Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/44

38 always kept together, and it was obvious that they wished to form a clique apart from the rest. Gordon felt anxious about this; he saw that trouble must come of it, and when an opportunity offered he spoke about it, and tried to make the discontented ones understand how necessary union was for the good of the community. But Donagan replied to his advances so coldly that he thought it unreasonable to insist; though he did not despair of destroying the germs of dissension which might have deplorable results, for events might tend to bring about an understanding where advice failed.

While the excursion to the north of the bay was stopped by the misty weather, Donagan and his friends had plenty of sport. He was really an excellent shot, and he was very proud of his skill, and despised such contrivances as traps, nets, and snares, in which Wilcox delighted. Webb was a good hand with the gun, but did not pretend to equal Donagan. Cross had very little of the sacred fire, and contented himself with praising his cousin's prowess. Fan, the dog, distinguished herself highly, and made no hesitation in jumping into the waves in retrieving the somewhat miscellaneous victims of the guns. Moko refused to have anything to do with the cormorants, gulls, seamews, and grebes, but there were quite enough rock pigeons as well as geese and ducks to serve his purpose. The geese were of the bernicle kind, and from the direction they took when the report of the gun scared them away, it was supposed that they lived in the interior of the country.

Donagan shot a few of those oyster-catchers which live on limpets, cockles, and mussels. In fact, there was plenty of choice, although Moko found it no easy matter to get rid of the oily taste, and did not always succeed to the general satisfaction. But, as Gordon said, the boys need not be too particular, for the most must be made of the provisions on board.

On the 15th of March the weather appeared favourable for the excursion to the cape, which was to solve