England in our mother tongue), that Word tells man plainly to go
forth and replenish the earth. Common sense, from the beginning of
time, has told us the same thing, but what does man do? He sticks to
several small patches of the earth, and there he trades, and works, and
builds, and propagates, until these patches swarm like ant-hills, and
then he wars, and fights, and kills off the surplus population; in other
words, slays the _young_ men of the world and sows misery, debt and
desolation broadcast. In fact, man seems to me to be mad. Rather than
obey God and the dictates of common sense, he will leave the fairest
portions of the world untenanted, and waste his life and energies in
toiling for a crust of bread or fighting for a foot of land!"

"Some such thoughts have passed through my mind," said Hendrick
thoughtfully, "when I have remembered that my ancestors, as I have told
you, discovered this land, as well as that which lies to the west and
south of it, long before this Columbus you speak of was born. But
surely we may now expect that with all our modern appliances and
knowledge, the earth will soon be overrun and peopled."

"I don't feel very sanguine about it," said Paul, with a prophetic shake
of the head.

That Paul was justified in his doubts must be obvious to every reader
who is aware of the fact that in the present year of grace (1889) there
are millions of the world's fair and fertile acres still left untenanted
and almost untrodden by the foot of man.

"It's my opinion," remarked Captain Trench, with a blink of the eyes,
induced possibly by wisdom and partly by sleep, "that you two are
talking nonsense on a subject which is quite beyond the reach of man's
intellect."

"It may be so," replied Paul, with a laugh which merged into a yawn,
"and perhaps it would be wiser that we should go to rest. Olly and
Oscar have already set us a good example. What say you, Hendrick?"

"As you please," answered the polite hunter. "I am ready either to
sleep or to converse."

"Then I will not tax your good-nature. We will seek repose. But what
of our future movements? My sleep will be sounder if I could lie down
with the assurance that you will continue to be our guide into the
fertile interior of which you have said so much."

"I will go with you," returned Hendrick, after a few moments' thought,
"but I must ask you to spend a few days in my camp to rest yourselves,
while I provide a supply of fresh me