One day glided into another with surprising rapidity. We could swim,
explore, or lie out in our long chairs and read and listlessly
dream. All about our little island the silver sheen of the sea
was checkered with sails. These strange native craft held for me
a lasting fascination. I gazed out at them as they glided by and
saw in them some of the rose-colored visions of my youth. Piracy,
Indian Rajahs, and spice islands seemed to live in their queer red
sails and palm-matting roofs. At night a soft, warm breeze blew from
off shore and lulled us to sleep ere we were aware.

One morning the old chief made us a visit before we were up. He
announced his approach by a salute from a muzzle-loading musket. I
returned it by a discharge from my revolver. He had come over
with the morning tide to ask us to spend the day, as his guests,
wild-pig hunting. Of course we accepted with alacrity. I am not
going to tell you how we found all the able-bodied men and dogs on
the island awaiting us, how they beat the jungle with frantic yells
and shouts while we waited on the opposite side, or even how many
pigs we shot. It would all take too long.

We went fishing every day. The many-colored and many-shaped fish we
caught were a constant wonderment to us. One was bottle-green, with
sky-blue fins and tail, and striped with lines of gold. Its skin
was stiff and firm as patent leather. Another was pale blue, with
a bright-red proboscis two inches long. We caught cuttle-fish with
great lustrous eyes, long jelly feelers, and a plentiful supply of
black fluid; squibs, prawns, mullets, crabs, and devil-fish. These
last are considered great delicacies by the natives. We had one
fried. Its meat was perfectly white, and tasted like a tallow candle.

The day on which we were to leave, Wahpering brought us some fruit and
fish and a pair of ring-doves. Motioning me to one side, he whispered,
the while looking shyly at the mistress, "Ranee very beautiful! How
much you pay?" I was staggered for the moment, and made him repeat his
question. This time I could not mistake him. "How much you pay for
wife?" He gave his thumb a jerk in the direction of the mistress. I
saw that he was really serious, so I collected my senses, and with
a practical, businesslike air answered, "Two hundred dollars." The
old fellow sighed.

"The great Rajah very rich! I pay fifty for best wife."

I have not tried to tell you all we did on our tropical island playing
Robinson