boys were much
puzzled, but at last the big one takes hold of a plank, and, putting it
out of the little window, 'Now,' says he, 'go you and sit at that end
and I will push the plank out of the window, and you will just be able
to reach the nest.' 'Very well,' says the little fellow, 'but mind you
sit at the other end, lest the plank tilts up with me, and I go down.'
'All right,' says the big fellow, and away goes the little boy. 'I have
got them all seven,' says he, 'and very fine ones they are.' 'Very
well', says the big boy, 'mind four are mine, and three are yours.' 'No
such thing,' says the little one, 'I underwent the danger, so I'll have
the four, and you shall have the three.' 'No you shall not,' says big
bully. 'Yes I will,' says the little sturdy fellow. 'I will let you down
if you don't give me the four,' says the big rascal. 'Let away,' says
the small boy, 'I won't give them up.' So the young villain let go the
plank, and away went the little fellow, holding stoutly on by his little
birds. Well the seven jack-daws spread their wings and fluttered, and
the wind being high, it filled a great stout pinafore that he had on, so
that between the two, he was borne safely to the ground, when, looking
up at the window, out of which the big bully was watching his flight, he
shouted out, 'Now you shall have none of them.'

CHAPTER XXXVII.

_Felix._--"Now, captain, if you had seen that big boy, would you not have
walloped him?"

"Most certainly," said the captain, "but now we must be thinking of more
important matters." And as the hot weather set in with more than
ordinary vigour, it was very clear that we should not be safe in our
caverns, subjected to the earthquakes that generally accompany the heat.

Besides we were getting restless and impatient. If all alone by
ourselves, we had meditated getting the better of the pirates--think
what wild schemes we now had, with Smart and the captain to help us.

But we must wait until some of them went away in the ships after their
usual avocations, as even the bravest amongst us did not hope to conquer
them all. They seemed however bent upon making their homes more
comfortable before they went, and it was somewhat late in the season
when they started in their own vessel, leaving La Luna and half their
men behind. These latter were employed in sowing seeds and preparing the
ground for fruits and vegetables. We saw but little of the women, as
they hardly ever left t