h the woods. For a long time we sought in vain; but a little
before dark we came upon the tracks of the hogs, which we followed up
until we came to the brow of a rather steep bank or precipice. Looking
over this, we beheld Peterkin lying in a state of insensibility at the
foot, with his cheek resting on the snout of a little pig, which was
pinned to the earth by the spear. We were dreadfully alarmed, but
hastened to bathe his forehead with water, and had soon the satisfaction
of seeing him revive. After we had carried him home, he related to us
how the thing had happened.

"You must know," said he, "I walked about all the forenoon, till I was
as tired as an old donkey, without seeing a single grunter--not so much
as a track of one; but as I was determined not to return empty-handed, I
resolved to go without my dinner, and--"

"What!" exclaimed Jack, "did you _really_ resolve to do that?"

"Now, Jack, hold your tongue," returned Peterkin. "I say that I
resolved to forego my dinner and to push to the head of the small
valley, where I felt pretty sure of discovering the hogs. I soon found
that I was on the right scent, for I had scarcely walked half-a-mile in
the direction of the small plum-tree we found there the other day when a
squeak fell on my ear. `Ho, ho,' said I, `there you go, my boys;' and I
hurried up the glen. I soon started them, and singling out a fat pig,
ran tilt at him. In a few seconds I was up with him, and stuck my spear
right through his dumpy body. Just as I did so, I saw that we were on
the edge of a precipice--whether high or low, I knew not; but I had been
running at such a pace that I could not stop, so the pig and I gave a
howl in concert and went plunging over together. I remembered nothing
more after that till I came to my senses, and found you bathing my
temples, and Ralph wringing his hands over me."

But although Peterkin was often unfortunate in the way of getting
tumbles, he was successful on the present occasion in hunting, and
returned before evening with three very nice little hogs. I also was
successful in my visit to the mud-flats, where I killed several ducks.
So that when we launched and loaded our boat at sunrise the following
morning, we found our store of provisions to be more than sufficient.
Part had been cooked the night before, and on taking note of the
different items, we found the account to stand thus:

10 Bread-fruits (two baked, eight unbaked).
20 Ya