by H G Wells

The canoe was now approaching the land The bay opened out, and gap white surf reef marked where the little river ran out sea; the thicker and deeper green virgin forest showed its course down the distant hill slope The forest here came close beach Far beyond, dim and almost cloudlike in texture, rose the mountains, like suddenly frozen waves The sea was still save for an almost imperceptible swell The sky blazed

The man carved paddle stopped "It somewhere here," He shipped the paddle and held his arms out straight before him

The other man fore part canoe, closely scrutinising the land He had sheet of yellow paper knee

"Come and look , Evans,"

Both men spoke in low tones, and their lips were hard and dry

The man called Evans came swaying along the canoe until look over his companion's shoulder

The paper had the appearance of rough map By much folding creased and worn pitch of separation, second man held the discoloured fragments together where they had parted one could dimly make out, in almost obliterated pencil, the outline bay

"Here," said Evans, " reef, and gap " He ran his thumb-nail over the chart

"This curved and twisting line river-- do with drink now ! --and this star place "

" this dotted line," said the man map; " straight line, and runs opening reef to clump of palm-trees The star comes just where it cuts the river mark the place go lagoon "

"It's queer," said Evans, after pause, "what these little marks down here are for It looks like the plan of house or something; but what all these little dashes, pointing , may mean 't get notion And what's the writing ? "

"Chinese," said the man map

" ! Chinee," said Evans

"They all were," said the man map

They both sat for some minutes staring land, while the canoe drifted slowly Then Evans looked towards the paddle

"Your turn paddle now, Hooker," said he

companion quietly folded up his map, put it pocket, passed Evans carefully, and began to paddle His movements were languid, like those of man whose strength was nearly exhausted

Evans sat eyes half closed, watching the frothy breakwater coral creep nearer and nearer The sky was like furnace, sun was near the zenith Though they were so near the Treasure feel the exaltation he had anticipated The intense excitement struggle plan, long night voyage mainland unprovisioned canoe had, to use his own expression, "taken it out of him " He tried to arouse himself by directing his mind ingots the Chinamen had spoken of, but it rest there; it came back headlong thought of sweet water rippling river, and almost unendurable dryness lips and throat The rhythmic wash sea reef was becoming audible now, and it had pleasant sound ears; the water washed along the side canoe, paddle dripped between each stroke Presently he began to doze

still dimly conscious island, but queer dream texture interwove sensations Once again it night when he and Hooker had hit Chinamen's secret; the moonlit trees, the little fire burning, black figures three Chinamen--silvered on one side by moonlight, and other glowing firelight--and heard them talking together in pigeon-English--for they came from different provinces Hooker had caught the drift talk first, and had motioned to him to listen Fragments conversation were inaudible, and fragments incomprehensible Spanish galleon Philippines hopelessly aground, and its treasure buried against the day of return, lay background story; shipwrecked crew thinned by disease, quarrel or so, needs of discipline, and at last taking boats never heard of again Then Chang-hi, only year since, wandering ashore, had happened ingots hidden for two hundred years, had deserted his junk, and reburied them with infinite toil, single-handed but very safe He laid great stress safety-- secret Now help to return and exhume them Presently the little map fluttered voices sank fine story for two, stranded British wastrels to hear ! Evans' dream shifted moment when he had Chang-hi's pigtail hand The life of Chinaman is scarcely sacred like European's The cunning little face of Chang-hi, first keen and furious like startled snake, and then fearful, treacherous, and pitiful, became overwhelmingly prominent dream end Chang-hi had grinned, most incomprehensible and startling grin Abruptly things became very unpleasant, do at times in dreams Chang-hi gibbered and threatened him dream heaps and heaps of gold, and Chang-hi intervening and struggling to hold him back Chang-hi pig-tail--how big the yellow brute was, and how he struggled and grinned ! He kept growing bigger, too Then the bright heaps of gold turned to roaring furnace, and vast devil, surprisingly like Chang-hi, but with huge black tail, began to feed him with coals They burnt his mouth horribly Another devil was shouting his name: "Evans, Evans, you sleepy fool ! "--or Hooker ?

He woke up They were mouth lagoon

" the three palm-trees It in line clump of bushes," said his companion "Mark that , go bushes and then strike bush in straight line from here, come when we come stream "

see now where the mouth stream opened out sight of it Evans revived "Hurry up, man," , "or by heaven to drink sea water ! " He gnawed his hand and stared gleam of silver rocks and green tangle

Presently he turned almost fiercely upon Hooker " the paddle,"

So they reached the river mouth little way up Hooker took some water hollow hand, tasted it, and spat it out little further he tried again " do," , began drinking eagerly

"Curse this ! " said Evans suddenly "It's too slow " And, leaning dangerously over the fore part canoe, he began to suck up the water lips

Presently they made an end of drinking, and, running the canoe into little creek, were about to land thick growth that overhung the water

" to scramble beach our bushes and get the line place," said Evans

"We had better paddle round," said Hooker

So they pushed out again river and paddled back down it sea, and along the shore place where the clump of bushes grew Here they landed, pulled the light canoe far up the beach, and then went up towards the edge jungle until see the opening reef bushes in straight line Evans had taken native implement canoe L-shaped, transverse piece was armed with polished stone Hooker carried the paddle " straight now direction," said he; " push till we strike the stream Then prospect "

They pushed through close tangle of reeds, broad fronds, and young trees, and at first toilsome going, but very speedily the trees became larger ground beneath them opened out The blaze sunlight was replaced by insensible degrees by cool shadow The trees became at last vast pillars that rose canopy of greenery far overhead Dim white flowers hung from their stems, and ropy creepers swung from tree to tree The shadow deepened ground, blotched fungi and red-brown incrustation became frequent

Evans shivered "It seems almost cold here blaze outside "

" keeping straight," said Hooker

Presently they saw, far ahead, gap sombre darkness where white shafts of hot sunlight smote forest There also was brilliant green undergrowth and coloured flowers Then they heard the rush of water

" river close now," said Hooker