masterman ready-第58章

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〃Well；　Mr。　Seagrave；〃　said　Ready　on　the　Saturday；　〃we　have　done　a　good　many　hard　weeks'　work　lately；　but　this　is　the　last　of　them。　We　are　now　comfortably　settled　in　our　new　house：　our　stores　are　all　under　cover；　and　safe　from　the　weather；　and　so　we　may　now　take　things　a　little　easier。　William　and　I　must　repair　the　boat；　so　that　we　may　take　a　trip　round　to　examine　how　the　stock　and　yams　get　on。〃

〃And　the　bananas　and　the　guavas；〃　said　Tommy。

〃Why；　we　have　quite　forgotten　all　about　them；〃　observed　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Yes；　ma　am；　we　have　been　so　busy；　that　it　is　no　wonder；　however；　there　may　be　some　left　yet；　and　I　will　go　round　as　soon　as　the　boat　is　able　to　swim；　and　bring　all　I　can　find。〃

〃We　must　put　our　seeds　and　potatoes　in　before　the　rainy　season；　Ready。〃

〃It　will　be　better；　sir；　if　we　can　find　time；　as　we　shall　not　have　much　more　fine　weather　now；　at　all　events；　we　can　get　them　in　at　intervals　when　the　weather　is　fine。　Now　I　shall　go　my　rounds　for　turtle。　Good…night；　ma'am；　…　good…night；　sir。　Come；　William。〃

William　and　Ready　succeeded　in　turning　six　more　turtles　to　add　to　their　stock；　and　having　taken　a　careful　survey　with　the　telescope；　they　came　back；　fastened　the　door　of　the　stockade；　and　went　to　bed。



Chapter　LX

Another　week　passed　away；　during　which　Ready　repaired　the　boat；　and　William　and　Mr。　Seagrave　were　employed　in　digging　up　the　garden。　It　was　also　a　very　busy　week　at　the　house；　as　they　had　not　washed　linen　for　some　time。　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　Juno；　and　even　little　Caroline　were　hard　at　work；　and　Tommy　was　more　useful　than　ever　he　had　been；　going　for　the　water　as　they　required　it；　and　watching　little　Albert。　Indeed；　he　was　so　active；　that　Mrs。　Seagrave　praised　him　before　his　papa；　and　Tommy　was　quite　proud。

On　the　Monday　William　and　Ready　set　off　in　the　boat　to　the　little　harbour；　and　found　all　the　stock　doing　well。　Many　of　the　bananas　and　guavas　had　ripened　and　withered；　but　there　were　enough　left　to　fill　the　boat　half　full。

〃We　cannot　do　better　than　to　leave　the　stock　where　it　is　at　present；　William；　they　can　run　into　the　cocoa…nut　grove　for　shelter　if　there　is　a　storm；　and　there　is　feed　enough　for　ten　times　as　many。〃

〃Yes；　but　will　you　not　dig　up　a　few　yams　first？〃

〃I　had　quite　forgotten　it；　William。　I　will　go　for　the　spade。〃

Having　procured　the　yams；　they　set　off　on　their　return。　Before　they　arrived　at　the　bay；　the　sky　clouded　over　and　threatened　a　storm。　It　did　not；　however；　rain　till　after　they　had　landed；　when　a　small　shower　announced　the　commencement　of　the　rainy　season。　The　fruit　was　very　welcome　to　all　of　them；　it　was　so　long　since　they　had　tasted　any。

The　following　day　was　beautifully　fine；　and　everything　appeared　refreshed　by　the　rain　which　had　fallen。　It　was；　however；　agreed；　that　Ready　and　William　should　go　round　the　next　morning；　bring　home　the　tents；　and　as　many　yams　as　the　boat　could　carry。　William　and　Ready　went　out　at　night　as　usual；　when　Ready　observed　that　the　wind　had　chopped　round　to　the　eastward。

〃That　will　be　bad　for　us　to…morrow；　Ready；〃　replied　William。　〃We　may　sail　to　the　harbour；　but　we　shall　have　to　pull　back　with　the　loaded　boat。〃

〃I　trust　it　will　be　no　worse　than　that；　at　all　events；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　we　must　now　return；　and　go　to　bed。　I　shall　be　up　by　daylight；　so　you　need　not　wake　without　you　like。〃

〃I　can't　help　waking；〃　replied　William；　〃and　I　shall；　therefore；　be　up　with　you。〃

〃Very　well；　I　am　always　glad　of　your　company。〃

The　next　morning；　just　before　the　day　dawned；　Ready　and　William　unfastened　the　door　of　the　stockade；　and　went　down　to　the　beach。　The　wind　was　still　to　the　eastward；　and　blowing　rather　fresh；　and　the　sky　was　cloudy。　As　the　sun　rose；　Ready；　as　usual；　had　his　telescope　with　him；　and　looked　through　it　at　the　offing　to　the　eastward。　As　he　kept　the　spy…glass　to　his　eye　for　some　time　without　speaking；　William　said：

〃Do　you　see　anything；　Ready；　that　you　look　so　long　in　that　direction？〃

〃Either　my　old　eyes　deceive　me；　or　I　fear　that　I　do；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　a　few　minutes　more　will　decide。〃

