At this point Jack burst into a loud fit of laughter. The cat uttered
an angry fuff and fled, while Peterkin sprang up and exclaimed--
"Bad luck to you, Jack! you've nearly made the heart jump out of my
body, you have."
"Perhaps I have," replied Jack, laughing, as we entered the bower, "but
as I don't intend to keep you or the cat any longer from your supper, I
hope that you'll both forgive me."
Peterkin endeavoured to turn this affair off with a laugh, but I
observed that he blushed very deeply at the time we discovered
ourselves, and he did not seem to relish any allusion to the subject
afterwards; so we refrained from remarking on it ever after, though it
tickled us not a little at the time.
After supper we retired to rest and to dream of wonderful adventures in
our little boat and distant voyages upon the sea.
Chapter XVI
The boat launched--We visit the coral reef--The great breaker
that never goes down--Coral insects--The way in which coral islands are
made--The boat's sail--We tax our ingenuity to form fish-hooks--Some of
the fish we saw--And a monstrous whale--Wonderful shower of little
fish--Water-spouts.
It was a bright, clear, beautiful morning when we first launched our
little boat, and rowed out upon the placid waters of the lagoon. Not a
breath of wind ruffled the surface of the deep. Not a cloud spotted the
deep blue sky. Not a sound that was discordant broke the stillness of
the morning, although there were many sounds, sweet, tiny, and
melodious, that mingled in the universal harmony of nature.
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