ith
skins of different kinds of animals, among which are a Bengal tiger, a
Polar bear, a South American ocelot, a Rocky Mountain wolf, and a
Siberian fox. In a great glass case, standing against the wall, there is
a variety of stuffed birds. On the very top of this case there is a huge
white-headed eagle, with his large wings spread out, and at the bottom
of it there is a pelican with no wings at all. On the right-hand side
there is an enormous albatross, and on the left-hand side there is a
tall red flamingo; while in the very centre a snowy owl stands straight
up and looks straight at you out of his great glass eyes. And then there
are still other birds,--birds little and birds big, birds bright and
birds dingy, all scattered about wherever there is room, each sitting or
standing on its separate perch, and looking, for all the world, as if
it were alive and would fly away only for the glass.

On the walls of this singular room are hanging all sorts of singular
weapons, and many other things which the Captain has picked up in his
travels. There is a Turkish scimitar, a Moorish gun, an Italian
stiletto, a Japanese "happy despatch," a Norman battle-axe, besides
spears and lances and swords of shapes and kinds too numerous to
mention. In one corner, on a bracket, there is a model of a ship, in
another a Chinese junk, in a third an old Dutch clock, and in the fourth
there is a stone idol of the Incas, while above the door there is the
figure-head of a small vessel, probably a schooner.

When the children came down, running all the way at a very lively rate,
the Captain was in his cabin overhauling all these treasures, and
dusting and placing them so that they would show to the very best
advantage. Indeed, there were so many "traps," as he called them,
hanging and lying about, that the place might well have been called a
"curiosity shop" rather than a cabin. In truth, it had nothing of the
look of a cabin about it.

When the Captain heard the children coming, he said to himself, "I'll
give them a surprise to-day," and he looked out through the open window,
and called to them. They answered with a merry laugh, and, running
around to the door, rushed into the "quarter-deck," and were with the
Captain in a twinkling.

"O, what a jolly place!" exclaimed William; "such a jolly lot of things!
Why didn't you show them to us before, Captain Hardy?"

"One thing at a time, my lad; I can't show you everything at once,"
answered