masterman ready-第43部分

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ht　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　to　the　bananas？　the　ground　is　higher　there；　and　the　water　is；　you　know；　between　the　bananas　and　the　yams。〃

〃Very　true；　I　think　it　will　not　be　a　bad　place；　let　us　walk　there　first；　and　reconnoitre　the　ground。〃

They　walked　to　where　the　bananas　were　now　throwing　out　their　beautiful　large　green　leaves；　and　decided　that　they　would　fix　the　tents　upon　the　north　side　of　them。

〃So　here　let　it　be；〃　said　Ready；　〃and　now　let　us　go　and　fetch　all　the　things；　it　is　a　nice　dry　spot；　and　I　think　will　do　capitally。〃

They　were　soon　hard　at　work；　and　long　before　sunset　one　tent　was　ready；　and　they　had　put　their　bedding　in　it。

〃Well；　now；　I　suppose　you　are　a　little　tired；〃　said　Ready；　〃I'm　sure　you　ought　to　be；　for　you　have　worked　hard　to…day。〃

〃I　don't　feel　very　tired；　Ready；　but　it's　not　time　to　go　to　bed　yet。〃

〃No；　and　I　think　we　had　better　take　our　shovels　and　dig　the　pits　for　the　water；　and　then　we　shall　know　by　to…morrow　morning　whether　the　water　is　good　or　not。〃

〃Yes；　Ready；　we　can　do　that　before　we　get　our　supper。〃

They　walked　to　where　the　ground　between　the　bananas　and　yam　patch　was　wet　and　swampy；　and　dug　two　large　holes　about　a　yard　deep　and　square；　the　water　trickled　in　very　fast；　and　they　were　up　to　their　ankles　before　they　had　finished。

〃There'll　be　no　want　of　water；　Ready；　if　it　is　only　fit　to　drink。〃

〃I've　no　fear　of　that；〃　replied　Ready。

They　returned　to　the　tent　and　made　their　supper　off　the　salt　pork　and　flour…cakes；　and　then　lay　down　on　the　mattresses。　They　were　soon　fast　asleep；　for　they　were　tired　out　with　the　hard　work　which　they　had　gone　through。

The　next　morning；　at　sunrise；　they　were　up　again；　the　first　thing　they　did　was　to　go　and　examine　the　holes　they　had　dug　for　water；　they　found　them　full　and　running　over；　and　the　water　had　settled　quite　clear；　they　tasted　it；　and　pronounced　it　very　good。

As　soon　as　they　had　washed　themselves；　they　went　back　and　made　their　breakfast；　and　then　set　to　work　to　get　up　the　other　tent。　They　then　cleared　all　the　ground　near　the　tents　of　brushwood　and　high　grass；　and　levelled　it　nicely　with　their　shovels　inside。

〃Now；　William；　we　have　another　job；　which　is　to　prepare　a　fireplace　for　Juno：　we　must　go　down　to　the　beach　for　stones。〃

In　another　hour　the　fireplace　was　completed；　and　Ready　and　William　looked　at　their　work。

〃Well；　I　call　this　a　very　comfortable　lodging…house；〃　said　Ready。

〃And　I　am　sure；〃　replied　William；　〃it's　very　pretty。　Mamma　will　be　delighted　with　it。〃

〃We　shall　have　no　want　of　bananas　in　a　few　weeks；〃　said　Ready；　〃look；　they　are　all　in　blossom　already。　Well；　now　I　suppose　we　had　better　leave　everything　here；　and　go　back。　We　must　have　another　trip　this　afternoon；　and　sleep　here　to…night。〃

They　went　down　to　the　boat；　and　sailed　back　as　before；　by　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　they　had　regained　the　house；　and　then　they　made　arrangements　for　their　work　during　the　remainder　of　the　day。　It　was　agreed　that　the　provisions　necessary　for　a　day　or　two；　the　table　and　chairs；　the　cooking　utensils；　and　a　portion　of　their　c