lly
now in ours,"--continued the other--"taking into account the many mouths
we have to feed."

"But the Lord filleth the hungry, we're told," said Mrs

Major Negus, who had developed, since landing on the island, what had
evidently been a strong religious trait previously dormant in her
character, if quoting Scripture texts were any proof of this
disposition.

"Ah ma'rm," responded Mr Lathrope, "don't you believe it, unless the
hungry work for it."

"And much you've done to earn your food!" said the lady tartly.

"Wa-al, ma'rm, if it warn't for me, as Mr Meldrum here will tell you,
I've no doubt yer wouldn't have a chimbley, nor nary fire to sot by
inside haar!"

"A fine smoky chimney it is too!" retorted Mrs Major Negus. "It is
quite suffocating, I declare."

"That's better nor bein' friz," said the American, with some little
heat. He was rather annoyed at having his special contrivance sneered
at, for it was only after repeated attempts and failures that the
building party had at last managed to rig up a fireplace against the
back wall of the shanty--running up through the roof of the "general"
room a chimney-shaft of loosely piled stones, enclosed within a
framework of planks to which was nailed on the sea-elephant's skin in
order to prevent the wood from catching fire. This served the purpose
of warming the whole of the interior, as the other apartments opened
into this room, which indeed also provided the only means of
communication with the outside of the hut, the principal and solitary
door of the establishment being here.

"I'd sooner be smoked any time fur chice, myself, than friz!" said Mr
Lathrope again, as if to provoke his opponent.

"No wonder," retorted the lady, eager to have the last word, "when
you're at it all day long, smoking your brains out with that vile
tobacco!"

"What were you going to say about the provisions, papa?" interposed Kate
at this juncture, in order to give a turn to the conversation, which
seemed to be getting a trifle too personal between Mr Lathrope and "the
Major."

"Well, my dear," said her father, glad of the interruption, "I was about
to call a council of war. What we have can't last us very long, at our
present rate of consumption. We shall have to eke it out, as far as it
is practicable, by the native products of the island."

"That's snow and pumice-stone, as fur as I ken see," put in Mr
Lathrope; "and I guess I must be durned peckish fore I tackle th