ntioned besides, had told him all about the place. Indeed, he had
actually suggested his going there. Eric had wondered much at not
having come across this young man on the previous day when they had
visited the settlement, although he looked about for him, so he was
doubly pleased to see him now.

"Hullo!" cried out this Tristaner to the young German. "So you are back
again, eh?"

"Yes," said Eric. "Come aboard a moment; I want to speak to you."

"All right," exclaimed the other, who was a fine, stalwart young fellow,
with jet-black hair and a bronzed face that appeared to be more tanned
by the weather than owing its hue to coloured blood; when, in a jiffy,
he had swung himself into the chains by the rope attached to the boat's
bows and was by Eric's side on the deck of the _Pilot's Bride_, his face
all over smiles.

"You're the very chap I was wanting to see," said Eric, shaking hands
with him cordially. "I was puzzled to know what had become of you
yesterday. I did not see you anywhere."

"I was away up the mountain, gathering grass," replied the young fellow.
"So, you've returned here, as you said you would, early in the year?"

"You told me such fine accounts of the fishing," retorted Eric with a
laugh, "that, really, I couldn't stop away. I want to talk to you about
it again now. This is my brother," he added, introducing Fritz.

"Glad to know him," said the Tristaner, bowing politely--indeed, the
manners of all the islanders struck Fritz as being more polished than
what he had observed in so-called civilised society. "Is he going to
join you in settling on Inaccessible Island?"

"Yes," replied Eric. "He and I have determined to start sealing there.
We have come from America on purpose. Is there anything more you can
tell us about it?"

"Have you got provisions to last you a year at the least? You must
calculate to hold out so long, for no ship may be able to visit you
earlier and you cannot count on procuring much food on the island."

"Oh, yes; we've got plenty of grub," said Eric, using the sailor's term
for food.

"And the things besides that I told you would be necessary?"

"You may be certain of that," replied Eric. "The only thing I see that
we'll have any difficulty about will be in rigging up a house. I'm sure
that Fritz and I will never be able to build a substantial shanty like
one of those you have here in your island."

"No, perhaps not," said the young fellow, smiling. "