r fruit, to be
delicious. "How do you suppose that it got here, captain?"

"The seed may have been carried by birds from some place where melons are
cultivated," the captain said, "possibly even from the mainland. I have
heard that seeds are carried immense distances in that way. It may be that
some seeds were washed overboard from a passing ship and some were cast
ashore here. I do not care how they came here, I am well contented to find
them."

"We will carry away the seeds of those we eat and plant them near our
camp," said Stephen; "we shall soon get a supply without having to come
here to fetch them. Besides, these will attract the pigs and enable us to
get fresh meat without having the trouble of scrambling through the
forest, and tearing ourselves and our clothes to pieces with thorns."

They cut as many melons as they could carry in addition to the pig, and
then proceeded on their way. They followed the shore but a quarter of a
mile further, when to their satisfaction they found themselves at the bay
at the mouth of which the wreck was lying, and in another half-hour they
were at home.

"We are certain to see boats coming," Stephen said, as he stood at the
edge of the cliff and looked out over the sea, "unless they come from some
of the islands on the other side and coast round to their landing-place.
But on the other hand, there is the disadvantage that as they come in to
the inlet they can hardly help seeing the wreck. We must make it a rule
when we go down, to walk in the stream until we get to the edge of the
sea, and then to keep along on the wet sand where our footprints will
disappear directly. In that way they would have no clue whatever to the
direction in which to look for us."

"Yes, it would be as well to observe that precaution," the Peruvian said.
"When we once get a melon patch here we shall not have any reason to go
down there very often. We have got everything we want from the wreck, and
we have all the coast along to the left to explore, where we may make some
useful discoveries."

Two days later they again went to the sea-shore and followed it to the
left, leaving Jacopo this time behind. They had gone but a mile when they
came upon a thorny bush covered with fruit, which the Peruvian pronounced
to be guavas; they ate some of these and then proceeded on their way, and
before long came upon a group of trees bearing a fruit considerably larger
than an orange. Stephen had seen these when cr