o the hut, being only too glad to have a roof to
keep off the dew, and, trusting to there being no dangerous wild beasts,
we followed Ebo's example, lying down and sleeping soundly till the sun
was once more above the sea.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

FRESH TREASURES.

Ebo set to work earnestly to finish the hut, binding down the palm
leaves of the thatch with more long canes, which he cleverly threaded in
and out, and afterwards secured their ends. Then he cut off the long
ends of the bamboos so as to leave all tidy before commencing the sides.

My uncle was as anxious as I was to go upon some expedition; but as
there was no shelter to be obtained here, and it became more and more
evident that we were upon an uninhabited island, he saw the necessity
for having our boxes and stores under a roof.

So we set manfully to work helping the black, cutting bamboos, bringing
large palm leaves, fetching long rattan canes, and handing them to him;
while, saving when he left off for meals, Ebo toiled like a slave,
working with an industry that we should not have expected to find in an
inhabitant of one of these sleepy isles.

At last, though, he finished, and his childish delight seemed to know no
bounds. He danced and shouted, ran in and out, walked round the hut,
and then strutted up to us full of self-satisfaction, his tongue going
all the while, and evidently feeling highly delighted at our smiles and
words of praise.

No time was lost in transferring our boxes and stores beneath the roof;
and then, as it wanted quite three hours to sunset, my uncle proposed,
by way of recompense for all our drudgery, that we should take our guns
and see if we could not obtain a few specimens.

Ebo looked delighted, and, without being told, obtained a short piece of
bamboo ready for carrying the birds we shot.

Then, taking his spear out of the canoe, he smiled to show how ready he
was; but Uncle Dick took him by the arm and led him up to the door of
the hut.

"Put your spear there, as you did before, to keep off all visitors,
Master Ebo," he said; and he accompanied his request with signs to
express what he wished.

Ebo understood him at once, and made as if to stick the spear in the
ground before the door, but he stopped short and shook his head, ran a
few yards, and peered in amongst the trees; turned round and shook his
head again; ran in another direction and peeped about, coming back
shaking his head again.

Ebo's motion