"After I called him by name, but he never answered too tired any risks by going along to him So we sat there I fancy I dozed dawn came as dead as doornail and all puffed up and purple My three eggs bones were lying middle canoe, keg of water and some coffee and biscuits wrapped in Cape Argus by his feet, and tin of methylated spirit underneath him no paddle, nor, , anything except the spirit-tin that use as one, so I settled to drift until picked up I held an inquest on him, brought in verdict against some snake, scorpion, or centipede unknown, and sent him overboard

" I had drink of water and few biscuits, and took look round I suppose man low down as don't see very far; leastways, Madagascar was clean out of sight, and any trace of land at all sail going south-westward--looked like schooner but her hull never came up Presently the sun got high sky and began to beat down upon me Lord ! it pretty near made my brains boil I tried dipping my head sea, but after while my eye fell Cape Argus_, and I lay down flat canoe and spread this over me Wonderful things these newspapers ! I never read one through thoroughly before, but it's odd what you get 're alone, as I suppose that blessed old Cape Argus twenty times The pitch canoe simply reeked heat and rose up into big blisters

"I drifted ten days," said the man scar "It's little thing telling, isn't it ? Every day was like the last Except morning evening I never kept look-out even--the blaze was so infernal I didn't see sail first three days, and those took no notice of me sixth night ship went by scarcely half mile away from me, with all its lights ablaze and its ports open, looking like big firefly music aboard I stood up and shouted and screamed at it The second day I broached AEpyornis eggs, scraped the shell away end bit by bit, and tried it, and glad good enough to eat bit flavoury--not bad, I mean--but with something taste of duck's egg kind of circular patch, about six inches across, on one side yoke, and with streaks of blood and white mark like ladder that queer, but understand what this meant , and I wasn't inclined particular The egg lasted me three days, with biscuits and drink of water I chewed coffee berries too--invigorating stuff The second egg I opened eighth day, and it scared me "

The man scar paused "Yes," , "developing "

"I daresay you find it hard , thing before me There the egg , sunk cold black mud, perhaps three hundred years But no mistaking it the-- it ? --embryo, with its big head and curved back, and its heart beating under its throat, yolk shrivelled up and great membranes spreading inside shell and all over the yolk Here was I hatching out the eggs biggest of all extinct birds, in little canoe midst Indian Ocean If old Dawson had known that ! worth four years' salary What ?

"However, I had to eat that precious thing up, every bit of it, before I sighted the reef, and mouthfuls were beastly unpleasant I left the third one alone I held it light, but the shell was too thick any notion of what happening inside; and though I fancied I heard blood pulsing, it the rustle in my own ears, like what you listen to in seashell

"Then came the atoll Came sunrise, as it were, suddenly, close up I drifted straight towards it until about half mile from shore, not more, and then the current took turn, and I had to paddle as hard as with my hands and bits AEpyornis shell to place However, I got there just common atoll about four miles round, with few trees growing and spring in one place, lagoon full of parrot-fish the egg ashore and put it in good place, well above the tide lines and sun, it all the chance , and pulled the canoe up safe, and loafed about prospecting It's rum how dull an atoll is I had found spring all the interest seemed to vanish When kid nothing finer or more adventurous Robinson Crusoe business, but that place was as monotonous as book of sermons I went round finding eatable things and generally thinking; but I tell you bored to death first day was out It shows my luck--the very day I landed the weather changed thunderstorm went by north and flicked its wing over the island, and night there came drencher and howling wind slap over us It wouldn't have taken much, , to upset that canoe

" sleeping under the canoe, egg was luckily sand higher up the beach, first thing I remember was sound like hundred pebbles hitting the boat at once, and rush of water over my body I'd been dreaming of Antananarivo, and I sat up and holloaed to Intoshi to ask her what the devil was up, and clawed out chair where the matches used Then I remembered where There were phosphorescent waves rolling up as meant to eat me, and all the rest night as black as pitch The air was simply yelling The clouds seemed down head almost, rain fell heaven was sinking were baling out the waters above the firmament One great roller came writhing at me, like fiery serpent, and I bolted Then canoe, and ran down water went hissing back again; but the thing had gone I wondered egg then, and felt my way all right and well out of reach maddest waves, so I sat down beside it and cuddled it for company Lord ! what night that was !

"The storm was over morning There wasn't rag of cloud left sky dawn came, and all along the beach there were bits of plank scattered-- the disarticulated skeleton, so , canoe However, that something , for, taking advantage of two trees being together, I rigged up kind of storm-shelter vestiges day the egg hatched

"Hatched, sir, when my head was pillowed and asleep I heard whack and felt jar and sat up, and the end egg pecked out and rum little brown head looking out at me 'Lord ! ' , 'you're welcome'; and with little difficulty out

" nice friendly little chap at first, size of small hen-- like most other young birds, only bigger His plumage was dirty brown with, with sort of grey scab that fell off it , and scarcely feathers--a kind of downy hair hardly express how pleased him I tell you, Robinson Crusoe don't make near enough loneliness But here was interesting company He looked at me and winked his eye front backwards, like hen, and gave chirp and began to peck about at once, being hatched three hundred years too late was just nothing ' you, Man Friday ! ' says I, for I had naturally settled called Man Friday if ever hatched, ever the egg canoe had developed bit anxious about his feed, so him lump of raw parrot-fish at once it, and opened his beak for more glad for, under the circumstances, if he'd been at all fanciful, had to eat him after all