ith the
kingdom!

"Now, boy," said the captain when their host had gone, "what'll 'ee do?
Take a boat and have a pull over the lagoon, or go with me to visit a
family I'm particularly fond of, an' who are uncommon fond of _me_!"

"Visit the family, of course," said Nigel. "I can have a pull any day."

"Come along then."

He led the way to one of the neatest of the plank cottages, which stood
on the highest ridge of the island, so that from the front windows it
commanded a view of the great blue ocean with its breakers that fringed
the reef as with a ring of snow, while, on the opposite side, lay the
peaceful waters and islets of the lagoon.

A shout of joyful surprise was uttered by several boys and girls at
sight of the captain, for during his former visit he had won their
hearts by telling them wild stories of the sea, one-half of each story
being founded on fact and personal experience, the other half on a vivid
imagination!

"We are rejoiced to see you," said the mother of the juveniles, a stout
woman of mixed nationality--that of Dutch apparently predominating. She
spoke English, however, remarkably well, as did many of the Cocos
people, though Malay is the language of most of them.

The boys and girls soon hauled the captain down on a seat and began to
urge him to tell them stories, using a style of English that was by no
means equal to that of the mother.

"Stop, stop, let me see sister Kathy first. I can't begin without her.
Where is she?"

"Somewhere, I s'pose," said the eldest boy.

"No doubt of that. Go--fetch her," returned the captain.

At that moment a back-door opened, and a girl of about seventeen years
of age entered. She was pleasant-looking rather than pretty--tall,
graceful, and with magnificent black eyes.

"Here she comes," cried the captain, rising and kissing her. "Why,
Kathy, how you've grown since I saw you last! Quite a woman, I
declare!"

Kathy was not too much of a woman, however, to join her brothers and
sisters in forcing the captain into a seat and demanding a story on the
spot.

"Stop, stop!" cried the captain, grasping round their waists a small boy
and girl who had already clambered on his knees. "Let me inquire about
my old friends first--and let me introduce my son to you--you've taken
no notice of _him_ yet! That's not hospitable."

All eyes were turned at once on Nigel, some boldly, others with a shy
inquiring look, as though to say, "Can _you_ tell sto