ed them, and to stay as long as they chose. In the course
of time they knew the whole of the isle on which we dwelt. Ernest drew
a map of it to scale, so that we could trace their course from place
to place with ease. When they went for a long trip they took some doves
with them, and these birds brought us notes tied to their wings from
time to time, so that we knew where they were, and could point out the
spot on the map.

I will not dwell on what took place now for some time, for I find that
each year was very much like the last. We had our fields to sow, our
crops to reap, our beasts to feed and train; and these cares kept our
hands at work, and our minds free from the least thought of our lone
mode of life.

I turn to my log as I write this, and on each page my eye falls on some
thing that brings back to my mind the glad time we spent at Rock House.

CHAPTER XV.

IN the spring time of the year, when the rain was past, Fritz and Jack
set off on a trip in their boat to Shark Isle. The day was fine, the sky
clear, and there was no wind, yet the waves rose and fell as in a storm.

"See!" cried Jack, "here comes a shoal of whales. They will eat us up."

"There is no fear of that," said Fritz; "whales will do us no harm, if
we do not touch them." This proved to be the case. Though any one of
them might have broken up the boat with a stroke of its tail, they did
not touch it, but swam by in a line, two by two, like a file of troops.

On Shark Isle, near the shore, we had thrown up a mound, and built a
fort, on which were set two of the ship's guns. These the boys made a
rule to fire off, with a view to let us know that they were safe, and
to try if the guns were still fit for use. This time they found their
charge quite dry, and the guns went off with a loud bang.

They had just put a plug in the hole of one of the guns, to keep out the
wet, when they heard a sound roll through the air.

"Did you bear that?" said Jack. "I am sure that noise must have come
from some ship at sea. Let us fire once more."

But Fritz thought they ought to go home at once and tell me what they
had heard. They both ran to the boat with all speed, and put out their
strength to reach home ere the sun went down.

The day was fine, and as the rain had kept us in doors for two months,
we were glad to go down on the beach for a change. All at once I saw
the boys come up the stream in their boat, at a great speed, and the way
they used t