ich his little
brother, with all his wisdom and capacity, would never overcome.

"And what may that be?" demanded Otto.

"The difficulty of being unable to talk common-sense."

"True, Dom, true, that is a great difficulty," retorted the boy, with
deep humility of aspect, "for a man's conversation is greatly affected
by the company he keeps, and with _you_ as my only male companion, I
have not much to hope for in the way of example. But even that may be
got the better of by holding intercourse chiefly with Pina."

"But what if I refuse to talk?" said Pauline, with a laugh.

"Then will you be all the more able to listen, sister mine, which is the
most common-sense thing that you can do, except when brother Dom
speaks," said the incorrigible boy.

They had seated themselves on a bank while thus conversing, and from
their position could see over a considerable portion of the lagoon.
Suddenly Dominick pointed to an object a long way off, which was half
concealed by the shadow of an island.

"Does it not look like a canoe?" he asked eagerly.

"Can't make it out at all," said Otto, shading his eyes with his hand.

"The sun on the water dazzles one so," observed Pauline, "that it is
difficult to look steadily."

In a few moments the object which had drawn their attention sailed out
from under the shade of the island, and, breaking up into fragments,
rose into the air, proving itself to be a flock of large aquatic birds
which had been swimming in a line.

"Things are not what they seem," observed Pauline, rising and following
her brothers through a little thicket.

"What a pity!" exclaimed Otto; "I was in hopes it was a canoeful of
savages. It would be such fun to have a real Friday to be our servant."

"More likely that our Friday would kill, cook, and eat us if he could,"
said Dominick, to the surprise of Otto, who gave it as his opinion that
savages never ate men, and asked if his brother really believed that
they did.

"Indeed I do. We have it recorded by all the best authorities that
South Sea islanders are given to this horrible practice. There can be
no doubt about it whatever, and the less we see of these fellows in our
present defenceless state the better."

"How little," said Pauline, "our dear father thought when he wrote for
us to go out to him in his ship, that we should be cast on an unknown
island, and the ship itself go to the bottom!"

"Little indeed, and as little did poor mother dream of