Judging by his horns and beard, he must be the kaiser of the flock, and so may be a little tough; still, we may find some daintier morsel to shoot.

I confess I should be glad of a little fresh meat for a change--a real roast this time, eh, Eric ?" "Oh, bother that roast salt beef; I suppose I'll never hear the end of it!" cried the lad pathetically, although he could not refrain from laughing at Fritz's allusion to the unsuccessful banquet.

"You just get me something proper to cook, and I bet you'll not be disgusted with the way in which I dress it!" "We'll see," replied Fritz, taking up the fowling piece and slinging a powder flask and shot case round his neck.

"As you're going to carry a rifle for heavy game, laddie, I'll take this for the benefit of any likely-looking birds we may come across." "All right," responded Eric; when the two, packing up some biscuit and cheese for their refreshment by the way and barricading the door of the hut from the outside--lest the penguins might chance to pay them a visit in their absence--set forth towards the base of the waterfall up the gorge.

Here, the Tristaner had told them, they would be able to climb up by the aid of the tussock-grass should they wish to reach the summit of the cliff.
It was a tedious ascent, the top of the ridge being over a thousand feet above the little valley in which they lived.
As for Fritz, he was quite worn-out when they arrived at the head of the crags above the waterfall; but Eric found the climbing easier work from his practice in the rigging aboard the _Pilot's Bride_.