ted as many as he thought he and his dog would require. Bringing
them back, and making up his fire, he tried to cook them with more care
than before. But they tasted like so many pieces of salted leather, and
he could with difficulty swallow them. Neptune ate a few; they were
evidently not much to his taste. He soon showed signs of a wish to get
away from his master. Twice he started off, but Lord Reginald called
him back.

"Come, old dog, we will go and hunt together, and I hope that we shall
be more successful than before," he said, at length getting up, and
taking a stick to support himself. Sick as he was, he thought a bath
would refresh him. He accordingly went down to the bay, and taking off
his clothes waded in. The cool water had the effect he expected. He
thought he might venture to swim out to a little distance. The dog
followed him, keeping close to his side. He had not got far when
Neptune uttered a bark, very different in tone to that which he usually
emitted. It appeared to be indicative of alarm, and Lord Reginald,
looking ahead, saw a black fin rising above the water. He immediately
turned, and swam with all his might back to the beach, expecting every
instant to feel his leg seized by a shark, for he knew too well that the
black fin belonged to one of the monsters of the deep. Nep continued
close to him, though he might have got ahead, but the moment he touched
the beach he scampered up it, and then turned round and barked
furiously, leaping and splashing about in the shallow water. Lord
Reginald also, as soon as his feet touched the sand, waded out as fast
as his strength would allow, and did not stop until he reached dry
ground. Scarcely had he landed, than a pair of huge jaws appeared above
the surface, making directly for the dog. But Neptune was too active to
be caught, though he had a narrow escape. Lord Reginald, exhausted by
the exertions he had made, sank on the sand. Some minutes passed before
he could manage to put on his clothes. It was a warning to him not to
bathe in future in the bay.

As soon as he had somewhat recovered, again taking his stick in hand he
set off, as he had before intended, for the fountain. He felt much
refreshed, after taking a draught of pure water and washing his face and
head in it, and was sufficiently strong, he thought, to make an
exploring expedition through the island, to ascertain its size, and
whether he could obtain more food than the s