to lean upon and with Eric "frisking round him," as he
said, just like old Gelert would have done!

In the comparatively short space of time since Fritz had last seen the
little plot, a wonderful transformation had been effected--thanks to the
richness of the virgin soil, the productiveness of the climate, and,
lastly, the super-stratum of guano which Eric had suggested being placed
over the clearing.

The sailor lad, too, had not forgotten each morning to water the newly
planted land, which was exposed all day to the sun's heat, with the
exception of a brief period in the afternoon when the shade of the
cliffs extended over it; so, now, the garden presented a smiling
appearance, with the potatoes just sprouting above their ridges, and
cabbages and radishes coming up in clusters, while rows of peas and
scarlet runners were sprouting as thick as hedges--not to speak of the
slender onion stems, like tiny spears, each bearing its own seed back
above ground after it had performed its creative mission below the
surface, leaving a root behind.

"This looks well," said Fritz, delighted at the result of their joint
handiwork. "Bye-and-bye, we ought to reap a good return for all our
labour. I'm glad we got the job done when we did; otherwise, we should
not have such a charming prospect before us."

"I'm jolly glad we haven't got to do it now!" replied Eric, with a shrug
of his shoulders and laughing as usual. "Himmel! I shall never forget
that digging!"

"Nor the penguins either, I suppose, when you went to get the guano that
day?" said Fritz slyly, with a meaning glance.

"Ah, brother, `no more of that, an thou lovest me!'" quoted Eric.
"Still, the guano, perhaps, has made the things come on so well, eh?"

"No doubt of that," replied Fritz. "But, we'll have to thin out those
cabbage plants shortly, laddie; that will necessitate our digging up
some more ground, so as to make a place ready for them."

"Oh!" groaned the other in a lachrymose way, making a hideous grimace.

"However, we needn't hurry about it," continued Fritz, smiling at his
grimace.

"Ah!" exclaimed Eric, much relieved. He knew that if the thing had to
be done, he should have to accomplish it; for, in spite of all his
disgust for spade work, he certainly would not have allowed Fritz to
attempt gardening so soon with his invalided foot.

"No, there's no hurry," went on Fritz, as if thinking aloud. "We'll
have to confine our attention to the se