your appetite is so wholesale; and there's no
chance whatever of its dwindling down into re-tail again, at least in so
far as this pig is concerned. Ralph, lad, why don't you laugh?--eh?" he
added turning suddenly to me with a severe look of inquiry.

"Laugh?" said I; "what at, Peterkin? why should I laugh?"

Both Jack and Peterkin answered this inquiry by themselves laughing so
immoderately that I was induced to believe I had missed noticing some
good joke, so I begged that it might be explained to me; but as this only
produced repeated roars of laughter, I smiled and helped myself to
another slice of plantain.

"Well, but," continued Peterkin, "I was talking of a sail to-morrow.
Can't we have one, Jack?"

"No," replied Jack, "we can't have a sail, but I hope we shall have a
row, as I intend to work hard at the oars this afternoon, and, if we
can't get them finished by sunset we'll light our candle-nuts, and turn
them out of hands before we turn into bed."

"Very good," said Peterkin, tossing a lump of pork to the cat, who
received it with a mew of satisfaction. "I'll help you, if I can."

"Afterwards," continued Jack, "we will make a sail out of the cocoa-nut
cloth, and rig up a mast, and then we shall be able to sail to some of
the other islands, and visit our old friends the penguins."

The prospect of being so soon in a position to extend our observations to
the other islands, and enjoy a sail over the beautiful sea, afforded us
much delight, and, after dinner, we set about making the oars in good
earnest. Jack went into the woods and blocked them roughly out with the
axe, and I smoothed them down with the knife, while Peterkin remained in
the bower, spinning, or, rather, twisting some strong thick cordage with
which to fasten them to the boat.

We worked hard and rapidly, so that, when the sun went down, Jack and I
returned to the bower with four stout oars, which required little to be
done to them save a slight degree of polishing with the knife. As we
drew near we were suddenly arrested by the sound of a voice! We were not
a little surprised at this--indeed I may almost say alarmed--for,
although Peterkin was undoubtedly fond of talking, we had never, up to
this time, found him talking to himself. We listened intently, and still
heard the sound of a voice as if in conversation. Jack motioned me to be
silent, and, advancing to the bower on tip-toe, we peeped in.

The sight that met our gaze was c