rning-glass; but I refrain from setting down more
particulars here, as I have still much to tell of the adventures that
befell us while we remained on this island.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

NOTABLE DISCOVERY AT THE SPOUTING CLIFFS--THE MYSTERIOUS GREEN MONSTER
EXPLAINED--WE ARE THROWN INTO UNUTTERABLE TERROR BY THE IDEA THAT JACK
IS DROWNED--THE DIAMOND CAVE.

"Come, Jack," cried Peterkin one morning about three weeks after our
return from our long excursion, "let's be jolly to-day, and do something
vigorous. I'm quite tired of hammering and bammering, hewing and
screwing, cutting and butting at that little boat of ours, that seems as
hard to build as Noah's ark. Let us go on an excursion to the
mountain-top, or have a hunt after the wild ducks, or make a dash at the
pigs. I'm quite flat--flat as bad ginger-beer--flat as a pancake; in
fact, I want something to rouse me--to toss me up, as it were. Eh! what
do you say to it?"

"Well," answered Jack, throwing down the axe with which he was just
about to proceed towards the boat, "if that's what you want, I would
recommend you to make an excursion to the waterspouts. The last one we
had to do with tossed you up a considerable height; perhaps the next
will send you higher--who knows?--if you're at all reasonable or
moderate in your expectations!"

"Jack, my dear boy," said Peterkin gravely, "you are really becoming too
fond of jesting. It's a thing I don't at all approve of; and if you
don't give it up, I fear that, for our mutual good, we shall have to
part."

"Well, then, Peterkin," replied Jack with a smile, "what would you
have?"

"Have?" said Peterkin. "I would _have_ nothing. I didn't say I wanted
to _have_; I said that I wanted to _do_."

"By the bye," said I, interrupting their conversation, "I am reminded by
this that we have not yet discovered the nature of yon curious
appearance that we saw near the waterspouts on our journey round the
island. Perhaps it would be well to go for that purpose."

"Humph!" ejaculated Peterkin, "I know the nature of it well enough."

"What was it?" said I.

"It was of a _mysterious_ nature, to be sure!" said he with a wave of
his hand, while he rose from the log on which he had been sitting and
buckled on his belt, into which he thrust his enormous club.

"Well, then, let us away to the waterspouts," cried Jack, going up to
the bower for his bow and arrows.--"And bring your spear, Peterkin; it
may be useful."