natives than he was accustomed to do, as he wanted to obtain some pigs, cocoanuts, and other provisions. They consequently, without hesitation, came on board in considerable numbers. Many of them were observed to wear necklaces of white beads, which the captain supposed to be made of glass, and to have been obtained from some previous trader. On examining, however, one of the strings of beads, what was his surprise to find that they were pearls! Being a cunning fellow, he kept his discovery to himself till he had obtained all he could induce the natives to part with, when, though he fancied that he had made his fortune, he formed the design of kidnapping as many people as his schooner would hold, as an effectual way of preventing other traders from having any friendly intercourse with the islanders and discovering his secret, and thereby spoiling his market. Tom Platt was the only person among the crew who suspected what the white beads really were, and he managed, unknown to the captain, to obtain a necklace, which he hid in his pocket. The very evening before the natives were to have been seized a heavy gale sprang up, and the schooner was driven out to sea. Before many days had gone by she was cast away on an uninhabited island, when all hands, with the exception of Tom Platt, were lost. He supported existence on shell-fish and a few birds he knocked down, while a small cask of water washed ashore saved him from dying of thirst. Just as it was exhausted, he was taken off by a vessel bound for this place. I met him, looking very ill and wretched, wandering about the street the very day he landed. We recognised each other, and I took him to my house, where he became so much worse that, had it not been for the careful way he was nursed, I believe he would have died. He seemed to think so himself, and was very grateful. While I was sitting with him one day, having a yarn of old times, he gave me an account of the pearl islands, and assured me that he could find them again, having carefully noted the distance the schooner had run to the reef on which she was wrecked, as also its position on the chart. He then showed me the necklace, of which he had not spoken to any one. His narrative first put our proposed venture into my head. When I told him of my idea he at once agreed to accompanying me, saying that he should be content with any wages I could afford to give him. Though a first-rate seaman, he cannot be much of a navigator, so that had you, Ned, not come out I should have been obliged to get another mate; and now that you have come, we will forthwith commence our preparations.”

“The first thing to be done is to find a suitable craft,” I said.

“I have had my eye on one—a schooner, the Dainty, of a hundred and twenty tons, built for a fruit-trader, which was brought out here from England by a settler only a month ago,” he answered.

“Then let us go at once and have a look at her, and, if she is in good condition, secure her,” I exclaimed; for, after the account Harry had given me, I had become very eager to undertake the expedition.

We started forthwith. The Dainty was even more suited for our object than we had expected. She had well fitted up cabins, like those of a yacht, with a hold large enough for all the cargo and stores we might wish to stow—was well-found and in capital condition; so Harry at once made an offer for her, which being accepted, the Dainty became his.

In the evening Harry said what he had done.

“You do not intend to leave me behind, I hope,” exclaimed Mary.

“Or me either,” cried Miss Fanny Amiel. “What should we poor girls do all alone by ourselves in this little bakehouse?”

“You must let me go as cabin-boy,” said Nat. “I’ll make myself tremendously useful.”

“I’ll talk it over with Mary,” answered Harry, who looked not at all ill pleased at the thoughts of having his wife to accompany him of her own free will. The result of the talk was that the next morning it was settled that we were all to go, the house and business being left in charge of a trustworthy old clerk, Mr Simon Humby, who had accompanied Harry when he came out the first time from England. We were very busy for the next few days in making preparations for the voyage—the ladies in the house assisted by Nat, and Harry, and I in refitting the schooner—purchasing provisions, stores, and articles for bartering with the natives. We procured also four small brass guns, with some muskets, pistols, boarding-pikes, and cutlasses.

“We shall not, I hope, have to use them,” said Harry. “But, now especially that we are to have ladies on board, we must be well prepared for defence should we be attacked.”

It was easy enough to prepare the vessel for sea, but Harry expected to find some difficulty in securing an efficient crew. He of course at once applied to Tom Platt.

“I’ll see about that, sir,” he answered. “You mustn’t be too particular as to what sort of chaps they may be, provided they are good seamen—for as to their characters, I’m not likely to be able to say much.”

“Pick up the best you can find,” said Harry. “They’ll probably behave well enough, if kept under strict discipline.”

Tom was as good as his word. In the course of a few days he had engaged ten hands—a strong crew for a vessel of the Dainty’s size—six Englishmen, a New Zealander, a Sandwich Islander, and two blacks, natives of Tanna, an island of the New Hebrides Group. Tom confessed that he had more confidence in the probable good conduct of the Pacific islanders than he had in that of the white men, who, however, when they came on board, looked more decent fellows than I had expected.

Just as the schooner was ready for sea, Harry and I were one evening leaving the quay, when I saw a lad in ragged clothes, who, on catching sight of me, tried to hide himself behind a stack of planks lately landed. In spite of his forlorn and dirty condition, I recognised him as the young stowaway who had come out with me on board the Eclipse.

“Hillo, Dick Tilston, can that be you?” I exclaimed. “Come here. What have you been about?”

On being called, he approached, looking very sheepish.

“Now, don’t be scolding at me,” he said, taking my hand, which I held out to him. “You know how I was treated aboard the Eclipse. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so when she was about to sail I slipped ashore, and hid away till she had gone. I’ve since been knocking about, unable to get any work, for no one will engage me without a character, as they guess that I’m a runaway, and take me for a young thief. I’ve sold my clothes and everything I had for food, and have got only these rags to cover me.”

I knew that what Dick said was true. I asked him if he still wished to be a sailor, or would rather go up the country and seek for employment, which I was sure he would be able to obtain with my brother’s recommendation.

“I would rather be a sailor than anything else, if I could serve under a good captain,” he answered.

“Well, then, stop a moment, and I’ll speak to my brother,” I said; and I ran after Harry. I told him in a few words about Dick.

“Well, he may come with us,” he said. “But he must try to make himself useful, and not fancy that he is a young gentleman to do what he likes.”

I ran back to Dick. The poor fellow was delighted, and burst into tears. “I own, Ned, I’ve had nothing to eat all day in this land of plenty, for I could not bring myself to beg, and nobody offered me anything,” he exclaimed, scarcely able for shame to get out his words.

I fortunately had a shilling in my pocket. “Here, Dick, go and get something to eat,” I said, giving it to him. I thought that he would rather have some food first, before he came to talk with Harry. “Then come up to my brother’s house—you can easily find it—and I will speak to him in the meantime.” Dick promised to come.