extraordinarily rich mines. It is calculated that three hundred millions

have been produced since the first occupation by the Spaniards.

Quicksilver is also very abundant; copper and lead are found too, but

there is not much to be done with them at present, owing to the cost of

carriage. There is good shooting in the mountains on the eastern side of

the Andes, and you will find plenty of sport there."

They talked over the matter for some time before they separated, and Harry

Prendergast became quite excited over it. On his return to his rooms he

was astonished to find the candles alight and a strong smell of tobacco

pervading the place. A lad of about sixteen leapt from the easy-chair in

which he had been sitting, with his feet on another.

"Hullo, Harry, I didn't expect you back so soon! The maid said you were

dining out, and I suppose that generally means one o'clock before you are

back."

 

"Well, what brings you here, Bert? I thought I had got you off my hands

for a year at least."

 

"I thought so, myself," the lad said coolly; "but circumstances have been

too strong for me. We were running down the Channel the night before last,

when a craft that was beating up ran smack into us. I don't know that it

was his fault more than ours; the night was dark, and it was very thick,

and we did not see each other until she was within a length of us. Luck

was against us; if she had been a few seconds quicker we should have

caught her broadside, but as it was she rammed us, knocking a hole in our

side as big as a house, and we had just time to jump on board her. Our old

craft went down two minutes after the skipper, who was of course the last

man, left her. The other fellow had stove his bow in. Luckily we were only

about a couple of miles off Dungeness, and though she leaked like a sieve,

we were able to run her into the bay, where she settled down in two and a

half fathoms of water. As soon as it was light we landed and tramped to

Dover. A hoy was starting for the river that evening, and most of us came

up in her, arriving at the Pool about three hours ago. It is a bad job,

Harry, and I am horribly put out about it. Of course nothing could be

saved, and there is all the new kit you bought for me down at the bottom.

I sha'n't bother you again; I have quite made up my mind that I shall ship

before the mast this time, and a five-pound note will buy me a good enough

outfit for that."

 

"We need not talk about that now, Bertie. You are certainly an unlucky

beggar; this is the second time you have been wrecked."

 

"It is a frightful nuisance," the boy said. "It is the kit I am thinking

of, otherwise I should not mind. I didn't care for the skipper. He seemed

all right and decent enough before we started, but I soon heard from

fellows who had sailed with him before that he was a tartar; and what was

worse, they said he was in the habit of being drunk two nights out of