There was no absolute necessity for this, because the air of our island was so genial and balmy that we could have slept quite well without any shelter; but we were so little used to sleeping in the open air, that we did not quite relish the idea of lying down without any covering over us: besides, our bower would shelter us from the night dews or rain, if any should happen to fall.

Having strewed the floor with leaves and dry grass, we bethought ourselves of supper.
But it now occurred to us, for the first time, that we had no means of making a fire.
"Now, there's a fix!--what shall we do ?" said Peterkin, while we both turned our eyes to Jack, to whom we always looked in our difficulties.
Jack seemed not a little perplexed.
"There are flints enough, no doubt, on the beach," said he, "but they are of no use at all without a steel.

However, we must try." So saying, he went to the beach, and soon returned with two flints.

On one of these he placed the tinder, and endeavoured to ignite it; but it was with great difficulty that a very small spark was struck out of the flints, and the tinder, being a bad, hard piece, would not catch.

He then tried the bit of hoop iron, which would not strike fire at all; and after that the back of the axe, with no better success.