was as tired as an old donkey, without seeing a single grunter, not
so much as a track of one; but, as I was determined not to return
empty-handed, I resolved to go without my dinner and - "

"What!" exclaimed Jack, "did you REALLY resolve to do that?"

"Now, Jack, hold your tongue," returned Peterkin; "I say that I
resolved to forego my dinner and to push to the head of the small
valley, where I felt pretty sure of discovering the hogs. I soon
found that I was on the right scent, for I had scarcely walked half
a mile in the direction of the small plum tree we found there the
other day, when a squeak fell on my ear. 'Ho, ho,' said I, 'there
you go, my boys;' and I hurried up the glen. I soon started them,
and singling out a fat pig, ran tilt at him. In a few seconds I
was up with him, and stuck my spear right through his dumpy body.
Just as I did so, I saw that we were on the edge of a precipice,
whether high or low I knew not, but I had been running at such a
pace that I could not stop, so the pig and I gave a howl in concert
and went plunging over together. I remembered nothing more after
that, till I came to my senses and found you bathing my temples,
and Ralph wringing his hands over me."

But although Peterkin was often unfortunate, in the way of getting
tumbles, he was successful on the present occasion in hunting, and
returned before evening with three very nice little hogs. I, also,
was successful in my visit to the mud-flats, where I killed several
ducks. So that, when we launched and loaded our boat at sunrise
the following morning, we found our store of provisions to be more
than sufficient. Part had been cooked the night before, and, on
taking note of the different items, we found the account to stand