masterman ready-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Very　true；　but　I　trust　we　shall　not　require　it　for　such　a　purpose。〃

〃I　hope　so　too；　but　there　is　nothing　like　being　prepared；　however；　we　have　plenty　to　do　before　we　can　think　of　that。　Now；　sir；　as　dinner　is　ready；　suppose　we　return；　and　after　dinner　we　will　both　commence　our　tasks。〃

Juno　and　William　returned　to　the　dinner　which　Mrs。　Seagrave　had　prepared。　They　were　both　very　warm　with　their　work；　which　was　very　hard；　but　very　eager　to　finish　their　task。　After　dinner　was　over；　Mrs。　Seagrave　requested　her　husband；　as　he　was　about　to　go　down　to　the　point；　with　the　spade　and　a　small　hatchet　in　his　hand；　to　take　Tommy　with　him；　as　she　had　a　great　deal　to　do；　and　could　not　watch　him　as　well　as　the　baby　and　Caroline。　So　Mr。　Seagrave　took　Tommy　by　the　hand；　and　led　him　to　the　point；　and　made　him　sit　down　close　to　him　while　he　cleared　away　the　brushwood。

Mr。　Seagrave　worked　very　hard；　and　when　he　had　cut　down　and　cleared　a　portion　of　the　ground；　he　made　Tommy　carry　away　to　a　little　distance；　and　pile　in　a　heap；　the　bushes　which　he　had　cleared　away。　When　Mr。　Seagrave　had　cleared　away　a　large　piece　of　ground　with　his　hatchet；　he　then　took　his　spade　to　dig　at　the　roots　and　turn　up　the　mould；　leaving　Tommy　to　amuse　himself。　What　Tommy　did　for　about　an　hour；　during　which　Mr。　Seagrave　worked　very　diligently；　his　father　did　not　observe；　but　all　of　a　sudden　he　began　to　cry；　and　when　his　father　asked　him　the　reason；　he　did　not　answer；　but　only　cried　the　more；　until　at　last　he　put　his　hands　to　his　stomach；　and　roared　most　lustily。　As　he　appeared　to　be　in　very　great　pain；　his　father　left　off　work；　and　led　him　up　to　the　tent；　when　Mrs。　Seagrave　came　out；　alarmed　at　his　cries。　Ready；　who　had　heard　Tommy　screaming　for　so　long　a　while；　thought　that　there　might　be　something　serious；　and　left　his　work　to　ascertain　the　cause。　When　he　heard　what　had　passed；　he　said：

〃Depend　upon　it；　the　child　has　eaten　something　which　has　made　him　ill。　Tell　me；　Tommy；　what　did　you　eat　when　you　were　down　there？〃

〃Berries；〃　roared　Tommy。

〃I　thought　as　much；　ma'am；〃　said　Ready。　〃I　must　go　and　see　what　the　berries　were。〃　And　the　old　man　hastened　down　to　the　place　where　Mr。　Seagrave　had　been　at　work。　In　the　meantime　Mrs。　Seagrave　was　much　alarmed　lest　the　child　should　have　poisoned　himself；　and　Mr。　Seagrave　went　to　search　among　the　medicines　for　some　castor…oil。

Ready　returned　just　as　he　came　back　to　the　tent　with　the　bottle　of　castor…oil；　and　he　told　Ready　that　he　was　about　to　give　Tommy　a　dose。

〃Well；　sir；〃　replied　Ready；　who　had　a　plant　in　his　hand；　〃I　don't　think　you　should　give　him　any；　for　it　appears　to　me　that　he　has　taken　too　much　already。　This　is；　if　I　recollect　right；　the　castor…oil　plant；　and　here　are　some　of　the　castor…oil　beans　which　Master　Tommy　has　been　eating。　Tell　me；　Tommy；　did　you　eat　them？〃

〃Yes；〃　cried　Tommy。

〃I　thought　so：　give　him　a　little　warm　drink；　ma'am；　and　he'll　soon　be　better：　it　will　teach　him　not　to　eat　berries　or　beans　again。〃

What　Ready　said　was　true；　nevertheless　Master　Tommy　was　very　ill　for　the　whole　of　the　day；　and　was　put　early　to　bed。



