Go on." The oars dipped again and the boat glided rapidly over the calm waters, while Mark spent his time between gazing at the beauties of the shore, with its many changes, rocky points, and nooks, and watching Bruff, who exhibited no signs of suffering from the venom of the serpent's bite.
It was a long pull for the men, and from time to time the captain and mate exchanged places to give them a rest; but it was far more easy for all than toiling over the heated sands, while, as far as they could judge, there seemed every probability of their being able to row on as far as they liked, the broad canal-shaped lagoon being continued right onward--the reef of coral only varying a little by coming nearer at times, and always acting as a barrier to break the heavy swell.
At last Mark caught sight of that for which he had long been watching, having made out the sheltering rocks where he had slept quite early in their journey.

The sight for which he had attentively watched was a set of specks far off upon the yellow sands, and as soon as they came in sight he pointed them out to his father.
"Well, I see nothing," said the captain; "but wait a moment." He took up his gun, opened the breech, and removed the cartridges, after which he held the double-barrel up to his eyes as if it were a binocular glass and looked long and attentively through it.
"Oh, yes, and I can make them out now," he said; "twenty or thirty of them scratching in the sand not far from the trees." Mark had a look through the barrels, and then, with rather a sneer on his face, the first-mate had a look, but changed his expression as he did so.
"Well, you can certainly see them better," he said rather grudgingly.
"Better! yes," said the captain; "it's a simple plan for anyone out shooting, and worth knowing." "But it can't magnify," said Mark.
"No," replied the captain; "but it shades the eyes and seems to increase the length of their sight as they peer through these long tubes." "You'll try for a few of the birds, I suppose ?" said the mate.
"By all means.

Half a dozen such fellows as those will make a capital addition to our table--I mean sandy floor, Mark," he said, smiling.
The birds, as they neared them, seemed to take no heed till they attempted to land, and Mark could not help noticing the annoyance painted in the mate's face, as, eager to have a shot at the fine fat-looking fellows, he saw them move off in a rapid run.
"Row a little farther," said the captain.
This was done, and the boat was pulled a hundred yards and the same evolutions gone through on both sides.
"Why, I thought you said they were easy to shoot!" said the mate impatiently.
"So they are," said Mark, smiling with the confidence of his hard-bought experience, "if you know how." "Show us then," said his father, handing him his gun.

"We shall never get any this way, and I suppose if we land and try and stalk them they'll keep running out of shot." "Yes," said Mark.

"The major and I followed them for over a mile." "Ah, well! let's see the wise man give us a lesson," said the mate grimly.
Mark took the gun, and after they had been rowed another hundred yards he bade the men pull in sharply right to the shore, taking his place previously in the bows alongside of Bruff.
The boat touched the sands and Mark leaped out, followed by Bruff, who charged the birds, barking furiously the while, with the same result as before; the birds ceased running, turned to gaze at their enemy, and then took flight to the trees.
"Now, Mr Gregory," shouted Mark, waiting till he came up, when they fired together and each got a bird.
Following the flock after these had been retrieved and carried to the boat they obtained another, Mark missing an easy shot.