for the purpose of seeing what stray timber might be
stranded. In addition to this work achieved, they rigged up a flagstaff
on the head of the cliff and used to signal from thence at stated hours
of the day. In fact, they were employed in doing everything that could
be thought of to give employment to their minds and bodies, McCarthy and
Adams finding them fresh jobs continually.

Amongst all these various tasks, however, the very needful one of
replenishing their gradually diminishing larder was not forgotten.

"We've got some green-stuff," said Mr Lathrope--whom the question of
eating, or rather what to get to eat, seemed more materially to affect
than anyone else--"and I ain't a-going to gainsay but what it's fust-
rate green-stuff of the sort, and right down prime filling stuff too;
but, mister, we ain't all ben brought up to live on sauerkraut, like
them German immigrants as I've seed land at Castle Garden, New York. I,
fur one, likes a bit o' somethin' more substantial, that a feller can
chew. 'Spose we goes a-huntin', hey?"

"Very good," replied Mr Meldrum to this exordium; "but what shall we
hunt!"

"Anything you durned please, siree," said the other. "There's seals and
them penguins besides lots of cormorants and sichlike."

"Well, I don't think the seals will want much hunting or shooting," said
Mr Meldrum; "for, if we come across any, a stroke over the nose with a
stick will settle them, and the same can be said of the penguins--
although I don't want them to be disturbed yet, as it will soon be their
breeding season and I hope to get a lot of eggs from the little colony
adjacent to us. As for the cormorants, if you complained about the
former birds having a fishy taste, you'll find these fishier still.
However, to relieve your mind, I believe that there are a number of wild
rabbits on the island, so we'll try to shoot some of those."

"Bully for you!" exclaimed Mr Lathrope. "We'll go rabbit-hunting,
mister, as soon as you please. If there wer one thing I liked in the
old country it wer rabbit-pie, and it kinder made me lonesome to think
I'd never fix my grinders through another 'fore I got played out!"

"I've heard, too," continued Mr Meldrum, "that there's a very fine sort
of tern or duck here that is good eating; and I fancy I saw a brace fly
across the creek the other day. We might come across some!"

"If we dew," said the American complacently, tapping the barrel of the
old rifle he had