I don't think I should keep it in if I were you, because the fact that there are neither lions or elephants in South America throws a doubt upon the accuracy of this portion of your story." "It may be, sir," the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, "that the elephants and lions may not have been in the first story.

Now I think of it, I can't recall that they were; but, you see, people wants to know all about it.

They ain't satisfied when I tell 'em that I lived two years among these chaps.

They wants to know how I passed my time, and whether there were any wild beasts, and a lot of such like questions, and, in course, I must answer them.

So then, you see, naturally, 'bellishments creeps in; but I did live there for two years, that's gospel truth, and I did go pretty nigh naked, and in winter was pretty near starved to death over and over again.