Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/138

102 Flamingo saw us starting, and, having been much petted during the last day or two, considered himself entitled to accompany us; for some time he kept beside the children, following first one and then another as they explored the wood on either side; their irregular course, however, at length disgusted him, and, abandoning them, he walked sedately by my side. We strolled on in the cool evening air, following the course of the stream; the great trees overshadowed us, and the cool green sward stretched away between them at our feet. The boys roamed ahead of me, intent on exploration. Presently I heard a joyful shout, and saw Ernest running at full speed towards me, followed by his brothers. In his hand he held a plant, and, panting for breath, and with sparkling eyes, he held it up to me.

“Potatoes! potatoes! father,” he gasped out.

“Yes," said Jack, “acres and acres of potatoes!”

“My dear Ernest,” said I, for there was no mistaking the flower and leaf, and the light clear-green bulbous roots, “you have indeed made a discovery; with the potato we shall never starve.”

“But come and look at them,” said Jack, “come and feast your eyes on thousands of potatoes.”

We hurried to the spot: there, spead out before us, was a great tract of ground, covered with the precious plant.

“It would have been rather difficult,” remarked Jack, “not to have discovered such a great field.”

“Very likely,” replied Ernest, smiling; “but I doubt if you would have discovered that it was a potato field.”