canoe.

As they approached, the shouts of the boatswain and the shrieks of a
multitude of birds reached their ears. Hurrying on, they saw dimly
through the gloom numberless wings flapping in the air, circling in the
darkness, now advancing, now rising, while the figure of the stout
boatswain appeared in their midst whirling round his fowling-piece, with
which he every now and then caught a bird more daring than its
companions, and brought it to the ground or sent it shrieking away.

"Help, young gentlemen, help!" he shouted out, though almost breathless
with his exertions, "or these imps of Satan will be too much for me."

Tom and Desmond rushed to the rescue, and, laying about them, at length
succeeded in again driving off the birds to a respectful distance.
"Glad you came when you did, young gentlemen," said the boatswain, after
he had recovered his breath. "Thinking you were keeping watch by my
side, I was enjoying my first sleep, when I was awoke by a sharp tweak
of my nose, and such a shrieking in my ears as I hope never to hear
again. It was a mercy I hadn't both my eyes pecked out; I started up,
thinking that a whole horde of niggers were upon me, or might be a party
of these beastly slave-catching, murderous Arabs had landed, when I
discovered that they were those savage birds again; and finding my
fowling-piece in my hand, I began to lay about me, as you saw, with
right goodwill, though I own they were almost too much for me. I can't
help thinking that the island is bewitched, for such birds as these I
never met in my life before, and hope never to meet again. Maybe an
empty stomach makes matters worse, for I feel all nohow--more like a
sucking baby than the boatswain of Her Majesty's steamer _Gauntlet_."

"You'll get all right in the morning, Mr Large," said Tom; "I believe
you've hit the right nail on the head; but we shan't starve; see, we've
brought plenty of food, and we left fifty times as many behind us,
waiting till we go and get them."

"If we had a fire it would be very well," sighed the boatswain; "though
I suspect they're somewhat of a fishy flavour--not that we should be
particular when sharp set."

"Faith, I forgot, Mr Large," said Desmond, "that we've found some eggs,
and we've brought you a couple, knowing that your constitution requires
nourishment."

"It does, young gentlemen, it does," said Mr Large, in a grateful tone;
"I feel a gnawing in my inside which quite unmans me."

"H