t that you will
succeed in inducing them to sit quiet while you make your sketch."

"Trust me for that," said Tom. "Lend me your book and pencil, and a
piece of india-rubber, and I'd try;" and, armed with his apparatus, he
walked slowly towards Pullingo's encampment. Harry and I followed at a
distance, so that we might not interrupt him. On arrival, he made them
a bow and announced his object, showing them his book, in which were the
portraits of several of our party,--Harry and I, and Popo,--by no means
flattering likenesses.

I don't know whether Pullingo understood the meaning of the strokes he
saw on the paper; but his wife did so, it seemed, and, turning to him,
expressed her wish to have her likeness taken. Tommy at once made them
stand up before him, and began sketching away. They stood watching him
intently, so that he had plenty of time. He put on rather more clothing
than they possessed, as he said, for decency's sake; it was also, he
remarked, a gentle hint to them, by which he hoped they might profit
when they came into civilised society.

He finished the portraits then and there, put in all the requisite
shades, and showed them to the lady and gentleman. The former was
delighted, pointing now at her portrait, now at herself, then at her
husband, and then at his portrait. He did not appear quite so well
satisfied; fearing, perhaps, that it might be used for some magical
purpose. The lady was somewhat disappointed when Tommy shut up his book
and she found that she was not to possess it; he therefore tried to make
her understand that he would make a copy and give it her; a promise he
faithfully fulfilled--though Edith kept the original, which I stuck in
my journal.

The tents being found very hot at night, as soon as the first cottage
was finished we put up two others for the accommodation of the rest of
the party, and one in which to stow our goods; for though we hoped to
get away in a couple of months, it was possible that we might be
detained very much longer, and that our stores might run a risk of being
damaged by remaining so long exposed to the weather. While we were at
work, Pullingo and his son came and watched us with intense interest.

All hands, however, were not employed in housebuilding, as it was
necessary that some of the party should go in search of game, in order
that we might not exhaust the provisions we had brought on shore.
Mudge, Harry, Paddy Doyle, and I were the chief sp