e more when my father had
his; having a little lunch; then my dinner, followed by my tea; after
which dessert, when they had theirs, in the dining-room; lastly, a bit
of supper; and I finished off by taking biscuits or baking-pears to
bed."

"Yes, sir," said Mark; "but that was in England."

"Well, never mind. We shall find something to eat here, I daresay.
Enough to keep us. Why, Mark, I don't suppose we should have to put you
in the pot for quite a year."

Mark laughed, and the major's eyes twinkled as he went on.

"What nonsense, my lad! we couldn't starve here. The sea teems with
fish waiting to be caught. Look yonder."

Mark glanced in the required direction, and could see the smooth water
in the lagoon dappled and blurring as a shoal of fish played upon the
surface.

"But how are we to catch them, sir?"

"Hooks and lines; make nets; fish-traps. Why, Mark, if a savage can do
these things, surely we can!"

"Do you think there are any animals here?" said Mark, glancing round.

"Sure to be of some kind. The place is evidently extensive. Pig,
perhaps deer; plenty of birds; and we have guns and ammunition. Then
there will be fruit."

"Do you think so, sir?"

"I'm sure of it. There are the cocoa-nuts to begin with. Fruit! yes,
and vegetables too."

Mark smiled.

"Ah, you don't know! Knock that fly off Morgan's cheek. But I do, my
lad. We sha'n't get any asparagus; but we can eat the palm-shoots; and
as for cabbage, we sha'n't regret that as long as we can get at the
hearts of the palms."

"Do you think there will be any snakes?" asked Mark.

"Sure to be."

"Poisonous?"

"Very likely. Perhaps some big ones. They'll do to eat if we are very
hungry."

"Ugh!" ejaculated Mark, with a shudder.

"Well, I'm like the Yankee backwoodsman, Mark, my lad. He didn't
`hanker arter crows' after he had eaten them once. I don't `hanker
arter' snakes, but I'd sooner sit down to a section of boa-constrictor
roasted in the ashes than starve."

"I don't think I would."

"Wait till you are starving, my lad."

"Should you say there are any big dangerous animals?" continued Mark,
after a pause; "lions, or tigers, or leopards?"

"Certainly not; but there may be rhinoceros or elephant, if the island
is big enough, or near the mainland, and--what the dickens is that?"

He jumped up as rapidly as Mark sprang to his feet, for just then there
came, apparently not from very far off, so terrible a roar