he exclaimed. "But no, it is not
possible! Why should they have got so far from the bay since yesterday,
and round so many miles of reef? Is it a village of fishermen, or the
encampment of some indigenous tribe?"

Godfrey watched it with the closest attention. Was this gentle vapour
which the breeze softly blew towards the west a smoke? Could he be
mistaken? Anyhow it quickly vanished, a few minutes afterwards nothing
could be seen of it.

It was a false hope.

Godfrey took a last look in its direction, and then seeing nothing,
glided down the slope, and again plunged beneath the trees.

An hour later he had traversed the forest and found himself on its
skirt.

There Tartlet awaited him with his two-footed and four-footed flock. And
how was the obstinate professor occupying himself? In the same way. A
bit of wood was in his right hand another piece in his left, and he
still continued his efforts to set them alight. He rubbed and rubbed
with a constancy worthy of a better fate.

"Well," he shouted as he perceived Godfrey some distance off--"and the
telegraph office?"

"It is not open!" answered Godfrey, who dared not yet tell him anything
of the situation.

"And the post?"

"It is shut! But let us have something to eat!--I am dying with hunger!
We can talk presently."

And this morning Godfrey and his companion had again to content
themselves with a too meagre repast of raw eggs and shell-fish.

"Wholesome diet!" repeated Godfrey to Tartlet, who was hardly of that
opinion and picked his food with considerable care.

CHAPTER XI.

IN WHICH THE QUESTION OF LODGING IS SOLVED AS WELL AS IT COULD BE.

The day was already far advanced. Godfrey resolved to defer till the
morrow the task of proceeding to a new abode. But to the pressing
questions which the professor propounded on the results of his
exploration he ended by replying that it was an island, Phina Island, on
which they both had been cast, and that they must think of the means of
living before dreaming of the means of departing.

"An island!" exclaimed Tartlet.

"Yes! It is an island!"

"Which the sea surrounds?"

"Naturally."

"But what is it?"

"I have told you, Phina Island, and you understand why I gave it that
name."

"No, I do not understand!" answered Tartlet, making a grimace; "and I
don't see the resemblance! Miss Phina is surrounded by land, not water!"

After this melancholy reflection, he prepared to pass the night wit