of the plant, and hangs down in a large bunch,
five or six in a bunch.

One great advantage was that there were ripe bananas all the year round,
though they were most plentiful in the summer. The trees were upwards
of twenty feet in height, with broad green leaves four to six feet in
length. There was an avenue composed of them running from one side of
the garden to the other, which afforded at all times a delightful shade.
The stems contain a quantity of fibrous matter, which makes excellent
rope.

"We shall not starve while we have these to subsist on," observed the
captain to his brother. "The people in the south call us `Banana-men';
and not a bad name either, for with their aid we could manage to subsist
on beef and mutton, even had we no other vegetable productions to depend
upon."

Mary and Janet had nearly two hundred hens in their poultry yard, and by
attending carefully to them and not allowing them to stray, they were
able to obtain several dozen eggs daily.

Hector and the younger boys frequently went out fishing, but Harry and
Reggy preferred shooting. On one occasion Hector volunteered to
accompany them.

The boys were feeling somewhat fatigued from their walk, when they
reached a large water-hole, which they had not before visited.

"The water looks very refreshing; I intend to have a bath," said Hector,
beginning to undress.

Just then Harry caught sight of a flight of parrots, which had pitched
in some trees near at hand. Reginald and he crept near. Firing
together they brought down nearly a dozen. They were picking up the
birds when they heard Hector cry out. Running back to the water-hole,
they saw him almost in the middle.

"Help me! help me!" he shouted.

"Why, if you've got thus far, why can't you wade back again?" asked
Harry.

"There are some horrid creatures sticking to me, and I don't know what
they will do," cried Hector.

Harry and Reggy, caring nothing for the wetting, plunged in, and soon
helped Hector back on to dry ground. He had not cried out without
reason, for what was their dismay to see twenty or thirty leeches
sticking to his body, and several had fixed themselves to their own arms
even during the short time they had been in the water. They pulled them
off as fast as they could, but found it no easy matter to stop the blood
which flowed from some of the spots to which the creatures had fixed
themselves.

"I shall bleed to death! I shall bleed to death!" s