"If you wish me to die of starvation," said Panton. "I can't work without food."

"Then for goodness' sake let's get on," said Oliver, pettishly, and he hurried beneath the tree where the first monkey had been seen, and as he pa.s.sed a good-sized piece of stick whizzed by his ear and struck the ground.

"See that, Billy?" said Smith.

"Ah, I see it."

"Lucky for that little n.i.g.g.e.r as they're a good-hearted Christian sort o' gentlemen. If they warn't he'd go home to his messmates peppered all over with shot, and feelin' like a sore currant dumpling."

Another half-hour was pa.s.sed of what Oliver dubbed the most aggravating natures for beautiful specimens of bird, insect, flower, and mineral abounded, while the whole of their attention had to be devoted to providing food.

"I don't believe there are any deer to be had," he cried at last, and then he stopped short in the sunny grove, where they had halted to take a few minutes' rest. "What's that?"

"I was going to ask you," said Panton.

For the peculiar noise they had heard upon a former occasion came from a short distance away, deep-toned, soft, and musical, as if a tyro were practising one note upon a great bra.s.s instrument.

"Quick, come on," whispered Oliver, excitedly, and leading the way he signed to his companions to come on abreast, and in this form they went on cautiously in the direction of the sound, till Drew suddenly took a quick aim through an opening, and fired both barrels of the piece in rapid succession.

Instantly there was a tremendous beating of wings, and a little flock of half-a-dozen large, dark birds rose up, affording Oliver and Panton each a shot, with the result that a couple of the birds fell heavily.

Then the two men behind cheered, there was a rush forward through the thick growth, and four of the huge crowned pigeons were retrieved-- lovely dark slate-coloured birds, which looked with their soft, loose plumage and beautiful crests, nearly double the size of ordinary farm-yard fowls.

"Now," cried Oliver, triumphantly, "back with you to the fire, and pluck and cook those. We will be with you in a couple of hours' time. But I say, Panton, you won't eat half-a-dozen?"

The two men seized a bird in each hand, grinning with delight, and started off for the edge of the wood at a run, but Smith stopped and turned.

"Byled or roast, sir?" he cried.

"Roast, of course," said Oliver. "You have nothing to boil them in."

"Byling spring, sir."

"Nonsense, man. Off with you. Now," he continued, as the two sailors disappeared, "specimens. A little way farther, and then turn back."

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

DANGER SIGNALS.

Oliver suffered from a sensation of disappointment during those next two hours, for he regretted not stripping the skins from the magnificent fruit pigeons, but, as his companions said, he had no cause to complain, for he secured specimens of two beautifully feathered birds of Paradise, of an exceedingly rare kind. In addition he had a couple of brilliant scarlet and green lories, and half-a-dozen sun-birds, while Drew's collecting box and pockets were full of specimens, and Panton perspired freely beneath his burden of crystals, vitrified rock, and pieces of quartz. Several of these contained specks of metal, and proved satisfactorily that in spite of volcanic eruption and the abundant coral, the nucleus of the land on which they stood was exceedingly ancient, and evidently a part of some continent now submerged.

Smith met them as they approached camp and announced dinner, and in spite of the absence of bread and vegetables, no meat was ever more enjoyed than the roast Goura pigeons, nor greater justice done to the viand.

"Now then for the brig," said Oliver, decisively. "We must not stop by the way, for the sun will soon be getting low. Mr Rimmer will be coming after us if we are not there in good time, and we've a long tramp yet to get to the sh.o.r.e."

"Collect as we go?" said Drew.

"Oh no, let's be content with what we have. I shall have enough to do to preserve mine."

"And I to arrange my little lot," said Panton. "Here, Smith, carry a few of these."

"Certeny, sir, but there's heaps of as good stones close to where the brig lies."

"Never mind that, I want these."

"All right, sir," said the man, cheerily, and with a bag of stones and the ropes, and with Wriggs at his side shouldering the ladder, the little party started back, discussing the results of their expedition, and the fact that though they had not climbed to the crater, they had half explored the great mountain. That, and the fact that there were no savages to be seen, they felt was news enough for the mate, while, as to themselves, they were all three more than satisfied with their finds.

The long tramp in the forest before dinner and the dinner itself made the journey back to the sh.o.r.e of the lagoon where they had left the boat seem doubly long, but they reached it at last, just as the west was one glory of amber and gold, and the globular cloud high up over the crater appeared of a rosy scarlet. The long fringe of cocoa palms, too, seemed as if their great pinnate leaves had been cut out of orange metal, and reflected as they were in the gla.s.sy water of the lagoon, a scene of loveliness met the travellers' eyes that made them soon forget their weariness, and set to with a will to drag the boat over the sand, and then launch it in the mirror-like sea.

"Now for a gentle pull back," said Oliver. "Shall we do it before dark?"

"No; and there is no moon."

"Never mind, we can easily run the boat in among the trees, and avoid the coral blocks and the pools as we walk to the brig. Crocs are pretty active of a night, so let's give them a wide berth."

"Yes, we must," said Panton, "for I daresay they'll be getting hungry as they finish all the fish left in their larder."

"If it had not been for those reptiles in the pools they would have been getting offensive by now."

"And when they have cleared them out, you think the crocs will journey down to the sea?"

"I haven't a doubt of it," replied Panton.

"Then I hope they will not have begun their journey to-night, for I'm too tired to care about meeting enemies."

Their row along the narrow lagoon was glorious with the cocoa-nut grove on one side and the reef with its tumbling billows and subdued roar on the other. Then, as the sun set, the long mirror they traversed and the backs of the curling over breakers were dyed with the most refulgent colours, which grew pale only too soon. When the darkness closed in, the croaking of reptiles and night birds rose from beyond the grove, and the breakers grew phosph.o.r.escent and as if illumined by a pale fire tinged with a softened green, while the foam resembled golden spray as it was dashed over the coral sand.

The sailors were relieved from time to time as they rowed on with the stars spangling the still water, so that in the distance it was hard to tell where sea ended and sky began; and at last, dimly seen against the sky, three tall trees marked the spot where they ran up the boat.

"Sure this is right?" asked Oliver, as the sharp prow touched the soft, white sand.

"Oh, yes, sir, this is right enough," replied Smith. "Here's our marks that we made this morning when we ran her down."

There was the faintly marked furrow, sure enough, and, all taking hold of the sides, the boat was run up easily enough over the soft, loose sand and then in amongst the smooth, round, curved trunks of the cocoa-nut trees till her old quarters were reached, and the painter secured to a stout stem.

"No fear of tide or wind affecting her," said Oliver; "but how dark it is under these trees. Look here, Smith, I don't think you men need carry that ladder on to-night. Leave it here. It will be ready for next time we try the ascent."

"All right, sir," replied Smith.

"I don't know, though; perhaps it will be as well to bring it along.

We'll help you if you get tired."

"I sha'n't get tired o' carrying a thing like that, sir," said the man, with a laugh. Then he shouldered it at once and the start was made for the brig.

They reckoned upon it taking a good hour in the darkness, what with the care they would have to exercise to avoid half-dried pools, scattered fragments of coral rock, and the many heaps of snag-like trees half buried in sand and mud, but when as near as they could guess an hour had pa.s.sed they were still some distance from the brig and suffering from a feeling of weariness which made them all trudge along slowly and silently in single file.

Oliver was leading with his gun over his shoulder, the piece feeling heavier than it had ever felt before and as if it was increasing in weight each minute.