masterman ready-第54章

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〃I　was　about　to　come　to　that　very　point；　William。　When　animals　follow　their　instinct　in　providing　their　food；　bringing　up　their　young；　and　in　their　precautions　against　danger；　they　follow　certain　fixed　rules；　from　which　they　never　deviate。　But　circumstances　may　occur　against　which　their　instinct　can　afford　them　no　regular　provision；　then　it　is　that　their　reasoning　powers　are　called　into　action。　I　will　explain　this　by　stating　a　fact　relative　to　the　bee；　one　of　the　animals　upon　which　instinct　is　most　powerful　in　its　action。　There　is　a　certain　large　moth；　called　the　Death's…head　moth；　which　is　very　fond　of　honey。　It　sometimes　contrives　to　force　its　way　through　the　aperture　of　the　hive；　and　gain　an　entrance。　The　bees　immediately　attack　it；　and　it　is　soon　destroyed　by　their　stings；　but　the　carcass　is　so　large；　that　they　cannot　carry　it　out　of　the　hive；　as　they　invariably　do　the　bodies　of　the　smaller　insects　which　may　have　intruded；　and　it　appears　that　their　sense　of　smell　is　very　acute。　What；　then；　do　they　do　to　avoid　the　stench　arising　from　the　dead　body　of　this　large　moth？　Why；　they　embalm　it；　covering　it　entirely　with　wax；　by　which　it　no　longer　becomes　offensive　to　them。〃

〃But；　papa；　might　not　their　instinct　have　provided　for　such　an　event？〃　observed　William。

〃If　such　an　event　could　have　occurred　to　the　bees　in　their　wild　state；　you　certainly　might　have　raised　the　question；　but　recollect；　William；　that　bees　in　their　wild　state　live　in　the　hollows　of　trees；　and　that　the　hole　by　which　they　enter　is　never　more　than　sufficiently　large　to　admit　one　bee　at　a　time；　consequently；　no　animal　larger　than　a　bee　could　gain　entrance；　and　if　it　did；　could　of　course　have　been　easily　removed　from　the　hive；　but　the　bees　were　here　in　a　new　position；　in　an　artificial　state；　in　a　hive　of　straw　with　a　large　aperture；　and　therefore　met　with　an　exigence　they　were　not　prepared　for；　and　acted　accordingly。〃

〃Yes；　papa；　I　perceive　the　difference。〃

〃I　will　conclude　my　observations　with　one　remark。　It　appears　to　me；　that　although　the　Almighty　has　thought　proper　to　vary　the　intellectual　and　the　reasoning　powers　of　animals　in　the　same　way　that　he　has　varied　the　species　and　the　forms；　yet　even　in　this　arrangement　he　has　not　been　unmindful　of　the　interest　and　welfare　of　man。　For　you　will　observe；　that　the　reasoning　powers　are　chiefly；　if　not　wholly；　given　to　those　animals　which　man　subjects　to　his　service　and　for　his　use　…　the　elephant；　the　horse；　and　the　dog；　thereby　making　these　animals　of　more　value；　as　the　powers　given　to　them　are　at　the　service　and　under　the　control　of　man。〃



Chapter　LV

On　the　Monday　morning；　William　and　Ready　went　away　in　the　boat；　as　before；　to　bring　round　the　various　articles　from　the　cove。　It　had　been　arranged　that　they　were　not　to　return　till　the　Saturday　evening；　and　that　the　dog　Remus　was　to　bring　intelligence　of　them　and　their　welfare　every　afternoon。　They　worked　hard　during　the　week；　and　on　Saturday　they　had　completed　their　task；　with　the　exception　of　a　portion　of　the　timbers　of　the　ship；　everything　had　been　brought　round；　but　had　not　been　carried　up　to　the　storehouse；　as　that　required　more　time。

On　Saturday　morning；　they　went　for　the　last　time　to　the　cove；　and　Ready　selected　some　heavy　oak　timber　out　of　the　quantity　which　was　lying　on　the　beach；　part　of　which　they　put　into　the　boat；　and　the　remainder　they　towed　astern。　It　was　a　heavy　load；　and　although　the　wind　was　fair　to　sail　hack　again　to　the　bay；　the　boat　went　but　slowly　through　the　water。

〃Well；　William；〃　said　Ready；　〃we　have　done　a　good　week's　work；　and　I　must　say　it　is　high　time　that　it　is　done；　for　the　boat　is　in　rather　a　crazy　condition；　and　I　must　contrive　to　patch　her　up　by　and　by；　when　there　is　time。〃

〃We　shall　not　want　to　use　her　very　much　after　this；　Ready；〃　replied　William；　〃a　few　trips　round　to　the　little　harbour　will　be　all　that　will　be　required　before　we　come　back　again　to　our　old　quarters。〃

〃That's　true；　William；　but　she　leaks　very　much；　and　at　all　events　I'll　give　her　a　coat　of　pitch　as　soon　as　possible。　For　a　slight…built　little　thing　as　she　is；　she　has　done　hard　duty。〃

