nd brandished his cudgel
in its face. But this proved to be a resolute old bird. It would not
retreat; nay, more, it would not cease to advance, but battled with
Peterkin bravely and drove him before it until it reached the sea. Had
Peterkin used his club he could easily have felled it, no doubt; but, as
he had no wish to do so cruel an act merely out of sport, he let the bird
escape.

We spent fully three hours on this island in watching the habits of these
curious birds, and, when we finally left them, we all three concluded,
after much consultation, that they were the most wonderful creatures we
had ever seen; and further, we thought it probable that they were the
most wonderful creatures in the world!

CHAPTER XVIII.

An awful storm and its consequences--Narrow escape--A rock proves a sure
foundation--A fearful night and a bright morning--Deliverance from
danger.

It was evening before we left the island of the penguins. As we had made
up our minds to encamp for the night on a small island, whereon grew a
few cocoa-nut trees, which was about two miles off, we lay to our oars
with some energy. But a danger was in store for us which we had not
anticipated. The wind, which had carried us so quickly to Penguin
Island, freshened as evening drew on, to a stiff breeze, and, before we
had made half the distance to the small island, it became a regular gale.
Although it was not so directly against us as to prevent our rowing in
the course we wished to go, yet it checked us very much; and although the
force of the sea was somewhat broken by the island, the waves soon began
to rise, and to roll their broken crests against our small craft, so that
she began to take in water, and we had much ado to keep ourselves afloat.
At last the wind and sea together became so violent that we found it
impossible to make the island, so Jack suddenly put the head of the boat
round and ordered Peterkin and me to hoist a corner of the sail,
intending to run back to Penguin Island.

"We shall at least have the shelter of the bushes," he said, as the boat
flew before the wind, "and the penguins will keep us company."

As Jack spoke, the wind suddenly shifted, and blew so much against us
that we were forced to hoist more of the sail in order to beat up for the
island, being by this change thrown much to leeward of it. What made
matters worse was, that the gale came in squalls, so that we were more
than once nearly upset.

"S