they may be poisonous!"

"No fear," replied Jack, confidently; "I have observed that a few
of them are not unlike some of the berries that grow wild on our
own native hills. Besides, I saw one or two strange birds eating
them just a few minutes ago, and what won't kill the birds won't
kill us. But look up there, Peterkin," continued Jack, pointing to
the branched head of a cocoa-nut palm. "There are nuts for us in
all stages."

"So there are!" cried Peterkin, who being of a very unobservant
nature had been too much taken up with other things to notice
anything so high above his head as the fruit of a palm tree. But,
whatever faults my young comrade had, he could not be blamed for
want of activity or animal spirits. Indeed, the nuts had scarcely
been pointed out to him when he bounded up the tall stem of the
tree like a squirrel, and, in a few minutes, returned with three
nuts, each as large as a man's fist.

"You had better keep them till we return," raid Jack. "Let us
finish our work before eating."

"So be it, captain, go ahead," cried Peterkin, thrusting the nuts
into his trousers pocket. "In fact I don't want to eat just now,
but I would give a good deal for a drink. Oh that I could find a
spring! but I don't see the smallest sign of one hereabouts. I
say, Jack, how does it happen that you seem to be up to everything?
You have told us the names of half-a-dozen trees already, and yet
you say that you were never in the South Seas before."