ion, and as the birds could not fly to other
breeding-places, they gradually diminished in numbers and finally
disappeared.

"Why, Blazer," exclaimed Heron, "that's one o' the sodger-like birds we
frightened away from our little island when we first landed."

"Ay, an' there's plenty more where this one came from," said Blazer,
throwing the bird down; "an' they are so tame on the rocks round the
point that I do believe we could knock 'em on the head with sticks, if
we took 'em unawares. What d'ee say to try, lads?"

"Agreed--for I'm gettin' tired o' fish now," said Grummidge. "How
should we set about it, think 'ee?"

"Cut cudgels for ourselves, then take to the boat creep round to one o'
the little islands in the bay, and go at 'em!" answered Blazer.

This plan was carried out with as little delay as possible. An islet
was boarded, as Squill said, and the clumsy, astonished creatures lost
numbers of their companions before making their escape into the sea. A
further treasure was found in a large supply of their eggs. Laden
almost to the gunwale with fresh provisions, the search-party returned
to their camp--some of them, indeed, distressed at having failed to find
their banished friends, but most of them elated by their success with
the great auks, and the prospect of soon going into pleasant
winter-quarters.

So eager were they all to flit into this new region--this paradise of
Garnet--that operations were commenced on the very next day at early
morn. The boat was launched and manned, and as much of their property
as it would hold was put on board.

"You call it paradise, Garnet," said Grummidge, as the two carried a
bundle of dried cod slung on a pole between them, "but if you, and the
like of ye, don't give up swearin', an' try to mend your manners, the
place we pitch on will be more like hell than paradise, no matter how
comfortable and pretty it may be."

Garnet was not in a humour either to discuss this point or to accept a
rebuke, so he only replied to the remark with a surly "Humph!"

Landing on the main island to the northward of the large bay, so as to
secure a southern exposure, the boat-party proceeded to pitch their camp
on a lovely spot, where cliff and coppice formed a luxuriant background.
Ramparts of rock protected them from the nor'-west gales, and purling
rivulets hummed their lullaby. Here they pitched their tents, and in a
short space of time ran up several log huts, the material for