ritz, when, having got
within their hut, he sank upon the bed in the corner. "I didn't tell
you before, for fear of alarming you; but, as I came down the cliff, I
sprained my ankle fearfully. Once, I thought I should never reach the
bottom alive, laddie. Really, if we had but another step now to go, I'm
certain I would not have been able to limp it."

"Himmel!" ejaculated Eric, "I couldn't see that you walked lame on
account of its being dark; and, you wouldn't tell me, of course, or lean
on my arm so as to let me help you!"

Eric spoke in quite an aggrieved tone, which struck his brother keenly,
although he refrained from answering him; but, while expressing his
sense of hurt feeling at Fritz not asking his aid, the lad was busily
employed in lighting the lamp and examining the injured ankle, which, to
his consternation, he found so badly dislocated that the bone protruded.
The foot, too, was already swollen to more than twice its size!

"It looks awful," he said; "and, just think, if it had given way when we
were descending the crag you might have tumbled down the precipice and
made me brotherless! Why did you not tell me and ask my help?"

"Because," replied Fritz, with some reason, "my doing so might perhaps
have frightened you, causing you to lose your nerve at a moment when the
safety of both of us depended on your keeping cool and steady."

"That might have been so," said Eric; "but, still, I would have been
able to help you more if I had known! However, `everything that is, is
for the best,' isn't that so, brother?"

With this consoling reflection, the sailor lad, under Fritz's
directions, set about bandaging the wounded limb with a long
handkerchief dipped in cold water and wrapped round it as tightly as
possible.

This surgical operation accomplished, the two then went to bed, pretty
well tired with the day's excursion.

They had had a long chase after the wild goats, in addition to first
exploring the tableland above and the exertion of ascending and
descending the cliff--which latter was quite an arduous enough
enterprise in itself and sufficiently dangerous, as was amply proved by
the fact of Fritz's accident, that might lay him up for some time.

However, the next day, the invalid thought roast kid ample payment for
sprained ankle; and he was not sorry for the enforced rest he was
obliged to take after the rough exercise he had undergone since landing
on the island, having now an opportunity