Part 2 (2/2)
”Well, let us hope that there will be more,” replied Ready; ”if not, we o to the helht for the island; it would not do to pass it, for, Mr Seagrave, although the shi+p does not leak so much as she did, yet I must now tell you that I do not think that she could be kept ht otherwise thiswhen I sounded the well; but when I went down in the hold for the beef, I perceived that ere in er than I had any idea of; however, there is the land, and every chance of escape; so let us thank the Lord for all his rave
Ready went to the helm and steered a course for the land, which was not so far distant as he had irees the wind freshened up, and they went faster through the water; and now, the trees, which had appeared as if in the air, joined on to the land, and they could roves of cocoa-nuts Occasionally Ready gave the helrave, and went forward to examine When they ithin three or four miles of it, Ready came back from the forecastle and said, ”I think I see my way pretty clear, sir: you see we are to the ard of the island, and there is always deep water to the ard of these sort of isles, and reefs and shoals to leeward; we must, therefore, find some little cleft in the coral rock to dock her in, as it were, or she round, for sometimes these islands run up like a wall, with forty or fifty fathom of water close to the weather-sides of them; but I see a spot where I think she may be put on shore with safety You see those three cocoa-nut trees close together on the beach? Now, sir, I cannot well see theo forward, and if I aht hand, and if to the left, the saht to be, then drop the hand which you have raised”
”I understand, Ready,” replied Mr Seagrave; who then went forward and directed the steering of the vessel as they neared the island When they ithin half a ed, very much to the satisfaction of Ready, who knew that the weather-side of the island would not be so steep as was usually the case: still it was an agitating moment as they ran on to beach They were noithin a cable's length, and still the shi+p did not ground; a little nearer, and there was a grating at her bottorew below like forests under water - again she grated, and ain; at last she struck violently, as the swell lifted her further on, and then reo the helm to ascertain the position of the shi+p He looked over the stern and around the shi+p, and found that she was firmly fixed, fore and aft, upon a bed of coral rocks
Chapter VIII
”All's well so far, sir,” said Ready to Mr Seagrave; ”and now let us return thanks to Heaven”
As they rose to their feet again, after giving thanks to the Alhty, William came up and said, ”Father, my mother akened by the noise under the shi+p's bottoo down to her?”
”What is the matter, rave, when her husband went down below ”I have been so frightened - I was in a sound sleep, and I akened with such a dreadful noise”
”Be coreat danger, and are now, I trust, in safety Tellsleep?”
”Yes, er; but do tell me what has happened”
”Much took place, dearest, before you went to sleep, which was concealed froo on shore in a short time--”
”Go on shore, my dear?”
”Yes, on shore Now be calm, and hear what has happened, and how rave then entered into a detail of all that had passed Mrs Seagrave heard him without reply; and when he had finished, she threw herself in his arrave re all his efforts to console her, until Juno reappeared with the children, for it was now getting late; then he returned on deck
”Well, sir,” said Ready, when Mr Seagrave went up to hi well about reat reason to be thankful The shi+p is fast enough, and will not ales come on and break her up; but of that there is no fear at present: the little wind that there is, is going down, and we shall have a calrant that there is no iet on shore? - and, when on shore, how are we to exist?”
”I have thought of that too, sir, and I must have your assistance, and even that of Master Williaet the little boat on board to repair her: her bottoh for that, and with soht to land us all in safety We et on shore?”
