264 TROPIC DAYS 



"Better send you'se boys back with the Nautilus," 

 suggested Black Charley, " and me and my mate will 

 take yous back when we've had a drink and a bit to eat. 

 It's a long time since I've had a decent feed, and Captain 

 Andrews, he won't mind." 



Breezy Jim and Bill agreeing, the Nautilus cast off, 

 with instructions to anchor at the old spot and to work 

 until the bosses returned. 



There was more than one drink as the steamer forged 

 ahead, with Black Charley's cutter romping and curtsey- 

 ing behind. Then tea-time came, and the captain asked 

 his guests to remain. Black Charley had had so many 

 refreshments that he was scarcely fit company for the 

 saloon, so he offered his excuses and they were accepted 

 with politely veiled relief. 



The mates told of their bad luck down at the Barnards 

 and the Palms ; how they had been driven away by the 

 unmusical black boy in desperate pursuit of "The Last 

 Rose of Summer," and of their great stroke of luck on 

 the reef of which he had told. 



"There's plenty more fish on it yet. We'll be troub- 

 ling you to stop for a couple of months yet." 



"You won't be making a very early start to-morrow 

 if we jerk your boat much further," remarked Captain 

 Andrews, with a smile. 



"Come," urged Bill. "We'll hunt up Charley and 

 cut away back." 



The well-contented partners strolled on deck, antici- 

 pating a very tipsy Charley, whom neither steward 

 nor bo'sun could discover. 



The sun had just set. A bewildering blank astern 

 excited a wide and comprehensive survey, and there in 

 the blue-grey of the south-east Black Charley's big 

 white-winged cutter was fast fading from view. 



When the partners got back to the reef, via Thursday 



