o in preparing for its advent. This served to distract their attention
from becoming morbid and dwelling on their loneliness, which was all the
more dismal now from the fact of their being debarred from their
hunting-ground on the plateau--Fritz having got strong and well again
after the wreck, and being now able to start on a second expedition in
pursuit of "Kaiser Billy," did he so wish, if the access to the
tableland above the cliffs by way of the gully were only still open to
them.

Goat-shooting, therefore, being denied them, the brothers busied
themselves about other matters, as soon as the increasing coldness of
the air and an occasional snow-storm warned them that winter would soon
visit the shores of the island.

"I tell you what," said Fritz, when the first few flakes of snow came
fluttering down one afternoon as they were standing outside the hut, the
sun having set early and darkness coming on. "We're going to have some
of the old weather we were accustomed to at Lubeck."

"Ah; but, we can have no skating or slides here!" replied Eric, thinking
of the canals and frozen surface of the sea near his northern home, when
the frost asserted its sway, ruling with a sceptre of ice everywhere.

"No, and we don't want them either," rejoined the practical Fritz. "I
am pondering over a much more serious matter; and that is, how we shall
keep ourselves warm? My coat, unfortunately, is getting pretty nearly
worn-out!"

"And so is mine," cried Eric, exhibiting the elbows of his reefing
jacket, in which a couple of large holes showed themselves. The rest of
the garment, also, was so patched up with pieces of different coloured
cloth that it more resembled an old-clothes-man's sack than anything
else!

"Well, what do you think of our paying our tailor a visit?" said Fritz
all at once, after cogitating a while in a brown study.

Eric burst out into a loud fit of laughing; so hearty that he nearly
doubled himself up in the paroxysms of his mirth.

"Ha, ha, ha, what a funny fellow you are, Fritz!" he exclaimed. "I
wonder where we are going to find a tailor here?"

"Oh, I know one," said his brother coolly, in such a matter-of-fact way
that the lad was quite staggered with surprise.

"Do you?" he asked in astonishment. "Who is he?"

"Your humble servant," said Fritz, with a low bow. "Can I have the
pleasure of measuring you for a new suit, meinherr?"

Eric began laughing again.

"You can measure away to y