o calm and quiet that there was not the slightest surf
on the outer reef, and the only sound that broke the silence would be
the croak of some night-fishing bird, as it rose, prey in bill, from the
slumbering lagoon.

As soon as ever we could see our way through to the other side of
the island, we were afoot, unheeding the drenching we got from the
dew-soaked trees whenever we touched a branch. Within five minutes after
we had emerged out into the open the sun rose, and a cheer broke from us
when we saw both the cutter and the brigantine lying becalmed about
four miles away, between the islet and the mainland of New Britain, and
almost abreast of where we stood.

"They have both lost all the boats, I am almost sure," said Yorke,
"or we should see one coming ashore; unless, indeed, a boat is already
pulling down the lagoon on the other side. Let us wait an hour. That
will decide us what to do; if we see no boat between now and then, we
can be assured that Guest has none to send, and that he is waiting for
a breeze, so that he can run in close to the reef, and try to get within
hail of us. I daresay that he has a raft of some sort already made, and
is trying to get closer to the land to send it ashore for us. So we'll
give him a pleasant surprise."

We waited impatiently till the hour had passed, but could see no sign
of a boat putting off from, or on the way from the brigantine, and were
then certain that she had none to send, as if it had left the vessel,
even at daylight, it would have entered the lagoon and been with us by
that time.

Whilst we were waiting we had piled together on the shore a great heap
of dried coconut branches, on top of which we threw masses of a thick,
green, saline creeper. This heap we lit as a signal, and a pillar of
dense smoke rose high in the windless atmosphere. It was answered by
Guest in a few minutes--not by a gun, as we expected, but by a similar
signal of smoke, caused by a mass of cotton waste being soaked in coal
tar and ignited.

"He's answering us," exclaimed Yorke. "Now, let's get the raft launched
and make a start."

We tore back through the scrub to our camp, I panting with excitement,
Yorke as cool as ever. Carrying the raft down to the water we quickly
put on board the bundles of young coconuts, not deeming it worth while
to bother with the old ones and the cooked birds, as we quite expected
to be alongside the _Fray Bentos_ within three hours at least, the sea
being