masterman ready-第48章

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　and　made　everything　as　comfortable　there　as　we　can；　I　think　we　may　then　leave　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　the　children　in　the　tents；　and　work　here；　As　we　before　agreed；　let　us　abandon　the　house　in　which　we　live　at　present；　and　fit　out　the　outhouse　which　is　concealed　in　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　as　a　dwelling…house；　and　fortify　it　so　as　to　be　secure　against　any　sudden　attack　of　the　savages：　for；　return　here　we　must；　to　live；　as　we　cannot　remain　in　the　tents　after　the　rainy　season　sets　in。〃

〃How　do　you　propose　to　fortify　it；　Ready？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃I　hardly　know。〃

〃That　I　will　explain　to　you　by　and　by；　sir。　Then；　if　the　savages　come　here；　at　all　events　we　should　be　able　to　defend　ourselves　with　fire…arms；　one　man　behind　a　stockade　is　better　than　twenty　who　have　no　other　arms　but　spears　and　clubs；　and　we　may；　with　the　help　of　God；　beat　them　off。〃

〃I　think　your　plan　is　excellent；　Ready；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃and　that　the　sooner　we　begin；　the　better。〃

〃That　there　is　no　doubt　of；　sir。　Now；　the　first　job　is　for　William　and　me　to　try　for　the　passage　through　this　side　of　the　reef　with　the　boat；　and　then　we　will　look　for　the　little　harbour　which　we　discovered；　as　soon　as　that　is　done；　we　will　return　and　take　the　tents　and　all　we　require　round　in　the　boat；　and　when　we　have　pitched　the　tents　and　all　is　arranged；　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　the　children　can　walk　through　the　wood　with　us；　and　take　possession。〃

〃Let　us　not　lose　an　hour；　Ready；　we　have　lost　too　much　time　already；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃What　shall　we　do　to…day？〃

〃After　breakfast；　William　and　I　will　take　the　boat；　and　try　for　the　passage。　You　can　remain　here；　packing　up　the　tents　and　such　articles　as　must　first　be　carried　round。　We　shall　be　back；　I　hope；　by　dinner…time。〃

They　then　rose；　and　walked　towards　the　house；　all　felt　relieved　in　their　minds；　after　they　had　made　this　arrangement；　satisfied　that　they　would　be　using　all　human　endeavours　to　ward　off　the　danger　which　threatened　them；　and　might　then　put　their　confidence　in　that　Providence　who　would；　if　he　thought　fit；　protect　them　in　their　need。



Chapter　XLVI

The　subject　was　introduced　to　Mrs。　Seagrave；　while　they　were　at　breakfast；　and　as　she　perceived　how　much　more　secure　they　would　be；　she　cheerfully　consented。　In　less　than　an　hour　afterwards；　William　and　Ready　had　prepared　the　boat；　and　were　pulling　out　among　the　rocks　of　the　reef　to　find　a　passage；　which；　after　a　short　time；　and　by　keeping　two　or　three　cables　from　the　point；　they　succeeded　in　doing。

〃This　is　very　fortunate；　William；〃　observed　Ready；　〃but　we　must　now　take　some　marks　to　find　our　way　in　again。　See；　the　large　black　rock　is　on　a　line　with　the　garden　point：　so；　if　we　keep　them　in　one；　we　shall　know　that　we　are　in　the　proper　channel；　and　now　for　a　mark　abreast　of　us；　to　find　out　when　we　enter　it。〃

〃Why；　Ready；　the　corner　of　the　turtle…pond　just　touches　the　right　wall　of　the　house；〃　replied　William。

〃So　it　does；　that　will　do；　and　now　let　us　pull　away　as　hard　as　we　can；　so　as　to　be　back　in　good　time。〃

They　soon　were　on　the　south　side　of　the　island；　and　pulling　up　along　the　shore。

〃How　far　do　you　think　that　it　is　by　water；　Ready？〃

〃I　hardly　know；　but　at　least　four　or　five　miles；　so　we　must　make　up　our　minds　to　a　good　hour's　pull。　At　all　events；　we　shall　sail　back　again　with　this　wind；　although　there　is　but　little　of　it。〃

〃We　are　in　very　deep　water　now；〃　observed　William；　after　a　long　silence。

〃Yes；　on　this　side　of　the　island　we　must　expect　it；　the　coral　grows　to　leeward　only。　I　think　that　we　cannot　be　very　far　from　the　little　harbour　we　discovered。　Suppose　we　leave　off　rowing　for　a　minute；　and　look　about　us。〃

〃There　are　two　rocks　close　to　the　shore；　Ready；〃　said　William；　pointing；　〃and　you　recollect　there　were　two　or　three　rocks　outside　of　the　harbour。〃

〃Very　true；　William；　and　I　should　not　wonder　if　you　have　hit　upon　the　very　spot。　Let　us　pull　in。〃

They　did　so；　and；　to　their　satisfaction；　found　that　they　were　in　the　harbour；　where　the　water　was　as　smooth　as　a　pond。

〃Now；　then；　William；　we　will　step　the　mast；　and　sail　back　at　our　leisure。〃

〃Stop　one　moment；　Ready；　give　me　the　boat…hook。　I　see　something　between　the　clefts　of　the　rocks。〃

