masterman ready-第13章

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〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　and　with　more　ease　than　you　would　think。　There's　no　tree　so　valuable　as　the　cocoa…nut　tree；　and　the　wood　is　so　light　that　we　can　easily　move　it　about。〃

〃Why；　what　are　the　great　merits　of　the　cocoa…nut　tree？〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃I'll　tell　you；　madam：　in　the　first　place；　you　have　the　wood　to　build　the　house　with；　then　you　have　the　bark　with　which　you　can　make　ropes　and　lines；　and　fishing…nets　if　you　please；　then　you　have　the　leaves　for　thatching　your　house；　then　you　have　the　fruit；　which；　as　a　nut；　is　good　to　eat；　and　very　useful　in　cooking；　and　in　the　young　nut　is　the　milk；　which　is　also　very　wholesome；　then　you　have　the　oil　to　burn；　and　the　shell　to　make　cups　of；　if　you　haven't　any；　and　then　you　can　draw　toddy　from　the　tree；　which　is　very　pleasant　to　drink　when　fresh；　but　will　make　you　tipsy　if　it　is　kept　too　long。　There　is　no　tree　which　yields　so　many　useful　things　to　man；　for　it　supplies　him　with　almost　everything。〃

〃At　all　events；　we've　plenty　of　them；〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　William；　there's　no　want　of　them；　and　I　am　glad　of　it；　for　had　there　been　but　few；　I　should　not　have　liked　to　destroy　them。　People　might　be　wrecked　here；　as　well　as　ourselves；　and　without　the　good　fortune　that　we　have　had　in　getting　so　many　necessaries　on　shore；　and　they　might　be　obliged　to　depend　wholly　upon　the　cocoa…nut　trees　for　their　support。〃



Chapter　XIII

When　breakfast　was　over　the　next　morning；　Ready　observed；　〃Now；　Mr。　Seagrave；　we　must　hold　a　council　of　war；　and　decide　upon　an　exploring　party　for　to…morrow；　and；　when　we　have　settled　that；　we　will　find　some　useful　way　of　employing　ourselves　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　The　first　question　is；　of　whom　is　the　party　to　consist？　…　and　upon　that　I　wish　to　hear　your　opinion。〃

〃Why；　Ready；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃it　appears　to　me　that　you　and　I　should　go。〃

〃Surely　not　both　of　you；　my　dear；〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃You　can　do　without　my　husband；　can　you　not；　Ready？〃

〃I　certainly　should　have　liked　to　have　Mr。　Seagrave　to　advise　with；　ma'am；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　still　I　have　thought　upon　it；　and　do　not　think　that　William　would　be　quite　sufficient　protection　for　you；　or；　at　all　events；　you　would　not　feel　that　he　was；　which　is　much　the　same　thing；　and　so；　if　Mr。　Seagrave　has　no　objection；　it　would　perhaps　be　better　that　he　remained　with　you。〃

〃Would　you　go　alone；　then；　Ready？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃No；　sir；　I　do　not　think　that　would　be　right　either；　…　some　accident　might　happen；　there　is　no　saying　what　might　happen；　although　there　is　every　appearance　of　safety。　I　should　like；　therefore；　to　have　some　one　with　me；　the　question　is；　whether　it　be　William　or　Juno？〃

〃Take　me；〃　said　Tommy。

〃Take　you；　Tommy！〃　said　Ready；　laughing；　〃then　I　must　take　Juno　to　take　care　of　you。　No；　I　think　they　cannot　spare　you。　Your　mamma　will　want　you　when　we　are　gone；　you　are　so　useful　in　gathering　wood　for　the　fire；　and　taking　care　of　your　little　sister　and　brother；　that　your　mother　cannot　part　with　you；　so　I　must　have　either　Juno　or　William。〃

〃And　which　would　you　prefer；　Ready？〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃William；　certainly；　ma'am；　if　you　will　let　him　go　with　me；　as　you　could　ill　spare　the　girl。〃

〃Indeed；　I　do　not　like　it；　I　would　rather　lose　Juno　for　a　time；〃　replied　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃My　dear　wife；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃recollect　how　Providence　has　preserved　us　in　such　awful　dangers　…　how　we　are　landed　in　safety。　And　now；　will　you　not　put　trust　in　that　Providence；　when　the　dangers　are；　as　I　trust；　only　imaginary？〃

〃I　was　wrong；　my　dear　husband；　but　sickness　and　suffering　have　made　me；　I　fear；　not　only　nervous　and　frightened；　but　selfish：　I　must　and　will　shake　it　off。　Hitherto　I　have　only　been　a　clog　and　an　incumbrance　to　you；　but　I　trust　I　shall　soon　behave　better；　and　make　myself　useful。　If　you　think；　then；　that　it　would　be　better　that　you　should　go　instead　of　William；　I　am　quite　content。　Go；　then；　with　Ready；　and　may　Heaven　protect　you　both！〃

〃No；　ma'am；〃　replied　Ready；　〃William　will　do　just　as　well。　Indeed；　I　would　go　by　myself　with　pleasure；　but　we　know　not　what　the　day　may　bring　forth。　I　might　be　taken　ill　…　I　might　hurt　myself　…　I　am　an　old　man；　you　know；　and　then　I　was　thinking　that　if　any　accident　was　to　happen　to　me；　you　might　miss　me　…　that's　all。〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　replied　Mrs　Seagrave；　〃a　mother　is　foolish　at　times。〃

