Masterman Ready; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

  As soon as the meal was over, Mr Seagrave and Juno assisted them incarrying down the canvas and poles for the tent, with shovels to clearaway, and the pegs to fix the tents up properly. Before they started,William observed, "I think it would be a good thing, if Ready and I wereto take our bedding with us, and then we could fix up one tent thisevening, and sleep there; to-morrow morning we might set up the other,and get a good deal of work over before we come back."

  "You are right, William," replied Ready; "let us see what Juno can giveus to eat, and then we will do as you say, for the sooner we are allthere the better."

  As Mr Seagrave was of the same opinion, Juno packed up a piece of saltpork and some flour-cakes, which, with three or four bottles of water,they took down to the boat. Ready having thrown in a piece of rope tomoor the boat with, they shoved off and were soon through the reef, and,after a smart pull, they arrived again at the small harbour.

  As soon as they had landed all the things, they made the boat fast bythe rope, and then carried a portion of the canvas and tent-poles up tothe first copse of trees, which were the guavas; they then returned forthe remainder, and after three trips everything was up.

  "Now, William, we must see where to pitch the tent; we must not be toonear the cocoa-nut grove, or we shall have too far to go for water."

  "Don't you think that the best place will be close to the bananas? theground is higher there, and the water is, you know, between the bananasand the yams."

  "Very true, I think it will not be a bad place; let us walk there first,and reconnoitre the ground."

  They walked to where the bananas were now throwing out their beautifullarge green leaves, and decided that they would fix the tents upon thenorth side of them.

  "So here let it be," said Ready; "and now let us go and fetch all thethings; it is a nice dry spot, and I think will do capitally."

  They were soon hard at work, and long before sunset one tent was ready,and they had put their bedding in it.

  "Well, now, I suppose you are a little tired," said Ready; "I'm sure youought to be, for you have worked hard to-day."

  "I don't feel very tired, Ready, but it's not time to go to bed yet."

  "No; and I think we had better take our shovels and dig the pits for thewater, and then we shall know by to-morrow morning whether the water isgood or not."

  "Yes, Ready, we can do that before we get our supper."

  They walked to where the ground between the bananas and yam patch waswet and swampy, and dug two large holes about a yard deep and square;the water trickled in very fast, and they were up to their ankles beforethey had finished.

  "There'll be no want of water, Ready, if it is only fit to drink."

  "I've no fear of that," replied Ready.

  They returned to the tent and made their supper off the salt pork andflour-cakes, and then lay down on the mattresses. They were soon fastasleep, for they were tired out with the hard work which they had gonethrough.

  The next morning, at sunrise, they were up again; the first thing theydid was to go and examine the holes they had dug for water; they foundthem full and running over, and the water had settled quite clear; theytasted it, and pronounced it very good.

  As soon as they had washed themselves, they went back and made theirbreakfast, and then set to work to get up the other tent. They thencleared all the ground near the tents of brushwood and high grass, andlevelled it nicely with their shovels inside.

  "Now, William, we have another job, which is to prepare a fireplace forJuno: we must go down to the beach for stones."

  In another hour the fireplace was completed, and Ready and Williamlooked at their work.

  "Well, I call this a very comfortable lodging-house," said Ready.

  "And I am sure," replied William, "it's very pretty. Mamma will bedelighted with it."

  "We shall have no want of bananas in a few weeks," said Ready; "look,they are all in blossom already. Well, now I suppose we had betterleave everything here, and go back. We must have another trip thisafternoon, and sleep here to-night."

  They went down to the boat, and sailed back as before; by ten o'clock inthe morning they had regained the house, and then they made arrangementsfor their work during the remainder of the day. It was agreed that theprovisions necessary for a day or two, the table and chairs, the cookingutensils, and a portion of their clothes, should be taken round thatafternoon, that Ready and William should come back early the nextmorning, and then they should all set off together through the wood tothe new location. The sheep and lambs (for they had four lambs), thegoats and kids, were to be driven through the wood by Mr Seagrave;William and Ready and the dogs would be very useful in driving them. Asfor the fowls and chickens, it was decided they should be left, as Readyand William could look after them on their occasional visits.