"Oh, very well, Roger!" replied Leigh. "I have nearly filled the bag, as you may see, and some of the birds are fine big fellows, and should be excellent eating. At any rate we will sample them at mess this evening. But I must be off and get the men together. As you two have liberty until we start for the ship, you may take this musket and ammunition, if you like, and try to shoot something on your own account. One's own shooting always tastes best, I am told," he added with a laugh, as he prepared to return. "But I should not wander too far away, if I were you," he advised. "We do not know the place as yet, and there may be dangers that we are not aware of; so be careful." The lads thanked Mr Leigh for the loan of the musket, and the lieutenant disappeared to collect the men, telling the lads that he would sound the trumpet if they were not in sight when it was time to return to the ships. "Now," said Roger, when Leigh had disappeared, "where are we to go, Harry?" "Do you remember that ledge of rocks that we saw this morning?" asked Harry! "Well, we noticed quite a number of caves among them; what say you to going and having a look at them?" "Agreed, my friend!" said Roger. "But can we get to them, I wonder, from here, without going back to the beach and walking all the way round?" "Oh, yes! I think so," answered Harry. "I believe I remember how they lie, and in what direction; and if we bear away to the left here it will bring us to them, no doubt." So the two turned off, and presently found another opening in the brush, through which they went. "It appears to me," said Roger presently, "as though someone had been along this way before us. See, some of the small branches are broken, and the growth beneath our feet seems to have been recently trodden. I expect we shall find that some of our men have been here before us, perhaps to look at those same caves themselves. If so, we can warn them to return immediately; and if they are in front of us it will give us a little longer, as it will take them some considerable time to get back to the boats from here." Thus reassured in their own minds--for there was always the danger of savages to consider,--they pressed on, but saw no further signs of the men whom they imagined to be in front of them. "It is possible," said Harry, his thoughts still dwelling upon the matter, "that if they have gone this way they are still at the caves. Or they may have gone back along the beach; for that, I suppose, is the nearest way of return. And if so, we shall not meet any of them coming this way; but we may overtake them." They had gone but a little distance farther when Roger looked up suddenly. "Harry, I heard something whistle past my head a moment ago," said he. "Nonsense!" responded Harry. "What you heard was one of those small creatures they call `humming-birds' flying past your ear."