njustice. It is only fair to add, however, that in his cooler moments
our captain freely condemned himself.

"`Humph!' is a very expressive word," observed Paul, "and in some sense
satisfactory to those who utter it, but it is ambiguous. Do you mean to
deny, Master Trench, that some of your late crew were very good fellows?
and don't you admit that Little Stubbs and Squill and Grummidge were
first-rate specimens of--"

"I don't admit or deny anything!" said the captain, rising, with a light
laugh, "and I have no intention of engaging in a controversy with you
before breakfast. Come, Olly, blow up the fire, and go to work with
your pork and cakes. I'll fetch some more wood, and Paul will help me,
no doubt."

With a good grace Paul dropped the discussion and went to work. In a
few minutes breakfast was not only ready, but consumed; for a certain
measure of anxiety as to the probability of there being an available
path to the top of the cliffs tended to hasten their proceedings.

The question was soon settled, for after ascending a few yards above
their encampment they found an indentation or crevice in the cliff which
led into an open spot--a sort of broader shelf--which sloped upwards,
and finally conducted them to the summit.

Here, to their surprise, they discovered that their new home, instead of
being, as they had supposed it, one of a series of large islands, was in
truth a territory of vast, apparently boundless, extent, covered with
dense forests. Far as the eye could reach, interminable woods presented
themselves, merging, in the far distance, into what appeared to be a
range of low hills.

"Newfoundland is bigger than we have been led to believe," said Paul
Burns, surveying the prospect with great satisfaction.

"Ay is it," responded Trench. "The fact is that discoverers of new
lands, bein' naturally in ships, have not much chance to go far inland.
In a country like this, with such a wild seaboard, it's no wonder they
have made mistakes. We will find out the truth about it now, however,
for we'll undertake a land voyage of discovery."

"What! without arms or provisions, father?" asked Oliver.

"What d'ye call the two things dangling from your shoulders, boy?"
returned the captain, with some severity; "are these not `arms'? and
have not woods--generally got lakes in 'em and rivers which usually
swarm with provisions?"

"That's so, father," returned the lad, somewhat abashed; "but I did not
rai