78 MARTIN RATTLER.

bled to his feet and presented himself, along with
Martin, at the hermit’s door.

A peculiar smile lighted up the man’s features as
he retreated into the hut, and invited the strangers
to enter.

“Come in,” said he, in good English, although with
a slightly foreign accent. “I am most happy to see
you. You are English. I know the voice and the
language very well. Lived among them once, but
long time past now—very long. Have not seen one
of you for many years.”

With many such speeches and much expression of
good-will the hospitable hermit invited Martin and
his companion to sit down at his rude table, on which
he quickly spread several plates of ripe and dried
fruits, a few cakes, and a jar of excellent honey, with
a stone bottle of cool water. When they were busily
engaged with these viands, he began to make in-
quiries as to where his visitors had come from.

“We've comed from the sae,” replied Barney, as he
devoted himself to a magnificent pine-apple. “ Och,
but yer victuals is mighty good, Mister—what’s yer
name ?—'ticklerly to them that’s a’most starvin’.”

“The fact is,’ said Martin, “our ship has been
taken by pirates, and we two swam ashore and lost

ourselves in the woods; and now we have stumbled