Part 10 (1/2)
”But she did not blame you for what you had done?”
”Oh no, Williahbour, and perhaps she felt in her own heart that I had returned good for evil; but she did not say so The next day Mr Masterman called upon us; he certainly looked very foolish and confused when he asked for his Godson, wholected My ht be to me, received hilect of me and my mother, and of his supposed unfair conduct towards my father, and had taken a violent dislike to him; his advances towards lad that I had saved his at the time, I a done a good action, soput one under an obligation who had treated me ill; this arose from my proud spirit, which my mother could not check So you see, William, there was very little ed those feelings which I ought to have checked”
”I think I could not have helped feeling the same, Ready, under such circumstances,” replied Williaood,” replied Ready; ”but the feeling which I indulged in afterwards took away the wholewhat I believe to be the truth; and an old man like ret Mr Masterman made but a short visit; he toldme up to the business of a shi+p-builder as soon as I was old enough to leave school, and that in the meantirateful, and shed tears of joy; and when Mr Masterman went away, she embraced me, and said that now she was happy, as I should have a profession on shore and not go to sea I must do justice to Mr Masterman; he kept his word and sent money to my mother, so that she becaratulated her, and she used to fondle h me that she was relieved from her distress”
”How happy that must have made you, Ready!” said Williae to say, I could not conquertoo long I could not bear that ations to hi; it hurt h my mother was happy, I was not Besides, as I was put to a better school, and was obliged to reer run about the wharfs, or go on board the vessels, as before I did not see then, as I do now, that it was all for ood but I becaed to pay attention to er have my oay The master complained of me; and Mr Masterman called and scolded me well I became more disobedient, and then I was punished This irritated me, and I made up my mind that I would run away to sea You see, Willia; and so will all boys be who think they know better than those who have charge of them; and now only see what I probably lost by my foolish conduct I say probably, for no one can calculate or foresee what is to take place; but, as far as appearances went, I had every prospect of receiving a good education - of succeeding Mr Master his large fortune; so that I ht have been at this time a rich and well-educated man, surrounded with all the comforts and luxuries of life; perhaps with an ae fa what I now am, a poor, worn-out old seaman upon a desert isle I point this out to you, Willia may affect their whole prospects in life; and, instead of enabling them to sail doith the streaainst the current of adversity, as has been the case with ood lesson, Ready,” said Mr Seagrave
”It is; not that I repine at ret the errors that led to it An all-wise and gracious God disposes of us as he thinks best; and I can now say with perfect sincerity, `Thy will, not mine, be done'”
”Your misfortunes have, however, proved an incalculable benefit to us, Ready,” observed Mrs Seagrave; ”for had you not gone to sea, and been on board the shi+p when the crew deserted us, ould have become of us?”
”Well, madam, it is some comfort to think that a worn-out old seaman like myself has been of so of the kids woke theain fine, and the sun shi+ning brightly, and Ready turned out Nanny and her progeny They had an excellent breakfast of fried fish, and then Mr Seagrave, Ready, and William went out to their work: the two first took down the tents, and spread the canvas on the ground, that it ht be well dried, while William went in pursuit of the fohich had not been seen for a day or two After half-an-hour's search in the cocoa-nut grove, he heard the cock crow, and soon afterwards found theht with hih and followed him home to the house, where he left them and went to join Ready and his father
”William,” said Ready, ”I think, now that we have spread out the tents, ill, if Mr Seagrave approves, all set to at once and knock up a fowl-house; it won't be more than a day's job, and then the creatures will have a home There are four very thick cocoa-nut trees close to the house; ill build it under therave assented, and they set immediately to work There were many thin poles left, the tops of the cocoa-nut trees which had been cut down to build the house; these they nailed to the trunks of the four trees, so as to make a square, and then they ran up rafters for a pitched roof
”Now, sir, this is only rough work; ill first put up a perch or two for them, and then close in the side, and thatch the roof with cocoa-nut branches; but there's Juno taking in the dinner, so we'll finish it afterwards”
After their rave collected the branches while William and Ready worked upon the sides and roof, and before the evening closed in, the fowl-house was complete William enticed the fowls down to it with some more split peas, and then walked away
”Now, sir, the creatures will soon find their way in; and by and by, when I have time, I'll make a door to the entrance”
