f fowls had been taken on board at Otaheite, and
these, besides being bewildered and uncertain as to the point to which
they were being driven, and the precise duty that was required of them,
were infected with the general obstinacy of the rest of the animal
kingdom. At last, however, a splendid cock was persuaded to enter the
gangway, down which he ran, and flew shrieking to the shore, followed by
the rest of his kindred.

"Now for the hogs," said Quintal, to whose domineering spirit the work
was congenial.

But the hogs were not to be managed as easily as the goats and fowls had
been. With native obstinacy and amazing energy they refused to do what
they were bid, and shrieked defiance when force was attempted. The
noise was further increased by the butting of a few goats and the
cackling of some poultry, which had got mixed up with them.

First of all they declined to leave the enclosures, out of which they
had tried pertinaciously to escape all the voyage. By way of overcoming
this difficulty, Christian ordered the enclosures to be torn down, and
the planks with which they had been formed were used as persuaders to
urge the refractory creatures on. As each poke or slap produced a
series of horrible yells, it may be understood that the operation was
accompanied with noise.

At last some of the men, losing patience, rushed at the hogs, seized
them by ears and tails, and forcibly dragged them to the gangway. McCoy
and Quintal distinguished themselves in this service, hurling their
animals on the planks with such violence that several of them fell over
into the sea, and swam towards the shore in the surf from which they
were rescued by the Otaheitan men, who danced about in the water, highly
enjoying this part of their labour.

A profound calm seemed to succeed a wild storm when the last of the
unruly pigs had left the ship.

"We've got 'em all out at last," said one of the men, with a sigh,
wiping the perspiration from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Bad luck to them," growled another, tying up a slight wound received in
the conflict.

"We've done with the live stock, anyhow, and that's a comfort," said a
third.

"Done with the live stock!" exclaimed Martin. "Why, the worst lot has
yet to come."

"That must be yourself, then, Martin, my boy," said Brown.

"I wish it was, Brown," retorted Martin; "but you've forgotten the
cats."

"So we have!" exclaimed everybody.

"And you may be sure they'll gi