Since then I have seen the whole group of islands bathed in the sunlight of summer, I have seen them covered with rich vegetation, I have seen the waves shine bright as they leaped on the many-coloured cliffs, and make sweet music as they played around the innumerable rocks. Seen in this way they are pleasing to all who can enjoy a strange and lovely beauty, but on the day of which I am writing they were gloomy beyond all the power of words to tell. Even the wind, little as there was of it, wailed and sobbed as it moved along the waters, while birds, the like of which I had never seen before, cried as though they were in bitter pain. "Eli," I said, "surely we are on the devil's mission, and God is forbidding us to go further." Eli made no answer save to grunt savagely. "Let us row back to St. Mary's again," I said, "this place is given over to Satan." "Then you'll go by yourself, Jasper Pennington!" snarled Eli. "I ded'n come 'ere to go away without gittin' what I wanted. Besides, 'tes nearly dark. I be'ant goin' to go 'way from here till daylight. Ef we tried we should both be drowned." I saw that he spoke the truth. None but a madman would put out to sea off Annette in the dark, and I saw by the gathering darkness that in a few minutes night would be upon us. "Cheer up," continued Eli, "Pennington es 'ere, so es the purty maid. Eli do love Jasper, Eli do," and the dwarf caught my hands and fondled them. In spite of myself I was cheered by his words, and throwing off my superstitious fears, I made my way southward to the spot where the great rock was supposed to lie. When we had walked a few minutes we saw that the island tapered down to a narrow point; we saw, too, that the strip of land was about three quarters of a mile long, perhaps a quarter of a mile broad, and lay pretty well north and south. Arriving at the southern extremity, we looked eagerly around. As I said, day was fast departing, but there was sufficient light to see the general features of the coast. I gave a start. Yes, there was the rock mentioned in the paper which I have described. "Wurrah!" cried Eli excitedly, "we be rich as Jews, Maaster Jasper." "Come, Eli," I said, as excited as he, "give me the tools. I'll get there at once." "We cannot do et yet," replied Eli. "In five minutes more 't'll be dark." "What fools we were not to come before!" I said, angrily. "No," grunted Eli; "ef people was to zee us diggin' they'd begin to 'spect summin. We mus' do et in the dark." "How, Eli? You must be mad." The dwarf looked anxiously at the sky. "'T'll clear up dreckly," he replied complacently, "and the moon'll rise earlier to-night than he did last night. Ef 'tes clear moonlight we c'n zee. Ef tes'n, we must be up as zoon as ther's any light and find et afore anybody can be about." "Spend the night here?" I cried.