ughing.

"When I came here. You see we've all got to take it turn and turn
about, and it's wonderful how soon a feller gets used to it. I'm
rather fond of it, d'ye know? We haven't overmuch to work on in the
way o' variety, to be sure, but what we have there's lots of it,
an' it gives us occasion to exercise our wits to invent somethin'
new. It's wonderful what can be done with fresh beef, cabbage,
carrots, potatoes, flour, tea, bread, mustard, sugar, pepper, an'
the like, if ye've got a talent that way."

"You've got it all off by heart, I see," said Ruby.

"True, boy, but it's not so easy to get it all off yer stomach
sometimes. What with confinement and want of exercise we was troubled
with indigestion at first, but we're used to it now, and I have
acquired quite a fancy for cooking. No doubt you'll hear Forsyth and
Joe say that I've half-pisoned them four or five times, but that's
all envy; besides, a feller can't learn a trade without doin' a
little damage to somebody or something at first. Did you ever taste
blackbird pie?"

"No," replied Ruby, "never."

"Then you shall taste one to-day, for we caught fifty birds last
week."

"Caught fifty birds?"

"Ay, but I'll tell ye about it some other time. Be off just now, and
get as much exercise out o' the rock as ye can before breakfast."

The smith resumed his work as he said this, and Ruby descended.

He found the sea still roaring over the rock, but the rails were so
far uncovered that he could venture on them, yet he had to keep a
sharp lookout, for, whenever a larger breaker than usual struck the
rock, the gush of foaming water that flew over it was so great that a
spurt or two would sometimes break up between the iron bars, and any
one of these spurts would have sufficed to give him a thorough
wetting.

In a short time, however, the sea went back and left the rails free.
Soon after that Ruby was joined by Forsyth and Dumsby, who had come
down for their morning promenade.

They had to walk in single file while taking exercise, as the tramway
was not wide enough for two, and the rock, even when fully uncovered,
did not afford sufficient level space for comfortable walking,
although at low water (as the reader already knows) it afforded fully
a hundred yards of scrambling ground, if not more.

They had not walked more than a few minutes when they were joined by
Jamie Dove, who announced breakfast, and proceeded to take two or
three turns by way of cool