of times, and as you'll be able to
if we catch one, as I hope we shall, you'll find they are very like a
large pigeon, only that they have webbed feet; and they always seem
plump and fat. See, their feathers are white and downy, while their
heads are brown and their wings striped with the same colour, giving
them the appearance, if you look down on them from a ship, of being
large white and brown butterflies, with their large wings outspread.
Draw in your line a bit, Jonathan, and let the white stuff on the hook
flutter about in the air; perhaps one of them will grab at it thinking
it's something good. It's our only chance."

No angler, not even the celebrated Izaac Walton, ever angled more
industriously than the two boys did for the next hour, trying to attract
one of the birds, which, both molly hawks and cape pigeons, hovered
about the boat all the time, making swoops every now and then down into
the sea.

They were too knowing, however, to accept David's fictitious bait, as a
fish would probably have done.

One look at it was quite sufficient for them; first one and then another
wheeling round and coming nearer the surface of the water to inspect the
inducement offered them, and flying off again in disgust.

At last, just as a group of three of the cape pigeons, which were the
most inquisitive of the lot, stooped down over the strip of red flannel
attached to David's hook, he gave it a jerk and it caught somehow or
other in the bird's foot or leg, and he pulled it in, squeaking and
fluttering all the time, its companions circling round it in alarm, and
cawing in concert over its misfortune.

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Jonathan, as David hauled in his prize, flapping
vigorously, over the gunwale in triumph; and he stretched out his hand
to take hold of it.

"Look out, and stand clear a moment," shouted out his friend. "Those
cape pigeons have a nasty habit of throwing up everything they have in
their stomachs on to you as soon as you catch them. There, you see. I
suppose it's a means of protection given them by nature, the same as the
savoury perfume of the American skunk."

"He's lucky to have anything to bring up," said Jonathan drily. "It is
more than we could do, I'm sure. There's plenty of him to eat, however,
old fellow," he added, when the bird had disgorged its last feed, "and I
vote we pluck off his feathers at once and begin business."

"All right," said David, giving the bird a rap on the head wi