he
drew from his sash the Spanish sword which he had thrust there. After
examining it I passed to him the arms which I had taken from the cave.
The pistols, although proving useless, were fine specimens of
workmanship, and as richly chased as the jewel-studded hilt of the sword
which I had also obtained.

"Mahomet has well rewarded the sahibs with such treasures," interposed
Hassan, gravely, "and has not forgotten their slave." We glanced towards
his waist as he spoke, and saw that the Arab had certainly taken care to
arm himself well from the treasures of the lost galleon, for he bristled
with swords and poniards like a small armoury.

"Come on, Hassan," said Denviers, with an amused smile at the Arab's
weapons, "Mahomet evidently looks with high favour upon you."

We pushed the junk through the surf, then entering it, put out for the
distant coast of the mainland, which we reached in safety.

Zig-Zags at the Zoo

By Arthur Morrison and J. A. Shepherd.

[Illustration]

XI.--ZIG-ZAG MARSUPIAL.

When an animal is more than usually a fool for its size, Nature
indulgently permits it to go about with a pouch that it may not lose its
family. Nature also sends it to live in Australia, and man, seeing more
common sense in the pouch than anywhere else in the creature, calls the
entire organism a marsupial, after the pouch. Only one marsupial is
allowed to live out of Australia, and that is the opossum; but, then,
the opossum is no fool, and can take care of itself in the outer world.
Here at the Zoo, besides the opossum, we have kangaroos, wallabies,
wallaroos, wombats, and certain other eccentric things, including the
Tasmanian devil; but none is a bigger fool than the biggest marsupial,
the kangaroo. This is natural, because he has most room to store his
imbecility. The kangaroo's general weakness of character is visible all
over him. He has never quite made up his mind what to be even now; he is
nothing but a flabby compromise.

[Illustration]

There would appear to be two plausible theories about the construction
of the kangaroo; when, in the beginning, the animals chose their parts,
the kangaroo may have been first, and weakly and indecisively chose at
random, of no set purpose; or he may have been last, and obliged to put
up with what was left. I incline to the first theory, partly because the
kangaroo is well furnished as regards quality of parts, although they
are oddly assorted, and partly because