"Simply, my dear, because no bricks can be had," answered the captain, not looking very well pleased; "and this you will, I hope, find warm and comfortable. We might have been very much worse off, believe me." Mrs Morley and her daughters at once set to work to arrange, with the scanty means at their disposal, the interior of their cottage, assisted by Mrs Rumbelow. Meantime, all hands were engaged in putting up the other huts. One of larger dimensions was in a short time finished for the women, into which they at once moved; Harry and the officers taking possession of the tent; while two other huts, one for the men, and another for themselves, were being erected. The sun at length shone forth brightly on the little settlement: the woods were alive with song-birds, numbers of which came fearlessly flying up as if to ascertain what the strangers had been about. Their notes were very sweet, though their plumage was somewhat sombre. They seemed especially anxious to make the acquaintance of Fanny and Emma Morley, who were standing at the porch of their cottage watching them, and surprised at the bold way in which they approached. First one came hopping up, and then another, and when the young ladies stooped down and offered them some small bits of meat, the birds without hesitation took the food out of their hands. "How cruel it would be to kill any of our little confident visitors!" said Emma. "We must beg Mr Shafto to allow no gun to be fired near our village, lest it should frighten them away." "I am afraid that if there is a scarcity of food it will be very difficult to persuade the people not to do so," observed Fanny. "But with so many seals and other large birds in the neighbourhood, I trust we may never be reduced to such an extremity," answered her sister.