groond vas blanted
mit tings bedween ze hills, and zee if we can zee any bodatoes or
bananes vot to eat; vor, as mein frent Sambo here zays, it vas goot to
look after ze grub, vor we hab no sheeps now to zupply us mit
provisions!"

This was sound advice, which we immediately acted on, our little quintet
abandoning the shore, and following our leader again up the cliff to the
old deserted plantation. This, it may be remembered, Tom and Hiram and
I had first lighted on in our quest for the treasure before we
discovered the cave, but we now found out that Jan Steenbock had been
previously acquainted with it from being formerly on the island.

Here we made a camp, bringing Sam's sailcloth from the cave, with a tin
pot and other mess gear he had stowed away for his own use when in
hiding there, and no one knew save Tom Bullover that he was anything but
a ghost; and here, thenceforward, by the help of the tortoises, whose
flesh we fared on, with an occasional wild hog, when we were lucky
enough to catch one, our meat diet being varied with the various
tropical vegetables which we found in the valley in profusion, we lived
until the rainy season came on, when we went back again to the cave for
shelter.

It must not be thought, though, that our time was entirely spent in
eating, or in devices how we should procure food, notwithstanding that
this was the principal care of our solitary desert island life, like as
in the case of most shipwrecked mariners.

No, we had a greater purpose than this.

It was the hope of escaping from our dismal exile, through the help of
some coasting vessel bound up or down the Pacific, or to ports within
the Gulf of Panama; and, in order to observe such passing craft we
erected a signal station on the top of Mount Chalmers, and took it in
turns to keep watch there throughout the day, with a bonfire hard by,
ready to be kindled the moment a sail was sighted.

Alas, our watch for weeks was in vain!

Sometimes we would see a ship in the distance, but she was generally too
far off to notice us; and our hearts would sink again to utter
despondency when this occurred, more than when we never noticed any sail
at all, on our seeing her gradually melting away, until she would be
finally lost in the mists of the sea and air.

At last, however, one morning, about six months or so after the loss of
the _Denver City_--I'm sure I cannot tell the precise date, for we began
then to forget even the passage