'Most anything's good to eat when you're half starved, my lad.
I've knowed men eat their shoes.

Going to have another try ?" "Yes, I should like to get some more," said Mark; and as soon as the captured fish was laid under the thwart he baited and threw out again.
This time he waited so long that he began to draw in the line, expecting to find the bait gone; but long before it reached the surface it was seized by another ravenous fish, and after a sharp fight this was also got into the boat, proving to be something similar to the other, but only about half the size.
"As I said before, I says it again," said Small oracularly, "we sha'n't starve here." Mark thought of his words as he paddled ashore--Small cleaning the fish the while and throwing the offal overboard for ground-bait, as he said-- when he helped carry the prizes up to the fire in triumph, for there he found that the major had returned, he and Widgeon having quite a load of shell-fish; the men had cut down the cocoa-nut tree, and the nuts were lying on the sand; while the captain and the ladies were back, the former with about a dozen small cockatoos, and the latter with handkerchiefs full of jungle fruit, a good deal of which promised to be valuable.
A large fire of drift-wood and old cocoa-nuts and their husks was burning, making a fierce blaze, before and partly over which the fish were soon roasting on wooden spits, the sailors being particularly handy in obeying orders for anything which they could provide by means of their knives.
The shell-fish soon followed, being ranged round the glowing embers to cook in their shells, and before long there was an odour rising that was little short of maddening to the hungry throng, several of whom directed envious glances at the birds which were hung up in the shade to be prepared for the next meal.
"Well, not so very badly," said the major about half an hour after the fish had been declared done.

"I missed my cup of coffee and my dry toast, but I never ate fresher fish; and as to the scalloped gentlemen in their shells, captain, with one exception I never ate anything more delicious.

Whether they were oysters, clams, cockles, or mussels, I'm sure I don't know, and what's more, I don't care.

I say they were good." "What was the exception ?" said Mrs O'Halloran, smiling, for that lady seemed to bear everything with equanimity, and always proved herself a campaigner's wife.
"The exception, my dear," said the major, "was that spiral gentleman handed to me all hot by friend Mark, who took it sizzling out of the fire with a bit of bent stick held like tongs." "But I meant that for Miss O'Halloran, sir," said Mark, flushing.
"Then, for what reason, sir, did you try to poison my daughter ?" cried the major.