tions. You are now my
slave, and I your master. Ha, ha, ha!"

This greeting was not calculated to aid my recovery, but, in spite of
it, my strength returned, and I was able to get up on my feet.

"I am ready to obey you," I said calmly. "You saved my life, and it is
my duty to serve you as far as I have the power."

"Always talking of your duty!" he exclaimed, with a sneer. "It shall
not be a light one, let me tell you. Now, as you can walk, find some
food--shell-fish and water. I don't ask for impossibilities, but take
care you do not touch any till I have eaten."

I must obey him, so, observing some rocks, I hurried towards them, and
with my pocket-knife cut off as many mussels and other shell-fish as I
could carry. He had had a flint and steel and a powder-flask in his
pocket, and had thus without difficulty kindled a fire. While he
dressed and ate the shell-fish he sent me off to look for water. I went
with the fear every instant of falling into the hands of savage natives,
and it was not till I discovered the small size of the island that I
began to hope that there might be none upon it. I hunted about for some
time, till I at length came upon a stream of pure water bubbling out of
a rock. My difficulty was to convey it to Owen. Some cocoa-nut shells
were lying about. One less split than the rest I filled with water, but
the greater part was spilt before I reached him. He cursed me for an
idle hound for not bringing a larger supply, and sent me back for more.
Fortunately, I observed some shells on the shore. These I slung round
my neck, and with them brought as much water as he could require. Not
till then did he allow me to cook any of the shell-fish I had collected.
He had eaten all he himself had dressed. He then ordered me to collect
materials for a hut, and when I expostulated, as I had only my
pocket-knife to work with, he struck me with a stick, and said I must
see to finding a better tool. Still, as I had determined to do my
utmost to please him, I set to work to collect all the pieces of drift
timber I could find. To my satisfaction, I discovered also the boat's
sail and some rope cast on shore, and these articles, with a number of
thin sticks which I succeeded in cutting, I piled up near where he sat,
and asked him what else he required.

"To help me build my hut," he growled out.

By fixing the thinner sticks into the sand, fastening them at the top,
and stretching the sail over