Chapter　XXVI

The　next　day；　when　Mr。　Seagrave；　William；　Juno；　and　Ready　were　all　at　work　at　their　allotted　tasks；　Mrs。　Seagrave　was　sitting　down　at　the　front　of　the　tent；　the　little　baby；　Albert；　crawling　close　to　her；　Caroline　trying　to　work　with　her　needle；　and　Tommy　was　making　holes　in　the　ground；　and　putting　a　small　stone　into　each　hole。

〃What　are　you　doing；　Tommy？〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃I'm　making　a　garden；〃　replied　Tommy。

〃Making　a　garden！　Then　you　ought　to　plant　some　trees　in　it。〃

〃No；　I'm　sowing　seeds：　look　here；〃　replied　Tommy；　pointing　to　the　stones。

〃But　these　are　stones；　not　seeds。〃

〃Well；　but　I　pretend；　and　that's　the　same　thing；〃　replied　Tommy。

〃Not　exactly；　Tommy；　suppose；　instead　of　eating　those　beans　yesterday；　you　had　only　pretended　to　eat　them；　wouldn't　it　have　been　better？〃

〃I　won't　eat　any　more；〃　replied　Tommy。

〃No；　not　of　those　beans；　but　if　you　saw　anything　else　which　you　thought　you　would　like；　I　am　afraid　you　would　eat　it；　and　be　as　ill　and　even　worse　than　you　were。〃

〃I　like　cocoa…nuts；　why　don't　we　have　some？　there's　plenty　upon　the　trees。〃

〃But　who　is　to　climb　up　so　high；　Tommy？　Can　you？〃

〃No；　but　why　don't　Ready　climb；　or　papa；　or　William？〃

〃I　suppose　they　will　get　some　by　and　by；　when　they　are　not　so　busy；　but　they　have　no　time　now。〃

〃I　like　turtle…soup；〃　replied　Tommy。

〃William　and　Juno　are　making　a　pond　to　put　turtle　in；　and　then　we　shall　have　it　oftener；　but　we　cannot　have　everything　we　like　when　we　wish　for　it。〃

〃I　like　fried　fish；〃　said　Tommy；　〃why　don't　we　have　fried　fish？〃

〃Because　every　one　is　too　busy　to　catch　them　just　now。　Tommy；　go　and　bring　your　brother　Albert　back；　he　has　crawled　too　near　to　Billy；　and　he　butts　sometimes。〃

Tommy　went　after　the　baby；　who　was　crawling　towards　the　kid；　which　had　now　grown　pretty　large；　and　as　he　took　up　his　brother　he　kicked　at　the　goat's　head。

〃Don't　do　that；　Tommy；　he'll　butt　at　you；　and　hurt　you。〃

〃I　don't　care；〃　replied　Tommy；　holding　the　baby　by　one　hand　while　he　continued　to　kick　at　Billy。　Billy；　however；　would　not　stand　it；　he　lowered　his　head；　made　a　butt　at　Tommy；　and　he　and　Albert　rolled　on　the　ground　one　over　the　other。　The　baby　roared；　and　Tommy　began　to　whimper。　Mrs。　Seagrave　ran　up　to　them　and　caught　up　the　baby；　and　Tommy；　alarmed；　caught　hold　of　his　mother's　dress　for　protection；　looking　behind　him　at　Billy；　who　appeared　inclined　to　renew　the　attack。

〃Why　don't　you　mind　what　is　said　to　you；　Tommy？　I　told　you　that　he　would　butt　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave；　pacifying　the　child。

〃I　don't　care　for　him；〃　replied　Tommy；　who　perceived　that　the　goat　was　walking　away。

〃No；　you　are　very　brave　now　that　he　has　gone；　but　you're　a　very　naughty　boy　not　to　mind　what　is　said　to　you。〃

〃Billy　never　butts　at　me；　mamma；〃　said　Caroline。

〃No；　my　dear；　because　you　do　not　tease　him；　but　your　brother　is　very　fond　of　teasing　animals；　and　so　he　gets　punished　and　frightened。　It　is　very　wrong　of　him　to　do　so；　especially　as　he　is　told　by　his　father　and　me　that　he　ought　not。〃

