Peterkin drew in a breath so long that I could not help thinking of the frog in the fable, that wanted to swell itself as big as the ox.Then I looked into his face earnestly.Slap went the lid of his right eye; down went my head, and up went my heels.We shot through the passage like an arrow, and rose to the surface of the open sea before you could count twenty!
"Peterkin had taken in such an awful load of wind that, on reaching the free air, he let it out with a yell loud enough to have been heard a mile off, and then, the change in his feelings was so sudden and great, that he did not wait till we landed, but began, tied up as he was, to shout and sing for joy as I supported him with my left arm to the shore.However, in the middle of a laugh that a hyaena might have envied, I let him accidentally slip, which extinguished him in a moment.
"After this happy deliverance, we immediately began our search for your dead body, Ralph, and you have no idea how low our hearts sank as we set off, day after day, to examine the valleys and mountain sides with the utmost care.In about three weeks we completed the survey of the whole island, and had at least the satisfaction of knowing that you had not been killed.But it occurred to us that you might have been thrown into the sea, so we examined the sands and the lagoon carefully, and afterwards went all round the outer reef.One day, while we were upon the reef, Peterkin espied a small dark object lying among the rocks, which seemed to be quite different from the surrounding stones.We hastened towards the spot, and found it to be a small keg.On knocking out the head we discovered that it was gunpowder.""It was I who sent you that, Jack," said I, with a smile.
"Fork out!" cried Peterkin, energetically, starting to his feet and extending his open hand to Jack."Down with the money, sir, else I'll have you shut up for life in a debtor's prison the moment we return to England!""I'll give you an I.O.U.in the meantime," returned Jack, laughing, "so sit down and be quiet.The fact is, Ralph, when we discovered this keg of powder, Peterkin immediately took me a bet of a thousand pounds that you had something to do with it, and I took him a bet of ten thousand that you had not.
"Peterkin was right then," said I, explaining how the thing had occurred.
"Well, we found it very useful," continued Jack; "although some of it had got a little damp; and we furbished up the old pistol, with which Peterkin is a crack shot now.But, to continue.We did not find any other vestige of you on the reef, and, finally, gave up all hope of ever seeing you again.After this the island became a dreary place to us, and we began to long for a ship to heave in sight and take us off.But now that you're back again, my dear fellow, it looks as bright and cheerful as it used to do, and Ilove it as much as ever."
"And now," continued Jack, "I have a great desire to visit some of the other islands of the South Seas.Here we have a first-rate schooner at our disposal, so I don't see what should hinder us.""Just the very thing I was going to propose," cried Peterkin; "Ivote for starting at once."
