it is handier for steering and partly
because he has been accustomed to it in his own land. You are at
liberty to use which you prefer."

"Thanks, I will follow the lead of Moses, for I also have been
accustomed to the single-blade and prefer it--at least while I am one of
three. If alone, I should prefer the double-blade."

"Now, Moses, are you ready?" asked the hermit.

"All ready, massa."

"Get in then and shove off. Come along, Spinkie."

The monkey, which all this time had been seated on a rock looking on
with an expression of inconsolable sorrow, at once accepted the
invitation, and with a lively bound alighted on the deck close to the
little mast, which had been set up just in front of Nigel, and to which
it held on when the motions of the canoe became unsteady.

"You need not give yourself any concern about Spinkie," said the hermit,
as they glided over the still water of the little cove in which the
canoe and boat were harboured. "He is quite able to take care of
himself."

Rounding the entrance to the cove and shooting out into the ocean under
the influence of Van der Kemp's powerful strokes, they were soon clear
of the land, and proceeded eastward at a rate which seemed unaccountable
to our hero, for he had not sufficiently realised the fact that in
addition to the unusual physical strength of Van der Kemp as well as
that of Moses, to say nothing of his own, the beautiful fish-like
adaptation of the canoe to the water, the great length and leverage of
the bow-paddle, and the weight of themselves as well as the cargo, gave
this canoe considerable advantage over other craft of the kind.

About a quarter of an hour later the sun arose in cloudless splendour on
a perfectly tranquil sea, lighted up the shores of Java, glinted over
the mountains of Sumatra, and flooded, as with a golden haze, the
forests of Krakatoa--emulating the volcanic fires in gilding the volumes
of smoke that could be seen rolling amid fitful mutterings from
Perboewatan, until the hermit's home sank from view in the western
horizon.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

CANOEING ON THE SEA--A MYSTERIOUS NIGHT--SURPRISE AND SUDDEN FLIGHT.

At first the voyagers paddled over the glassy sea in almost total
silence.

Nigel was occupied with his own busy thoughts; speculating on the
probable end and object of their voyage, and on the character, the
mysterious life, and unknown history of the man who sat in front of him
wielding so powerfully t