uss the literature of that subject some other
time," said Pauline. "I'm almost sinking for want of food. Do be
quick, please."

Thus urged, Dominick at once took off his neckcloth and showed his
brother how, by tying his feet together with it at a sufficient distance
apart, so as to permit of getting a foot on each side of the tree, the
kerchief would catch on the rough bark, and so form a purchase by which
he could force himself up step by step, as it were, while grasping the
stem with arms and knees.

Otto was an apt scholar in most things, especially in those that
required activity of body. He soon climbed the tree, and plucked and
threw down half a dozen cocoa-nuts. But when these had been procured,
there still remained a difficulty, for the tough outer husk of the nuts,
nearly two inches thick, could not easily be cut through with a
clasp-knife so as to reach that kernel, or nut, which is ordinarily
presented to English eyes in fruit-shops.

"We have no axe, so must adopt the only remaining method," said
Dominick.

Laying a nut on a flat rock, he seized a stone about twice the size of
his own head, and, heaving it aloft, brought it down with all his force
on the nut, which was considerably crushed and broken by the blow. With
perseverance and the vigorous use of a clasp-knife he at last reached
the interior. Thereafter, on cocoa-nut meat and cocoa-nut milk, with a
draught from a pool in the thicket they partook of their first breakfast
on the reef.

"Now, our first duty is to bury the skeleton," said Dominick, when the
meal was concluded; "our next to examine the land; and our last to visit
the wreck. I think we shall be able to do all this in one day."

Like many, perhaps we may say most, of man's estimates, Dominick's
calculation was short of the mark, for the reef turned out to be
considerably larger than they had at first supposed. It must be
remembered that they had, up to that time, seen it only from the low
level of the sea, and from that point of view it appeared to be a mere
sandbank with a slight elevation in the centre, which was clothed with
vegetation. But when the highest point of this elevation was gained,
they discovered that it had hidden from their view not only a
considerable stretch of low land which lay behind, but an extensive
continuation of the lagoon, or salt-water lake, in which lay a multitude
of smaller islets of varying shapes, some mere banks of sand, others
with patch