tion,
of momentous importance to him, and he early turned his attention to the
subject. He made spouts of canvas for the "mansion" and the storehouse,
by which the water, when it rained, was conducted to barrels set in the
ground, so as to keep it cool. This expedient promised a plentiful
supply, for the rains were heavy and frequent, and the quality was much
better than that of the water casks.

When all the necessary work had been accomplished, and when the time at
last hung heavily on his hands, Noddy began to consider the
practicability of a garden, to keep up the supply of peas, beans, and
potatoes, of which a considerable quantity had been obtained from the
wreck. Mollie was delighted with the idea of a "farm," as she called it,
and the ground was at once marked off. Noddy went to work; but the labor
of digging up the soil, and preparing it for the seed, was very hard.
There was no excitement about this occupation, and the laborer
"punished" himself very severely in performing it; but work had become a
principle with him, and he persevered until an incident occurred which
suspended further operations on the garden, and gave him all the
excitement his nature craved.

"What's that, Noddy?" said Mollie, one day, when he was industriously
striving to overcome his dislike to plodding labor.

"Where?" asked he, dropping his shovel, for the manner of his companion
betrayed no little alarm.

"On the water," replied she, pointing in the direction of the islands
which had given them so much anxiety.

"It is a native canoe loaded with savages," said Noddy, hastening to the
house for his spy-glass and pistols.

He examined the canoe long and attentively. It was only four or five
miles distant, and looked like quite a large boat.

"They are coming here," said Noddy.

"O, what shall we do?" exclaimed the timid maiden, recalling all she
knew about cannibals and fierce savages found on the South Sea Islands.

"Perhaps they will not come here," added Noddy; but it was more to cheer
up his friend, than from any hope he cherished of avoiding the issue.

"I hope they will not. What do you think they will do to us, if they
do?"

"I think I can manage them, Mollie. Don't be alarmed."

"How many are there in the canoe?"

"A dozen or fifteen, I should think," replied he, after he had again
examined the object with the glass.

"What can you do with so many as that?" asked she, in despair.

"They are savages, you know; a