The Swiss Family Robinson | Page 4

have it," quoth Ernest. "Let us use the shells I saw on the
shore."
Off ran Jack to the shore, with Ernest at his heels, and back they both
came with large and small shells for us all.
Just then Fritz came in, with a look of gloom on his face, which I could
see was a sham.
"You do not mean to tell me you have come back with nought?" said I,
as he put out his hands as if to prove that such was the case. But Jack,
who had been round him, cried out, "No, no! he's got a pig!--such a fine
one. Tell us where you found it."

Fritz now brought forth his prize. When I saw it, I knew, from what I
had read, that it was not a pig, but a swift beast, known in these parts,
that lives on fruit and nuts, and hides in the earth. (*The Agouti.)
"I like the place much more than I do this spot," said he. "The shore lies
low, and there are planks, casks, chests, and all sorts of things, that the
sea has thrown up. Why not leave this place at once, and go there?"
"There is a time for all things," said I. "We must at least rest here for
one night."
We all sat down to take our soup with the shell spoons. Ernest took
from his coat a large shell, which he had hid till now, put it in the soup,
and then set it down to cool.
"You do not show want of thought," said I to him. "But I am not glad to
see that you think so of your-self, and do so much for your own ease,
when all the rest do so much for yours. Now, that shell full of soup you
must give to our two dogs. We can all dip our small shells in the pot,
and you must do as we do."
I knew he felt hurt at this, but he gave it to the dogs at once, and they
soon made quick work of their share of the soup.
The sun was low when our meal came to an end. The fowls came round
us to pick up the stray crumbs we had let fall, and my wife took out her
bag of grain and fed the cocks and hens, and sent them to roost on the
top of our tent.
We took care to load our fire-arms, in case we might need them in the
night; sang a hymn of praise to God, and then left our fate in His hands.

CHAPTER III.
As soon as I heard the cock crow, and saw by the light that it was break
of day, I got out of bed and spoke to my wife as to what we should do

next.
"First," said I, "Fritz and I will make a tour of the coast and try to find
some of the men who left the ship, for if they are here they may be in
want."
"But," said Fritz, who had heard me from his bed, "why should we
search for those who left us to die on the wreck?"
"Well, I will tell you," said I. "First, we should do to them as we would
wish them to do to us, not as they have done; next, we know that they
took no food with them, and we should not leave them to starve; and
last, it may be that they can help us, though now they stand more in
need of our aid."
The boys were soon up, and we all sat down to a good meal. That done,
Fritz and I got our guns. I put a pair of small arms in his belt. gave him
a game bag, and told him to take an axe. I took some food for us both,
and a full flask, out of which we could drink if we should stray far from
a stream.
When we took our leave, my wife and the three boys were in tears. The
dog Bill we left to guard the tent, but Turk went with us, and ran by our
side.
We soon got to the banks of a stream; but then had to make our way
down its course. It took us some time to reach the sea shore. There was
not a boat to be seen, or any sign that the ship's crew had found the land.
We left the shore, and went through a wood full of tall trees. Here Fritz
struck some hard thing on the ground with his foot, which we found to
be a CO-COA NUT. He gave it a blow with his axe, and broke the shell,
and we both sat down to