surface, or the water was disturbed by any floating object, it gave
forth a clear and brilliant light, and was studded by myriads of fiery
dots and spangles.

At length Johnny began to complain of weariness, and we scaled the
terraced hill, and gathering a large quantity of clean and well-dried
leaves, arranged our beds as Browne had suggested, beneath the group of
noble trees where we had taken our siesta at noon.

The novelty of our situation, long proved with me an effectual antidote
to fatigue and drowsiness, and I lay, looking up at the moon glimmering
through the foliage of the trees, an hour after the rest seemed to be
asleep.

Just as I was at last sinking into unconsciousness, Johnny, sitting up
among the leaves in which he was half buried, inquired softly, "Max, are
you awake!" I spoke to him, to let him know that he was not alone. "I
can't get asleep," said he, "every thing looks so beautiful and so
strange. It seems to me I never saw the moon and the stars so big and
so bright."

"You must keep your eyes shut, and not look at the moon, if you want to
get asleep."

"But the trees keep rustling so; just as if they were whispering softly
to one another; and then the sound of the waves on the reef is so sad
and mournful, that it sets me to thinking all sorts of strange things.
I wonder whether there are any wild animals on the island!" I assured
him that it was quite improbable, and that no dangerous animals of any
kind were ever found on the islands of the Pacific. This, however, did
not seem to satisfy him entirely, and I began to suspect that his mind
was running on the jackalls, tiger-cats, and hyenas of the Swiss Family
Robinson. A question or two which he presently asked, showed that I had
guessed correctly, and I hastened to meet the difficulty, by reminding
him that "their island, (if indeed it was an island at all, and not a
part of the mainland), was situated near the coast of New Holland, from
which animals might pass over to it by swimming."

"Why, I thought," said Johnny, "that there were no wild animals in New
Holland, except kangaroos and opossums: my book of beasts, birds, and
fishes, says so."

This was a fact in Natural History which I was not prepared to gainsay;
especially when backed by so redoubtable an authority as "the book of
beasts, birds, and fishes." For a moment I was taken all aback; but
being loathe to give up my little companion a prey to imaginary
jackalls, tiger-