you," said Paul. "Why, a bit
of birch-bark, even a piece of paper, forms a good drinking vessel if
you only know how to use it. Ha! caught at last," he added, referring
to some dry grasses and twigs which burst into flame as he spoke.

Another moment and a ruddy glare lit up the spot, giving to things near
at hand a cosy, red-hot appearance, and to more distant objects a
spectral aspect, while, strangely enough, it seemed to deepen to
profounder darkness all else around. Heaping on fresh fuel and pressing
it down, for it consisted chiefly of small branches, they soon had a
glowing furnace, in front of which the pork ere long sputtered
pleasantly, sending up a smell that might have charmed a gourmand.

"Now, then, while this is getting ready let us examine our possessions,"
said the captain, "for we shall greatly need all that we have. It is
quite clear that we could not return to our shipmates even if we
would--"

"No, and I would not even if I could," interrupted Oliver, while busy
with the pork chops.

"And," continued his father, regardless of the interruption, "it is
equally clear that we shall have to earn our own livelihood somehow."

Upon careful examination it was found that their entire possessions
consisted of two large clasp-knives; a sheath hunting-knife; flint,
steel, and tinder; the captain's watch; a small axe; a large note-book,
belonging to Paul; three pencils; bit of indiarubber; several
fish-hooks; a long piece of twine, and three brass buttons, the property
of Oliver, besides the manuscript Gospel of John, and Olly's treasured
letter from his mother. These articles, with the garments in which they
stood, constituted the small fortune of our wanderers, and it became a
matter of profound speculation, during the progress of the supper, as to
whether it was possible to exist in an unknown wilderness on such very
slender means.

Olly thought it was--as a matter of course.

Master Trench doubted, and shook his head with an air of much sagacity,
a method of expressing an opinion which is eminently unassailable. Paul
Burns condescended on reasons for his belief--which, like Olly's, was
favourable.

"You see," he said, wiping his uncommonly greasy fingers on the grass,
"we have enough of pork and cakes here for several days--on short
allowance. Then it is likely that we shall find some wild fruits, and
manage to kill something or other with stones, and it cannot be long
till we fall in with