tree in a way which showed that he would not be disobeyed.
They saw that he had a basket on his back, and, pointing to the
fountain to intimate that he wanted water, he set about turning its
contents, which were of a very heterogeneous character, into the large
stew-pot from which he had supplied their breakfast. The midshipmen, as
before, saw enough to convince them that it would be wise not too
minutely to examine the contents of the pot. The black produced some
rum at dinner, which, though they partook of it sparingly, helped down
the strange mess.

Two or three days passed by, and the black continued to treat them as at
first, though O'Grady suggested that he was possibly like the ogre in
the fairy tale--only fattening them up that he might eat them in the
end. Still, it was agreed that he was a very good fellow, and the
majority were of opinion that he would help them to reach the nearest
British island if he had the power. However, hitherto not a word had
been exchanged between him and them. He made no objection to their
exploring the island, but their discoveries only convinced them that it
was very barren, and that no means existed of their getting away from
it. They came, to be sure, on a canoe, in which they concluded that the
black occasionally went out fishing; but it was only just large enough
to hold him, and the paddles were nowhere to be found. Soon after this,
O'Grady, who was in advance, saw a large boat hauled up under some
bushes. "Hurrah, boys! here's a craft which will carry us to Jamaica,
if need be," he shouted, and ran on, followed by Paul and Alphonse.

The tone of his voice changed as he got nearer. "She has a mighty
antique look about her, but she may still serve our purpose," he said.
"But I'm not quite certain," he added, as he struck his fist against a
plank, which crumbled away before the blow. A kick sent another plank
into fragments. The whole boat was mere touchwood.

There was a smile on the countenance of old Charcoal, who came in sight
directly afterwards and had evidently been watching them at a distance.
They were in a certain sense his prisoners, and yet he could not mean
them ill, or he would not have treated them with so much hospitality.
How he procured their food, was a question, and certainly it was his
wish that they should not be able to provide it for themselves. Over
and over again they discussed the means by which they might get away;
but when they expres