"Just think, they are so near to us and we cannot go ashore," sighed
the professor, who was one of the group. "I wonder if they have any
dogs with them?"

"I have a good mind to go, anyway," said the old man, suddenly, "I
would like to write a paper on the habits of the Patagonians and how
can I if I don't study them at first hand?"

"What if they chopped your head off?" asked Billy.

"They would not do that," rejoined the scientist, with a superior
smile. "I have a friend who lived with them for a time and then wrote
a book about them. According to him Captain Hazzard is wrong; they are
not hostile, but, on the contrary, are friendly to white men."

"Then you think that Captain Hazzard doesn't know much about them?"
asked Billy.

"I did not say that," replied the professor; "but he may be mistaken
just like I was about the electric ray, which I thought was a South
Atlantic skate. Just the same, I mean to find out for myself," he went
on. "To-night when everyone is asleep but the man on duty, I am going
to watch my opportunity and go ashore in the boat the carpenters left
at the bow this afternoon. There are ropes hanging from the prow down
which I can climb."

Soon after this the boys determined to turn in and, naturally, the
professor's decision occupied a great deal of their conversation.

"Do you think we ought to tell the captain about what Professor