CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
CHICKS QUICK TO TAKE WING.
Two more days passed without any occurrence of an unusual nature, though the castaways made several short excursions and explorations into the forest, and also up and down the shore, keeping, however, close to the edge of the timber.

These ended without any important discovery being made, but confirmed them in their conjecture that the coast on which they had been cast was uninhabited, at least for a considerable distance on each side of the place where they had landed.
The most disappointing thing about these exploratory trips was their fruitlessness in obtaining food, the chief object for which they had been made.

Excepting some stray roots and berries of an esculent nature, they had nothing to eat after the maleos' eggs were consumed; and these had lasted them only into the second day.

It is true the durion stood near, and its fruit would for a time keep them from starving.

Still it would do little for the restoration of their strength; and upon such diet it would be a long time before they could undertake the arduous journey contemplated with any fair prospect of being able to finish it.