The fact that our beloved island was subject to earthquakes disturbed us considerably. Storms we began to think quite common, hurricanes nothing, rain but another mode for enjoyment; but to be swallowed up by the earth, by the very land that had proved a haven to us when storm-beset and wave-tossed, seemed an infliction not to be got over.

For some time we imagined every noise a rumbling earthquake, the swift running feet of the children as if the house was coming down, the noisy thumping of the washing stones as indicative of the rocks falling over us. This induced us to think, much to Schillie's horror, of seeking a new abode during the very hot weather on a smooth plain where no rocks could cover us, nor trees fall on us, though we could not prevent the earth opening her mouth and swallowing us up.

In one of our exploring parties for this purpose we came upon the site and signs of an old habitation, evidently having been a substantial and large dwelling, with remains of garden and palisade. We know not how it escaped the observation of our kind captain, unless from the fact that it lay on the open plain, and just before it was a plantation of trees, so that, unless you walked across the plain, and went behind the trees, you would see nothing of it; and they being able to see all across, doubtless thought it labour lost to investigate what seemed open before them.

Here we fancied had been the lair of the great serpent, from the close smell and other circumstances about the place; but it was with feelings rather akin to awe that we investigated a place built by other hands than our own. Feeling so assured, as we did, that no mortal was on the island, or apparently had been, but ourselves, we had begun to think really that it was our own, risen out of the sea for us alone, so that Schillie was for a time the only one who took a matter-of-fact view of this appearance to us "Robinson Crusoes" of "Friday's foot." She declared it had been deserted twenty years and more, and that the roof was a very bad one at the very beginning of it, and not on such a good plan as ours; that certainly she descried a new lichen on the walls, which she went to fetch, and proved herself correct; finally, that there might be some lock-up place within, giving us a clue to the former inhabitants. We accordingly searched, and found various articles of clothing and furniture, evidently of foreign manufacture. Everything was covered some inches thick with a fine sand, which caused insufferable choking and sneezing to those who were heedless. It seemed very apparent that the house had been quitted suddenly, or that something had caused great disorder and confusion. After wasting a great deal of time, talking, thinking, and conjecturing, we at last came to the conclusion that, with some trouble, we might make it a very tidy house, and that we would proceed systematically to clean it, and make it fit for the use of such august people as we were; and, being governed by the soul of honour, every article looking like private property was carefully put away, in case the real owners should arrive, though there was many a thing that would have been rather useful to us. Some books in the Spanish language we kept, as the girls and I thought to amuse ourselves during the next rainy season in teaching ourselves Spanish. "Mighty silly," says Schillie, "taking such unnecessary trouble, as who knows but that there may be nobody to talk to ere long even in English." This old house was very low, and full of rents and holes; also, we discovered that, though on a plain, it was so contrived nobody could perceive it was a habitation unless close to it. From two sides it was quite hidden by trees, though not close to them, from the third side it looked like part of the plantation, and from the fourth side it seemed to be part and parcel of a mound and clump of rocks close by. It had five rooms in it, two not much bigger than closets. Altogether we agreed our new abode had not the open, frank, handsome air of our own home, with its wide-spread doorless entrance, but looked rather like the covered den of people wishing to keep themselves concealed and out of sight. However, we used it in all openness and fairness, and whatever might have been the character of its last inhabitants, we kept open house, never closing the great iron-plated door or the barred shutters; also, we misdoubted they could have been good people, as there was nothing feminine to be found about the place. Nevertheless, we lived in great comfort, and every evening somebody told a new romance as to what had been the fate of the lost and gone, until we wove a history about them, equal to any fairy story ever told, winding up with one from Felix, who, after giving various touching descriptions as to their numerous qualities and perfections, declared that they died one by one. "How?" said the little girls, looking aghast at such an abrupt conclusion. "They disappeared," said Felix, "one every night." "But that's no story, how did they disappear?" "Oh, you must guess, my story is a riddle." So they guessed and guessed, but, becoming no wiser, they clamourously called on him to tell. "But if you don't guess," said Felix, "how can I tell, for not one of them was left alive." "You are a stupid boy," said Lilly, "and tell a very bad story." "Yours was a much badderer, and you are a stupid girl not to guess that the big snake eat them all up." "Well done, well done," said everybody, "a very good idea. I dare say it did happen." So then we fell upon conjecturing what we should have done to save ourselves under similar circumstances, which gave rise to so many bloody-minded schemes and horrible intentions of torture, that no respectable snake would have ventured near us.