ly, and then came to a spring of
clear cold water. Gaff also climbed a cocoa-nut tree and brought down
two nuts, which were clothed in such thick hard shells that they
well-nigh broke their hearts before they succeeded in getting at the
kernels. However, they got at them in course of time, and feasted
sumptuously on them.

It was half an hour, or perhaps three-quarters of an hour, after the
gathering of the cocoa-nuts, that they came suddenly on a spring of
water above which there was a cloud of vapour resembling steam.

"It's bilin'," exclaimed Billy, as he ran forward and eagerly thrust his
hand into the water.

Billy had said this in joke, for he had never conceived of such a thing
as a spring of hot water, but he found that his jest might have been
said in earnest, for the spring was almost "bilin'," and caused the
Bu'ster to pull his hand out again with a roar of surprise and pain.

Just beyond the hot spring they found a small cavern in the face of a
cliff, which appeared to them to be quite dry.

"Here's the very thing we want, daddy," cried Billy in gleeful surprise.

"Don't be too sure, lad; p'raps it's damp."

"No, it's dry as bone," said the boy, running in and placing his hands
on the floor; "it's wide inside too, and the entrance is small, so we
can put a door to it; and look there! see--an't that a hole leadin' to
some other place?"

Billy was right. A small hole, not much larger than was sufficient to
admit of a man passing through, conducted them into a larger cave than
the first one, and here they found another hole leading into a third,
which was so large and dark that they dared not venture to explore it
without a light. They saw enough, however, to be convinced that the
caverns were well ventilated and free from damp, so they returned to the
entrance cave and examined it carefully with a view to making it their
home.

Billy's romantic spirit was filled to overflowing with joy while thus
engaged, insomuch that Gaff himself became excited as well as interested
in the investigation. They little knew at the time how familiar each
rock and crevice of that cave was to become, and how long it was
destined to be their island-home!

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

RELATING TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HUT, AND MRS. GAFF'S PERPLEXITIES.

While Stephen Gaff and his son were busy preparing their residence in
the South Sea island, Mrs Gaff was equally busy in preparing her
residence for their reception o