THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND. 153 



Dick remarked, as they stood on the shore after 

 breakfast, waiting for the doctor. 



" Nor I either," said Harry ; " he must have 

 been a fisherman all his life." 



As they spoke, the doctor appeared, loaded 

 with a box of phials for specimens, and the boys 

 hastened to relieve him. 



" I am going over to North Key," he said, 

 " the most northwestern key of this group, and 

 interesting because it is a key just forming or 

 disappearing — it is difficult to tell which. After 

 a severe hurricane, the men tell me, a sloop could 

 sail over it, but during pleasant weather it ap- 

 pears out of water again." 



The boys were always ready for an excur- 

 sion, and going aboard Long John's fishing-boat, 

 which he called the Bull-pup, because she clung 

 to the wind so, were soon bowling along, headed 

 in the direction of the island. After an hour's 

 sail they sighted it — a patch of white sand, bear- 

 ing a few grasses, and so low that it was evi- 

 dently swept during heavy gales. The Bull-pup 

 was anchored near shore, the boys and the doc- 

 tor taking the dinghy and pulling in, hauling it 



