d ready to continue their journey. More of
the turtle was first cooked, to serve them for breakfast, and to afford
them another meal should they not meet with any game on their way. They
determined rather to continue their journey round the island than to go
back the road they had come. Just before starting, Nub and Dan made
another search near the encampment, and were fortunate enough to find a
second cask of water and a case of flour, so that they had now no fear
of starvation.

As they proceeded along the western coast, they found the country
generally much flatter than on the other side. In some parts near the
coast it consisted of a sandy plain free from trees, partly barren and
partly covered with long wavy grass. By keeping close to the higher
ground, they were able to cut off a considerable point, and soon found
themselves with their faces eastward. They were also fortunate enough
to come upon a stream, which, flowing down from the central hill, lost
itself in the plain. It enabled them fully to quench the thirst from
which they were suffering.

Soon after they had crossed the stream, Dan, who had gone ahead, came
hurrying back. "Advance aisy now," he exclaimed in a low voice.
"There's something worth seeing, and maybe worth getting too. Just as I
was creeping along, not two hundred yards ahead, what should I see
before me but a score of big birds all dancing and jigging away
together, for all the world as if they were at a wake or some sort of
merrymaking. They were all so busy that none of them saw me, and I
hurried back, lest you should come upon them suddenly and frighten them
away."

Warned by Dan, the party advanced cautiously, hiding themselves among
the tall grass. He led them to a spot slightly elevated above the
plain; and peering forth from their hiding-place, they caught sight of a
number of large birds, apparently employed as Dan had described. They
soon saw, however, that the birds had some object in their movements.
They formed a circle, with a mound in the centre, towards which they
were busily removing the earth with their feet, throwing it up behind
them towards the centre. When they reached a certain point, they turned
round, and walked away with a steady pace to recommence the same
process.

Nub, without saying anything, had stolen away, carrying a long pole with
a noose fixed at the end of it. No one noticed his absence till he was
seen creeping along the ground, with his