that we had arrived, and sat down upon a
rock, while I threw off my jacket and seized the axe, intending to split
up one or two billets of wood. But I had scarce moved from the spot
when, in the distance, we heard a most appalling shriek, which was
followed up by a chorus of yells from the hogs, and a loud hurrah.

"I do believe," said I, "that Peterkin has met with the hogs."

"When Greek meets Greek," said Jack, soliloquising, "then comes the tug
of--"

"Hurrah!" shouted Peterkin in the distance.

We turned hastily towards the direction whence the sound came, and soon
descried Peterkin walking along the beach towards us with a little pig
transfixed on the end of his long spear!

"Well done, my boy!" exclaimed Jack, slapping him on the shoulder when
he came up. "You're the best shot amongst us."

"Look here, Jack!" cried Peterkin as he disengaged the animal from his
spear. "Do you recognise that hole?" said he, pointing to the pig's
ear; "and are you familiar with this arrow, eh?"

"Well, I declare!" said Jack.

"Of course you do," interrupted Peterkin; "but, pray, restrain your
declarations at this time, and let's have supper--for I'm uncommonly
hungry, I can tell you. And it's no joke to charge a whole herd of
swine with their great-grandmother bristling like a giant porcupine, at
the head of them!"

We now set about preparing supper; and, truly, a good display of viands
we made when all was laid out on a flat rock in the light of the blazing
fire. There was, first of all, the little pig; then there were the
taro-root, and the yam, and the potato, and six plums; and lastly, the
wood-pigeon. To these Peterkin added a bit of sugar-cane, which he had
cut from a little patch of that plant which he had found not long after
separating from us; "and," said he, "the patch was somewhat in a square
form, which convinces me it must have been planted by man."

"Very likely," replied Jack. "From all we have seen, I'm inclined to
think that some of the savages must have dwelt here long ago."

We found no small difficulty in making up our minds how we were to cook
the pig. None of us had ever cut up one before, and we did not know
exactly how to begin; besides, we had nothing but the axe to do it with,
our knife having been forgotten. At last Jack started up and said:

"Don't let us waste more time talking about it, boys.--Hold it up,
Peterkin. There, lay the hind leg on this block of wood--so;" and he
cut i