n," said Tom, "you shall see how candles were
built in the Royal Navy when Uncle was a boy." He rolled up his sleeves,
and, picking up a double wick, dipped it in the pan, and then hung it on
the first peg for the tallow to set. He did the same with all the rest,
and by the time he had the thirty-sixth wick hung up, No. 1 was ready to
be taken down and dipped again. So on he went all along the row, till he
had dipped them a dozen times at least, when, lo! and behold! they were
thick and beautiful candles, each one strong enough to give the light of
half a dozen ordinary ship's candles.

He worked for two days, and made about a hundred in all, so there was no
fear of their having to sit in the dark.

Next night, while the moon was shining low over the snow-clad hills, the
whole camp was alarmed by the fierce barking of Briton. The mastiff was
"wowffing", Veevee was "wiffing", and Flossy was moaning and wagging her
tail in the air. Though it was long past midnight, Briton wanted to be
off out and kill something or somebody he had heard, and Veevee would
also go on the war-path for fear Briton might get hurt.

Almost immediately after came the most tremendous yelling the Crusoes had
ever heard, and it was clear that a whole pack of foxes had invaded the
island, and if Briton and Veevee had been allowed to go out, they would
both have been torn to pieces. The awful din lasted for hours, with a
sound now and then of fighting.

Then it stopped, and all was still.

Everybody went quietly off to sleep again, but next day, when they went
to the lake-side, behold not a trace of the bear was to be seen. The
beasts had eaten all the flesh, and carried away the bones and skin.

"Now, what if these wild dogs return some night," said Tom to Frank, "and
attack the camp. Although no bear could squeeze in here, these half-bred
wolves might, and tear us all in pieces.

"Don't frighten a fellow, Tom," said Frank. "But I say, old man, we must
puzzle our heads once again and make a gate."

"Well, that's good!" cried Tom, laughing; "why, there is only one head
between the two of us, and that belongs to me, Master Frank; and don't
you forget it."

"Well, well, you may have it, only for goodness' sake make good use of
it!"

The cup-like top of the hill in which our Crusoes were living had but one
entrance, as I have before told you, and the path leading to it was very
steep, and made up of large stones and lumps of lava.

"It would