rley went and brought several sticks tied
together and notched all over. Dick examined them.

"It's three years to-day, according to my reckoning, since we were put
on shore. To my mind we ought to thank God, who has taken such care of
us all this time. I should not mind, however, getting away soon, for
your sake. It's time you should be having some book-learning. I don't
want you to grow into a poor ignorant fellow like me."

"You are not ignorant, Dick," said Charley. "You taught me all I know,
and I have no greater fancy for books than you have."

"But, Charley, I have another reason for wishing to get away," said
Dick. "You see our clothes are pretty nearly worn out, and I have only
stuff enough to make one more suit for you and one for myself, and you
will grow out of yours pretty fast, as you have done the others. Then
we may not always find provisions as plentiful as we have generally up
to this time; birds don't come to the island as they did once, and I
fancy that even the fish don't bite as freely along shore as they used
to do. I have been thinking of building a larger boat, so that we may
go farther off. That wreck which drove on the reef six months ago has
given us plenty of stuff for timbers and planking, as well as canvas for
sails, and now you are big enough to help me, I shall get on faster than
when I built the small one."

Charley replied that he should be glad to do whatever Dick wished, and
would try to learn carpentering. Dick accordingly set to work to build
a large boat. The undertaking was, however, more difficult than he had
expected, and at last he had to abandon his design, and, instead, to try
and enlarge the little punt, or the coracle rather, which he had
constructed some time before.

The two carpenters laboured away every day, when not engaged in shooting
or fishing, or otherwise providing for their support.

Dick had husbanded his ammunition, but even that was coming to an end,
and though eggs were still to be found, he could not hope longer to
shoot many birds, which had become wilder in consequence of hearing the
report of his gun.

Among the treasures sent on shore by the pirates was a small keg of
tobacco. Dick had used it pretty freely for the first year or two, but
latterly, finding that it must also come to an end, he put himself on an
allowance, and only smoked a pipe occasionally when his day's work was
over, and he took his seat with Charley on the bench un