"To-morrow morning we will put the cabin into better order, and put away
all our things, instead of leaving them about the platform in this way.
Then I will carefully look over all that we have got, and put them away
in the chest. I have not yet seen the contents of the chest."
The next day it was very cloudy and rough weather, blowing fresh. After
breakfast we set to work. We cleared out the floor of the cabin, which
was strewed with all manner of things, for Jackson and I had not been
very particular. The whale-line was coiled up and put into one corner
and everything else was brought in and a place round for it.
"We must contrive some shelves," said my mother, "that we may put things
on them, or else we never can be tidy; and we have not one except that
which holds the books. I think we can manage it. We have, two oars
left besides the boat's yard; we will nail them along the side of the
cabin, about a foot or more from it, and then we will cut some of the
boat's sail, and nail the canvass from the side of the cabin to the
oars, and that will make a sort of shelf which will hold our things."
I brought in the oars; they were measured and cut off and nailed up.
The canvass was then stretched from the side of the cabin to the oar,
and nailed with the broad-headed nails, and made two capital shelves on
each side of the cabin, running from one end to the other.
"There," said my mother, "that is a good job. Now we will examine the
chest and put everything away and in its place."
My mother took out all the clothes, and folded them up. When she found
the roll of duck which was at the bottom, she said--
"I am glad to find this, as I can make a dress for myself much better
for this island than this black stuff dress which I now wear, and which
I will put by to wear, in case we should be taken off the island some of
these days; for I must dress like other people when I am again among
them. The clothes are sufficient to last you for a long while; but I
shall only alter two shirts and two pair of trousers to your present
size, as you will grow very fast. How old do you think you are now?"