red with blood. We
ran to him, thinking that every bone in his body must have been broken,
and expecting to find him dead, when up he jumped, and doubling his
fists began swearing terribly at the other,--I don't think I ever heard
a fellow swear more,--telling him to come down, and he would fight him
then and there. He was just as if he had gone mad, and he didn't seem
to think for a moment of the fearful danger he had escaped. I have
known a man killed just falling a few feet, and others, like those we
have been speaking about, falling from aloft, and yet not the worse for
it. I remember once going round the Horn when a man fell from the
fore-topsail-yard. The ship was running eight knots or so before a
strong breeze, over a long, heavy swell, though the sea was not
breaking. It was some time before she could be rounded to; but the man
was a strong swimmer, and struck out bravely. While we were watching
the poor fellow an immense albatross came sweeping down towards him.
Several of us cried out that he would be killed. Those birds with their
strong bills can drill a hole in a man's skull in a moment. We shouted
at the top of our voices, but the man could not hear us. Fortunately he
saw the bird coming, and whipping off his shoe he held it in his hand to
defend himself. Down swooped the albatross, when seizing the shoe in
its beak off it flew again, and did not drop it for a minute or more. A
boat was lowered, and the man picked up not much the worse; and the
surgeon of the ship, who had got his rifle ready, shot the same
albatross some minutes after. It measured, I mind, fourteen feet and a
few inches from tip to tip of its wings."

Yarn after yarn of a similar character was spun, till some of the party
got up saying, that they must stretch their legs, and off they strolled
along the shore to collect anything to be found, leaving Higson, Archy,
and Tom, and Desmond still at the supper table.

While the rest were absent, Higson, who was leaning back enjoying his
cigar, happening to look round, observed several men coming out of the
orange grove.

"Hillo! what can those fellows want?" he said, sitting up.

"They seem friendly enough, but there are a good many others behind the
trees," observed Tom.

The strangers approached nearer. They appeared by their costumes to be
country people, and except the long sticks they carried in their hands
no weapons were observed among them. Stopping a few yards off t