the woods to find
fruit there's things flies at you, and every now and then in the night
there's a great bull roaring thing that makes a horrid noise."

"Indeed!" said the major, exchanging glances with Mark.

"Yes; something dreadful, sir."

"Ah, well! we needn't talk about that now," said the major. "We will
not go on to the ship, but get back to camp--eh, Mark?"

"Yes, sir: the news will be glorious," cried Mark.

"And what are you going to do?" said the major drily. "Go back to the
ship?"

"Go back to the ship, sir!" cried the stowaway wildly. "No, no, sir!
Pray don't leave me alone! I can't bear it, sir--I can't indeed--it's
too awful! Mr Mark, sir, don't let him leave me! Say a kind word for
me! I'd sooner lie down and die at once!"

He flung himself upon his knees, the spear falling beside him on the
sand, as he joined his hands together and the weak tears began to stream
down his cheeks.

"Get up!" said the major roughly, "and act like a man. Don't be such a
whimpering cur!"

"No, sir, please, sir, I won't, sir; but I'm very weak and ill, sir.
Take me with you, please, sir, and I'll do anything you like, sir."

"Why, you ought to be ashamed of yourself," said the major sharply, "for
thinking that two English gentlemen would be such brutes as to leave a
sick and wounded man alone in a place like this. Eh, Mark?"

"Yes, sir," said the lad, flushing at being called an English gentleman.
"But he is very weak and ill."

"That's it, sir--that's it," cried the man piteously. "You will take
me, then?"

"Of course. Come along," said the major. "Confound that monkey!"

For, while they had been intent upon the man's account of his escape,
Jack had been busy covering himself with feathers, as he plucked away at
first one and then another of the birds.

"Ah! would you?" cried the major as Jack chattered fiercely upon the
bird being taken from him, and then retreated behind Bruff.

"I'll carry those, sir," said Jimpny. "I'll take that too. Would you
lend me a handkychy or a bit o' string, Mr Mark, sir, to tie their legs
together, and then I can carry the lot over my shoulder, some before and
some behind."

"Fore and aft," said Mark, taking a piece of fishing-line from his
pocket.

"Yes, sir, that's it," said the man; "but I can't never recollect those
sailors' words.

"That's your sort," he continued cheerfully, as the birds' legs were
securely tied, and as he knelt on the sand he got t