Part 6 (1/2)

The book they were reading was called ”_The Castaways_,” and Bo was listening to Yulee with the greatest attention. At last, just as the great clock in the hall struck three, Yulee finished; she had skipped some of the parts, especially the hard names and Miss Keenmark's science, but she had read the book through and Bo had heard most of it.

”Bo!” said she, as she shut the book, ”I'd like to be a castaway, wouldn't you? It would be so fine to live on the top of a rock and have to go up a rope ladder, and keep goats, and save the lives of Africans, and sleep in an ox-cart!”

”Oh, but the lions!” said Bo, ”and the--and the--what are those big things that live in the water, and most swallowed the canoe?--you know.”

”I know what you mean,” said Yulee. ”The hippopotamuses. I said the word all the way going to school yesterday, so as to remember it.”

”I shouldn't like them,” said Bo.

”Oh, but one of the men would fire right into his mouth, just as Albert did. I'll find the place;” and turning over the leaves of the book, she came to the story, and read:--”But they had not been long seated when a tremendous shock was felt; the light canoe was thrown above the water, and capsized in a moment; and Albert, who was standing at the stern of the raft, watching the boat, saw, to his great horror, the huge head of a hippopotamus raised above the water, preparing to seize the canoe with its red open mouth. Calling for aid, he seized his gun and fired in the face of the ferocious beast, which with terrific roars, dived down and disappeared.”

”But who'd you have to shoot the--pippi--what is it?” asked Bo.

”The hippopotamus,” said Yulee, who liked to p.r.o.nounce the word; ”why, of course, there must be some men wrecked with me: there's the captain, and the doctor, and carpenter, and the pa.s.sengers--”

”A'n't girls ever wrecked alone?” asked Bo; Yulee thought a minute; she tried to recollect the different stories she had read about people who were cast away. ”No;” she said finally, ”there is always the captain, and the doctor, and the carpenter, and some of the pa.s.sengers at least; and the carpenter finds his chest.”

Bo had nothing to say against such a mode of s.h.i.+pwrecking, and Yulee continued: ”But I think I'd rather be cast away on an island like Robinson Crusoe or The Little Robinson, where there was water all around, and canoes and pearls, just as it is in 'The Swiss Family.'”

”Bo!” she said suddenly, ”I do declare! let's be cast away on the island in the lake! We can get into the boat, you know, and be wrecked on the sh.o.r.e, and you can take your bow and arrows, and I'll take my tea-set and my range, and we'll build a little house, and perhaps there are some goats on the island! Wouldn't it be grand!”

Bo opened his brown eyes wide at the idea. ”Well let's do it!” said he; it was enough for him that Yulee had proposed it; ”I'll go right off and get my bow and arrows.”

”And I'll get my tea-set and the range, and I'll take Miss Phely,” said Yulee. They jumped up from the flat door-step, and ran into the house, and up stairs to the play-room. There they began collecting what they thought they should need, and Yulee very soon pounced on Miss Phely who was in the corner of the room, sitting very stiffly upon a small willow rocking chair. Miss Phely's face originally was black, but rather streaked with a doubtful colour now, as it had been washed somewhat vigorously at different times; her eyes were blue and very wide open, and her dress, which wanted a pin behind, was of spotted pink calico.

Her arms she held rather stiffly away from her clothes, and her fingers were stretched as far apart as they well could be. Yulee was in a hurry, and took her up unceremoniously by the waist, but Miss Phely did not seem at all disturbed, and did not even wink or shut her fingers together.

They hurried down stairs and out by the front door, pa.s.sing on tip-toe by their grandfather, Old Benjy Robin, who slept soundly in his chair, with his cane between his knees and the bandanna thrown over his head to keep away the flies. Even Juniper, the dog, never woke up, though Yulee was strongly tempted to add him to the party of castaways. They pa.s.sed through the garden gate, and crossing the road walked through the pasture, down the path that led to the sh.o.r.e of Clearwater. There, tied to a stake, was their father's flat-bottomed boat, with keel-boats near by. Yulee chose the flat-bottomed boat, and they proceeded to put on board their various stores.

First, and head foremost, Miss Phely was deposited upon one of the seats; if her head had been less hard it must have disliked the wooden pillow that it was knocked down upon. After her came the box of cups and saucers, tea-pot, sugar-bowl and creamer; then some of Miss Phely's clothes, in case a change were desirable; a little Shaker basket, never before used, which Yulee said was for berries; the bow and arrows; a pail for the goats' milk; a tin pump with a trough attached to it; little Bo carrying a pop-gun which was too valuable to be suffered out of his hands; and lastly, Yulee holding in one hand ”The Castaways,” to refer to in case of need, and in the other the most precious thing of all to her--a little complete leaden range with places for every thing, which had been given her for a present on her last birth-day, and in which it had ever since been her secret but firm determination to build a real fire. The range was altogether too valuable to be laid on the seat like Miss Phely, so Yulee kept it in her hands; and she had not forgotten either--prudent Yulee! to bring some matches wrapped up in a piece of newspaper, and which she kept her eyes on constantly, as they lay in the range, expecting every moment to see them start a-fire; indeed, they kept her very uneasy. However, everything was now aboard.

”Here, Bo,” said she, ”you sit down there, side of Miss Phely, and don't let her tumble overboard, and I'll go and untie the rope.” Bo began to be a little frightened, but he had faith in Yulee, and Yulee had great faith in herself. When she had untied the end of the rope that was in the boat--and very hard work she found it--she said:

”Now we're off, Bo! are you all ready?”

”Yes,” said Bo.

”No; you must say, 'aye aye, sir!'” said Yulee.

”But you a'n't _sir_,” said Bo.

”Yes I am,” said Yulee, ”I'm the Captain;” and she took her seat in the middle of the boat, where she said the Captain always sat. ”This s.h.i.+p is the _Little Madras_, Bo,” said she. ”Where's 'The Castaways'? I'll read about it.” So she read how all the party, after their first s.h.i.+pwreck in the _Madras_, had embarked again in the s.h.i.+p's long boat, which the Captain called the _Little Madras_.

”Are there any of those big animals here? you know that long name,”

asked Bo.

”Hippopotamuses?” said Yulee, promptly, delighted at the opportunity of using the word. ”Oh, no! there are no hippopotamuses in Clearwater; the hippopotamuses only live in Africa.”

”You never saw one, did you?” said Bo, who didn't like to use the word.

”No,” said Yulee. ”I never saw a hippopotamus, but I've seen an elephant in the menagerie and I guess it's something like it. There's a picture of one in the Castaways,” and she showed it to Bo.