Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/144

138 THE CRATER; for the creatures must have died for want of food during his illness, had not some such relief been found. As yet, his strength would not allow him to go ashore, arid he was obliged to content himself with this distant view of his estate. The poultry appeared to be well, and the invalid fancied he saw chickens running at the side of one of the hens. It was a week later before Mark ventured to go as far as the crater. On entering it, he found that his conjec tures concerning the garden were true. Two-thirds of it had been dug over by the snouts of his pigs, quite as ef fectually as he could have done it, in his vigour, with the spade. Tops and roots had been demolished alike, and about as much wasted as had been consumed. Kitty was found, jlagrante delictu, nibbling at the beans, which, by this time, were dead ripe. The peas, and beans, and In dian corn had made good picking for the poultry ; arid everything possessing life had actually been living in abun dance, while the sick man had lain unconscious of even his own existence, in a state as near death as life. Mark found his awning standing, and was glad to rest an hour or two in his hammock, after looking at the gar den. While there the hogs entered the crater, and made a rneal before his eyes. To his surprise, the sow was fol lowed by ten little creatures, that were already getting to be of the proper size for eating. A ravenous appetite was now Mark s greatest torment, and the coarse food of the ship was rather too heavy for him. He had exhausted his wit in contriving dishes of flour, and pined for something more grateful than salted beef, or pork. Although he somewhat distrusted his strength, yet longing induced him to make an experiment. A fowling-piece, loaded with ball, was under the awning; and freshening the priming, the young man watched his opportunity when one of the grunters was in a good position, and shot it in the head. Then cutting its throat with a knife, he allowed it to bleed, when he cleaned, and skinned it. This last operation was not very artistical, but it was necessary in the situation of our invalid. With the carcase of this pig. which was quite as much as he could even then carry back to the ship, though the animal was not yet six weeks o!d, Mark made