Part 9 (1/2)
”Not very, Williah and very fishy: webetter Now that we have got in the seeds and potatoes, weto fell and carry the tirave had better use the axe withthe timber to the axle, and wheel it out to the place where we have decided upon building the house And noe had better go to bed”
William, however, had made up his lad to have soht, to try if he could not catch some before he went to bed; so he waited very quietly till he thought Ready was asleep as well as the others, and then went out with the lines, and went down to the beach, where he picked up three or four shells, and, breaking them between two pieces of rock, took out the fish and baited his hooks He then walked to the point It was a beautiful night; the water was very smooth, and the moonbeams pierced deep below the surface William threw in his line, and as soon as the lead touched the bottom he pulled it up about a foot, as Ready had instructed him; and he had not held his line more than half ait he was nearly hauled into the water; as it was, the fish was so strong that the line slipped through his hand and scored his fingers; but after a time he was able to pull it in, and he landed on the beach a large silver-scaled fish, weighing nine or ten pounds As soon as he had dragged it so far away fro into the water again, William took out the hook and determined to try for another His line was down as short a tiain jerked with violence; but William was this time prepared, and he let out the line and played the fish till it was tired, and then pulled it up, and found that the second fish was even larger than the first Satisfied with his success, he wound up his lines, and, running a piece of string through the gills of the fish, dragged theed the the Willialee; but Ready was very , William, to run the risk which you did If you were resolved to catch fish, why did you not tell one with you? You say, yourself, that the fish nearly hauled you into the water; suppose it had done so, or suppose a sropers (as we call them) had taken the bait, you must have been jerked in; and the rocks are so steep there, that you would not have been able to get out again before a shark had hold of you Think a moment ould have been the distress of your father and the agony and despair of your poor mother, when this news should have arrived”
”I was very wrong, Ready,” replied William, ”now that I think of it; but I wanted to surprise and please my mother”
”That reason is almost sufficient to plead your pardon, ain And now let us say no er, and there's no har you a little”
”No, indeed, Ready, I do not, for I was very thoughtless; but I had no idea that there was danger”
”There's your , ht? Look, here are two beautiful fish, and very excellent eating they are, I can tell you”
”I arave
To, ”Fried fish for dinner;” and Juno said, ”Have very fine dinner to-day, Missy Caroline”
After breakfast they all set out for the grove, where Ready had been cutting down the trees, taking with therave and Ready cut down the trees and slung theed them to the spot where the house was to be built
They were not sorry when dinner was ready, for it was very hard work
That night, tired as they were, Ready and Williahtthe cocoa-nut trees and dragging the timber for the remainder of the week, when they considered that they had nearly enough, and on Tuesdaythe house
Chapter XXIX
Ready had cut out and prepared the door-posts and -frames from timber which he had towed round froht at each corner, and then, with the assistance of Mr Seagrave, notched every log of cocoa-nut wood on both sides, where it was toalternately, they fitted pretty close, and had only to have the chinks between theht, and forced between thes were ready for carrying; and, by degrees, the house rose up from its foundation The fireplace could not be made at once, as they had either to find clay, or to burn shells into lime and build it up with rocks and mortar; but a space was left for it For three weeks they worked very hard: as soon as the sides were up, they got on the whole of the roof and rafters; and then, with the broad leaves of the cocoa-nut trees which had been cut down, Ready thatched it very strong and securely At the end of the three weeks the house was secure froun to change, the clouds now gathered thick, and the rainy season was co
”We have no tirave ”We have worked hard, but we must for a few days work harder still We must fit up the inside of the house, so as to enable Madaet into it as soon as possible”
The earth in the inside of the house was then beaten down hard, so as to make a floor; and a sort of bedstead, about two feet froth of the house, was raised on each side of the interior: these were fitted with canvas screens to let down by night And then Ready and William took the last trip in the boat to fetch the chairs and tables, which they did just before the co and all the utensils were now taken into the house; and a little outhouse was built up to cook in, until the fireplace could be ht that the family shi+fted into the new house; and fortunate it was that they had no further occasion for delay, for on the Sunday the first storreat force; and, although they were shi+elded froround and sawed each other's ste was vivid, and the thunder appalling, while the rain descended in a continual torrent The anirove; and, although noonday, it was so dark that they could not see to read
”This, then, is the rainy season which you talked about, Ready,” said Mrs Seagrave ”Is it always like this? If so, what shall we do?”
