The wooding party under Paul Lizard, as soon as they had collected all the axes and large knives to be found, went off to the wood at a short distance from the landing-place. The cutter was quickly unloaded. The doctor, in the meantime, had been surveying the island across the harbour with a spy-glass. "I see several dark objects moving up the bank," he observed. "I have no doubt they are seals; and, if so, we may hope to obtain an ample supply of fresh meat. We shall find clubs of more use than our guns," he added; "make haste, and get some ready." As soon as the clubs were cut from some small trees growing near the beach, the doctor, fearing that the seals might return to the water before they could get up to them, hurried his companions into the boat, which pulled away across the harbour. The launch had been hauled alongside the rocks, and as soon as she was unloaded, Harry and the boatswain set to work to erect a tent. The mast served as the ridge pole, and the spars and oars formed supports over these, while the sails of the two boats were spread and secured to the ground by stones placed along the lower edges. Besides this, the canvas was made fast with lashings and ropes to the poles. A tent of tolerable dimensions was thus formed, sufficiently large to protect all the women and children. "Should rain come on, there is something it wants," observed Mrs Rumbelow, who had been very active in bringing up the things from the boats. "We must spread a flooring of some sort. It will not do for Mrs Morley and the young ladies to lie on the bare ground." Saying this, and summoning the other women, she hurried off to the wood. In a short time she and her attendants returned with loads of spruce fir-tops. These were spread over the ground at one end of the tent. The cutter's foresail had been triced up, and served as a partition. "There, marm," she said, addressing Mrs Morley; "we have fitted up a room for you, and the two young ladies, and Mrs Twopenny, where you may be tolerably private; I wish it were a better one. You have not been accustomed to this sort of rough life; but I and most of the other women have seen something of it before, and can manage very well in the rest of the tent. I only hope the children won't disturb you at night." Mrs Morley warmly thanked her. "Bless you, marm," answered Mrs Rumbelow, "we have only done our duty. We could never do too much for our poor colonel's lady; so pray, marm, don't talk of thanks."