y sprang
to their feet, and every eye was turned in the direction Willy pointed
to.

"She is trying to beat in; no doubt about it," exclaimed the boatswain.
"She is a large ship, under jury-masts, but will find it a hard job,
though."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

ENSIGN HOLT MAKES HIMSELF USEFUL.

PROCEEDINGS AT THE VILLAGE--VARIOUS EMPLOYMENTS--SCHOOL ESTABLISHED--
ENSIGN HOLT RECOVERS HIS SENSES--MRS MORLEY READS THE BIBLE--THE
DOCTOR'S EXCURSION INLAND--THE DEAD SEAMAN BURIED--ENSIGN HOLT MAKES
HIMSELF USEFUL--ANXIETY ABOUT HARRY AND HIS PARTY--FANNY'S MEDITATIONS--
HOLT LEADS EXPEDITION TO LOOK FOR HARRY.

The party at the village were busily employed. The doctor had set the
armourer and cooper to work, to make, under his superintendence, an
apparatus for manufacturing sugar and beer. The women, directed by the
ever-active Mrs Rumbelow, were scraping the roots which had been
collected for that purpose, while the tanner was trying various ways of
preparing the seals'-skins. Two or three of the men were endeavouring,
with fair success, to make shoes from some they had roughly cured, to
replace those of several of the party which were nearly worn-out.

Captain Twopenny and his party returned from his hunting expedition with
three hogs. Though they had seen traces of many more, the animals were
so active and the country so difficult that they had been unable to kill
them. Still it was satisfactory to know that the island possessed means
of giving them support besides that which the waters afforded. He had
also shot as many birds as the men could carry.

The doctor, ever fertile in resources, had had a stone hut constructed
in which both birds and fish could be smoke-dried after the fashion
practised in England and elsewhere.

The children had now plenty of work in plucking the birds ready for
curing, and afterwards in sorting the feathers for beds and coverlids.

From the first Mrs Morley and her daughters had visited the women's hut
every evening to read the Scriptures and to comfort them in their
sorrow. The poor women, most of whom had left their husbands on board
the "Ranger," well knew how truly Mrs Morley could sympathise with
them, and listened to her exhortations and advice. Some who had before
been very indifferent to matters of religion now looked forward with
satisfaction each day to the time when they were to receive a visit from
her and the young ladies. She and her daughters held school with