extracted a bird of some sort that had been shot and baked
the day before. Tearing off a leg he retained it and handed the
remainder to Nigel.

"Help you'self, Massa Nadgel, an' pass 'im forid."

Without helping himself he passed it on to Van der Kemp, who drew his
knife, sliced off a wing with a mass of breast, and returned the rest.

"Always help yourself _before_ passing the food in future," said the
hermit; "we don't stand on ceremony here."

Nigel at once fell in with their custom, tore off the remaining
drumstick and began.

"Biskit," said Moses, with his mouth full, "an' look out for Spinkie."

He handed forward a deep tray of the sailor's familiar food, but Nigel
was too slow to profit by the warning given, for Spinkie darted both
hands into the tray and had stuffed his mouth and cheeks full almost
before a man could wink! The negro would have laughed aloud, but the
danger of choking was too great; he therefore laughed internally--an
operation which could not be fully understood unless seen. "'Splosions
of Perboewatan," may suggest the thing.

Sorrow, grief--whatever it was that habitually afflicted that
monkey--disappeared for the time being, while it devoted itself heart
and soul to dinner.

Feelings of a somewhat similar kind animated Nigel as he sat leaning
back with his mouth full, a biscuit in one hand, and a drumstick in the
other, and his eyes resting dreamily on the horizon of the still
tranquil sea, while the bright sun blazed upon his already bronzed face.

To many men the fierce glare of the equatorial sun might have proved
trying, but Nigel belonged to the salamander type of humanity and
enjoyed the great heat. Van der Kemp seemed to be similarly moulded, and
as for Moses, he was in his native element--so was Spinkie.

Strange as it may seem, sea-birds appeared to divine what was going on,
for several specimens came circling round the canoe with great
outstretched and all but motionless wings, and with solemn sidelong
glances of hope which Van der Kemp evidently could not resist, for he
flung them scraps of his allowance from time to time.

"If you have plenty of provisions on board, I should like to do that
too," said Nigel.

"Do it," returned the hermit. "We have plenty of food for some days, and
our guns can at any time replenish the store. I like to feed these
creatures," he added, "they give themselves over so thoroughly to the
enjoyment of the moment, and _seem_ to be grateful.