was very sorry to cause, as it
would have fed a dozen poor families; but it was a case of kill the
rabbits, or starve my own animals. I chose the latter alternative, and
thus had plump animals and plump rabbits too. Those I retained formed
food for myself, dog, pigs, and a gull I kept.

The gull I must say a little about, as he became a constant companion to
me when I was within the wall which surrounded the homestead. "Flap,"
for so I christened him, was a large grey and white gull which I secured
soon after coming to the island, by breaking his wing at a long shot. He
tried, poor fellow, to scramble down to the sea, and swim away, but
"Begum" was too quick for him, and pounced upon him before he could get
over the rocks. I examined the bird and found the wing bone to be
broken, but otherwise the bird was not at all hurt. It then came into my
mind to perform a surgical operation, and this I quickly carried out. I
trimmed away all the feathers from about the wound, and then with one
draw of my sharp knife cut through the flesh between the smashed bone,
and quickly amputated the wing.

"Flap" was so fierce, and had such a formidable bill, that I had to
fasten him to a post to do all this, or he might have given me a deep
wound. I then bathed the stump of the wing with warm water, and bound it
up in a lump of lard, and the operation was complete.

I placed him in the stable and fed him with bits of fish, rabbit, and
vegetable for about a week, by which time he was fairly tame; so then I
took him out and fastened a leather strap round his leg, and tethered
him on the grass plot in front of my house, as one would a cow, feeding
him several times daily on animal food or fish. After a week of this he
was so tame that he would try to get away from his peg to meet me in the
morning. Seeing this, I decided to release him from his stake. I did so,
and the poor bird followed me about like a dog; in fact, I believe
"Begum" was jealous of him, for when I petted the gull he would come and
thrust his great black nose into my hand, and look up to my eyes, as
much as to say,

"Don't forget me, master!"

At the end of about three weeks I ventured to take the bandage off
"Flap's" wing-stump, when I found, to my surprise, that it was so nearly
healed as not to require further treatment from me, Harry Nilford, M.D.

"Flap's" domain was the homestead, about which he would hop and flap
with his one wing in a most comical manner. If I th