the fox, and the dog. This
discussion terminated, I summoned them to prayers, after which we
thought of breakfast. We had nothing but biscuit, which was certainly
dry and hard. Fritz begged for a little cheese with it; and Ernest, who
was never satisfied like other people, took a survey of the unopened
hogshead. He soon returned, crying "If we only had a little butter with
our biscuit, it would be so good, papa!"

I allowed it would be good, but it was no use thinking of such a thing.

"Let us open the other cask," said he, displaying a piece of butter he
had extracted through a small crack on the side.

"Your instinct for good things has been fortunate for us," said I.
"Come, boys, who wants bread and butter?"

We began to consider how we should come at the contents of the hogshead,
without exposing the perishable matter to the heat of the sun. Finally,
I pierced a hole in the lower part of the cask, large enough for us to
draw out the butter as we wanted it, by means of a little wooden shovel,
which I soon made. We then sat down to breakfast with a cocoa-nut basin
filled with good salt Dutch butter. We toasted our biscuit, buttered it
hot, and agreed that it was excellent. Our dogs were sleeping by us as
we breakfasted; and I remarked that they had bloody marks of the last
night's fray, in some deep and dangerous wounds, especially about the
neck; my wife instantly dressed the wounds with butter, well washed in
cold water; and the poor animals seemed grateful for the ease it gave
them. Ernest judiciously remarked, that they ought to have spiked
collars, to defend them from any wild beasts they might encounter.

"I will make them collars," said Jack, who never hesitated at anything.
I was glad to employ his inventive powers; and, ordering my children,
not to leave their mother, during our absence, but to pray to God to
bless our undertaking, we began our preparations for the voyage.

While Fritz made ready the boat, I erected a signal-post, with a piece
of sailcloth for a flag, to float as long as all was going on well; but
if we were wanted, they were to lower the flag, and fire a gun three
times, when we would immediately return; for I had informed my dear wife
it might be necessary for us to remain on board all night; and she
consented to the plan, on my promising to pass the night in our tubs,
instead of the vessel. We took nothing but our guns and ammunition;
relying on the ship's provisions. Fritz would, how