Chapter 17

           Oneday,notlongafterourlittleboatwasfinished,weweresittingontherocksatSpoutingCliff,andtalkingofanexcursionwhichweintendedtomaketoPenguinIslandthenextday.

           "Yousee,"saidPeterkin,"itmightbeallverywellforastupidfellowlikemetoremainhereandleavethepenguinsalone;butitwouldbequiteinconsistentwithyourcharactersasphilosopherstoremainanylongerinignoranceofthehabitsandcustomsofthesebirds,sothesoonerwegothebetter."

           "Verytrue,"saidI."ThereisnothingIdesiresomuchastohaveacloserinspectionofthem."

           "AndIthink,"saidJack,"thatyouhadbetterremainathome,Peterkin,totakecareofthecat;forI’msurethehogswillbeatitinyourabsence,outofrevengeforyourkillingtheirgreat-grandmothersorecklessly."

           "Stayathome!"criedPeterkin."Mydearfellow,youwouldcertainlyloseyourway,orgetupset,ifIwerenottheretotakecareofyou."

           "Ah,true!"saidJackgravely;"thatdidnotoccurtome.Nodoubtyoumustgo.Ourboatdoesrequireagooddealofballast;andallthatyousay,Peterkin,carriessomuchweightwithitthatwewon’tneedstonesifyougo."

           Now,whilemycompanionsweretalking,anotableeventoccurred,which,asitisnotgenerallyknown,Ishallbeparticularinrecordinghere.

           Whileweweretalking,asIhavesaid,wenoticedadarkline,likealowcloudorfog-bank,ontheseawardhorizon.