much with the small-talk of the other two. "Luckily the weather is
warm," he added, "and we won't require better shelter at present than
the bushes afford, unless a storm comes.--Ho what have we here?--a
path!"

They had reached the entrance to the thicket, and discovered what
appeared to be an opening into it, made apparently by the hand of man.

"Nothing more likely," said Pauline. "If so many wrecks have taken
place here--as you seem to think--some of the crews must have landed,
and perhaps lived here."

"Ay, and died here," returned Dominick, in a grave, low tone, as he
pointed to a skeleton lying on a spot which had once been cleared of
bushes, but so long ago that the vegetation had partially grown up
again. The man whose bleached bones lay before them had evidently
perished many years before. On examination, nothing was found to afford
any information about him, but when they had advanced a dozen yards
further they came upon six little mounds, which showed that a party--
probably a wrecked crew--had sojourned there for a time, and finally
perished: so far their story was clear enough. One by one they must
have sunk, until the last man had lain down to die and remain unburied.

Pushing past these sad evidences of former suffering, and feeling that
the same fate might await themselves, they came to a sight which tended
slightly to restore their spirits. It was a pool of water of
considerable size, whether a spring or a rain-pool they could not tell.
Neither did they care at that time, for the sudden feeling of relieved
anxiety was so great, that they ran forward, as if under one impulse,
and, lying down on their breasts, took a long refreshing draught. So
powerful was the influence of this refreshment and discovery on their
spirits that they became totally regardless and forgetful for the moment
about food--all the more that, having so recently had a good meal, they
were not hungry.

"I was sure we would find water," said Otto, as they continued to
explore the thicket, "and I've no doubt that we shall find yams and
plantains and breadfruits, and--aren't these the sort of things that
grow wild on coral islands, Dom?"

"Yes, but I fear not on such a little scrap of reef as this. However,
we shall not be quite destitute, for there are cocoa-nuts, you see--
though not many of them. Come, our prospects are brightening, and as
the sun is beginning to sink, we will look out for a suitable
camping-ground."