nd, for until I was stronger he contented himself
with shooting just about the hut, finding plenty of beautiful birds; but
as soon as I was strong enough we prepared some cold provisions and
started off for a longer exploration.

Ebo was delighted, and capered about in the excess of his joy,
chattering in his own tongue and introducing every English word he had
picked up, and these began now to be a good many; but he had very little
idea of putting them to a proper use, muddling them up terribly, but
keeping in the most perfect humour no matter how we laughed at him.

"It is my belief, Nat," said Uncle Dick, "that we shall find something
better worthy of our notice yet if we make a good long expedition into
the more wooded parts of the island."

"I thought we could not be better off, uncle," I said, "for we are
getting some lovely birds."

"So we are, Nat; but one is never satisfied, and always wants more. I
expect we shall find some birds of paradise, for it strikes me that the
cry I have heard several times at daybreak comes from one of them."

"Birds of paradise! Here, uncle?" I cried.

"Why not, my boy? It is as likely a place as it is possible to imagine:
an island near the equator, deeply wooded, and hardly ever visited by
man. I should say that we must find some here."

"Oh, uncle!" I cried as my eyes glistened, and I felt my cheeks flush
at the anticipation of seeing one of these noble birds before the muzzle
of my gun.

"I shall be greatly disappointed if we do not find some, and I should
have been in search of them before now, only I thought you would like to
go, and there was plenty of work close home."

I did not say much, but I felt very grateful at his thoughtfulness, and
the very next morning we were off before it was day, tramping through
the thick herbage and mounting the rising ground towards the south.

"I purpose trying to get right across the island to-day, Nat," he said,
"and if we are too tired to get back all the way we must contrive enough
shelter and camp out for one night in the woods."

"I shall not mind, uncle," I said, and on we went.

This time we had provided ourselves with light small baskets, such as we
could swing from a cord that passed over our right shoulders, and long
and deep enough to hold a good many specimens. We all three bore these,
Ebo's being double the size of ours, as he had no gun to use, but
trotted easily by our side with his spear over his shoulder