men leaped over the sides of the
boat into the water, and waded to the rocks.

"Who are you?" said one of the men, addressing me, "and how many of you
are there here?"

"There is no one on the island but myself," replied I; "but I'm so glad
that you have come."

"Are you? Then perhaps you'll tell us how to get something to eat, my
hearty?" replied he.

"Oh yes, wait a little, and I'll bring you plenty," replied I.

"Well, then, look smart, that's a beauty, for we are hungry enough to
eat you, if you can find us nothing better."

I was about to go up to the cabin for some birds, when another man
called out:--

"I say--can you get us any water?"

"Oh yes, plenty," replied I.

"Well then, I say, Jim, hand us the pail out of the boat."

The one addressed did so, and the man put it into my hands, saying,
"Bring us that pail, boy, will you?" I hastened up to the cabin, filled
the pail full of water, and then went for a quantity of dried birds,
with which I hastened down again to the bathing-pool. I found the men
had not been idle; they had taken some fagots off the stack and made a
large fire under the rocks, and were then busy making a sort of tent
with the boat's sails.

"Here's the water, and here's some birds," said I, as I came up to them.

"Birds! What birds?" said the man who had first spoken to me, and
appeared to have control over the rest. He took one up and examined it
by the light of the fire, exclaiming, "Queer eating, I expect."

"Why, you didn't expect a regular hotel when you landed, did you, mate?"
said one of the men.

"No, if I had, I would have called for a glass of grog," replied he. "I
suspect I might call a long while before I get any one to bring me one
here."

As I knew that Jackson called the rum by the name of grog, I said,
"There's plenty of grog, if you want any."

"Is there, my hearty,--where?"

"Why, in that cask that's in the water on the other side of your little
ship," replied I. "I can draw you some directly."

"What! In that cask? Grog floating about in salt-water, that's too
bad. Come here all of you. You're in earnest, boy--no joking I hope,
or you may repent it."

"I'm not joking," said I--"there it is."

The man, followed by all the rest excepting one of the party, waded into
the water, and went to the cask of rum.

"Take care," said I, "the spiles are in."

"So I see--never fear, my hearty--come now all of us." So saying, the
whole of them laid