teve watched till the last scrap had been snatched from the crystal
clear water, and then looked round as the Norseman flung in some more
fragments which he had scraped from the massive skull.

"Seems only fair, sir, eh? The bears get fat on the young birds when
they can reach them on the cliffs, and now the birds can get fat on the
bear."

"Why, it's like making cannibals of them," said Steve, "eating their own
children second-hand."

"Yes, sir," said Johannes, pausing to whet his curious knife; "but
that's how things are. One lives upon another. Birds, beasts, and
fishes, they're all alike. But this will make a noble head when the
skin's dressed, and a pair of glass eyes put in, and the whole stuffed
out a little. It will make you think about killing it when you get
home."

"I don't want to think about killing the poor brute," said Steve
shortly. "Here, where's my dog? Skeny!"

There was a sharp bark in answer, but no dog appeared.

"Where is he? Here, Skeny, Skeny!"

The dog answered with another sharp bark, and, directed by the sound,
the boy advanced to find the collie curled up on a tarpaulin right
forward under the bowsprit.

"Hullo, old chap! why don't you come out?" cried Steve; but the dog only
gave his tail a few short raps on the tarpaulin without moving his head,
his eyes twinkling up from the furry hair in which his nose was buried.

"Not ill, are you?" continued Steve, bending down to pat his companion,
but eliciting a whine, as if the caress had given pain.

"He's only trying to sleep it off, sir," said Johannes, scattering some
more food to the gulls, which dashed at it screaming. "I felt him over
this morning. He's a good bit bruised, but no bones broken."

"Did he let you--didn't he try to bite?"

"Oh no," said the man with quiet confidence; "a dog won't bite you when
he's hurt, if he knows you want to do him good. We're friends, aren't
we, Skene?"

The dog rapped the tarpaulin with his tail, and then lay curled up a
little closer, perfectly still.

"It's wonderful, sir, how soon animals mend up again without doctoring.
A few licks, a little going on short food, and plenty of sleep, and they
soon come round. One may do worse than imitate them sometimes."

Steve made no reply, for the simple reason that he had nothing to say;
but he could not help wondering what Mr Handscombe would think, as he
got up on the bowsprit just where it passed out over the vessel's prow,
held o