think they are not duffers, but sometimes I’m not so sure.”
“Mother!” said John, and mother laughed.
“He’s given me a parrot,” said Able-seaman Titty, and mother had to go and look at it.
“He’s going to give me a monkey,” said Roger.
“What?” said mother.
Captain Flint explained, and mother said that it must be a very little one.
“It shall be, ma’am,” said Captain Flint.
Mother looked at the wrecked tents.
“They’re no good in a wind,” she said. “I remember once in the bush … I was in a tent like that and it ripped to ribbons and was blown clean away. … Well,” she said, “it’s a good thing you haven’t got to sleep in them tonight, and a pity you didn’t come home yesterday.”
“I can hardly think so, ma’am,” said Captain Flint.
“We wouldn’t have found the treasure if we had,” said Titty.
“The first thing