, sir, ain't it?" said Joe
to the officer. "It seems to fill yer up inside with its flavorance."

Barry smiled. "It does indeed, Joe. I love the smell of these
low-lying coral islands."

Apparently encouraged by his officer's polite reply to his remark, Joe
(who was in the second mate's watch) began afresh.

"I hope; sir, you won't mind my loosenin' my jaw tackle a bit; but I'd
be mighty glad, sir, if you could let me come with you in the boats
when we begins the divin'."

"I'll mention it to the captain, Joe. I'm quite agreeable."

"Thank you, sir," said the sailor respectfully.

This Joe was the man whom Rawlings had felled with the belaying-pin,
and although when he first came on board Barry had conceived an
unfavourable impression of him and his three companions, subsequent
observation of the four had made him feel that he had done Joe at least
an injustice, for the man, despite his sullenness and a rather
quarrelsome disposition, was a good sailor and no shirker of work.
During the voyage from Sydney, Barry had scarcely had occasion to speak
to this man more than half a dozen times, but whenever he had done so
Joe had answered him with a cheerful "Aye, aye, sir," and obeyed his
orders promptly, whereas a command from Rawlings, Barradas, or the
Greek was received in sullen silence and carried out with a muttered
curse. The reason for this was not far to seek. Barry was a rigid
disciplinarian, but never laid