"Oh, if one would but fall from the trees," he said.

The words had but just left his lips when a large nut fell at his feet.
He made a start back, and two more came down near the same spot.

As the nuts were far from ripe, I was at a loss to know how they could
fall off the tree, for I could not see an ape nor a bird near.

I went close up to the tree, and saw a large land crab on its way down
the trunk. Jack struck a blow at him with a stick, but did not hit the
beast. He then took off his coat and threw it on the crab's head, while
I made an end of him with an axe. I told them that these crabs climb
the trees and break off the nuts, as we had seen, and then come down to
feast on them at their ease.

"But how do they crack the nuts?" said Jack.

"They make a hole through the shell at the thin end, and then suck them
dry."

The dead crab was put in the sledge, and we went on through the wood.
When we came to the Gourd Wood, we sat down to make some more bowls and
flasks to take back with us. Ernest had gone to try what new thing he
could find, but he had not been from us long, when we heard him call out

"A wild boar! A great wild boar! Come here, pray!"

We took up our guns, and went at once with the dogs to the spot. We
soon heard Turk give a loud bark, and just then we heard Ernest laugh,