ll sitting in the
same attitude and occupation when my companions returned.

"I told you so!" cried Peterkin, with a loud laugh. "Oh, Ralph, you're
incorrigible. See, there's a club for you. I was sure, when we left you
looking at that bit of stuff, that we would find you poring over it when
we came back, so I just cut a club for you as well as for myself."

"Thank you, Peterkin," said I. "It was kind of you to do that, instead
of scolding me for a lazy fellow, as I confess I deserve."

"Oh! as to that," returned Peterkin, "I'll blow you up yet, if you wish
it--only it would be of no use if I did, for you're a perfect mule!"

As it was now getting dark we lighted our candle, and placing it in a
holder made of two crossing branches, inside of our bower, we seated
ourselves on our leafy beds and began to work.

"I intend to appropriate the bow for my own use," said Jack, chipping the
piece of wood he had brought with his axe. "I used to be a pretty fair
shot once. But what's that you're doing?" he added, looking at Peterkin,
who had drawn the end of a long pole into the tent, and was endeavouring
to fit a small piece of the hoop-iron to the end of it.

"I'm going to enlist into the Lancers," answered Peterkin. "You see,
Jack, I find the club rather an unwieldy instrument for my delicately-
formed muscles, and I flatter myself I shall do more execution with a
spear."

"Well, if length constitutes power," said Jack, "you'll certainly be
invincible."

The pole which Peterkin had cut was full twelve feet long, being a very
strong but light and tough young tree, which merely required thinning at
the butt to be a serviceable weapon.

"That's a very good idea," said I.

"Which--this?" inquired Peterkin, pointing to the spear.

"Yes;" I replied.

"Humph!" said he; "you'd find it a pretty tough and matter-of-fact idea,
if you had it stuck through your gizzard, old boy!"

"I mean the idea of making it is a good one," said I, laughing. "And,
now I think of it, I'll change my plan, too. I don't think much of a
club, so I'll make me a sling out of this piece of cloth. I used to be
very fond of slinging, ever since I read of David slaying Goliath the
Philistine, and I was once thought to be expert at it."

So I set to work to manufacture a sling. For a long time we all worked
very busily without speaking. At length Peterkin looked up: "I say,
Jack, I'm sorry to say I must apply to you for another strip of yo