ided, and those who remained said they would try and catch some fish,
in case theirs ran short.

"`Try and catch them at once, then,' said the mate; `don't wait till you
are starving.'

"In our party was a man who had been in South America, and could use the
lasso with dexterity. He and another man fitted two lines for the
purpose, in the hope of finding some wild animals. The rest laughed at
them, declaring that in an island where there was not a tree to be seen,
and only some long tufts of grass, it was not likely that we should find
anything but snakes and lizards. We had made good some ten miles or so,
when we came upon a scene of desolation such as I have seldom elsewhere
met with. Far as the eye could reach the surface of the ground was one
black mass of cinders. The men looked at each other.

"`Little prospect of finding any animals hereabouts,' observed one of
the men.

"`Not so sure of that,' said the mate, kicking up the ashes with his
foot. Under them appeared some blades of green grass just springing up.

"`To my mind the fire has run across the island at this part, which
seems to be somewhat narrow, for from the top of that rock I climbed I
could make out the sea on either hand; and thus, you understand, it may
have driven the animals, if there are any, over to the other parts
beyond, where I hope we may find them.'

"`But how is it that the animals didn't run our way?' asked one of the
men.

"`Because the country where we have been is barren and sandy, and they
have gone to the opposite side, which is very different. To the best of
my belief we shall find herds of wild cattle feeding on the other side
if we bravely push on. Here goes, who'll follow?'

"Saying this, the mate walked on quickly into the sea of cinders. I ran
after him, and the rest followed. The mate supposed that the fire had
occurred only a short time before we reached the island, and had been
put out by the storm which had driven us on shore, or rather by the rain
which accompanied it. We had to sleep that night in the middle of the
cinders, without a drop of water to drink. Some of the men grumbled,
but the mate told them that they ought to be thankful, because there was
no chance of our being burned, which there might be if we were sleeping
in the long grass.

"`Ah, lads, every situation has its advantages, if we will but look for
them,' he remarked; and I have often since thought of that saying of
his.

"On we w