“Now we shan’t know what the time is,” said Mark. “Awfully awkward when you’re seven thousand miles from anywhere.” “Awful! What a stupe you were; where did you leave the key?” “On the dressing-table, I think; no, in the drawer. Let’s see, in my other waistcoat: I saw it on the floor; now I remember, on the mantelpiece, or else on the washing-stand. I know, Bevis; make a sundial!” “So I will. No, it’s no use.” “Why not?” “I don’t know when to begin.” “When to begin?” “Well the sundial must have a start. You must begin your hours, don’t you see.” “I see; you don’t know what hour to put to the shadow.” “That’s it.” “But can’t you find out? Isn’t the sun always south at noon?” “But which is quite south?” “Just exactly proper south?” “Yes, meridian is the name. I know, the north star!” “Then we must wait till night to know the time to-day.” “And then till the sun shines again--” “Till to-morrow.” “Yes.” “I know!” said Mark; “Charlie. You make the sundial, and he’ll wave the handkerchief at four o’clock.” “Capital,” said Bevis. “Just the very thing--like Jupiter’s satellites; you know, they hide behind, and the people know the time by seeing them. Charlie will set the clock for us. There’s always a dodge for everything. Pan, Pan, you old rascal.” Bevis rolled him over and over. Pan barked and leaped on them, and ran out into the sunshine. “Breakfast,” said Mark; “what’s for breakfast?” “Well, make some tea,” said Bevis, putting on his boots. “That was best. And, I say, we forgot the damper.” “So we did. It will do for breakfast.” The damper was raked out of the ashes, and having been left to itself was found to be well done, but rather burned on one side. When the burnt part had been scraped off, and the ashes blown from it, it tasted very fair, but extremely dry. “The butter won’t last long,” said Mark presently, as they sat down to breakfast on the ground at their two boards. “We ought to have another shipload.” “Tables without legs are awkward,” said Bevis, whose face was heated from tending the fire they had lit and boiling the kettle. “The difficulty is, where to put your knees.” “Or else you must lie down. We could easily make some legs.” “Drive short stakes into the ground, and put the boards on the top,” said Bevis. “So we will presently. The table ought to be a little one side of the doorway, as we can’t wheel it along out of the way.” “Big stumps of logs would do for stools,” said Mark. “Saw them off short, and stand them on end.” “The sun’s very warm,” said Bevis. The morning sunshine looked down into their courtyard, so that they had not the least shade. “The awning ought to be put up here over our table.” “Let’s put it up, then. I say, how rough your hair looks.” “Well, you look as if you had not washed. Shall we go and have a swim?” “Yes. Put the things away; here’s the towels.”