Sir John looked inquiringly at the captain. "A good find," said the latter, smiling. "We shall be able to shoot some fresh young porkers. Wild pig is not bad." "Wild?" cried the doctor. "Yes, there is evidently a herd of wild pigs in the island, if not several. They have been down here lately." "But surely there would not be wild boars and sows in an island like this?" said Sir John. "No," said the captain, "but pigs that have run wild. You see, the old voyagers left two or three pairs in a good many places, and they have increased largely. This must have been one of the favoured islands." Further proof was given a short distance farther on, for they had a glimpse of a herd which seemed to be fifty or sixty strong, whose leaders stood grunting and staring at the new-comers for a moment or two before whisking round and dashing off among the trees, to be hidden directly by the low growth, a head or a tail being seen at intervals; and then every sign was gone. "Well," said the doctor to Jack, "that's another discovery to the good: fresh pork and poultry." "You can't eat parrots," said Jack, laughing. "Why?" said the doctor. "Oh, those highly-coloured birds can't be good." "Wait a bit, my young philosopher. I never knew that gaily-coloured barn-door cockerels were `bad', and I know that a young peacock is as good as a pheasant; so where is your theory now?" "Yes, Jack, you are beaten," said Sir John merrily. "Oh, but I meant parrots and cockatoos and birds of paradise," said the lad hurriedly. "Parrots and cockatoos live on fruit," said the doctor; "fruit is good, ergo parrots and cockatoos are good, and I'll have a curry made of the first I skin." "You are right about the birds of paradise though, my boy," said Sir John. "I should not like to try one of those, because they are so nearly related to the crow." "A bird of paradise related to a crow--a black crow?" "Oh yes, you'll find some of the most gaily painted birds out here in the tropics very nearly related to some of our more common friends at home." "Yes; look, there goes one, Jack. I could bring him down easily." The lad had already caught sight of a lovely bird upon the ground, which stood looking at them for a few moments before hopping away beneath the bushes and undergrowth, appearing again farther on, and then spreading its wings for a short flight, and displaying the lovely colours with which it was dyed, the most prominent being shades of blue relieved by delicate fawn and pale warm drab. "What's that?" cried Jack eagerly. "That's a thrush," said the doctor. "A thrush!" "Yes; not one of our olive-green, speckled-breasted fellows, but a thrush all the same, and saving its colouring, wonderfully like one of ours."