one
of them was left alive." "You are a stupid boy," said Lilly, "and tell a
very bad story." "Yours was a much badderer, and you are a stupid girl
not to guess that the big snake eat them all up." "Well done, well
done," said everybody, "a very good idea. I dare say it did happen." So
then we fell upon conjecturing what we should have done to save
ourselves under similar circumstances, which gave rise to so many
bloody-minded schemes and horrible intentions of torture, that no
respectable snake would have ventured near us.

CHAPTER XXVII.

What! has a year gone? Are we celebrating the day of our arrival at YR
YNYS UNYG? More, much more, days flee away, weeks speed on, months glide
by us. Has hope gone? Are the cheerful strong hearts weary and low? The
elastic young spirits, the energetic wills, the high courage and strong
energies, could not always last on the full stretch. But why detail the
fits of despondency, the listless hopeless state into which we sometimes
fell? Suffice it that nature sometimes asserted her rights, while
religion kept us from open despair. Many events occurred, wearisome to
the reader, though interesting to ourselves. Sometimes we divided, and
half lived in one house and half in the other. We then paid each other
visits of ceremony, expending much labour, even if no cost, on the
feasts we prepared for our company. Also we established a post, in which
we wrote imaginary news from England. The girls became very expert in
drawing. We spoke all kinds of languages. We invented stories and told
them, many of the children's I have preserved, being very clever and
amusing. Also we had another earthquake, which led to a great discovery.
No less than that the cliffs behind our house, and reaching down to the
beach, were one continuous range of caverns, all apparently formed of
old coral. Serena was the fortunate discoverer, for, excited by
curiosity one day, she insinuated her slender figure in a fissure which
had been rent in the rock by the last earthquake. Her exclamations of
delight and pleasure caused all those who could follow her to do so;
but, alas for the stout Schillie, and the gigantic Gatty, they were
compelled to hear the shouts of joy and yet could bear no part; a
discovery was made and no Schillie to give her opinion thereon; a new
adventure and no Gatty to lend a helping hand. They chafed like lions in
a cage, until Madame happily came to their rescue, by suggesting an
enlargem