”No,at a ti every now and then almost every day, but still we shall have rain, perhaps, for many days without interht to be that we have a house over our heads; we should have been drowned in the tents”
”That I knew, et a house over your head; let us thank God for it”
”Indeed we ought,” observed Mr Seagrave; ”and it is, indeed, ti service was then performed in the new house Violent as the rain was, it did not penetrate through the thatch which had been put on Ready and William went out to secure the boat, which they were afraid would be injured, and returned wet to the skin The storht, but they slept dry and safe; and, when awakened by the noise of the thunder and the pelting of the rain, they thanked God that they had found a dwelling in the wilderness upon which they had been cast
Chapter xxx
When they all rose up the next , the clouds had cleared off, and the sun was shi+ning bright Ready and Juno were the first out of the house - Ready with the telescope under his arm, which he always took with hi
”Well, Juno,” said Ready, ”this is a fineafter the rain”
”Yes, Massa Ready, very fine ht, and make kittle boil for breakfast, I really don't know - stick and cocoa-nut trash all so wet”
”Before I went to bed last night, Juno, I covered up the embers with ashes, put some stones over them, and then some cocoa-nut branches, so I think you will find so's round, but I will stay a little and help you”
”Tank you, Massa Ready; plenty rain fell last night”
”Yes, not a little, Juno; you must not expect to find the water at the well very clear this ; indeed, I doubt if you will see the well at all Here's soot plenty of fire, too,” replied Juno, who had removed the branches and stones, and was now on her knees blowing up the embers
”You'll do very well now, Juno,” said Ready; ”besides, William will be out directly - so I'll leave you”
Ready whistled to the dogs, who ca out, and then set off on his round of inspection He first directed his steps to the well in the ravine; but, instead of the gushi+ng spring and the limpid clear water, hich the cask sunk for a well had been filled, there was now adown the ravine, and the as covered with it, and not to be distinguished
”I thought asover the impetuous stream; ”well, better too h, as he wished to examine the turtle-pond, which was on the other side of the streaain crossed the water, where it was now spread wide over the sandy beach, until he came to the other point where he had moored his boat, both by the head and stern, with a rope, and a heavy stone made fast to it, as an anchor
From this point, as usual, he surveyed the horizon with his telescope; not that he thought that there was a chance of a vessel arriving a these islands; but, still, as it was possible, he took the trouble; but never except when he went out in thealone, as he are that the very circurave melancholy and unsettled As usual, he dropped the telescope on his ar that”
The gale having blown offshore, the boat had dragged her et at her
”Here's a puzzle,” said the old man; ”how foolish of me not to have made a line fast to the shore! I'll not trustto the boat”
”Letto the boat's sails, which be had left on the beach, and bent one on to the other until he had sufficient length of rope He then , fast by the middle to the end of the rope, and, after one or two attempts, contrived to throw it into the boat The piece of wood caught under one of the thwarts, and this enabled hi baled out the water which had fallen into her during the storarden
”Now to find the sheep and goats,” said Ready, ”and then 's walk is over Now, Romulus, now, Res, who appeared to knohat he was in search of, went away in pursuit, and soon found the sheep and two of the goats, but the third goat was not with them
”Why, where can Black Nanny be?”a little while; at last he heard a bleat, in a small copse of brush wood, to which he directed his steps, followed by the dogs ”I thought asdown in the copse with t-born kids at her side ”Come, my little felloeone up under each arm ”Coht in the kids, followed by Nanny He found Mr and Mrs Seagrave and the children all dressed Caroline and Toht when they saw the little kids, and even little Albert clapped his hands As soon as Ready put theround, Tommy and Caroline had each their arht an addition to our farave,” said Ready: ”we must allow them to remain in the house until I can knock up a little shelter for the; I expect we shall soon have more”
As soon as the children could be persuaded to part with the kids, Nanny was tied up in a corner, and was very content with fondling and nursing her progeny Juno and Williaht in the breakfast, and as soon as it was over, Mr Seagrave said, ”Now, Ready, I think we e the rainy season We have a great deal to do, and reat deal to do, and, to get through our work, weenough to kno ularity and discipline Why, sir, there is ot out of men in a well-conducted man-of-war than there can in the merchant service in double the ti is in its place, and there is a place for everything”