Bevis Part 62

"You never brought me any," said Bevis.

"You never ordered me, captain."

"Why can't you be agreeable?"

"Why can't you ask anybody, and do something yourself, too."

"Don't be a stupe," said Bevis, "so I will. But get me a biscuit, now do." At this Mark fetched the bag for him.

"We shall have to wait a long time for our dinner," he said. "They're just having a jolly one at home."

"While they're at home and comfortable we're on an island seven thousand miles from anywhere."

"Savages all round."

"Magic things."

"If they only knew, wouldn't they be in a state."

"Ships fitted out to find us. But they would not know which way to sail."

"No charts."

"Nothing."

"Never find us. I say, get a fork and try the bacon."

"Don't look done."

"Put some more sticks on. I say; we forgot the potatoes."

"O! bother. It's hot; don't let's have any. Let's sit still."

"Right."

Pan looked from one to the other, ran round and came back, went into the underwood and came out again, but finding that it was of no use, and that the gun was really put aside, he presently settled down like them in the shade, and far enough from the fire not to feel any heat from it.

"Oaks are banyans, aren't they?" said Mark. "They used to be, you know," remembering the exploration of the wood.

"Banyans," said Bevis.

"What are beeches?"

"O! teak."

"That's China; aren't we far from China?"

"Ask me presently when I've got the astrolabe."

"What are elms? Stop, now I remember; there are no elms!"

"How do you know?"

"Didn't I go round the island one day? Besides, you could see them if there were, from the cliff."

"So we could; there are no elms. That shows how different this country is from any other country ever found."

"Poplars?" said Mark in an interrogative tone.

"Palms, of course. You can see them miles away like palms in a desert."

"Pictures," said Mark. "Yes, that's it. You always see the sun going down, camels with long shadows, and palm-trees. Then I suppose it's Africa?"

"You must wait till we have taken an observation. We shall see too by the stars."

"Firs?" said Mark. "They're cedars, of course."

"Of course. Willows are blue gums."

"Then it's near Australia. I expect it is; because, don't you know, there were no animals in Australia except kangaroos, and there are none here at all. So it's that sort of country."

"But there are tigers in the reeds."

"Ah, I forgot them."

"Huge boa-constrictors. One of them would reach from here to Serendib.

Did you hear that rustling? Most likely that was one."

"Do elephants swim? They might come off here."

"Hippopotami."

"A black rhinoceros; they're rogues."

"Hyenas."

"Giraffes. They can nibble half-way up the palm-trees."

"Pumas."

"Panthers."

"'Possums."

"Yaks."

"Grizzlies."