left me to go with
the vessel, the chief of them threatening to return every week
to torment me unless I obeyed his slightest command. I stand in
great fear of this man, who is tall and bearded, for he brings
with him instruments of torture and bottles containing, without
doubt, poison.

Can you imagine my joy when, tottering down the beach this
morning, supporting my frame upon two sticks, I beheld your bottle
cast up on the sands? Now, thought I, I can unburden myself to
these three unfortunate men, obviously in even greater distress
than my own, and we can, perhaps, ease each other's monotonous
maroonity. Scholars, too, I perceive you to be,--witness the
Latin following your signatures. Ah well, _Grata superveniet quae
non sperabitur hora_, as the poet so truly says, and I cannot
express to you how eager, how happy I am, in the thought of
communicating with some one other than the natives of this
desolate isle. These inhabitants, though friendly on the whole,
are uncouth and barbaric. They spend their entire time fishing
from boats which they build themselves, or squatting beside their
huts mending their fishing implements.

The good soul with whom I am lodging is calling me to my scanty
repast. In the rude language of the place she tells me that there
is "Krabss al ad an dunny." How can I live long, I ask, on such
fare?

Hopefully, your

CASTAWAY COMRADE.

P.S. My address--mail reaches me from time to time, by aforesaid
vessel--is P.O. Box 14, Blue Harbor, Me. ME stands for Mid
Equator, but the abbreviation is sufficient. Blue Harbor is my own
literal translation of the native Bluar Boor. Box 14 refers to the
native system of delivering messages. P.O. has, I think, something
to do with the P. & O. steamers, which, however, do not very often
touch here.

"I _told_ you it would go around the world!" Greg said, when I had
finished, and Jerry and I were staring at each other.

"_Well!_" Jerry said at last. "_What_ luck!"

"I should rather say so," I said; "suppose a fisherman had found it,
or no one at all."

"Bless his old heart," said Jerry, taking the letter.

I wanted to know why "old."

"He must be ancient if he has to totter along on two sticks," Jerry
said. "Besides, he has a stately, professorish sort of style. Do you
suppose he really does want us to write to him?"

"Of course he does," Greg said; "he tells us to often eno