masterman ready-第52章

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In　about　half…an…hour　Tommy　had　ceased　crying；　and　his　nose　had　left　off　bleeding；　his　face　was　washed；　and　then　it　was　discovered　that　he　had　lost　two　front　teeth；　and　that　his　cheek　and　lips　were　very　much　bruised。　He　was　undressed；　and　put　to　bed；　and　was　soon　fast　asleep。

〃I　should　not　have　left　the　muskets；〃　said　Ready　to　William；　〃it　was　my　fault；　but　I　thought　Tommy　had　been　told　so　often　not　to　touch　fire…arms；　that　he　would　not　dare　to　do　so。〃

〃He　pointed　it　at　me；　and　tried　to　shoot　me；〃　said　Caroline；　〃but　I　ran　away。〃

〃Merciful　heavens！　what　an　escape！〃　cried　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃He　has　been　well　punished　this　time；　madam；　and　I'll　venture　to　say　he　will　not　touch　a　musket　again　in　a　hurry。〃

〃Yes；　but　he　must　be　punished　more；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃he　must　remember　it。〃

〃Well；　sir；　if　he　is　to　be　punished　more；　I　think　you　cannot　punish　him　better　than　by　not　allowing　him　to　have　any　of　the　pig　when　it　is　cooked。〃

〃I　think　so　too；　Ready；　and　therefore　that　is　a　settled　thing　…　no　pig　for　Tommy。〃



Chapter　LII

The　next　morning　Tommy's　face　presented　a　very　woeful　appearance。　His　cheek　and　lips　were　swelled　and　black；　and　the　loss　of　his　two　front　teeth　made　him　look　much　worse。

Tommy　looked　very　glum　when　he　came　to　breakfast。　There　was　the　pig's　fry　for　breakfast；　and　the　smell　of　it　had　been　very　inviting　to　Tommy；　but　when　his　father　scolded　him；　and　told　him　that　he　was　not　to　have　one　bit　of　the　pig；　he　began　to　cry　and　roar　so　loud；　that　he　was　sent　away　from　the　tents　till　he　had　left　off。

After　breakfast；　Ready　proposed　that　he　and　William　should　take　the　boat；　and　begin　their　labour　of　carrying　the　articles　round　from　the　cove　to　the　bay　where　the　house　was；　pointing　out　that　there　was　not　a　day　to　be　lost。　Juno　had；　at　his　request；　already　baked　a　large　piece　of　the　pig　for　them　to　take　with　them；　and　boiled　a　piece　of　salt　pork；　so　that　they　were　all　ready　to　start。

〃But；　Ready；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave；　〃how　long　do　you　intend　to　remain　absent　with　William？〃

〃Why；　madam；　this　is　Wednesday；　of　course　we　shall　be　back　on　Saturday　night。〃

〃My　dear　William；　I　cannot　bear　the　idea　of　your　being　absent　so　long；　and　as　you　will　be　on　the　water　every　day；　I　shall　be　in　a　continual　fright　until　I　see　you　again。〃

〃Well；　mamma；　I　suppose　I　must　write　by　the　penny　post；　to　let　you　know　how　I　am。〃

〃Don't　laugh　at　me；　William。　I　do　wish　there　was　a　penny　post；　and　that　you　could　write　every　day。〃

Ready　and　William　made　every　preparation　for　a　continued　absence。　They　took　their　blankets　with　them；　and　a　small　pot　for　cooking；　and　when　all　was　prepared　they　bade　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave　farewell。　They　were　now　to　pull　to　the　bay；　and　leave　their　luggage；　and　then　go　round　to　the　cove。　As　they　shoved　off；　William　took　the　dog　Remus　into　the　boat。

〃Why　do　you　take　the　dog；　William？　he　will　be　of　use　here　in　keeping　the　pigs　away；　but　of　no　use　to　us。〃

〃Yes；　he　will；　Ready；　I　must　take　him；　for　I　have　an　idea　come　into　my　head；　so　let　me　have　my　own　way。〃

〃Well；　William；　you　can　always　have　your　own　way；　as　far　as　I'm　concerned；　if　you　wish　to　take　the　dog；　there　is　an　end　of　the　matter。〃

They　hoisted　the　sail；　and　as　the　breeze　was　fresh；　were　round　to　the　bay　in　a　very　short　time。　They　took　their　provisions　and　stores　up　to　the　house；　and　made　fast　the　door；　called　the　fowls；　and　gave　them　some　damaged　rice　which　Ready　had　brought　from　the　cove；　and　found；　to　their　great　delight；　that　they　had　now　upwards　of　forty　chickens；　some；　indeed；　quite　grown；　and　large　enough　to　kill。

They　then　got　into　the　boat　again；　and　pulled　away　for　the　cove；　the　wind　was　fresh；　and　against　them；　so　they　had　a　long　pull；　but；　as　Ready　observed；　it　was　much　better　that　it　should　be　so；　as；　when　the　boat　was　loaded；　they　could　very　quickly　sail　back　again　to　the　bay。

As　soon　as　they　arrived　at　the　cove；　they　lost　no　time　in　loading　the　boat；　the　nails；　and　iron　work　of　every　description；　with　the　twine　and　tools；　composed　the　major　part　of　the　first　cargo；　and　calling　Remus；　who　was　lying　on　the　sandy　beach；　they　shoved　off；　hoisted　their　sail；　and　in　an　hour　had　regained　the　bay；　and　passed　through　the　reef。

