"You are quite sure, Mr. Hill," the captain asked, "that it was a staff of some kind that you saw, and not, perhaps, the top of a dead tree whose bark had peeled off?"
"I am quite certain, sir. It was too straight and even for rough wood; and I made out a truck distinctly: but it is certainly strange that no entrance should be discovered. I am afraid that 'tis but a flag-staff after all."
"I can hardly imagine that," the captain said. "I have often seen flag-staffs in front of plantation houses, but never one so high as this must be to show over the trees. If it had been nearer to the edge of the cliff it might have been a signal-post, but they would hardly put it a mile back from the edge of the cliff and bury it among trees. At any rate, if we find no entrance I will send a landing-party ashore to see what it really is, that is to say if we can find any place where the cliff can be scaled."
"What is it, Mr. Needham?" as the midshipman came up and touched his hat.
"The boat is rowing in to shore, sir."
The two officers went to the side.
"They have either found an entrance or some point at which the rock can be scaled—Ah, there they go!" he went on, as the boat disappeared from sight, "though from here there is no appearance whatever of an opening."
It was some minutes before the boat again appeared. It was at once headed for the frigate.
"Mr. Playford has news for us of some sort," the captain said, "the men are rowing hard." In a few minutes the boat came alongside. The second officer ran up the accommodation ladder.
"Well, Mr. Playford, what is your news?"