nd."

"They are cocoa-nut trees, sure enough," said Desmond, "and with
cocoa-nuts growing on them. How to get them down is the question, for
the stems are too stout to allow us to swarm up."

"`Where there's a will there's a way'; up we must climb, some way or
other," said Tom, who never liked to be beaten.

On reaching the spot, they found not only cocoa-nut trees, but yams and
bananas, covering the ground in the wildest profusion, the latter
climbing up the surrounding branches, from which the ripe fruit hung
temptingly down.

On examining further, they discovered the remains of a fence, showing
that the ground had been enclosed, for the purpose of forming a garden,
at some probably distant period.

"Bless the man whoever planted these," said Jerry Bird; "he had a
thought for any poor fellows who might be wrecked here some day or
other. If others would do the same at all the desert islands they
visit, the lives of many castaway seamen might be saved."

The yams, from growing wild, were not likely to be worth much, but the
bananas, notwithstanding the latitude, appeared to be very fine. In
vain, however, they gazed up at the cocoa-nuts. Jerry, though an active
man, vowed that he could not attempt to reach the top unless they could
get a rope over one of the branches. While they were discussing the
matter, Pat Casey, who had been helping Tim, came up, having also caught
sight of the cocoa-nut trees from a distance.

"Bedad, I'll be afther doing it," he exclaimed; and running back to the
boat, he returned with three or four fathoms of rope. This he twisted
into a huge grummet round the tree, leaving space enough for his own
body to get in also. Then slipping it behind his waist, he began to
swarm up, shoving the rope on the opposite side of the tree each time he
moved on, as high as his shoulders. In a wonderfully short time he
reached the top of the tree.

"Stand from under," he shouted out, as he threw down a cocoa-nut, which
very nearly hit Billy, who had not attended to his warning. Several
cocoa-nuts split by their fall, but Billy, rushing forward, seized one
of them before all the milk had run out. This example was followed by
the rest: Seeing this, Pat secured several about his neck, and then
getting into his grummet he descended. That one tree gave them as many
nuts as they could require.

"We ought not to take more than we want," said Tom; "though before we
shove off, we will get a supply f