masterman ready-第14章

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d；　I　can　use　my　left。　See　now　…　just　a　slice　off　the　bark　…　the　weight　of　the　axe　does　it　almost。〃

〃What　an　excellent　plan！〃　observed　William。

〃But　I　have　another　friend　in　my　pocket；〃　replied　Ready；　〃and　I　must　use　him　soon。〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃Poor　Captain　Osborn's　pocket…compass。　You　see；　William；　the　blazing　will　direct　us　how　to　go　back　again；　but　it　will　not　tell　us　what　course　we　are　now　to　steer。　At　present；　I　know　we　are　going　right；　as　I　can　see　through　the　wood　behind　us；　but　by　and　by　we　shall　not　be　able；　and　then　I　must　make　use　of　the　compass。〃

〃I　understand　that　very　well；　but　tell　me；　Ready；　why　do　you　bring　the　spade　with　us　…　what　will　be　the　use　of　it？　You　did　not　say　yesterday　that　you　were　going　to　bring　me。〃

〃No；　William；　I　did　not；　as　I　did　not　like　to　make　your　mother　anxious；　but　the　fact　is；　I　am　very　anxious　myself　as　to　whether　there　is　any　water　on　this　island；　if　there　is　not；　we　shall　have　to　quit　it　sooner　or　later；　for　although　we　may　get　water　by　digging　in　the　sand；　it　would　be　too　brackish　to　use　for　any　time；　and　would　make　us　all　ill。　Very　often　there　will　be　water　if　you　dig　for　it；　although　it　does　not　show　above…ground；　and　therefore　I　brought　the　spade。〃

〃You　think　of　everything；　Ready。〃

〃No；　I　do　not；　William；　but；　in　our　present　situation；　I　think　of　more　things　than　perhaps　your　father　and　mother　would：　they　have　never　known　what　it　is　to　be　put　to　their　shifts；　but　a　man　like　me；　who　has　been　all　his　life　at　sea；　and　who　has　been　wrecked；　and　suffered　hardships　and　difficulties；　and　has　been　obliged　to　think　or　die；　has　a　greater　knowledge；　not　only　from　his　own　sufferings；　but　by　hearing　how　others　have　acted　when　they　were　in　distress。　Necessity　sharpens　a　man's　wits；　and　it　is　very　curious　what　people　do　contrive　when　they　are　compelled　to　do　so；　especially　seamen。〃

〃And　where　are　we　going　to　now；　Ready？〃

〃Right　to　the　leeward　side　of　the　island。〃

〃Why　do　you　call　it　the　leeward　side　of　the　island？〃

〃Because　among　these　islands　the　winds　almost　always　blow　one　way；　we　landed　on　the　windward　side；　the　wind　is　at　our　back；　now　put　up　your　finger；　and　you　will　feel　it　even　among　the　trees。〃

〃No；　I　cannot；〃　replied　William；　as　he　held　up　his　finger。

〃Then　wet　your　finger；　and　try　again。〃

William　wet　his　finger；　and　held　it　up　again。　〃Yes；　I　feel　it　now；〃　said　he；　〃but　why　is　that？〃

〃Because　the　wind　blows　against　the　wet；　and　you　feel　the　cold。〃

As　Ready　said　this　the　dogs　growled；　then　started　forward　and　barked。

〃What　can　be　there？〃　cried　William。

〃Stand　still；　William；〃　replied　Ready；　cocking　his　gun；　〃and　I　will　go　forward　to　see。〃　Ready　advanced　cautiously　with　the　gun　to　his　hip。　The　dogs　barked　more　furiously；　and　at　last；　out　of　a　heap　of　cocoa…nut　leaves　collected　together；　burst　all　the　pigs　which　had　been　brought　on　shore；　grunting　and　galloping　away　as　fast　as　they　could；　with　the　dogs　in　pursuit　of　them。

〃It's　only　the　pigs；〃　said　Ready；　smiling；　〃I　never　thought　I　should　be　half…frightened　by　a　tame　pig。　Here；　Romulus！　here；　Remus！　come　back！〃　continued　Ready；　calling　to　the　dogs。　〃Well；　William；　this　is　our　first　adventure。〃

〃I　hope　we　shall　not　meet　with　any　one　more　dangerous；〃　replied　William；　laughing；　〃but　I　must　say　that　I　was　alarmed。〃

〃No　wonder；　for；　although　not　likely；　it　is　possible　there　may　be　wild　animals　on　this　island；　or　even　savages；　but　being　alarmed　is　one　thing；　and　being　afraid　is　another：　a　man　may　be　alarmed；　and　stand　his　ground；　but　a　man　that　is　afraid　will　run　away。〃

〃I　do　not　think　I　shall　ever　run　away　and　leave　you；　Ready；　if　there　is　danger。〃

〃I'm　sure　you　will　not；　but　still　you　must　not　be　rash；　and　now　we　will　go　on　again；　as　soon　as　I　have　uncocked　my　gun。　I　have　seen　more　accidents　happen　from　people　cocking　their　guns；　and　forgetting　to　uncock　them　afterwards；　than　you　can　have　any　idea　of。　Recollect；　also；　until　you　want　to　fire；　never　cock　your　gun。〃

Ready　and　William　continued　their　way　through　the　cocoa…nut　grove　for　more　than　an　hour　longer；　marking　the　trees　as　they　went　along；　they　then　sat　down　to　take　their　breakfast。

