shore, life was again manifested by the presence of myriads of water-fowl. That evening the Bonadventure anchored in a small bay to the north of the island, in deep water close to the land. The night passed quietly, for the breeze died away with the last light of day, and only rose again with the first streaks of dawn.
As it was easy to land, the usual hunters of the colony, Herbert and Gideon Spilett, went for a ramble of two hours or so, and returned with several strings of wild duck and snipe. Top had done wonders, and not a bird had been lost, thanks to his zeal and cleverness.
At eight o'clock in the morning the Bonadventure set sail, and ran rapidly towards North Mandible Cape, for the wind was right astern and freshening rapidly. "However," observed Pencroft, "I should not be surprised if a gale came up from the west. Yesterday the sun set in a very red-looking horizon, and now, this morning, those mares'-tails don't forebode anything good."
These mares'-tails are cirrus clouds, scattered in the zenith, about five thousand feet high. They look like light pieces of cotton wool, and their presence usually announces some sudden change in the weather.
"Well," said Harding, "let us carry as much sail as possible, and run for shelter into Shark Gulf. I think that the Bonadventure will be safe there."
"Perfectly," replied Pencroft, "and besides, the north coast is merely sand, very uninteresting to look at."
"I shall not be sorry," resumed the engineer, "to pass not only to-night but to-morrow in that bay, which is worth being carefully explored."
"I think that we shall be obliged to do so, whether we like it or not," answered Pencroft, "for the sky looks very threatening towards the west. Dirty weather is coming on!"
"At any rate we have a favorable wind for reaching Cape Mandible," observed the reporter.
"A very fine wind," replied the sailor; "but we must tack to enter the gulf, and I should like to see my way clear in these unknown quarters."
"Quarters which appear to be filled with rocks," added Herbert, "if we judge by what we saw on the south coast of Shark Gulf."
