innumerable birds.

"We may as well be prepared against danger," said Uncle Dick, loading
his gun, and I followed suit; but Ebo began to chatter and expostulate
with us for leaving the boat, and signed to us to help him run it up on
the next wave well ashore, so that a rope could be made fast round the
nearest palm stem.

This we did, and the black's next movement was to collect wood for a
fire.

To humour him we waited about while he lit the fire, but kept making
little incursions amongst the openings to see if we could spy out any
signs of human habitation.

But look where we would we saw nothing, and it soon became evident that
we were the only occupants of that part of the island.

Ebo seemed so satisfied and contented that it was very evident that
there was nothing to fear; so we obeyed his signs after we had helped
him to make a good fire, and followed him through an open park-like
piece of the country till we were about half a mile from the sea, when
his object in guiding us was plain enough, for he pointed out a little
flock of half a dozen pigeons, as big, it seemed to me, as ordinary
fowls, and getting within range we fired together, and shot four.

Ebo rushed forward in triumph, and I followed, to regret that I had not
attended to Uncle Dick's instructions about reloading, for I could have
obtained a specimen of a curious great black parrot or cockatoo, I could
not quite see which, as it flew across an opening.

But we secured the birds we had shot, and going back my uncle and I set
to and skinned them, handing over the bodies to Ebo to cook, while we
carefully preserved the skins, admiring them all the while.

For they were of a rich warm slate colour, and each bird bore a delicate
grey crest upon his head, which gave him a noble look, making each bird
seem a very prince among pigeons.

Handsome as was the appearance of the birds, they were none the less
delicious in the eating. No doubt our open-air life had a good deal to
do with the keen enjoyment we had in eating the birds we shot; but
feeding as these pigeons did on spices, nuts, and other sweet food, the
flavour given to their flesh was very fine.

Dinner over, we were for an expedition; but Ebo protested loudly.
Taking an axe and beckoning us to follow we accompanied him to a patch
of bamboo, and helped him to cut down a good selection of stout pieces,
and after them a number of lengths of rattan cane, which grew here in a
wonderful way.