a lot of money for me. If I fail, I shall at least
make enough to pay me well by breaking her up. The insurance people know
me, and said very nice things to me."

"Will you take me, Tom?"

"Don't tempt me, Lucy. It will be a rough life, living on an almost
barren, rocky island, inhabited only by black snakes, albatrosses, gulls
and seals."

"Tom, you _must_. Come, let us tell mother."

Three days later they were married, and at six o'clock in the evening
the newly-made bride was standing beside her husband on the bridge
of the _Dolphin_, which was steaming full speed towards Sydney Heads,
loaded down almost to the waterways with coals and stores for four
months.

CHAPTER II

Two months had passed, and the sturdy _Dolphin_ was lying snugly at
anchor in a small, well-sheltered cove on one of the Kent's Group of
islands. Less than a hundred yards away was one of the rudest attempts
at a house ever seen--that is, externally--for it was built with
wreckage from many ships and was roofed with tarpaulins and coarse
"albatross" grass. Seated on a stool outside the building was Mrs.
Lester, engaged in feeding a number of noisy fowls with broken-up
biscuit, but looking every now and then towards the _Braybrook Cattle_,
which lay on the rocks a mile away with only her lower masts standing.
It was nearing the time when her husband and his men would be returning
from their usual day's arduous toil. She rose, shook the biscuit crumbs
from her apron, and walking down to the _Dolphin_, anchored just in
front of the house, called--"Manuel."

A black, woolly head appeared above the companion way, and Manuel,
the cook of the wrecking party, came on deck, jumped into the dinghy
alongside and sculled ashore.

"Manuel, you know that all the men are having supper in the house
to-night," she said, as the man--a good-natured Galveston negro--stepped
on shore.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, I've done all _my_ share of the cooking--I've made two batches of
bread, and the biggest sea pie you ever saw in your life, but I want two
buckets of water from the spring."

"All right, ma'am. I'll tote 'em up fo' yo' right away.".

"Please do. And I'll come with you. Captain Lester and the others
won't be here for half an hour yet, and I want to show you some
curious-looking stuff I saw on the beach this morning. It looks like
dirty soap mixed with black shells, like fowl's beaks."

The negro's face displayed a sudden interest. "Mixed with