"All's well so far, sir," said Ready to Mr Seagrave; "and now let us
return thanks to Heaven."
As they rose to their feet again, after giving thanks to the Almighty,
William came up and said, "Father, my mother was awakened by the noise
under the ship's bottom, and is frightened--will you go down to her?"
"What is the matter, my dear,--and where have you all been?" exclaimed
Mrs Seagrave, when her husband went down below. "I have been so
frightened--I was in a sound sleep, and I was awakened with such a
dreadful noise."
"Be composed, my dear," replied Mr Seagrave; "we have been in great
danger, and are now, I trust, in safety. Tell me, are you not better
for your long sleep?"
"Yes, much better--much stronger; but do tell me what has happened."
"Much took place, dearest, before you went to sleep, which was concealed
from you; but now, as I expect we shall all go on shore in a short
time--"
"Go on shore, my dear?"
"Yes, on shore. Now be calm, and hear what has happened, and how much
we have reason to be grateful to Heaven."
Mr Seagrave then entered into a detail of all that had passed. Mrs
Seagrave heard him without reply; and when he had finished, she threw
herself in his arms and wept bitterly. Mr Seagrave remained with his
wife, using all his efforts to console her, until Juno reappeared with
the children, for it was now getting late; then he returned on deck.
"Well, sir," said Ready, when Mr Seagrave went up to him, "I have been
looking well about me, and I think that we have great reason to be
thankful. The ship is fast enough, and will not move until some violent
gales come on and break her up; but of that there is no fear at present:
the little wind that there is, is going down, and we shall have a calm
before morning."
"I grant that there is no immediate danger, Ready; but how are we to get
on shore?--and, when on shore, how are we to exist?"
"I have thought of that too, sir, and I must have your assistance, and
even that of Master William, to get the little boat on board to repair
her: her bottom is stove in, it is true, but I am carpenter enough for
that, and with some well-tarred canvas I can make her sufficiently
water-tight to land us all in safety. We must set to at daylight."
"And when we get on shore?"
"Why, Mr Seagrave, where there are cocoa-nut trees in such plenty as
there are on that island, there is no fear of starvation, even if we had
not the ship's provisions. I expect a little difficulty with regard to
water, for the island is low and small; but we cannot expect to find
everything exactly as we wish."
"I am thankful to the Almighty for our preservation, Ready; but still
there are feelings which I cannot get over. Here we are cast away upon
a desolate island, which perhaps no ship may ever come near, so that
there is little chance of our being taken off. It is a melancholy and
cruel fate, Ready, and that you must acknowledge."
"Mr Seagrave, as an old man compared to you, I may venture to say that
you are ungrateful to Heaven to give way to these repinings. What is
said in the book of Job? `Shall we receive good of the Lord, and shall
we not receive evil?' Besides, who knows whether good may not proceed
from what appears evil? I beg your pardon, Mr Seagrave, I hope I have
not offended you; but, indeed, sir, I felt that it was my duty to speak
as I have done."
"You have reproved me very justly, Ready; and I thank you for it,"
replied Mr Seagrave; "I will repine no more, but make the best of it."
"And trust in God, sir, who, if he thinks fit, will restore you once
more to your friends, and increase tenfold your flocks and herds."
"That quotation becomes very apt, Ready," replied Mr Seagrave, smiling,
"considering that all my prospects are in flocks and herds upon my land
in New South Wales. I must put myself under your orders; for, in our
present position, you are my superior--knowledge is power. Can we do
anything to-night?"
"I can do a little, Mr Seagrave; but you cannot assist me till tomorrow
morning, except indeed to help me to drag these two spars aft; and then
I can rig a pair of sheers, and have them all ready for hoisting up
to-morrow morning to get the boat in. You see, with so little strength
on board, and no masts, we shall be obliged to contrive."
Mr Seagrave assisted Ready in getting the two spars aft, and laid on
the spot which was required. "There now, Mr Seagrave, you may go down
below. William had better let loose the two dogs, and give them a
little victuals, for we have quite forgot them, poor things. I shall
keep watch to-night, for I have plenty to do, and plenty to think of;
so, good-night, sir."
Ready remained on deck, lashing the heads of the spars, and fixing his
tackles ready for the morrow. When all was done, he sat down upon one
of the hen-coops aft, and remained in deep thought. At last, tired with
watching and exertion, the old man fell asleep. He was awakened at
daylight by the dogs, who had been set at liberty, and who, after
walking about the ship and finding nobody, had then gone to sleep at the
cabin door. At daybreak they had roused up, and going on deck had found
old Ready asleep on the hen-coop, and were licking his face in their joy
at having discovered him. "Ay," said the old man, as he got off the
hen-coop, "you'll all three be useful, if I mistake not, by and by.
Down, Vixen, down--poor creature, you've lost a good master, I'm
afraid."
"Stop--now let me see," said Ready, talking to himself; "first--but I'll
get the log board and a bit of chalk, and write them down, for my memory
is not quite so good as it was."
Ready placed the logboard on the hen-coop, and then wrote on it with the
chalk:--"Three dogs, two goats, and Billy the kid (I think there's five
pigs); fowls (quite enough); three or four pigeons (I'm sure); the cow
(she has lain down and won't get up again, I'm afraid, so we must kill
her); and there's the merino ram and sheep belonging to Mr Seagrave--
plenty of live stock. Now, what's the first things we must get on shore
after we are all landed--a spar and topgallant sail for a tent, a coil
or two of rope, a mattress or two for Madam and the children, two axes,
hammer and nails, something to eat--yes, and something to cut it with.
There, that will do for the present," said old Ready, getting up. "Now,
I'll just light the fire, get the water on, and, while I think of it,
boil two or three pieces of beef and pork to go on shore with them; and
then I'll call up Mr Seagrave, for I reckon it will be a hard day's
work."