Ready　handed　the　boat…hook　to　William；　who；　lowering　it　down　into　the　water；　drove　the　spike　of　iron　at　the　end　of　it　into　a　large　crayfish；　which　he　hauled　up　into　the　boat。

〃That　will　be　an　addition　to　our　dinner；〃　said　Ready；　〃we　do　not　go　back　empty…handed；　and；　therefore；　as　the　saying　is；　we　shall　be　more　welcome；　now；　then；　let　us　start；　for　we　must　pull　here　again　this　afternoon；　and　with　a　full　cargo　on　board。〃

They　stepped　the　mast；　and　as　soon　as　they　had　pulled　the　boat　clear　of　the　harbour；　set　sail；　and　in　less　than　an　hour　had　rejoined　the　party　at　the　house。

William　had　brought　up　the　crayfish；　which　had　only　one　claw；　and　Juno　put　on　another　pot　of　water　to　boil　it；　as　an　addition　to　the　dinner；　which　was　nearly　ready。　Tommy　at　first　went　with　his　sister　Caroline　to　look　at　the　animal；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　left　off　admiring　it；　he　began；　as　usual；　to　tease　it；　first　he　poked　its　eyes　with　a　stick；　then　he　tried　to　unfold　his　tail；　but　the　animal　flapped；　and　he　ran　away。　At　last　he　was　trying　to　put　his　stick　into　the　creature's　mouth；　when　it　raised　its　large　claw；　and　caught　him　by　the　wrist；　squeezing　him　so　tight　that　Tommy　screamed　and　danced　about　as　the　crayfish　held　on。　Fortunately　for　him；　the　animal　had　been　so　long　out　of　water；　and　had　been　so　much　hurt　by　the　iron　spike　of　the　boat…hook；　that　it　was　more　than　half…dead；　or　he　would　have　been　severely　hurt。　Ready　ran　to　him；　and　disengaged　the　crayfish；　but　Tommy　was　so　frightened；　that　he　took　to　his　heels；　and　did　not　leave　off　running　until　he　was　one　hundred　yards　from　the　house；　while　Juno　and　Ready　were　laughing　at　him　till　the　tears　came　into　their　eyes。　When　he　saw　the　crayfish　on　the　table；　he　appeared　to　be　afraid　of　it；　although　it　was　dead。

〃Well；　Tommy；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃I　suppose　you　won't　eat　any　of　the　crayfish？〃

〃Won't　I？〃　replied　Tommy。　〃I'll　eat　him；　for　he　tried　to　eat　me。〃

〃Why　did　you　not　leave　the　animal　alone；　Tommy？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃if　you　had　not　tormented　it；　it　would　not　have　bitten　you；　I　don't　know　whether　you　ought　to　have　any。〃

〃I　don't　like　it；　I　won't　have　any；〃　replied　Tommy。　〃I　like　salt　pork　better。〃

〃Well；　then；　if　you　don't　like　it；　you　shall　not　have　it　forced　upon　you；　Tommy；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃so　now　we'll　divide　it　among　the　rest　of　us。〃

Tommy　was　not　very　well　pleased　at　this　decision；　for　he　really　did　wish　to　have　some　of　it；　so　he　turned　very　sulky　for　the　rest　of　the　dinner…time；　especially　when　old　Ready　told　him　that　he　had　had　his　share　of　the　crayfish　before　dinner。



Chapter　XLVII

As　soon　as　the　meal　was　over；　Mr。　Seagrave　and　Juno　assisted　them　in　carrying　down　the　canvas　and　poles　for　the　tent；　with　shovels　to　clear　away；　and　the　pegs　to　fix　the　tents　up　properly。　Before　they　started；　William　observed；　〃I　think　it　would　be　a　good　thing；　if　Ready　and　I　were　to　take　our　bedding　with　us；　and　then　we　could　fix　up　one　tent　this　evening；　and　sleep　there；　to…morrow　morning　we　might　set　up　the　other；　and　get　a　good　deal　of　work　over　before　we　come　back。〃

〃You　are　right；　William；〃　replied　Ready；　〃let　us　see　what　Juno　can　give　us　to　eat；　and　then　we　will　do　as　you　say；　for　the　sooner　we　are　all　there　the　better。〃

As　Mr。　Seagrave　was　of　the　same　opinion；　Juno　packed　up　a　piece　of　salt　pork　and　some　flour…cakes；　which；　with　three　or　four　bottles　of　water；　they　took　down　to　the　boat。　Ready　having　thrown　in　a　piece　of　rope　to　moor　the　boat　with；　they　shoved　off　and　were　soon　through　the　reef；　and；　after　a　smart　pull；　they　arrived　again　at　the　small　harbour。

As　soon　as　they　had　landed　all　the　things；　they　made　the　boat　fast　by　the　rope；　and　then　carried　a　portion　of　the　canvas　and　tent…poles　up　to　the　first　copse　of　trees；　which　were　the　guavas；　they　then　returned　for　the　remainder；　and　after　three　trips　everything　was　up。

〃Now；　William；　we　must　see　where　to　pitch　the　tent；　we　must　not　be　too　near　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　or　we　shall　have　too　far　to　go　for　water。〃

〃Don't　you　think　that　the　best　place　will　be　close