e.

Some three days afterwards, the south-east wind having lulled to a
gentle breeze and the sea being as smooth as glass, only a tumid swell
with an unbroken surface rolling into the bay, the brothers started,
after having first stripped and anointed their bodies with seal oil--a
plan for the prevention of cold which Eric had been told of by the
whalers.

Until they reached the headland, they had easy work; but, there, a cross
current carried them first one way and then another, so much interfering
with their onward progress that it took them a good hour to round the
point.

That achieved, however, as the sailor lad had pointed out when they were
first considering the feasibility of the attempt, all the rest of the
distance before them was "plain sailing"; so that, although they had to
cover twice the length of water, if not more, another couple of hours
carried them to the west beach. Here they arrived not the least
exhausted with their long swim; for, by pushing the cask before them in
turn and holding on to it by the beckets, they, were enabled to have
several rests and breathing spells by the way.

Arrived again on terra firma, they at once opened their novel
portmanteau; and, taking out a spare suit of clothes for each, which
they had taken the precaution to pack up with the rest of their gear,
they proceeded to dress themselves. After this, they carried up their
blankets and other things to a little sheltered spot on the plateau
above, where they had camped on their previous expedition.

They did not find the tableland much altered, save that a considerable
amount of snow was scattered about over its surface, accumulating in
high drifts at some points where the wind had piled it in the hollows.
The ground beneath the various little clumps of wood and brush, however,
was partly bare; so, here, they expected to find their old friend
"Kaiser Billy" and the remains of his flock.

But, high and low, everywhere, in the thickets and out on the open
alike, they searched in vain for the goats. Not a trace of them was to
be seen; so, Fritz and Eric had finally to come to the conclusion that
the islanders--along with their enemy, as they now looked upon him, Nat
Slater--had paid another secret visit to the plateau and destroyed the
animals. They believed the Tristaners did this with the object of
expediting their departure from Inaccessible Island, where there could
be no doubt they must have spoiled their sealin