THE SAILING OF THE "RED BIRD."
The boys were out of bed not long after daylight the next morning. The
sky was clear, but there was not a particle of breeze, and even before
the sun rose the air was hot and stifling to a degree never before
experienced by either of Ned's visitors.
"I say, Ned, this is a frightful morning," said Jack. "I feel myself
melting as I stand here in my clothes. I'm already as weak as a pound of
butter looks in the sun. How we're going to breathe when the sun comes
up, I'm at a loss to determine. Whew!" and with that Jack sat down
exhausted.
"A nice time we'll have rowing," said Charley. "I move we swim and push
the boat. It'll be cooler, and not much harder work. Does it ever rain
here? because if it does I'm waiting for a shower. I'm wilted down, and
nothing short of a drenching will revive me."
"Well," said Ned, "come, let's take a drenching. I'm going to take a
header off the boat-house pier. It's low-water now, and there's a clear
jump of ten feet. A plunge will wake us up, and by that time breakfast
will be ready, and what is more to the point, the tide will turn. That's
a comfort."
"Why?" asked Charley.
"Because when it turns a sea-breeze will come with it. This sort of heat
is what we'd have here all summer long if it wasn't for land- and
sea-breezes. As it is we never have it except at dead low water, and it
is always followed by a good stiff sea-breeze when the tide turns. We'll
be able to sail instead of swimming over to the island. But come, let's
have our plunge now."
After breakfast the boys went to the boat house to bestow their freight
in the boat. The tide had turned, and, as Ned had predicted, a cool,
stimulating breeze had begun to blow, so that the strength returned to
Jack's knees and Charley's resolution.
"It will be best to fill the boat's water kegs," said Ned; "partly
because we'll want water on the way, partly because we'll want water on
the island, while we're digging for a permanent supply."
"By the way," said Jack, "what are we going to dig with?"
"Well, there's another blunder," said Ned. "If Robinson Crusoe had
forgotten things in that way, he never would have lived through his
island experiences. We must have a shovel and a pick. I'll run up to the
house and look for them while you boys fill the water kegs."
When Ned got back to the boat he was confronted by Maum Sally with a big
bundle.
"What is it, Maum Sally?"
"Oh nothin', on'y I spose you young gentlemen is a gwine to sleep jes a
little now an' then o' nights, an' so, as you hasn't thought on it
yerse'fs, I's done brung you some bedclo'es."
"Now look here, boys," said Ned; "we'll go off without our heads yet.
We've lost our heads several times already, in fact. There's nothing for
it except just to imagine ourselves at the island, and run through a
whole day and night in our minds to see what we're going to need."
"That's a good idea," said Charley. "I'll begin. I'll need my mother
the first thing, because here's a button off my collar."
The party laughed, of course, but there was force in the suggestion. A
few buttons, a needle or two, and some stout thread were straightway
added to the ship's stores.
"Now let's see," said Ned. "We'll need to build a shelter first thing,
and we've all the tools necessary for that, because I've thought it out
carefully. Then we have our digging tools. Very well. Now, for breakfast
we need, let me see," and he ran over the materials and utensils already
enumerated. Going on in this way through an imaginary day on the island,
the boys found their list of stores now reasonably complete. From Maum
Sally's bundle they selected three blankets, which they rolled up tight
and bestowed behind the water keg at the stern. Maum Sally had brought
pillows, sheets, and a large mattress, which she earnestly besought them
to take, but they declined to add to their cargo any thing which could
be dispensed with. At the very last moment one of the boys thought of
matches. It was decided that three small boxes would be sufficient, as
they could keep fire by the exercise of a little caution.
Thus equipped, they bade Maum Sally good-by, and cast the boat loose.
The sail filled, the _Red Bird_ lay a little over upon one side, with
the wind nearly abeam, and the boys settled themselves into their
places.
"I say, young Ned," called Maum Sally, "how long's ye mean to be gone?"
"Oh, I don't know. May be a month," was the reply.
"Well, not a day longer 'n dat, now mind."