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72 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
first, and opening the handkerchief he held, he poured out some lobsters at our feet; his mother and little Francis produced each as many more, and all alive, so that we were sure of excellent dinners for some days at least. Some of the lobsters began scuttling away in different directions, and the boys were kept in full chase, sometimes pleased and sometimes angry, sometimes laughing, sometimes scolding, for no sooner had they seized on one than ten more had followed his example.
' Isn't it lovely, papa ?' said little Francis. ' I found them. Look, there are more than two hundred of them ; and see how large they are, and what fine claws they have !'
' Excellent,' I said, ' and these lobsters are of a different kind from that which nipped Jack, and will make much better eating. Tell me all about it.'
' I'll tell you,' cried Jack. ' Francis and I were down by the river, when he suddenly saw the dead jackal, we threw away yesterday, all covered with lobsters ; and legions more were coming in with the stream. I ran to tell mamma, who quickly got the net, and partly with that and partly with our hands, we caught numbers in a very few minutes, |
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