〃Over…anxious；　ma'am；　perhaps；　but　not　foolish；〃　replied　Ready。

〃Well；　then；　William　shall　go　with　you；　Ready；　…　that　point's　settled；〃　observed　Mr。　Seagrave：　〃what　is　the　next？〃

〃The　next　is　to　prepare　for　our　journey。　We　must　take　some　provisions　and　water　with　us；　a　gun　and　some　ammunition；　a　large　axe　for　me；　and　one　of　the　hatchets　for　William；　and；　if　you　please；　Romulus　and　Remus　had　better　come　with　us。　Juno；　put　a　piece　of　beef　and　a　piece　of　pork　into　the　pot。　William；　will　you　fill　four　quart　bottles　with　water；　while　I　sew　up　a　knapsack　out　of　canvas　for　each　of　us？〃

〃And　what　shall　I　do；　Ready？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃Why；　sir；　if　you　will　sharpen　the　axe　and　the　hatchet　on　the　grindstone；　it　would　be　of　great　service；　and　Tommy　can　turn　it；　he　is　so　fond　of　work。〃

Tommy　jumped　up　directly；　he　was　quite　strong　enough　to　turn　the　grindstone；　but　he　was　much　fonder　of　play　than　work；　but　as　Ready　had　said　that　he　was　fond　of　it；　he　wished　to　prove　that　such　was　the　case；　and　worked　very　hard。　Before　they　went　to　prayers　and　retired　for　the　night；　the　axe　was　sharpened；　the　knapsacks　made；　and　everything　else　ready。

〃When　do　you　intend　to　start；　Ready？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃Why；　sir；　I　should　like　to　get　off　at　the　dawn　of　day；　when　the　heat　is　not　so　great。〃

〃And　when　do　you　intend　to　come　back？〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Why；　madam；　we　have　provisions　enough　for　three　days：　if　we　start　to…morrow　morning；　which　is　Wednesday；　I　hope　to　be　back　some　time　on　Friday　evening；　but　I　won't　be　later　than　Saturday　morning　if　I　can　help　it。〃

〃Good…night　…　and　good…bye；　mother；〃　said　William；　〃for　I　shall　not　see　you　to…morrow！〃

〃God　bless　and　protect　you；　my　dear　child！〃　replied　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃Take　care　of　him；　Ready；　and　good…bye　to　you　till　we　meet。〃

Mrs。　Seagrave　went　into　the　tent　to　hide　the　tears　which　she　could　not　suppress。



Chapter　XIV

Ready　was　up　before　the　sun　had　appeared；　and　he　awakened　William。　The　knapsacks　had　been　already　packed；　with　two　bottles　of　water　in　each；　wrapped　round　with　cocoa…nut　leaves；　to　prevent　their　breaking；　and　the　beef　and　pork　divided　between　each　knapsack。　Ready's；　which　was　larger　than　William's；　held　the　biscuit　and　several　other　things　which　Ready　had　prepared　in　case　they　might　require　them。

As　soon　as　the　knapsacks　were　on；　Ready　took　the　axe　and　gun；　and　asked　William　if　he　thought　he　could　carry　a　small　spade　on　his　shoulder；　which　they　had　brought　on　shore　along　with　the　shovels。　William　replied　that　he　could；　and　the　dogs；　who　appeared　to　know　they　were　going；　were　all　ready　standing　by　them。　Then；　just　as　the　sun　rose；　they　turned　into　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　and　were　soon　out　of　sight　of　the　tents。

〃Now；　William；　do　you　know；〃　said　Ready；　stopping　after　they　had　walked　twenty　yards；　〃by　what　means　we　may　find　our　way　back　again；　for　you　see　this　forest　of　trees　is　rather　puzzling；　and　there　is　no　path　to　guide　us？〃

〃No；　I　am　sure　I　cannot　tell；　I　was　thinking　of　the　very　same　thing　when　you　spoke；　and　of　Tom　Thumb；　who　strewed　peas　to　find　his　way　back；　but　could　not　do　it；　because　the　birds　picked　them　all　up。〃

〃Well；　Tom　Thumb　did　not　manage　well；　and　we　must　try　to　do　better；　we　must　do　as　the　Americans　always　do　in　their　woods；　…　we　must　blaze　the　trees。〃

〃Blaze　them！　what；　set　fire　to　them？〃　replied　William。

〃No；　no；　William。　Blaze　is　a　term　they　use　when　they　cut　a　slice　of　the　bark　off　the　trunk　of　a　tree；　just　with　one　blow　of　a　sharp　axe；　as　a　mark　to　find　their　way　back　again。　They　do　not　blaze　every　tree；　but　about　every　tenth　tree　as　they　go　along；　first　one　to　the　right；　and　then　one　to　the　left；　which　is　quite　sufficient；　and　it　is　very　little　trouble；　…　they　do　it　as　they　walk　along；　without　stopping。　So　now　we'll　begin：　you　take　the　other　side；　it　will　be　more　handy　for　you　to　have　your　hatchet　in　your　right　hand；　I　can　use　my