the poor youths were obviously relieved from the
dread of immediate and personal violence. After some glances of timid
uncertainty they began to eat.

"That's right," said Oliver, patting the bigger of the two on the
shoulder, "you'll find the victuals pretty good, though you're not much
used to 'em, mayhap."

Of course the youths did not understand the words, but they understood
and fully appreciated the feeling with which they were expressed. They
also appreciated most powerfully the viands. At first they were greatly
perplexed by the offer of knives and forks; but, after looking at these
implements gravely for a few moments, they laid them gently down, and
went to work in the natural way with fingers and teeth.

After they had finished the food, and licked the platters clean, they
were presented with several bright brass buttons, an old clasp-knife, a
comb, and a kerchief or two, with which inestimable gifts they embarked
in their canoe, and returned to the opposite shore.

That day a most important discovery was made among the wreckage, namely,
a case containing fish-hooks of various sizes and a number of lines.
With these, and the boat repaired, Master Trench saw his way to
prolonged existence on the island.

"To tell ye the plain truth," he remarked to Little Stubbs, with whom he
fell in while searching on the shore, "before this case of tackle was
found, I had no hope at all of surviving here, for a few barrels of pork
and flour could not last long among so many, and our end would have bin
something awful; but now, with God's blessing, we may do well enough
until we have time to think and plan for our escape."

"But d'ye think, master," said Stubbs, "that we shall find fish in them
waters?"

"Find 'em! Ay, I make no doubt o' that, but we shall soon put it to the
test, for the boat will be ready by to-morrow or next day at furthest,
and then we shall see what the fish hereabouts think o' salt pork. If
they take to it as kindly as the Indians did, we shall soon have grub
enough and to spare."

The natural tendency of man to bow to the best leader was shown
immediately after the incident of the capture of the Indians, for Paul
Burns was thence-forward quietly appealed to by most of the crew in all
circumstances which required much consideration. Paul, being a
law-respecting man, naturally turned to the skipper, whose decision was
usually final, and thus Master Trench dropped, by general consent, into