Ready and Mr. Seagrave proceeded in the direction which the former had
pointed out, until they arrived at a spot on a rising ground, where the
trees were so thick that it was not very easy to pass through them.
"There is the place," said Ready. "I propose to cut all the timber we
want for the houses out of this part of the grove, and to leave an open
square place, in the centre of which we will build our storerooms. You
see, sir, if necessary, with a very little trouble we might turn it
into a place of protection and defence, as a few palisades here and
there between the trees would make it, what they call in the East
Indies, a stockade."
"Very true, but I trust we shall not require it for such a purpose."
"I hope so too, but there is nothing like being prepared; however, we
have plenty to do before we can think of that. Now, sir, as dinner is
ready, suppose we return, and after dinner we will both commence our
tasks."
Juno and William returned to the dinner which Mrs. Seagrave had
prepared. They were both very warm with their work, which was very
hard, but very eager to finish their task. After dinner was over, Mrs.
Seagrave requested her husband, as he was about to go down to the
point, with the spade and a small hatchet in his hand, to take Tommy
with him, as she had a great deal to do, and could not watch him as
well as the baby and Caroline. So Mr. Seagrave took Tommy by the hand,
and led him to the point, and made him sit down close to him while he
cleared away the brushwood.
Mr. Seagrave worked very hard, and when he had cut down and cleared a
portion of the ground, he made Tommy carry away to a little distance,
and pile in a heap, the bushes which he had cleared away. When Mr.
Seagrave had cleared away a large piece of ground with his hatchet, he
then took his spade to dig at the roots and turn up the mould, leaving
Tommy to amuse himself. What Tommy did for about an hour, during which
Mr. Seagrave worked very diligently, his father did not observe; but
all of a sudden he began to cry; and when his father asked him the
reason, he did not answer, but only cried the more, until at last he
put his hands to his stomach, and roared most lustily. As he appeared
to be in very great pain, his father left off work, and led him up to
the tent, when Mrs. Seagrave came out, alarmed at his cries. Ready, who
had heard Tommy screaming for so long a while, thought that there might
be something serious, and left his work to ascertain the cause. When he
heard what had passed, he said:
"Depend upon it, the child has eaten something which has made him ill.
Tell me, Tommy, what did you eat when you were down there?"
"Berries," roared Tommy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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