s if he doubted his
principles. Bravely true to his faith that nature will decide now as
ever before, he proceeds manfully with his preparations for the night.
He lights a ship's lantern, one of several treasures he has brought
ashore, and is filling his pipe with crumbs of tobacco from various
pockets, when the stealthy movements of some animal in the grass
startles him. With the lantern in one hand and his cutlass in the other,
he searches the ground around the hut. He returns, lights his pipe, and
sits down by the fire, which casts weird moving shadows. There is a red
gleam on his face; in the darkness he is a strong and perhaps rather
sinister figure. In the great stillness that has fallen over the land,
the wash of the surf seems to have increased in volume. The sound is
indescribably mournful. Except where the fire is, desolation has fallen
on the island like a pall.

Once or twice, as nature dictates, CRICHTON leans forward to stir the
pot, and the smell is borne westward. He then resumes his silent vigil.

Shadows other than those cast by the fire begin to descend the rocks.
They are the adventurers returning. One by one they steal nearer to the
pot until they are squatted round it, with their hands out to the
blaze. LADY MARY only is absent. Presently she comes within sight of the
others, then stands against a tree with her teeth clenched. One wonders,
perhaps, what nature is to make of her.)

End of Act II.

ACT III. THE HAPPY HOME

The scene is the hall of their island home two years later. This sturdy
log-house is no mere extension of the hut we have seen in process of
erection, but has been built a mile or less to the west of it, on higher
ground and near a stream. When the master chose this site, the others
thought that all he expected from the stream was a sufficiency of
drinking water. They know better now every time they go down to the mill
or turn on the electric light.

This hall is the living-room of the house, and walls and roof are
of stout logs. Across the joists supporting the roof are laid many
home-made implements, such as spades, saws, fishing-rods, and from hooks
in the joists are suspended cured foods, of which hams are specially in
evidence. Deep recesses half way up the walls contain various provender
in barrels and sacks. There are some skins, trophies of the chase, on
the floor, which is otherwise bare. The chairs and tables are in some
cases hewn out of the solid wood,