Mark found his awning standing, and was glad to rest an hour or two in his hammock, after looking at the garden.  While there the hogs entered the crater, and made a meal before his eyes.  To his surprise, the sow was followed by ten little creatures, that were already getting to be of the proper size for eating.  A ravenous appetite was now Mark’s greatest torment, and the coarse food of the ship was rather too heavy for him.  He had exhausted his wit in contriving dishes of flour, and pined for something more grateful than salted beef, or pork.  Although he somewhat distrusted his strength, yet longing induced him to make an experiment.  A fowling-piece, loaded with ball, was under the awning; and freshening the priming, the young man watched his opportunity when one of the grunters was in a good position, and shot it in the head.  Then cutting its throat with a knife, he allowed it to bleed, when he cleaned, and skinned it.  This last operation was not very artistical, but it was necessary in the situation of our invalid.  With the carcase of this pig, which was quite as much as he could even then carry back to the ship, though the animal was not yet six weeks old, Mark made certain savoury and nourishing dishes, that contributed essentially to the restoration of his strength.  In the course of the ensuing month three more of the pigs shared the same fate, as did half-a-dozen of the brood of chickens already mentioned, though the last were not yet half-grown.  But Mark felt, now, as if he could eat the crater, though as yet he had not been able to clamber to the Summit.

Chapter X.

    “Yea! long as nature’s humblest child
    Hath kept her temple undefiled
      By sinful sacrifice,
    Earth’s fairest scenes are all his own,
    He is a monarch, and his throne
      Is built amid the skies.”

    Wilson.

Our youthful hermit was quite two months in regaining his strength, though, by the end of one he was able to look about him, and turn his hand to many little necessary jobs.  The first thing he undertook was to set up a gate that would keep the animals on the outside of the crater.  The pigs had not only consumed much the largest portion of his garden truck, but they had taken a fancy to break up the crust of that part of the crater where the grass was showing itself, and to this inroad upon his meadows, Mark had no disposition to submit.  He had now ascertained that the surface of the plain, though of a rocky appearance, was so far shelly and porous that the seeds had taken very generally; and as soon as their roots worked their way into the minute crevices, he felt certain they would of themselves convert the whole surface into a soil sufficiently rich to nourish the plants he wished to produce there.  Under such circumstances he did not desire the assistance of the hogs.  As yet, however, the animals had done good, rather