re
discovered by the captain. A bounce into one of its salient supports
proved fatal, and the structure finally collapsed, burying its family in
a compost of earth and herbage.

With a roar that would have done credit to a native walrus, the captain
struggled to free himself, under the impression that a band of savages
had attacked them. All three quickly threw off the comparatively light
material that covered them, and stood in warlike attitudes for a few
seconds, glancing around for foes who did not exist! Then the roar of
alarm was transformed into shouts of laughter, but these were quickly
checked by a real foe who crept up insidiously and leaped on them
unexpectedly. The half-extinguished fire, having been replenished by
the falling structure--much of which was dry and inflammable--caught on
the roof and flashed down into the interior.

"Save the pork, lad!" shouted the captain, as he sprang out of the
kindling mass.

"Ay, ay, father," replied the son.

Paul meanwhile grasped the half-finished bows and arrows in his arms,
and thus their little all was rescued from the flames. Of course, the
bower was utterly consumed, but that caused them little grief. Having
extinguished the flames, they all lay down to finish off the night under
a neighbouring tree, and even its architect became so oblivious of what
had occurred that he employed the remainder of his slumbering hours in
dreaming of the home in old England, and of that dear mother whose last
letter was still carefully guarded in the pocket of the coat that
covered his ardent little bosom.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

When their weapons were complete our three travellers started on their
journey of exploration in the new-found land.

Captain Trench armed himself with a strong, heavily-made cross-bow, and
a birch-bark quiver full of bolts. Paul Burns carried a bow as long as
himself, with a quiver full of the orthodox "cloth-yard shafts." Oliver
provided himself with a bow and arrows more suited to his size, and,
being naturally sanguine, he had also made for himself a sling with the
cord he chanced to possess and the leathern tongue of one of his shoes.
He likewise carried a heavy bludgeon, somewhat like a policeman's baton,
which was slung at his side. Not content with this, he sought and
obtained permission to carry the axe in his belt. Of course, none of
the bolts or arrows had metal points; but that mattered litt