My carpentering meantime went on apace. In order to shape my sledge with ends properly turned up in front, I had chosen wood which had been part of the bow of the vessel, and was curved in the necessary way for my purpose. Two pieces, perfectly similar, formed the sides of my sleigh, or sledge, and I simply united these strongly by fixing short bars across them. Then, when the ropes of the donkey's harness were attached to the raised points in front, the equipage was complete and ready for use. My attention had been for some time wholly engrossed by my work, and I only now observed that the mother and her little boys had been busily plucking above two dozen of the wild birds, and were preparing to roast them, spitted in a row on a long, narrow sword blade, belonging to one of our ship's officers. It seemed somewhat wasteful to cook so many at once; but my wife explained that she was getting them ready for the butter-cask I was going to fetch for her on the new sledge, as I had advised her to preserve them half-cooked, and packed in butter. Amused at her promptitude, I could do nothing less than promise to go for her cask directly after dinner. For her part she resolved in our absence to have a grand wash of linen and other clothes, and she advised me to arrange regular baths for all the boys in future. Early in the afternoon Ernest and I were ready to be off, equipped as usual. Fritz presented us each with a neat case of margay skin to hang at our girdles. We harnessed both cow and ass to the sledge, and, accompanied by Juno, cheerfully took our departure, choosing the way by the sands, and reaching Tentholm without accident or adventure. There unharnessing the animals, we began at once to load the sledge, not only with the butter cask, but with a powder chest, a barrel of cheese, and a variety of other articles--ball, shot, tools, and Turk's armor, which had been left behind on our last visit. Our work had so closely engaged our attention, that when we were ready to leave it and go in search of a good bathing place, we discovered that our two animals had wandered quite out of sight, having crossed the bridge to reach the good pasture beyond the river. I sent Ernest after them, and went alone to the extremity of the bay. It terminated in bold and precipitous cliffs, which extended into the deep water, and rose abruptly, so as to form an inaccessible wall of rock and crag. Swampy ground, overgrown with large canes, intervened between me and these cliffs. I cut a large bundle of the reeds, and returned to Ernest. It was some time before I found him, comfortably extended full length on the ground near the tent, and sleeping as sound as a top, while the cow and the ass, grazing at will, were again making for the bridge. "Get up, Ernest, you lazy fellow!" exclaimed I, much annoyed; "why don't you mind your business? Look at the animals! They will be over the river again!"