The next morning was one of bustle; there was packing up and every
preparation for departure. Juno was called here and called there, and
was obliged to ask little Caroline to look after the kettle and call to
her if it boiled over. Master Tommy, as usual, was in every one's way,
and doing more harm than good in his attempts to assist.
At last, Ready, to get rid of him, sent him down with a large bundle to
the beach. Tommy shouldered it with great importance, but when he came
back, looking rather warm with the exertion, and Ready asked him to
take down another, he said he was too tired, and sat down very quietly
till breakfast-time, before which everything was ready.
Mrs. Seagrave and Juno packed up the breakfast and dinner things in a
basket after breakfast was over, and then Mr. and Mrs. Seagrave and the
family set off on their journey, accompanied by the dogs, through the
cocoa-nut grove.
William and Ready lost no time in getting through their work; the
crockery, kitchen utensils, table, and chairs, were the first articles
put into the boat. The goat was then led down, and they set off with a
full load, and arrived at the bay long before the party who were
walking through the wood. They landed the things on the beach, and then
shoved off again to bring round the bedding, which was all that was
left. By three o'clock in the afternoon they had arrived at the bay
with their second and last load, and found that the other party had
been there about an hour, and Mr. Seagrave and Juno were very busy
taking the articles up from the beach.
"Well, William," said Ready, "this is our last trip for some time, I
expect; and so much the better, for our little boat must have something
done to her as soon as I can find time."
"Yes, indeed, Ready, she has done her work well. Do you know I feel as
if I were coming home, now that we are back to the bay. I really feel
quite glad that we have left the tents. I found the pigeons among the
peas, Ready, so we must pick them as soon as we can. I think there were
near twenty of them. We shall have pigeon pies next year, I expect."
"If it pleases God that we live and do well," replied Ready, who had
his eyes fixed upon the sea.
Before night everything was in its place again in the house, and as
comfortable as before, and as they were very tired, they went very
early to bed, having first arranged what they should do in the morning.
At daylight Ready and William went down to the turtle-pond and speared
a turtle, for now the time was coming on for turning the turtle again,
and the pond would soon be filled. Having cut it up and put a portion
of it into the pot, all ready for Mrs. Seagrave, as soon as breakfast
was over they proceeded to the storehouse.
After a little consultation with Mr. Seagrave, Ready marked out a
square of cocoa-nut trees surrounding the storehouse, so as to leave a
space within them of about twenty yards each side, which they
considered large enough for the inclosure. These cocoa-nut trees were
to serve as the posts between which were to be fixed other cocoa-nut
trees cut down, and about fourteen feet high, so as to form a palisade
or stockade, which could not be climbed over, and would protect them
from any attack of the savages.
As soon as the line of trees had been marked out, they set to work
cutting down all the trees within the line, and then outside to a
distance of ten yards, so as to give them room for their work. Ready
cut out cross-pieces, to nail from tree to tree, and now they found the
advantage of having saved so many of the large spike nails, without
which they never could have made so good or so quick a job of it. Mr.
Seagrave cut down trees, William and Juno sawed them off at a proper
length with one of the cross-cut saws, and then carried them to Ready.
They soon had more cut out than be could use, and then they dragged
away the tops and branches, and piled them at a distance on the ground,
to use as winter fuel, while Mr. Seagrave helped Ready in fixing up the
palisades. They worked very hard that day, and were not sorry to go to
bed. Ready, however, took an opportunity to speak to William.
"I think," said he, "that now we are here again, it will be necessary
to keep a sort of night-watch, in case of accident. I shall not go to
bed till it is quite dark, which it will be by nine o'clock, and shall
have my glass to examine the offing the last thing. You see, there is
little fear of the savages coming here in the night-time, but they may
just before night or very early in the morning, so one of us must be up
again before daybreak, that is between two and three o'clock in the
morning, to see if there is anything to be seen of them; if there is
not, of course we may go to bed again, as they cannot arrive till many
hours afterwards; and we must watch the wind and weather, if it is
favourable for them to come to us, which, indeed, the wind will not be
except at the commencement of the rainy season but it may be very
light, and then they would not care for its being against them. I've
been thinking of it, William, a great deal, and my idea is, that it
will be at the beginning of the rainy season that we shall have a
visit, if we have one at all; for you see that the wind don't blow
regular from one quarter, as it does now, but is variable, and then
they can make sail in their canoes, and come here easily, instead of
pulling between thirty and forty miles, which is hard work against wind
and current. Still, we must not be careless and we must keep a good
look-out even now. I don't want to fret your father and Mrs. Seagrave
with my fears on the subject, but I tell you what I really think, and
what we ought to do."
"I agree with you, Ready, and I will take care to be up before
daybreak, and examine very carefully with the spy-glass as soon as the
day dawns. You take the night part, and I will do the morning part of
the watching."