Friday had not forgotten the plan for going to his home. He would often
mention it and spent hours talking about it during the long rainy
season. But now that the Spaniard and Friday's father had come into the
family, Robinson felt he must change his plans a little. He felt very
sorry for the Spaniards left in Friday's country. They did not have
enough to eat and were sick and sad besides. He talked the matter over
with the Spaniard many times. They at last planned to send for them. The
Spaniard and Friday's father were to go. Robinson was for doing it at
once. But the Spaniard advised delay. "How can we get food for ourselves
and fifteen others? Your small store will soon be used up," he argued.
Robinson at last saw that this difficulty must be overcome. There was
just one thing to do, and this, to delay their departure until a new
crop of corn could be raised. This would take six months.
But at it they went. The four men could do much and work fast. They
cleared more ground and planted all the seed corn they could spare from
their store. Besides this they sowed about twelve bushels of barley they
had gotten in the ship.
The care for so much crop, its harvesting and storing away, kept them
very busy for the season. Robinson not only did this, but also increased
his flock of goats by catching kids and putting them in his pasture. He
gathered, too, all the grapes he could and dried them on the branches of
trees.
At the end of the harvesting season, they made ready their boat. They
filled it with all the bread it could well carry. They put in raisins
and fresh water. Robinson gave the Spaniard and Friday's father each a
musket and plenty of powder and bullets. Now, all was ready. Friday gave
his father a loving farewell. He stretched out his arms towards him as
the boat moved away. The Spaniard and Robinson waved their hats and they
were off.
They promised to be back in eight or nine days. Robinson and Friday made
every preparation to receive the guests. They were to have a home not
far from Robinson's built of poles, and thatched with the long marsh
grasses, like Robinson's bower. There was no need of hiding or
defending it. It did not take long to fix it up.
Eight days had now passed since the boat had left. Friday could hardly
restrain himself longer. He watched the ocean all the time. He would go
to the top of the hill with the field glasses every hour during the day
to catch a first glimpse of them.
[Illustration: ROBINSON AND FRIDAY SEE A SHIP]
On the ninth day, as Friday put up his glasses to search the waters he
dropped them with a yell of surprise. He tore down the hill with the
utmost speed and rushed up to Robinson as one gone mad. "Look, look, O
Master!" he cried, "a big ship; a big ship way out on the sea!" Robinson
took the glasses, and sure enough, there within hailing distance was a
large ocean going vessel. Robinson was overcome with excitement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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