After we had got our home put to rights and cleared of the DEBRIS
of the inundation, we again turned our thoughts to paying the
penguins a visit. The boat was therefore overhauled and a few
repairs done. Then we prepared a supply of provisions, for we
intended to be absent at least a night or two, perhaps longer.
This took us some time to do, for while Jack was busy with the
boat, Peterkin was sent into the woods to spear a hog or two, and
had to search long, sometimes, ere he found them. Peterkin was
usually sent on this errand, when we wanted a pork chop (which was
not seldom), because he was so active, and could run so wonderfully
fast that he found no difficulty in overtaking the hogs; but, being
dreadfully reckless, he almost invariably tumbled over stumps and
stones in the course of his wild chase, and seldom returned home
without having knocked the skin off his shins. Once, indeed, a
more serious accident happened to him. He had been out all morning
alone and did not return at the usual time to dinner. We wondered
at this, for Peterkin was always very punctual at the dinner hour.
As supper-time drew near we began to be anxious about him, and at
length sallied forth to search the woods. For a long time we
sought in vain, but a little before dark we came upon the tracks of
the hogs, which we followed up until we came to the brow of a
rather steep bank or precipice. Looking over this we beheld
Peterkin lying in a state of insensibility at the foot, with his
cheek resting on the snout of a little pig, which was pinned to the
earth by the spear! We were dreadfully alarmed, but hastened to
bathe his forehead with water, and had soon the satisfaction of
seeing him revive. After we had carried him home he related to as
how the thing had happened.

"You must know," said he, "I walked about all the forenoon, till I