manner was now much altered. He did not, indeed, jest less
heartily than before, but he did so less frequently, and often
there was a tone of deep seriousness in his manner, if not in his
words, which made him seem to Jack and me as if he had grown two
years older within a few days. But indeed I was not surprised at
this, when I reflected on the awful realities which we had
witnessed so lately. We could by no means shake off a tendency to
gloom for several weeks afterwards; but, as time wore away, our
usual good spirits returned somewhat, and we began to think of the
visit of the savages with feelings akin to those with which we
recall a terrible dream.

One day we were all enjoying ourselves in the Water Garden,
preparatory to going on a fishing excursion; for Peterkin had kept
us in such constant supply of hogs that we had become quite tired
of pork, and desired a change. Peterkin was sunning himself on the
ledge of rock, while we were creeping among the rocks below.
Happening to look up, I observed Peterkin cutting the most
extraordinary capers and making violent gesticulations for us to
come up; so I gave Jack a push, and rose immediately.

"A sail! a sail! Ralph, look! Jack, away on the horizon there,
just over the entrance to the lagoon!" cried Peterkin, as we
scrambled up the rocks.

"So it is, and a schooner, too!" said Jack, as he proceeded hastily
to dress.

Our hearts were thrown into a terrible flutter by this discovery,
for if it should touch at our island we had no doubt the captain