g, thus depriving them of
a valuable article of barter.

"Never mind," said Eric the indomitable, when Fritz lamented the
disappearance of the goats. "We've got the wild hogs left; and, for my
part, I think roast pig better than dry potatoes!"

"Himmel, the idea is good!" replied Fritz, who had already screwed on
the breech of the needle-gun, making it ready for action. "We must go
pig-chasing, then."

And, so they did, shooting a lusty young porker ere they had travelled
many steps further.

Eric's matches were then produced, the inevitable box of safety lights
being in the pocket of the sealskin jacket he had headed up in the oil
cask; when, a fire being lit, the game was prepared in a very impromptu
fashion, the animal being roasted whole.

On previously tasting the flesh of these island hogs, they had thought
the pork rather fishy; but now, after weeks of deprivation from any
species of animal food, it seemed more delicious than anything they had
ever eaten before.

"Why, Eric, it beats even your roast beef!" said Fritz jokingly.

The lad looked at him reproachfully; that was all he could do, for his
mouth was full and this prevented him from speaking.

"I beg your pardon," interposed the other. "I shan't say so again; I
forgot myself that time."

"I should think you did," rejoined Eric, now better able to express
himself. "It's best to let bye-gones be bye-gones!"

"Yes," replied Fritz; and the two then went on eating in silence, so
heartily that it seemed as if they would never stop. Indeed, they made
such good knife-and-fork play, that they were quite weary with their
exertions when they had finished, and were obliged to adjourn to their
little camp in the sheltered hollow where, curling themselves up
comfortably in their blankets, they went cosily to sleep.

The next day, they killed several of the younger hogs and threw their
carcases down to the bottom of the gully by the waterfall; for, besides
planning out the manufacture of some hams out of the island porkers,
they intended utilising the lard for frying their potatoes, in. This,
in the event of their finding the pig's flesh too rank after a time,
would then afford them an agreeable change of diet to the plain boiled
tubers with which hitherto they had had only salt to eat for a relish.

On the third day, as the wind seemed about to change and ominous clouds
were flying across the face of the sky, they determined to return home,
having b