you what you want," replied I. "Here, Nero, in."

Nero plunged in, and soon brought out a fish, and I then sent him in for
another.

"Thanks, lad," said the mate, "that will be enough for our breakfast.
That seal of yours is a handy fellow, and well trained."

While the other men were getting breakfast, one of them went up to Nero,
I believe with the intention of making friends with him, but Nero
rejected his advances, and showed his sharp teeth, snapping at him
several times. The man became angry, and caught up a piece of rock to
throw at the seal. He aimed at the animal's nose, and narrowly missed
hitting it. Had he done so, he would probably have killed it. This
made me very angry, and I told the man not to do so again; upon this, he
caught up another, and was about to throw it, when I seized him by the
collar with my left hand, and with my right drawing my American knife, I
threatened to stab him with it, if he attacked the beast. The man
started back, and in so doing, fell over a piece of rock, on his back.
This quarrel brought the mate to us, along with two or three of the men.
My knife was still lifted up, when the mate said:

"Come, my hearty, no knives, we don't allow them. That's not English.
Put it up; no one shall hurt the beast, I promise you. Bob, you fool,
why couldn't you leave the animal alone? You forget you are among
savages here."

At this, the other men burst out into a laugh.

"Yes," observed one; "I can swear, when I get back, that the natives of
this island are savages, who eat raw flesh, have seals for playmates,
and don't wear clothes enough for common decency?"

This made them laugh more, and the man who had attacked Nero, and who
had got upon his legs again, joined with the others; so all was again
good humour. The men sat down to their breakfast, while I examined the
boat again, and afterwards asked many questions, with which they were
much amused, every now and then observing, "Well, he is a savage!"

After they had breakfasted, I made Nero catch another fish, and sent him
up to the cabin with it, as I was afraid that the man might do him an
injury, and then told the mate that the woman had desired me to bring up
some potatoes.

"Take them," said he; "but you have nothing to carry them up with.
Here, fill the pail, and I will go to the cabin with you."

"She told me that I was to ask you for a small boat's sail, to hang up
as a screen."

"Well, she shall have the boa