unded, and away
scuttled the old lady, bringing back a couple more hens.

Tom, having secured them by the legs under his arm, allowing them to
peck away at his back, attempted the same manoeuvre, but the old people
put on such a look of dull stolidity that I was certain they would give
no more fowls for the dollar. I told him, therefore, to give up the
dollar, and we continued on our way to another hut, where, for another
dollar, we got the same number of fowls. Three dollars were thus
expended, and, with our newly-acquired farm produce, we returned in
triumph to my stable.

Manby was highly amused at the notion of my turning egg and chicken
merchant, which I told him it was my intention to do. In that country
food of all sorts for my fowls was easily procured, so I had no
difficulty in collecting an ample supply. This became one of my chief
occupations. Tom Rockets and I used to go out into the woods with bags,
and come back loaded with nuts and seeds and roots for my pets. The
consequence of their being thus amply supplied with provisions was that
they quickly took to laying eggs, and thus in a short time I had four or
five eggs every morning. Some of these Tom and I ate, and others we
sold or exchanged for meat. They, with the produce of our kitchen
garden, enabled us to be pretty well independent of the provisions
furnished us by the authorities. Thus, what I at first thought a
misfortune turned out to be a real benefit, because the necessity of
procuring food made me exert myself, and afforded me an occupation of
interest. I gave them all names, and I knew each of them, and they soon
learned to know me and to come at my call. Whichever I summoned came
flapping up to me, cackling or crowing as the case might be, whether
cock or hen. I was rather proud of the nickname which my messmates gave
me of "the farmer." Often, when they were almost starving after our
mess was broken up, I was able to supply myself and Tom with a
comfortable breakfast and dinner. Never, indeed, were dollars better
expended. I have already mentioned the various reports of disasters to
the British arms, both by sea and land, which reached us from time to
time. Soon after I got my fowls we were told, as an undoubted fact,
that Jersey and Guernsey had been taken by surprise, and that every man,
woman, and child in them had been destroyed on account of their loyalty
to England; but the most terrific and heart-rending news came at l