Simeon's eyes almost started from his head.

"Worth a hundred pounds!" he said over and over as if to himself.

Anna, who knew the ways of this most doubting of Thomases, pulled a
piece of paper from her satchel and passed it to him to read. It related
at some length the sale in a London auction-room of a stuffed Great Auk
in imperfect condition for one hundred and fifty pounds.

"That would be pounds sterling!" said Simeon, who was thinking. He had a
suspicion that there might be some quirk about pounds "Scots," and was
trying to explain things clearly to himself.

"Now, we are going to the Glistering Beaches to look for the Great Auk!"
said Anna as a climax to the great announcement.

The water lappered pleasantly beneath the boat as Simeon deftly drew it
over the sea. There is hardly any pleasure like good oarsmanship. In
rowing, the human machine works more cleanly and completely than at any
other work. Before the children rose two rocky islands, with an opening
between, like a birthday cake that has been badly cut in the centre and
has had the halves moved a little way apart. This was Stack Canna.

"Do you think that there would be any chance here?" said Anna. The
splendour of the adventure was taking possession of her mind.

"Of course there would; but the best chance of all will be at the caves
of Rona Wester, for that is near the Glistering Beaches, and the birds
would be sure to go there if the people went to seek them at the