cupying him
the entire day, and sending him back to the island at night completely
fagged out. But on the succeeding day he went off to the brig early--in
fact, before Flora made her appearance--and strenuously devoted himself
to the task of breaking out the contents of the main hold. He spent the
entire morning in rousing cases, bales, and packages of all kinds up on
deck; and after partaking of a hurried lunch he carefully opened these
and examined their contents. Two of the largest he found to contain
respectively men's and women's clothing; another contained books and
music; a fourth contained stationery and drawing-paper; a fifth
contained rolls of silk, linen, drapery, ribbons, laces, and
haberdashery; and all these he lowered on to the deck of the catamaran
for conveyance to the shore. Others contained rolls of wall-paper,
ironmongery, photographic materials, drugs--with the properties and uses
of which he was unacquainted--lawn-mowers, garden rollers, and other
matters that did not appeal to him; and these he sent over the side to
keep the bird-cages company. Then, when the sun was within half an hour
of the western horizon, he left the brig and returned to the island with
his booty.

Flora seemed greatly amused when Leslie told her what he had brought
ashore.

"Why, Dick," she exclaimed, "there is enough clothing in those two cases
to last us for the rest of our lives; to say nothing of that third case
which you say is full of unmade silks and linen. Surely it was scarcely
necessary to cumber yourself with the last, was it?"

"Who knows?" answered Leslie. "It is impossible to say how long we may
be compelled to remain on this island; and I intend to save every single
article and thing that may by any possibility be useful to us. I am not
going to take any chances. For aught that I can tell, it may be beyond
my power to construct such a craft as I have in my mind; in which case
we may be compelled to remain here until--it may be years hence--a ship
comes along and rescues us. I have no wish to alarm you, dear,"--it was
surprising how often that term now rose to his lips, and how difficult
he found it to avoid letting it slip out--"but I cannot conceal from
myself--and it would be unfair to conceal from you--the possibility that
we may be obliged to spend a quite appreciable portion of our lives
here; and I intend to make the very fullest provision possible for such
a contingency. But do not be frig