Smith and some of the others, but Jack and Percival were more intent on
seeing where they would come out than in looking at plants and flowers,
and they gave the latter little attention.

"There is certainly no one on the island," said Jack at length when they
came out upon an upland glade more open to the sky than the parts already
traversed, "or we should have seen them by this time. I think we have been
going in the same general direction, Dick, so suppose we push on in the
same line, and see where we come out."

"All right, but there are hills, which we may have to climb if we keep
straight on. There they are ahead of us."

"Yes, I see them, but they do not seem to be very high nor far away. If
they want us back at the yacht they will probably blow the bugle."

They pushed on across the open space, and then through a wood where it was
not so easy to advance and at length, without noticing it, began to
descend, the way being good at times and at others very difficult so that
they were frequently obliged to halt and get breath.

"I shouldn't wonder if we were the pioneers of this island," said Harry,
"for no one seems to have been through here before. How do you stand it,
young Smith, all right?"

"Well, it is not so easy as walking along Broadway in New York," rejoined
Jesse W., "but I can manage it, I guess."

"It strikes me that we are going down instead of up," observed Arthur,
"and we thought we would have to climb the hills we saw."