say that there was not a trace of a
human being.

We slept soundly and well out there in that little storm-swept island,
but no storms disturbed us, and the first thing I heard after lying down
was the crackling of wood as Ebo piled it up to make a good fire.

As soon as he saw me awake he beckoned me to go to the boat, and there,
taking the fish we had brought out of the basket, he smelt it, made me
do the same, and then threw all but one small silvery fellow into the
sea.

"Hullo!" cried my uncle, "isn't that waste, Nat?" for he had advanced
over the sands unheard.

"I think so, uncle, but he means to catch some fresh."

That was evidently Ebo's intentions, for he cut up the silvery fish into
scraps for bait, and then signing to us to help him, we launched the
canoe, paddled out half a mile, and then threw over a couple of lines,
Ebo showing his teeth with delight as he drew in quickly a couple of
good-sized mullet-looking fish, a couple more, and another soon coming
to my line.

But Ebo was not satisfied till we had caught five or six times as many
as seemed necessary. Then and then only did we paddle ashore.

It was soon evident why Ebo had wanted so many fish, for after cleaning
and setting enough for our breakfasts to roast, he prepared the rest and
put them to cook while we made a hearty meal.

This being ended my uncle rose.

"Well, Nat," he said, "this seems a terribly sterile place, but we may
as well have a look round; one finds good specimens sometimes in
unlikely spots. Let's get our guns."

Ebo was watching us intently all the time, evidently trying to
comprehend us and directly after he, to our utter astonishment, shouted
out: "no gun; no shoot; no gun; no bird. Boat, boat, boat, boat."

He pointed to the canoe, and then right to sea again, and seeing us
laugh he burst into a hearty fit himself, ending by dancing about and
putting the freshly cooked fish on board, where we followed him and once
more launched upon the tropic sea.

It was plain enough that this was only a resting-place upon our way, for
as soon as the sail was hoisted Ebo took the paddle and steered us
south-west, leaving larger islands to right and left though nothing was
visible ahead.

"I suppose we must trust him, Nat," said my uncle; "but it does look
rather wild work cruising these seas in an open canoe, quite at the
mercy of a savage whose language we cannot speak."

"But I think he must have been here before, un