”Why, Mr Seagrave, where there are cocoa-nut trees in such plenty as there are on that island, there is no fear of starvation, even if we had not the shi+p's provisions I expect a little difficulty with regard to water, for the island is low and s exactly as ish”
”I ahty for our preservation, Ready; but still there are feelings which I cannot get over Here we are cast away upon a desolate island, which perhaps no shi+p may ever co taken off It is a e”
”Mr Seagrave, as an old rateful to Heaven to give way to these repinings What is said in the book of Job? `Shall we receive good of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?' Besides, who knohether goodyour pardon, Mr Seagrave, I hope I have not offended you; but, indeed, sir, I felt that it was my duty to speak as I have done”
”You have reproved me very just]y, Ready; and I thank you for it,” replied Mr Seagrave; ”I will repine no more, but make the best of it”
”And trust in God, sir, who, if he thinks fit, will restore you once more to your friends, and increase tenfold your flocks and herds”
”That quotation beco, ”considering that all my prospects are in flocks and herds upon my land in New South Wales I must put myself under your orders; for, in our present position, you are ht?”
”I can do a little, Mr Seagrave; but you cannot assistthese two spars aft; and then I can rig a pair of sheers, and have theet the boat in You see, with so little strength on board, and no rave assisted Ready in getting the two spars aft, and laid on the spot which was required ”There now, Mr Seagrave, you s, and give thes I shall keep watch to-night, for I have plenty to do, and plenty to think of; so, good-night, sir”
Ready re his tackles ready for the morrow When all was done, he sat down upon one of the hen-coops aft, and re and exertion, the old s, who had been set at liberty, and who, after walking about the shi+p and finding nobody, had then gone to sleep at the cabin door At daybreak they had roused up, and going on deck had found old Ready asleep on the hen-coop, and were licking his face in their joy at having discovered hiot off the hen-coop, ”you'll all three be useful, if I mistake not, by and by Down, Vixen, down - poor creature, you've lost a good master, I' to hi board and a bit of chalk, and write theood as it was”
Ready placed the logboard on the hen-coop, and then wrote on it with the chalk:-- ”Three dogs, two goats, and Billy the kid (I think there's five pigs); fowls (quite enough); three or four pigeons (I'ain, I'm afraid, so weto Mr Seagrave - plenty of live stock Nohat's the first things we allant sail for a tent, a coil or two of rope, a mattress or two for Mada to eat - yes, and so to cut it with There, that will do for the present,” said old Ready, getting up ”Now, I'll just light the fire, get the water on, and, while I think of it, boil two or three pieces of beef and pork to go on shore with therave, for I reckon it will be a hard day's work”
Chapter IX
As soon as Ready had executed his intentions, and had fed the anirave and William With their assistance the sheers were raised, and secured in their place; the boat was then hooked on, but, as one person was required to bear it clear of the davits and taffrail, they could not hoist it in
”Master William, will you run down to Juno, and tell her to come on deck to assist us - we must all work now?”
Williairl; and, with her assistance, they succeeded in getting the boat in
The boat was turned over, and Ready corave, at his request, put the pitch-pot on the galley fire, all ready for pitching the canvas when it was nailed on It was not till dinner-time that Ready, who had worked hard, could patch up the boat; he then payed the canvas and the seams which he had caulked with pitch both inside and out
”I think we shall do now, sir,” said Ready; ”we'll drag her to the gangway and launch her It's fortunate for us that they did clear away the gunnel, as we shall have no trouble”
A rope was made fast to the boat, to hold her to the shi+p: she was then launched over the gunnel by the united exertions of Mr Seagrave and Ready, and to their great satisfaction she appeared to leak very little
”Now, sir,” said Ready, ”what shall we do first - take sos on shore, or some of the children?”
”What do you say, Ready?”
”I think as the water is as slass, and we can land anywhere, you and I had better go first to reconnoitre, - it is not two hundred yards to the beach, and we shall lose but little time”
”Very well, Ready, I will first run down and tell my wife”
”And, in the meanwhile, I'll put the sail into the boat, and one or two other things”
Ready put the sail in, an axe, a ot into the boat and pulled on shore
When they landed, they found that they could see nothing of the interior of the island, the cocoa-nut groves were so thick; but to their right they perceived, at about a quarter of ain front of the cocoa-nut trees
”That,” said Ready, pointing to it, ”ain and pull to it”