ck, he should run away from us puzzles me. If he
couldn't see our faces he must have known by our dress that we were
English or American, and that there was no reason for him to hide
himself. There are many men who know how to make this sort of matting,
and there are many knives just like this, and that's the reason why I
can't tell you whether he's Jack or not. But if Mr Griffiths will let
me I'll go on alone and look for him, and when he sees who I am he'll
come fast enough to me, and you may depend on it, Peter, if it's he I'll
bring him back with a lighter heart than I've had for many a day."

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THE LOST ONE FOUND AT LAST.

I wanted to accompany Soper in his search for the stranger.

"No, no, Peter," he answered; "if he is Jack he'll know me; but he won't
know you; and if he's grown queer by living all alone on an island, as
has happened to some poor fellows, he'll get out of our way if he sees
two together."

The doctor assented to the wisdom of this, and advised me to be
contented and remain by while Soper set off himself. The rest of the
party were meanwhile examining the hen-roost.

The fowls were mostly of the English breed, which made us suppose that
they had been landed from some English vessel. We were confirmed in
this belief by discovering an old hen-coop, in which they had probably
been washed ashore. There were other pieces of wreckage scattered
about, but the hut itself was composed entirely of the products of the
island.

At last the doctor proposed that we should proceed onwards, as the
stranger, whoever he was, would not be likely to come back if he saw us
near his hut. I, however, believed that it must be Jack, and,
notwithstanding the doubts that Soper had expressed, begged that I might
be allowed to remain behind that I might the sooner meet him. Mr
Griffiths gave me leave to stay if I wished it. I thought that Soper
was more likely to bring him back to the hut than to follow the rest of
the party.

As soon as they had gone I closed the door and sat down on the
three-legged stool. I should have been glad if I had had a book to read
to employ my thoughts, but the hut contained only some cocoanuts cut in
two for holding water, some long skewers, which had apparently been used
for roasting birds, a small nut fixed in a stand to serve as an egg-cup,
and a little wooden spoon. There were also shells, some clams, and
others of different shapes. Two or three