us, and offered its agreeable waters for our refreshment. Our dogs soon
joined us; but I was astonished to find they did not crave for food, but
laid down to sleep at our feet. For myself, so safe and happy did I
feel, that I could not but think that if we could contrive a dwelling on
the branches of one of these trees, we should be in perfect peace and
safety. We set out on our return, taking the road by the sea-shore, in
case the waves had cast up anything from the wreck of the vessel. We
found a quantity of timber, chests, and casks; but all too heavy to
bring. We succeeded in dragging them, as well as we could, out of the
reach of the tide; our dogs, in the mean time, fishing for crabs, with
which they regaled themselves, much to their own satisfaction and to
mine, as I now saw they would be able to provide their own food. As we
rested from our rough labour, I saw Flora scratching in the sand, and
swallowing something with great relish. Ernest watched, and then said,
very quietly, 'They are turtles' eggs.' We drove away the dog, and
collected about two dozen, leaving her the rest as a reward for her
discovery.

"While we were carefully depositing our spoil in the game-bags, we were
astonished at the sight of a sail. Ernest was certain it was papa and
Fritz, and though Francis was in dread that it should be the savages who
visited Robinson Crusoe's island, coming to eat us up, we were soon
enabled to calm his fears. We crossed the river by leaping from stone to
stone, and, hastening to the landing-place, arrived to greet you on
your happy return."

"And I understand, my dear," said I, "that you have discovered a tree
sixty feet high, where you wish we should perch like fowls. But how are
we to get up?"