〃I　am　glad　that　this　cargo　has　arrived　safe；　William；　for　it　is　very　valuable　to　us。　Now　we　will　take　them　all　up；　and　that　will　be　sufficient　for　to…day；　to…morrow；　if　we　can；　we　will　make　two　trips。〃

〃We　can；　if　we　start　early；〃　replied　William；　〃but　now　let　us　have　our　dinner；　and　carry　the　remainder　of　the　things　up　afterwards。〃

As　they　were　eating　their　dinner；　and　William　was　giving　the　bones　to　the　dog；　Ready　said；　〃Pray；　William；　what　was　the　idea　in　your　head　which　made　you　bring　Remus　with　you？〃

〃I　will　tell　you；　Ready；　I　mean　him　to　carry　a　letter　to　mamma；　you　know　that　he　always　goes　back　when　he　is　ordered；　and　now　I　wish　to　see　if　he　will　not　go　back　to　the　tents；　if　he　is　told。　I　have　brought　a　piece　of　paper　and　pencil　with　me。〃

William　then　wrote　on　the　paper；

〃Dear　Mamma：We　are　quite　well；　and　just　returned　with　the　first　cargo　quite　safe。　Your　affectionate　son；　WILLIAM。〃

William　tied　the　paper　round　the　dog's　neck　with　a　piece　of　twine；　and　then　calling　him　out　of　the　house；　said　to　him；　〃Remus；　go　back；　sir　…　go　back；　sir；〃　the　dog　looked　wistfully　at　William；　as　if　not　sure　of　what　he　was　to　do；　but　William　took　up　a　stone；　and　pretended　to　throw　it　at　the　dog；　who　ran　away　a　little　distance；　and　then　stopped。

〃Go　back；　Remus　…　go　back；　sir。〃　William　again　pretended　to　throw　the　stone；　repeating　the　order；　and　then　the　dog　set　off　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　carry　him　through　the　cocoa…nut　grove。

〃He　is　gone　at　all　events；〃　said　William；　〃I　think　he　will　go　home。〃

〃We　shall　see；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　〃and　now　that　we　have　finished　our　dinner；　we　will　bring　up　the　things；　and　put　them　in　the　storehouse。〃



Chapter　LIII

As　soon　as　they　had　carried　up　the　whole　of　the　cargo；　they　secured　the　boat；　and　went　up　to　the　house　to　sleep。　Just　as　they　went　in；　Remus　came　bounding　up　to　them　with　a　letter　round　his　neck。

〃Here's　the　dog；　William；〃　said　Ready；　〃he　won't　go　home　after　all。〃

〃How　provoking！　I　made　sure　he　would　go　back；　I　really　am　disappointed。　We　will　give　him　nothing　to　eat；　and　then　he　will；　but；　dear　me；　Ready！　this　is　not　the　paper　I　tied　round　his　neck。　I　think　not。　Let　me　see。〃　William　took　the　paper；　opened　it；　and　read

〃Dear　William：Your　letter　arrived　safe；　and　we　are　glad　you　are　well。　Write　every　day；　and　God　bless　you；　it　was　very　clever　of　you　and　Remus。　Your　affectionate　mother；　SELINA　SEAGRAVE。〃

〃Well；　it　is　clever；〃　said　Ready；　〃I'm　sure　I　had　no　idea　he　had　gone；　and　his　coming　back　again；　too；　when　he　was　ordered。〃

〃Dear　Remus；　good　dog；〃　said　William；　caressing　it：　〃now　I'll　give　you　a　good　supper；　for　you　deserve　it。〃

〃So　he　does；　sir。　Well；　you've　established　a　post　on　the　island；　which　is　a　great　improvement。　Seriously；　William；　it　may　prove　very　useful。〃

〃At　all　events　it　will　be　a　great　comfort　to　my　mother。〃

〃Yes；　especially　as　we　shall　be　obliged　all　three　to　be　here　when　we　fit　up　the　storehouse；　and　make　the　proposed　alterations。　Now　I　think　we　had　better　go　to　bed；　for　we　must　be　up　with　the　lark　to…morrow。〃

〃Here　I　suppose　we　ought　to　say；　up　with　the　parrots；　for　they　are　the　only　land　birds　on　the　island。〃

〃You　forget　the　pigeons；　I　saw　one　of　them　in　the　wood　the　other　day。　Good　night！〃

The　next　morning；　they　were　off　before　breakfast。　The　boat　was　soon　loaded；　and　they　returned　under　sail。　They　then　breakfasted；　and　having　left　the　things　they　had　brought　on　the　beach；　that　they　might　lose　no　time；　they　set　off　again；　and　returned　with　another　cargo　two　hours　before　dusk；　this　they　landed；　and　then　secured　the　boat。　As　soon　as　they　were　in　the　house；　William　wrote　on　a　piece　of　paper：

〃Dear　Mamma：　We　have　brought　round　two　cargoes　to…day。　All　well；　and　very　tired。　Yours；　WILLIAM。〃

Remus　did　not　require　any　teaching　this　time。　William　patted　him；　and　said；　〃Good　dog。　Now；　Remus；　go　back　…　go　home；　sir；〃　and　the　dog　wagged　his　tail；　and　set　off　immediately。

Before　they　were　in　bed；　the　dog　returned　with　the　answer。

〃How　fast　he　must　run；　Ready！　he　has