born here; there's lots more of us,--boys
and girls."

"You _don't_ say so!" exclaimed the captain, whose interest was now
thoroughly aroused. "Are the nine mutineers all on Pitcairn still?"

Thursday's mobile countenance at once became profoundly sad, and he
shook his head slowly.

"No," said he, "they're all dead but one. John Adams is his name."

"Don't remember that name among the nine said to be lost," remarked the
Englishman.

"I've heard father say he was sometimes called John Smith," said
Thursday.

"Ah, yes! I remember the name of Smith," said Jack. "_He_ was one of
'em."

"And is he the only man left on the island?" asked the captain.

"Yes, the only man," replied Thursday, who had never yet thought of
himself in any other light than a boy; "an' if you'll come ashore in our
canoe, father'll take you to his house an' treat you to the best he's
got. He'll be right glad to see you too, for he's not seen a soul
except ourselves for nigh twenty years."

"Not seen a soul! D'ye mean to say no ship has touched here for that
length of time?" asked the captain in surprise.

"No, except one that only touched an' went off without discovering that
we were here, an' none of us found out she had bin here till we chanced
to see her sailin' away far out to sea. That was five years ago."

"That's very strange and interestin'. I'd like well to visit old Adams,
lad, an' I thank 'ee for the invitation; but I won't run my ship through
such a surf as that, an' don't like to risk leavin' her to go ashore in
your canoe."

"If you please, sir, I'd be very glad to go, an' bring off what news
there is," said Jack, the English sailor, whose surname was Brace.

At first Captain Folger refused this offer, but on consideration he
allowed Jack to go, promising at the same time to keep as near to the
shore as possible, so that if there was anything like treachery he might
have a chance of swimming off.

"So your father is dead?" asked the captain, as he walked with Thursday
to the side.

"Yes, long, long ago."

"But you called Adams `father' just now. How's that?"

"Oh, we all calls 'im that. It's only a way we've got into."

"What made your father call you Thursday?"

"'Cause I was born on a Thursday."

"H'm I an' I suppose if you'd bin born on a Tuesday or Saturday, he'd
have called you by one or other of these days?"

"S'pose so," said Thursday, with much simplicity.

"Are you married, Thursday?"

"