"Well, William," said Ready, "this is our last trip for some time, I
expect; and so much the better, for our little boat must have something
done to her as soon as I can find time."
"Yes, indeed, Ready, she has done her work well. Do you know I feel as
if I were coming home, now that we are back to the bay. I really feel
quite glad that we have left the tents. I found the pigeons among the
peas, Ready, so we must pick them as soon as we can. I think there were
near twenty of them. We shall have pigeon pies next year, I expect."
"If it pleases God that we live and do well," replied Ready, who had
his eyes fixed upon the sea.
Before night everything was in its place again in the house, and as
comfortable as before, and as they were very tired, they went very
early to bed, having first arranged what they should do in the morning.
At daylight Ready and William went down to the turtle-pond and speared
a turtle, for now the time was coming on for turning the turtle again,
and the pond would soon be filled. Having cut it up and put a portion
of it into the pot, all ready for Mrs. Seagrave, as soon as breakfast
was over they proceeded to the storehouse.
After a little consultation with Mr. Seagrave, Ready marked out a
square of cocoa-nut trees surrounding the storehouse, so as to leave a
space within them of about twenty yards each side, which they
considered large enough for the inclosure. These cocoa-nut trees were
to serve as the posts between which were to be fixed other cocoa-nut
trees cut down, and about fourteen feet high, so as to form a palisade
or stockade, which could not be climbed over, and would protect them
from any attack of the savages.
As soon as the line of trees had been marked out, they set to work
cutting down all the trees within the line, and then outside to a
distance of ten yards, so as to give them room for their work. Ready
cut out cross-pieces, to nail from tree to tree, and now they found the
advantage of having saved so many of the large spike nails, without
which they never could have made so good or so quick a job of it. Mr.
Seagrave cut down trees, William and Juno sawed them off at a proper
length with one of the cross-cut saws, and then carried them to Ready.
They soon had more cut out than be could use, and then they dragged
away the tops and branches, and piled them at a distance on the ground,
to use as winter fuel, while Mr. Seagrave helped Ready in fixing up the
palisades. They worked very hard that day, and were not sorry to go to
bed. Ready, however, took an opportunity to speak to William.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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