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.Indeed, whenever they wanted a fire in the grate, they had only toplace the Salamander on the kindling beneath the logs, and a cheery flamewould blaze up instantly.It was in the fireplace that Sally took most ofher exercise, racing and skittering over the glowing logs or rollinghappily in the red-hot embers.But most of her time she spent curled up inSamuel Salt's pipe, and it was always a surprise to Tandy to see hercomical head pop up over the edge of the bowl or hear her chirping andpurring to herself from her cozy bed of tobacco leaves.Some evenings, when Ato was trying out new recipes in the galley, Tandy andSamuel would descend to the hold to look over the plants from PatrippanyPage 69 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlIsland, try to figure out the script on the piece of lava, and sort andarrange Samuel's shell collection.Every day after the nets were drawn upthere were new specimens to classify and label.The drawing Tandy had madeof the Sea Lion and all the pictures of the Leopard Men and beasts onPatrippany Island Samuel had framed and hung above his shelves so that thehold was looking more and more like a scientific laboratory every day."Do you suppose we'll ever find anything large enough to put in those bigcages and aquariums?" asked Tandy one night as he pasted a pink label on afluted conch shell."Sure's eight bells!" murmured Samuel Salt comfortably."No telling what'llturn up on a voyage like this.Personally, I've set my heart on a roc'segg, but setting the heart on a roc's egg won't hatch one out, Ho, Ho! No,No! But on the other hand, one never can tell, and we've had a week of suchfine and pleasant days I look for something to happen any moment now, soyou'd better put up your paste pot and turn in, my lad, so we'll all beready for the morning.""Well, what would you do with a roc's egg?" inquired Tandy, reluctantlyclapping the top on his bottle of glue."Aren't they terribly big andterribly scarce, Captain Salt?""Terribly!" admitted Samuel Salt, placing his tray of lamp shells back ontheir stand."But a newly laid roc's egg is as rare as a mermaid's foot,and no larger than one tar barrel.Now if we could just get a newly laidroc's egg aboard and find some way to preserve it, well and good; if wedidn't find a way and it hatched before we landed, it could easily fly offwith us and the ship, for THAT'S how big a bird a roc is.But I'll take achance if I ever find a roc's egg, and there's an island somewhere in thesewaters where rocs are known to nest.Rock Island it's called, and a roc'snest would be something to see, eh, Kinglet?""Please don't call me that," begged Tandy earnestly."Roger says I don'thave to be a King on this ship, and I like not being a King."Page 70 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Ha! Ha! And I like you that way myself," roared Samuel, tossing Tandysuddenly to his shoulder."Why, since you've stopped this King and son of aKinging, you're a seaman after my own heart, and so long as the CrescentMoon's afloat you've a berth on her! Up with you! Up with you! Tomorrow'sanother day." Swinging gaily to the main deck, Samuel tumbled Tandy intohis bunk and went striding aft to take in his main and mizzen topsails.Next morning, while he and Ato were cutting up potatoes for Nikobo, Tandywas not surprised to hear a loud hail from above.Something had happened,just as Samuel had predicted.Running out with a paring knife still in hishand, he saw a strange, glittering, mountainous island abaft the beam.Itwas still a goodish sea mile away, but with the glasses Ato generouslypressed upon him, Tandy made out the most curious bit of geography the eyesof a voyager had yet gazed on.There was not a piece of level ground on theisland anywhere.Its high, glittering, needle-like peaks rose straight outof the sea with apparently no way of ascending or descending.Of clearcrystal, reflecting every color of the rainbow, the beautiful island wasalmost too dazzling to look at as it lay shimmering and sparkling in thebright sunshine.As they sailed nearer, Tandy saw that a perfect maze ofhigh and airy bridges ran like a gigantic spider web between the peaks.Onthese bridges all the island's life and activities seemed to take place.Quaint fluted cottages were built in the center, and along the perilouscatwalks on either side raced the Mountaineers themselves, brandishingglittering poles and spears and halberds."Pikes on the peak! Pikes on the peak! Port your helm, Sammy," roared Ato."Not too close! Not too near, Sam-u-el.How'd you like to be pinned to themast with a spear or flattened on the deck with a boulder?""Ah, now, they're just excited!" answered Samuel Salt, squinting curiouslyup at the Bridgemen, but Nikobo, with her short legs resting on the toprail of her raft, squealed out a dolorous warning."Fighters! Fighters! These Pikers look savager than the Leopard Men.BestPage 71 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlback away, Master Captain, while there's still time.""Oh, look! LOOK! There's a ship on the mountain," cried Tandy, jerkingSamuel's sleeve, "right there where that torrent comes down between thebridges, a three-master, larger than the Crescent Moon.""Then it's a battle!" boomed Samuel, bringing his helm hard around."Standby to man the guns.'Hoy, all hands, 'hoy!" While his shipmates sprang toattention, Samuel darted from mast to mast, touching the buttons on hissail controls."AYE DE AYE OH LAY!" The shrill, unexpected cry came from the highest bridgeon the island and was immediately taken up and repeated by all the Pikemenon the lower bridges.It resulted in such a mad medley of yodels that Atoclapped both hands to his ears, and Nikobo plunged her head in her drinkingtub."Not only fighters, but singers!" grunted Ato, swinging the port gun into anupright position."Beef beans and barley bread! What a rumpus!" Tandy, whowith Roger had charge of the other gun, could not help but admire the calmway Samuel Salt ignored the dreadful outcry from the bridges
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