〃You　said　I　was　a　good　boy　when　I　learnt　my　lesson　this　morning；〃　replied　Tommy。

〃Yes；　but　you　should　always　be　good；〃　replied　his　mother。

〃I　can't　be　always　good；〃　said　Tommy；　〃I　want　my　dinner。〃

〃It　is　dinner…time；　Tommy；　that　is　certain；　but　you　must　wait　until　they　all　come　home　from　their　work。〃

〃There's　Ready　coming；　with　a　bag　on　his　shoulder；〃　replied　Tommy。

Ready　soon　came　up　to　where　Mrs。　Seagrave　was　sitting；　and　laid　down　the　bag。　〃I've　brought　you　some　young　cocoa…nuts；　and　some　old　ones　also；　from　the　trees　that　I　have　been　cutting　down。〃

〃Oh！　cocoa…nuts　…　I　like　cocoa…nuts！〃　cried　Tommy。

〃I　told　you；　Tommy；　that　we　should　have　some　by　and　by；　and　they　have　come　sooner　than　we　thought。　You　are　very　warm；　Ready。〃

〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　replied　Ready；　wiping　his　face；　〃it　is　rather　warm　work；　for　there　is　no　breeze　in　the　grove　to　cool　one。　Is　there　anything　you　want　from　the　other　side　of　the　island；　for　I　shall　go　there　directly　after　dinner？〃

〃What　for？〃

〃I　must　bring　the　wheels　to　get　the　timber　out；　for　I　must　clear　it　away　as　I　go；　until　the　path　is　finished。　I　must　have　William　to　help　me。〃

〃William　will　like　the　trip；　I　do　not　doubt。　I　do　not　recollect　anything　in　particular　that　we　want；　Ready；〃　replied　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃There　he　comes　with　Juno；　and　I　see　Mr。　Seagrave　has　laid　down　his　spade；　so　Caroline；　dear；　take　care　of　Albert；　while　I　get　the　dinner　for　them。〃

Ready　assisted　Mrs。　Seagrave；　and　the　dinner　was　spread　out　on　the　ground；　for　they　had　not　brought　the　chairs　and　tables　with　them　to　their　new　residence；　as　they　thought　that　they　could　do　without　them　till　the　house　was　built。　William　reported　that　Juno　and　he　would　have　the　turtle…pond　complete　by　the　next　day。　Mr。　Seagrave　had　cleared　sufficient　ground　to　plant　the　half…sack　of　potatoes　that　they　had　saved；　so　that　in　a　day　or　two　they　would　be　able　to　put　all　their　strength　upon　the　cutting　and　drawing　of　the　timber。

After　dinner；　William　and　Ready　set　off　in　the　boat；　and；　before　it　was　dark；　returned　with　the　wheels　and　axle　of　the　carriage；　and　several　other　articles　to　make　up　their　load。



Chapter　XXVII

〃Now；　William；〃　said　Ready；　〃if　you　are　not　very　sleepy；　perhaps　you　would　like　to　come　with　me　to…night；　and　see　if　we　cannot　turn　some　of　the　turtle；　for　the　season　is　going　away　fast；　and　they　will　leave　the　island　very　soon。〃

As　soon　as　the　sun　had　disappeared；　William　and　Ready　went　down　to　the　beach；　and　sat　quietly　on　a　rock。　In　a　short　time；　Ready　perceived　a　turtle　crawling　on　the　sand；　and；　desiring　William　to　follow　him　without　speaking；　walked　softly　down　by　the　water's　edge；　so　as　to　get　between　the　animal　and　the　sea。

As　soon　as　the　turtle　perceived　them；　it　made　for　the　water；　but　they　met　it；　and　Ready；　seizing　hold　of　one　of　its　fore…flippers；　turned　it　over　on　its　back。

〃You　see；　William；　that　is　the　way　to　turn　a　turtle：　take　care　that　he　does　not　catch　you　with　his　mouth；　for；　if　he　did；　he　would　bite　the　piece　out。　Now　the　animal　cannot　get　away；　for　he　can't　turn　over　again；　and　we　shall　find　him　here　to…morrow　mo