”And now,” said William, ”I think we had better roll up the canvas of the tents; we have had a splendid day, and may not be so fortunate to-et them housed, and stow them away under the bed-places; there is plenty of room” By the tiht in Nanny and the kids, the sun had set, and they went into the house Ready was requested to go on with his history, which he did as follows:-- ”I said last night that I detero to sea, but I did not tell you how Iout of the school unperceived, except after the boys were all put to bed The room that I slept in was at the top of the house - the doors I kneere all locked; but there was a trap-door which led out on the roof, fastened by a bolt inside, and a ladder leading up to it; and I determined that I would make my escape by that way As soon as all the other boys were fast asleep, I arose and dressed myself very quietly, and then left the rooht, which was lucky for ained the trap-door without any noise I had so it up, as it was heavy for a boy of ained the roof of the house I then began looking aboutto and fro several tie water-pipe; it was so far detached froers round it I cli to the pipe firmly with my hands and knees, I slid down, and arrived at the bottom in safety”
”It's a wonder you did not break your neck, Ready,” observed Mrs Seagrave
”It was, indeed, ma'am As soon as I was landed in the flowerbed, which was below, I hastened to the iron gates at the entrance, and soon cliot to the other side into the road I started as fast as I could towards the port, and when I arrived at the wharf, I perceived that a vessel had her topsails loose, and e of the ebb-tide which had justthe anchor up; and as I stood watching, al up my mind that I would swim off to her, I perceived that ato a post a little higher up, where a hawser had been made fast; I ran round, and arrived there before he had cast off the rope; without saying a word, I juster?' said the seao to sea,' said I, breathless; `take me on board - pray do'
”`Well,' said he, `I heard the captain say he wanted an apprentice, and so you ain to the vessel, and I climbed up her side
”`Who are you?' said the captain
”I told hio to sea
”`You are too little and too young'
”`No, I ao aloft?'
”`I'll show you,' replied I; and I ran up the rigging like a cat, and went out at the topgallant yard-arm
”When I came down, the captain said, `Well, I think you'll make a sharp seaet to London, I'll bind you apprentice'
”The shi+p, which was a collier, was soon out of port, and before the day had dawned I found myself on the wide ocean, which was hereafter to be my home
”As soon as the hurry and confusion were over, I was exah, harsh man; indeed, before the day was over I almost repented of the step which I had taken, and when I sat down cold and wet upon sohts of my mother, and what distress I should occasion her, for the first time rushed into my mind, and I wept bitterly; but it was too late then I have often thought, Mr Seagrave, that the life of hardshi+p which I have since gone through has been a judg her the way I did It broke her heart; a poor return, Williaive me!”
Old Ready left off for some little time, and the remainder of the party kept silence Then he said - ”I'll leave off now, if you please: I don't feel inclined to go on; my heart is full when I recall that foolish and wicked deed ofwas fine, and as soon as breakfast was over, they took the wheels down to the turtle-pond, and Ready having speared one of the largest by means of a pike with a barb to it, which he hadit under the wheels, and took it up to the house Having killed the turtle, and cut it up, Juno, under the directions of Ready, chose such portions as were required for the soup; and when the pot was on the fire, Ready, Mr Seagrave, and William set off with the cross-cut saw and hatchets, to co of the outhouse, which was to hold their stores, as soon as they could be brought round from the other side of the island
”I er, sir,” observed Ready; ”and therefore I have selected this thick part of the wood, as it is not very far fro, it will be quite hidden froh to allow the wheels to pass, and stued to cut down, otherwise the sturee with you, Ready,” replied Mr Seagrave; ”there is no saying what may happen”
”You see, sir, it is often the custom for the natives, in this part of the world, to coet cocoa-nuts I can't say that the other islands near us are inhabited, but still it is probable, and we cannot tell what the character of the people may be I tell you this, but we had better not say a word to Mrs Seagrave, as it reed, and Ready continued: ”We are now near the spot, sir You see, e have got over this hill, where the trees are so very thick, the fall in the ground will assist in the concealht wherestand”
”How far arefrom the house? We must not be too distant”
”I reckon we are not 150 yards in a straight line, although the road will, by its turning, make it double the distance”
”Then I think this spot will do very well”
”I'll just rave, and those which are to be cut down, so as to leave about four feet of stu, the axes and saere in full use, and tree after tree fell one upon the other They worked hard till dinner-ti down to a rich mess of turtle-soup
”My dear Williarave, how very warrave; ”youdown trees is very ork, mother,” replied William, ”and hard ill never hurt any one, especially when he dines off turtle-soup Why, Tommy, what's the matter with you?”
”Torave ”I had , when I was called out by Juno, and Caroline ith me, and Tommy was left in the house When I ca back to my work, there was no thimble to be found; I asked him if he had touched it, and his ansas that he would look for it He did look, and said he could not find it; I have asked him several times if he took it away, and his only answer is that he will find it by and by”