〃Pray；　Ready；　why；　when　you　speak　of　a　ship　or　boat；　do　you　always　call　it　she？〃

〃Well；　William；　I　don't　know　why；　but　it　is　certain　that　we　sailors　always　do　so。　I　believe　it　is　because　a　sailor　loves　his　ship。　His　ship　is　his　wife；　is　a　very　common　saying　with　us；　and　then　you　see；　Master　William；　a　vessel　is　almost　a　thing　of　life　in　appearance。　I　believe　that's　the　reason；　and　of　course　if　a　vessel　is　she；　a　little　boat　must　be　a　she　also。〃

〃Well；　I　think　you　have　explained　it　very　well；　Ready。　I　suppose　on　Monday　we　shall　set　to　at　the　storehouse；　and　alter　it　for　our　future　residence？〃

〃Can't　begin　too　soon；　William；〃　replied　Ready；　〃I　don't　doubt　but　Mr。　Seagrave　has　finished　the　hedge　and　ditch　round　the　yams　by　this　time；　and　if　so；　I　expect　Madam　will　not　like　to　be　left　in　the　tents　alone　with　Juno　and　the　children；　and　so　we　shall　all　move　back　to　the　house　again　until　we　have　altered　the　storehouse；　I　must　say　that　I　would　rather　your　mamma　remained　in　the　tents　until　all　was　finished。〃

〃Because　you　are　afraid　of　a　visit　from　the　savages；　Ready？〃

〃I　am；　sir；　and　that's　the　truth。〃

〃But；　Ready；　if　they　do　come；　we　shall　see　them　coming；　and　would　it　not　be　better　that　we　should　all　be　together；　even　if　we　are　obliged　to　conceal　ourselves　in　consequence　of　not　being　prepared？　Suppose　the　savages　were　to　overrun　the　island；　and　find　my　mother；　my　little　brother；　and　sister；　defenceless；　at　the　time　we　were　obliged　to　retreat　from　our　house；　how　dreadful　that　would　be！〃

〃But　I　counted　upon　retreating　to　the　tents。〃

〃So　we　can　all　together；　unless　we　are　surprised　in　the　night。〃

〃That　we　must　take　care　not　to　be。　There's　not　three　hours'　dark　in　this　season　of　the　year。　Well；　William；　I　doubt　not　you　may　be　right；　and　if　they　are　all　with　us；　Juno　will　be　a　great　help；　and　we　shall　get　through　our　work　the　faster。〃

〃We　had　better　let　the　question　be　decided　by　my　father　and　mother。〃

〃Very　true；　William；　here's　the　point　at　last。　We　will　haul　the　timber　on　the　beach；　and　then　be　off　as　fast　as　we　can；　for　it　is　getting　late。〃

It　was；　indeed；　much　later　than　they　had　usually　arrived　at　the　little　harbour；　owing　to　the　heavy　load；　which　made　the　boat　so　long　in　coming　round　from　the　cove；　and　when　they　pulled　in；　they　found　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　the　children　all　waiting　for　them。

〃You　are　very　late；　William；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃I　was　quite　uneasy　till　I　saw　the　boat　at　a　distance。〃

〃Yes；　mamma；　but　we　could　not　help　it；　we　had　a　heavy　load　to　bring　round；　and　now　our　work　is　done。〃

〃I　am　delighted　to　hear　it；　William；　for　I　cannot　bear　you　being　away　so　long。〃

〃And　my　work　is　done；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃the　hedge　and　ditch　were　finished　this　morning。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　observed　Ready；　〃we　must　hold　another　council；　but　I　presume　it　will　not　take　very　long。〃

〃No；　I　expect　not；　it　seldom　does　when　people　are　of　the　same　mind。　Mrs。　Seagrave　won't　be　left　here；　Ready；　and　I　don't　want　to　leave　her；　so　I　presume　on　Monday　we　all　start　home　again。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　if　you　please；〃　replied　Ready。

〃Juno；　I　hope　you　have　a　good　supper；〃　said　William；　〃for　I'm　very　hungry。〃

〃Yes；　Massa　William；　plenty　fried　fish；　Massa　catch　'em　this　morning。〃



Chapter　LVI

The　next　day　being　Sunday　was　a　day　of　repose；　and　as　they　had　all　worked　so　hard；　they　felt　the　luxury　of　a　day　of　rest。　In　the　afternoon；　they　agreed　that　on　Monday　they　should　make　every　preparation　for　quitting　the　tents；　and　returning　to　the　house　at　the　bay。　They　decided　that　the　live　stock　should　all　be　left　there；　as　the　pasturage　was　so　plentiful　and　good；　with　the　exception　of　one　goat；　which　they　would　take　back　with　them；　to　supply　them　with　milk；　and　they　also　agreed　that　the　tents　should　be　left　standing；　with　some　cooking　utensils；　that　in　case　William　and　Ready　went　round　for　the　bananas　or　yams；　or　to　examine　the　live　stock；　they　should　not　be　compelled　to　sleep　in　the　open　air；　and　should　have　the　means　of　dressing　their　dinner。　William　and　Ready　were　to　carry　the　beds；　etc。；　round　to　the　bay　in　the　boat；　which　they　could　do　in　two　tr