vious night our aim
had been to collect leaves to create a smoke; now we wished to make as
bright a flame as possible. We had no difficulty in collecting an
abundance of dry sticks for this purpose. Solon looked on for some time
at our proceedings, and then, apparently discovering our object, ran
about till he found a good-sized branch, which, seizing hold of with his
mouth, he dragged up to the fire; then, wagging his tail, he came up to
me to show me what he had done. Great was his delight when I put it on
the fire, and immediately off he set and brought up another. He seemed
to consider light sticks, such as Tommy and I had been collecting, as
beneath his notice. When he found that I did not put the next stick on
the fire, he sat down to watch proceedings. When, however, I patted him
on the head, and pointing to a distance, cried, "Go fetch more," away he
went, and in a short time collected almost as much wood as Tommy and I
had each of us done, so that he was really of great use.

"Solon is coming out," said I to Tommy; "I thought he would, but
hitherto he has had few opportunities of exhibiting his sagacity and
talents."

"Well, sir, I am certain as how Solon could speak if he had a better
made tongue," observed Tommy. "Often and often I have sat by him, and I
have talked to him, and he has opened his mouth and twisted and turned
about his tongue and lips till he has all but spoke. More than once I
have thought he was going to say something, but he never has yet."

I was very much inclined to be of Tommy's opinion, and often almost
expected Solon to give expression to some wise sentiment worthy of his
name. When our fire was well made up, I retired to a distance from it
that I might look out for the burning ship. Though, from where I stood,
her topgallant masts would not have been visible above the horizon in
the day time, a bright glare, which lighted up the whole sky above where
she was, showed me that she was burning still more fiercely than when we
first discovered the fire. It made me fear that there was not a
possibility of her escape. I was afraid, too, that Mr Henley would
have his long pull to no purpose. What would become then of the
unfortunate people on board? Poor Dr Cuff! I thought of him more than
any one. He was a friend in whom I could place perfect confidence, and
had so often been my companion that I thought more of his fate than of
that of anybody else on board. While I stood