oy, with a nod of the head that
was even more emphatic than the tone of his voice.

With a laugh at Oliver's enthusiasm, Paul declared himself to be of much
the same mind, and added that, as they had no boxes to pack or friends
to bid farewell to, they should commence the journey there and then.

"I don't agree with that," said the captain.

"Why not, Master Trench?"

"Because we have not yet made our weapons, and it may be that we shall
have some good chances of getting supplies at the very beginning of our
travels. My opinion is that we should arm ourselves before starting,
for the pork and cakes cannot last long."

This being at once recognised as sound advice, they entered the forest,
which was not so thick at that place as it at first appeared to be.
They went just far enough to enable them to obtain a species of
hardwood, which the experienced eye of Paul Burns told them was suitable
for bow-making. Here they pitched their camp. Paul took the axe and
cut down several small trees; the captain gathered firewood, and Oliver
set about the fabrication of a hut or booth, with poles, bark, turf, and
leaves, which was to shelter them from rain if it should _fall_, though
there was little chance of that, the weather being fine and settled at
the time.

The work which they had undertaken was by no means as easy as they had
anticipated. Paul had indeed made bows and arrows in former years, but
then all the materials had been furnished "in the rough" to his hands,
whereas he had now not only to select the tree best adapted to his
purpose, but had to choose the best part of it, and to reduce that
portion from a massive trunk to suitably slender proportions. It was
much the same with the arrows and cross-bow bolts. However, there was
resolution and perseverance in each member of the party far more than
sufficient to overcome such little difficulties; only, as we have said,
they were slower about it than had been expected, and the work was far
from completed when the descent of night obliged them to seek repose.

"Not a bad little bower," remarked Paul, as they sat down to supper in
the primitive edifice which Oliver had erected.

The said bower was about four feet high, eight wide, and five deep, of
irregular form, with three sides and a roof; walls and roof being of the
same material--branchy, leafy, and turfy. The fourth side was an open
space in which the inhabitants sat, facing the fire. The latter, being
l