HARD WORK--LABOUR-SAVING DEVICE--DISCOVERY AS TO THE TIME OF THE
YEAR--SCHEMES FOR AMUSEMENT--TIDES ON THE FLORIDA COAST
For a fortnight the boys worked very hard, and yet made but little
apparent progress. Previous to this, they had devoted two days to
Mary’s convenience, and three more to her protection. The rest had been
spent in hacking, with dull axes, upon an immense tree. The log was
three feet in diameter, and had been rough shaped into the general form
of a boat, eighteen feet long. But having no adze, nor mattock, which
might be used in digging, and receiving from Sam very little assistance
more than the benefit of his advice, they began to feel somewhat
discouraged at the small results of their unpractised labours. This
caused them to cast in their minds for some device by which their work
might be facilitated, and thankful enough were they to Indian ingenuity
for suggesting the plan by fire. They set small logs of pine along the
intended excavation, and guarding the edges with clay, to prevent the
fire from extending beyond the prescribed limits, had the satisfaction
to see, the next morning, that the work accomplished by this new agent
during the night, was quite as great as that accomplished by themselves
during the day.
For a few days they had been working under the pleasing stimulation
produced by this discovery, when Robert, pausing in the midst of his
work, said,
"Harold, have you any idea what day of the month this is?"
"No," replied Harold, "I know that it is Friday, and that we are
somewhere past the middle of December. But why do you ask?"
"Because, if I am not mistaken, tomorrow is Christmas day. This is the
twenty-fourth of December."
The announcement made Sam start. He looked at Robert with a half
bewildered, half joyful gaze. The very name of Christmas brought the
fire to his eye.
"Ki, Mas Robbut," said he, "you tink I remember Christmas? Who ebber
hear o’ nigger forget Christmas befo’? But for sure, I nebber say
Christmas to myself once, since I been come to dis island. Eh! eh! I
wonder if ee ent[#] ’cause dis Injin country, whey dey nebber hab no
Christmas at all? Eh! Christmas? Tomorrow Christmas?"
[#] If it is not.
Robert could have predicted the effect which his discovery would have
upon Sam, but he was excessively amused to observe how unforgiving he
seemed to be to himself for neglecting this part of a negro’s privilege.
As soon as it was settled, by a brief calculation, that the next day was
indeed the twenty-fifth of December, another thing was settled, of
course--that no work should be done, and that the day should be spent in
enjoyment. Sam clapped his hands, and would have been guilty of some
antic on the occasion, if his lame leg had not admonished him to be
careful. So he only tossed his cap into the air, and shouted,
"Merry Christmas to ebbery body here, at Bellevue and at home!"
"Now comes another question," said Robert; "how shall the day be spent?
We have no neighbours to visit. No Christmas trees grow here, and Frank
may hang up his moccasins in vain, for I doubt whether Santa Claus ever
heard of this island."
"O, yes, Mas Robbut," Sam merrily interposed. "Dere is one neighbour I
been want to see for long time. I hear say I got a countryman[#] libbin
way yonder in a hollow tree. He is a black nigger, ’sept he is got four
legs and a mighty ugly face."
[#] Pronounced long, country ma-an. It usually means a native African.
"What does the fellow mean?" said Harold, seriously.
"O," replied Robert, laughing, "it is only his way of asking us to visit
our friend the bear. What do you think of it?"
"We have _promised_ to make Mrs. Bruin a visit," said Harold, entering
into the joke; "and perhaps she may think it hard if we do not keep our
word." Just then the conch called them home. "But let us hear what
Mary and Frank have to say. I foresee difficulties all around."
When the question was discussed in general conclave, Mary looked rather
sober. She had not yet recovered wholly from her former fright; but not
willing to interfere with a frolic, from which the others seemed to
anticipate so much pleasure, although it seemed to her to be one of
needless peril, she replied that she would consent on two
conditions--one was that they should go on the raft, to save the immense
walk to the spot, and the other was that they should either put her and
Frank in some place of safety while they fought the bear, or supply her
with an abundance of hot water.
"That idea of the raft is capital," said Robert. "The tide will suit
exactly for floating down in the morning and back in the afternoon. I
think we can give sister all she asks, and the hot water too, if she
insists upon it."
A word here about tides on the western coast of Florida. From Cape
Romano, or Punta Largo, northward to Tampa, and beyond, there is but one
tide in the course of the day, and that with a rise usually of not more
than three feet. But south of Cape Romano, and particularly in the
neighbourhood of Chatham Bay, there are two, as in other parts of the
world, except that they are of unequal lengths, one occupying six, and
the other eighteen hours, with its flood and ebb. People there call
them "the tide and half tide." The plan of the boys was to float down
on the nine hour ebb, and to return on the three hour flood.
Sam’s notions about the observation of Christmas eve, as a part of
Christmas, suited exactly the inclination of the boys; their hands were
blistered, and they were glad of a good excuse for leaving off work, by
an hour or two of the sun. In anticipation of the next day’s absence,
and of the Sabbath succeeding, Frank gathered during the afternoon
plenty of acorns for the poultry, and grass for the deer and goats,
which were to be kept in their fold; and the others laid up a supply of
wood for the fire. Mary sliced some nice pieces of venison and bear’s
meat, and made some bread and Christmas cakes; all, which she packed
away in a basket, with oranges, limes, and a bottle of transparent
honey. Long before dark everything was ready for the expedition.