Sleep the most refreshing ever he had enjoyed in his life succeeded; but all through his slumbers rang the bird-song, mingling with his dreams like chimes from elfin-land.
CHAPTER XVI.
“A VAST GREEN AND FLOWERY VALLEY SURROUNDED BY ROMANTIC HILLS.”
“YOU bettah now, sah?”
“O yes, Brandy; I’ll soon be all right. But where are we?”
“I don’t know nuffin’ ’t all. On’y dis is an island—I make shuah ob dat.”
“How long have I slept?”
“Two day, sah. I gib you plenty watah all de time; and you suckee he down all same’s modder’s milk, sah. You will lib now.”
“And thanks to you. But who helped you up with the boat?”
“He, he, he! You not believe, plaps. But Brandy neveh tell lie. I hab de paintah ob de boat all ready, and presently one big elerphant-to’toise come down. Plenty quick I hitch de bight ober dat varmint’s neck. Den I cried ‘shoo!’ Den he pull and I push, and ’way we go cheerily. But la! de elerphant-to’toise, he had strangle his little self. And I make soup of some of him, fo’ true!”
Hardly believing what Brandy said Tom got slowly up, and lo! there was the dead tortoise right enough; and Tom had never seen such a monster[1] before. Nor could he have seen one, for the creature belongs only to the Galapagos Islands.