Year: 1877

that he was going to be taken i'll.


A week more elapsed, and the Off
GERS and crew began to talk of a voy-
age to their market in China. The
Captain refused to fix day for sail
ing. He even took offense at being
asked to decide. Instead of sleeping
in his cabin he went ashore for the
night.


Not many hours afterward, Just be-
fore day break, MIR. Duncalf, snoring
in his cabin on deck, was aroused by
a hand laid on his shoulder. The
swinging lamp, still alight, showed
him the dusky face of the chiefs son,
couvulsed with terror. By wild signs
by disconnected words in the little
English which he had learnt, the lad
tried TO make the mate understand
him. Dense Mr.. Duncalf, understsnd-
ing nothing, hailed the second officer,
on the opposite side of the deck. The
second officer was young and intelli
gent. He rightly Interpreted the ter
rible news that had come to the ship.
The Captain had broken his own rules.
Watching his opportunity, under cover
of the night, he had taken a canoe,
and had secretly crossed the channel
to the Holy Island. No one had been
near him at the time but the chiefs
son. The lad had vainly tried to in
duce him to abandon his desperate en-
terprise, and had yainly waited OH the
shore in the hope of hearing the sound
of the paddle announcing his return.
Beyond all reasonable doubt, the in
fatuated mau had set foot on the
shores of the tabooed island.


The one chance for his life was to
conceal what he had done until the
ship could be got out of the harbor,
and then Gf no harm had come to him
in the interval to rescue him after
nightfalI. 1t was decided to spread
the report that he had really been ta-
ken i'll, and that he was confined tn
his cabin. The chiefs son, whose
heart the Captains kindness had won,
could be trusted to do this, and to keep
the secret faithfully for the Captains
sake.


Toward noon the next day they at
tempted to take the ship to sea, and
failed for want of wind. Hour by
hour the heat grew more and more op-
pressive. As the day d, clined, there
were ominous appearances in the
western heaven. The natives, who had
given some trouble during the day by
their anxiety to see the Captain, and
by their curiosity to know the cause OF
the sudden preparations for the ships
departure, all went ashore together,
looking suspiciously at the sky, and
reappeard no more. Just at midnight
the ship (stili in her snug berth inside
the reef suddenly trembled from her
keel to her mastheads. Mr.. Duncalf
surrounded by the startled crew, shook
his knotty fist at the island as if he
could see it in the dark. My lads,
what did tell you2 That was a shock
of earthquake.


With the morning the threatening
aspect of the weather Unexpectedly
disappeared. A faint hot breeze from
the land, just enough to give the ship
steerage away. offered Mr. Duncalf a
chance of getting to sea. Slowly the
Fortuna, with the mate himself at the
wheel, half sailed, half drifted, into
the open ocean. At distance of
barely two miles from the island the
breeze was felt no more, and the vessel
lay becalmed for the rest of the day.


At night the men waited their or
ders, expecting to be sent after their
Captain in one of the boats. The in
tense darkness, the airless heat, and a
second shock of earthquake Gust felt
in the ship at erpresent distance from
the land) warned the mate to be eau
tious. II smell mischief in the air, "
said Mr.. Duncalf. ''The Captain must
wait till am surer of the weather"


Still no change came with the new
day. The dead calm continued, and
the airl-ss heat. As tie day declined
another ominous appearance became
visible. A thin line of smoke was dis
covered through the telescope, ascend
ing from the topmost peak of the
mountain on the main island. Was
the volcano threatening an eruptjon2
The mate for one entertained no doubt
of it. "By the Lord, the place is
going to hurst up!' said Mr.. Duncalf.
"Come what may of it. we must find
the Captain to-night!'


ITO be continued. I