There　was　a　bank　of　clouds　on　the　horizon　to　the　eastward；　but　as　soon　as　the　sun　had　risen　above　them；　Ready；　who　had　the　telescope　fixed　in　the　same　direction；　said：

〃Yes；　William；　I　am　right。　I　thought　that　those　dark　patches　I　saw　there　were　brown　grass　sails。〃

〃Sails　of　what；　Ready？〃　said　William；　hastily。

〃Of　the　Indian　canoes；　I　knew　that　they　would　come。　Take　the　glass　and　look　yourself；　my　eye　is　quite　dim　from　straining　it　so　long。〃

〃Yes；　I　have　them　now；〃　replied　William；　with　his　eye　to　the　glass。　At　last　he　said：

〃Why；　there　are　twenty　or　thirty　of　them；　Ready；　at　least。〃

〃And　with　twenty　or　thirty　men　in　each　too；　William。〃

〃What　must　we　do；　Ready？　How　frightened　my　poor　mother　will　be！　I'm　afraid　we　can　do　nothing　against　such　a　number。〃

〃Yes；　William；　we　can　do　a　great　deal；　and　we　must　do　a　great　deal。　That　there　are　hundreds　of　savages　there　is　no　doubt；　but　recollect　that　we　have　a　stockade；　which　they　cannot　easily　climb　over；　and　plenty　of　firearms　and　ammunition；　so　that　we　can　make　a　good　fight　of　it；　and　perhaps　beat　them　off；　for　they　have　nothing　but　clubs　and　spears。〃

〃How　fast　they　come　down；　Ready；　why；　they　will　be　here　in　an　hour。〃

〃No；　sir；　nor　in　two　hours　either；　those　are　very　large　canoes。　However；　there　is　no　time　to　be　lost。　While　I　watch　them　for　a　few　minutes　till　I　make　them　more　clearly　out；　do　you　run　up　to　the　house　and　beckon　your　father　to　come　down　to　me；　and　then；　William；　get　all　the　muskets　ready；　and　bring　the　casks　of　powder；　and　of　made…up　cartridges；　from　the　old　house　into　the　stockade。　Call　Juno；　and　she　will　help　you。　We　shall　have　time　enough　to　do　everything。　After　you　have　done　that；　you　had　better　come　down　and　join　us。〃

In　a　very　few　minutes　after　William　ran　up　to　the　house；　Mr。　Seagrave　made　his　appearance。

〃Ready；　there　is　danger；　I'm　sure；　William　would　not　tell　me；　I　presume；　because　he　was　afraid　of　alarming　his　mother。　What　is　it？〃

〃It　is；　Mr。　Seagrave；　that　the　savages　are　now　coming　down　upon　us　in　large　force；　perhaps　five　or　six　hundred　of　them；　and　that　we　shall　have　to　defend　ourselves　with　might　and　main。〃

〃Do　you　think　we　have　any　chance　against　such　a　force？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　with　God's　help　I　have　no　doubt　but　that　we　shall　beat　them　off；　but　we　must　fight　hard；　and　for　some　days；　I　fear。〃

Mr。　Seagrave　examined　the　fleet　of　canoes　with　the　glass。　〃It　is；　indeed；　dreadful　odds　to　contend　against。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　but　three　muskets　behind　a　stockade　are　almost　a　match　for　all　their　clubs　and　spears；　provided　none　of　us　are　wounded。〃

〃Well；　Ready；　we　must　put　our　trust　in　the　Lord；　and　do　our　best；　I　will　second　you　to　the　utmost　of　my　power；　and　William；　I'm　sure；　will　do　his　duty。〃

〃I　think；　sir；〃　said　Ready；　〃we　had　better　not　wait　here　any　more；　as　we　have　not　long　to　prepare　for　them。　We　have　only　to　fix　up　some　of　our　strong　deal　planks　on　the　inside　of　the　stockade　for　us　to　stand　upon　when　we　are　attacked；　that　we　may　see　what　the　enemy　is　about；　and　be　able　to　fire　upon　them。　But　first　we　had　better　go　to　the　old　house；　and　take　out　what　provisions　and　other　articles　we　shall　most　want；　and　roll　the　casks　into　the　stockade；　for　to　the　old　house　they　will　go　first；　and　perhaps　destroy　everything　in　it。　The　casks　they　certainly　will；　for　the　sake　of　the　iron　hoops。　An　hour's　work　will　do　a　great　deal。　I　believe　we　have　everything　we　want　in　the　stockade；　Juno　has　her　fuel；　the　large　butt　of　water　will　last　us　two　or　three　weeks　at　least；　and　if　we　have　time；　we　will　get　the　wheels　down；　and　spear　a　couple　of　turtles　for　fresh　provisions。〃

These　observations　were　made　as　they　walked　up　to　the　house。　As　soon　as　they　arrived；　they　found　William　and　Juno　had　just　brought　in　the　powder　and　cartridges。　Mr。　Seagrave　went　in　to　break　the　matter　to　his　wife。

〃I　was　told　that　I　had　to　expect　this；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mrs。　Seagrave；　〃so　that　it　has　not　come　upon　me　altogether　unawares；　and　anything　that　a　poor　weak　woman　can　do；　I　will。〃

〃I　am　indeed　greatly　relieved；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃by　finding　you　thus　prepared　and　supported。　I　shall　feel　no　anxiety　…　but　we　have　work　to　be　done。〃

Mr。　and　M