death of its master, but it must needs, when it came to
die, crawl to his side and rest its head upon his lifeless breast.

While we were thinking on these things, and examining into everything
about the room, we were attracted by an exclamation from Peterkin.

"I say, Jack," said he, "here is something that will be of use to us."

"What is it?" said Jack, hastening across the room.

"An old pistol," replied Peterkin, holding up the weapon, which he had
just pulled from under a heap of broken wood and rubbish that lay in a
corner.

"That, indeed, might have been useful," said Jack, examining it, "if we
had any powder; but I suspect the bow and the sling will prove more
serviceable."

"True, I forgot that," said Peterkin; "but we may as well take it with
us, for the flint will serve to strike fire with when the sun does not
shine."

{A saddening discovery: p136.jpg}

After having spent more than an hour at this place without discovering
anything of further interest, Peterkin took up the old cat, which had
lain very contentedly asleep on the stool whereon he had placed it, and
we prepared to take our departure. In leaving the hut, Jack stumbled
heavily against the door-post, which was so much decayed as to break
across, and the whole fabric of the hut seemed ready to tumble about our
ears. This put into our heads that we might as well pull it down, and so
form a mound over the skeleton. Jack, therefore, with his axe, cut down
the other door-post, which, when it was done, brought the whole hut in
ruins to the ground, and thus formed a grave to the bones of the poor
recluse and his dog. Then we left the spot, having brought away the iron
pot, the pistol, and the old axe, as they might be of much use to us
hereafter.

During the rest of this day we pursued our journey, and examined the
other end of the large valley, which we found to be so much alike to the
parts already described, that I shall not recount the particulars of what
we saw in this place. I may, however, remark, that we did not quite
recover our former cheerful spirits until we arrived at our bower, which
we did late in the evening, and found everything just in the same
condition as we had left it three days before.

CHAPTER XII.

Something wrong with the tank--Jack's wisdom and Peterkin's
impertinence--Wonderful behaviour of a crab--Good wishes for those who
dwell far from the sea--Jack commences to build a little boat.

Rest is swe