〃Don't　give　the　dogs　any　water；　William；　nor　any　of　the　salt　meat；　give　them　biscuit　only。〃

〃But　they　are　very　thirsty；　may　not　I　give　them　a　little？〃

〃No：　we　shall　want　it　all　ourselves；　in　the　first　place；　and；　in　the　next；　I　wish　them　to　be　thirsty。　And；　William；　take　my　advice；　and　only　drink　a　small　quantity　of　water　at　a　time。　The　more　you　drink；　the　more　you　want。〃

〃Then　I　should　not　eat　so　much　salt　meat。〃

〃Very　true；　the　less　you　eat　the　better；　unless　we　find　water；　and　fill　our　bottles　again。〃

〃But　we　have　our　axes；　and　can　always　cut　down　a　cocoa…nut；　and　get　the　milk　from　the　young　nuts。〃

〃Very　true；　and　fortunate　it　is　that　we　have　that　to　resort　to；　but　still　we　could　not　do　very　well　on　cocoa…nut　milk　alone；　even　if　it　were　to　be　procured　all　the　year　round。　Now　we　will　go　on　if　you　do　not　feel　tired。〃

〃Not　in　the　least；　I　am　tired　of　seeing　nothing　but　the　stems　of　cocoa…nut　trees；　and　shall　be　glad　when　we　are　through　the　wood。〃

〃Then　the　faster　we　walk　the　better；〃　said　Ready；　〃as　far　as　I　can　judge；　we　must　be　about　half…way　across　now。〃

Ready　and　William　recommenced　their　journey；　and；　after　half…an…hour's　walking；　they　found　that　the　ground　was　not　so　level　as　it　had　been　…　sometimes　they　went　gradually　up　hill；　at　others　down。

〃I　am　very　glad　to　find　the　island　is　not　so　flat　here；　we　have　a　better　chance　of　finding　water。〃

〃It　is　much　steeper　before　us；〃　replied　William；　〃it's　quite　a　hill。〃

The　ground　now　became　more　undulating；　although　still　covered　with　cocoa…nut　trees；　even　thicker　together　than　before。　They　continued　their　march；　occasionally　looking　at　the　compass；　until　William　showed　symptoms　of　weariness；　for　the　wood　had　become　more　difficult　to　get　through　than　at　first。

〃How　many　miles　do　you　think　we　have　walked；　Ready？〃　said　Willy。

〃About　eight；　I　should　think。〃

〃Not　more　than　eight？〃

〃No；　I　do　not　think　that　we　have　made　more　than　two　miles　an　hour：　it's　slow　work；　travelling　by　compass　and　marking　the　trees；　but　I　think　the　wood　looks　lighter　before　us；　now　that　we　are　at　the　top　of　this　hill。〃

〃It　does；　Ready；　I　fancy　I　can　see　the　blue　sky　again。〃

〃Your　eyes　are　younger　than　mine；　William；　and　perhaps　you　may　…　however；　we　shall　soon　find　out。〃

They　now　descended　into　a　small　hollow；　and　then　went　up　hill　again。　As　soon　as　they　arrived　at　the　top；　William　cried　out；　〃The　sea；　Ready！　there's　the　sea！〃

〃Very　true；　William；　and　I'm　not　sorry　for　it。〃

〃I　thought　we　never　should　get　out　of　that　nasty　wood　again；〃　said　William；　as　he　impatiently　pushed　on；　and　at　last　stood　clear　of　the　cocoa…nut　grove。　Ready　soon　joined　him；　and　they　surveyed　the　scene　before　them　in　silence。



Chapter　XV

〃Oh！　how　beautiful！〃　exclaimed　William；　at　last；　〃I'm　sure　mamma　would　like　to　live　here。　I　thought　the　other　side　of　the　island　very　pretty；　but　it's　nothing　compared　to　this。〃

〃It　is　very　beautiful；〃　replied　Ready；　thoughtfully。

A　more　lovely　scene　could　scarcely　be　imagined。　The　cocoa…nut　grove　terminated　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　beach；　very　abruptly；　for　there　was　a　rapid　descent　for　about　thirty　feet　from　where　they　stood　to　the　land　below；　on　which　was　a　mixture　of　little　grass　knolls　and　brushwood；　to　about　fifty　yards　from　the　water's　edge；　where　it　was　met　with　dazzling　white　sand；　occasionally　divided　by　narrow　ridges　of　rock　which　ran　inland。　The　water　was　a　deep　blue；　except　where　it　was　broken　into　white　foam　on　the　reefs；　which　extended　for　miles　from　the　beach；　and　the　rocks　of　which　now　and　then　showed　themselves　above　water。　On　the　rocks　were　perched　crowds　of　gannets　and　men…of…war　birds；　while　others　wheeled　in　the　air；　every　now　and　then　darting　down　into　the　blue　sea；　and　bringing　up　in　their　bills　a　fish　out　of　the　shoals　which　rippled　the　water；　or　bounded　clear　of　it　in　their　gambols。　The　form　of　the　coast　was　that　of　a　horse…shoe　bay　…　two　points　of　land　covered　with　shrubs　extending　far　out　on　each　side。　The　line　of　the　horizon；　far　out　at　sea；　was　clear　and　unbroken。

Ready　remained　for　some　time　without