masterman ready-第21节

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row　morning；　so　we　will　now　walk　along　the　beach；　and　see　if　we　cannot　find　some　more。〃

Ready　and　William　remained　till　past　midnight；　and　turned　sixteen　turtle。

〃I　think　that　will　do；　William；　for　once：　we　have　made　a　good　night's　work　of　it；　for　we　have　provided　food　for　many　days。　Tomorrow　we　must　put　them　all　into　the　pond。〃

〃How　shall　we　carry　such　large　animals？〃

〃We　need　not　carry　them；　we　must　put　some　old　canvas　under　them；　and　haul　them　along　by　that　means；　we　can　easily　do　that　on　the　smooth　sand。〃

〃Why　don't　we　catch　some　fish；　Ready？　We　might　put　them　into　the　turtle…pond。〃

〃They　would　not　stay　there　long；　William；　nor　could　we　easily　get　them　out　if　they　did。　I　have　often　thought　of　getting　some　lines　ready；　and　yet　the　time　has　never　come；　for　I　feel　sleepy　after　our　day's　work；　but　as　soon　as　the　house　is　built；　we　will　have　them；　and　you　shall　be　fisherman…in…chief。〃

〃But　the　fish　will　bite　at　night；　will　they　not？〃

〃Oh　yes；　and　better　than　they　do　in　the　daytime。〃

〃Well；　then；　if　you　will　get　me　a　line　and　show　me　how；　I　will　fish　for　an　hour　or　so　after　the　work　is　done；　I　know　mamma　is　getting　tired　of　salt　meat；　and　does　not　think　it　good　for　Caroline。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　will　get　a　bit　of　candle　to…morrow　night；　and　fit　up　two　fishing…lines。　But　I　must　go　with　you；　William。　We　don't　use　much　candle；　at　all　events。〃

〃No；　we　are　too　glad　to　go　to　bed：　but　there　are　two　or　three　boxes　of　one　sort　or　another　up　in　the　cove。〃

The　next　morning　before　breakfast　all　hands　were　employed　in　getting　the　turtle　into　the　pond。　After　breakfast；　William　and　Juno　finished　the　pond　where　the　walls　had　not　been　raised　high　enough；　and；　when　they　returned　to　dinner；　reported　that　their　task　was　completed。　Mr。　Seagrave　also　said　that　he　had；　he　thought；　cleared　quite　ground　enough　for　the　present；　and　as　Mrs。　Seagrave　wanted　Juno　to　help　her　to　wash　the　linen　that　afternoon；　it　was　agreed　that　William；　Ready；　and　Mr。　Seagrave　should　all　go　down　to　the　garden；　and　put　in　the　potatoes。

Ready　worked　with　the　spade；　while　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　cut　the　potatoes　in　pieces；　so　as　to　have　an　eye　in　each　piece。　When　they　had　finished　this　work；　Mr。　Seagrave　said　…　〃Now　that　we　have　finished　cutting　the　potatoes；　let　us　go　and　assist　Ready　in　planting　them　and　the　seeds　which　we　have　brought　down　with　us。〃



Chapter　XXVIII

That　night　Ready　sat　up　for　two　or　three　hours　working　by　candle…light　（William　keeping　him　company）；　very　busily　engaged　fitting　up　the　fishing…lines　with　leads　and　hooks。　At　last　two　were　complete。

〃What　bait　must　we　use；　Ready？〃

〃I　should　think　that　the　best　would　be　one　of　the　fish　out　of　the　shells　which　are　in　the　sand；　but　a　piece　of　pork　fat　will；　I　dare　say；　do　as　well。〃

〃And　whereabouts　would　you　fish；　Ready？〃

〃The　best　place；　I　should　think；　would　be　at　the　farthermost　end　of　the　point；　where　I　got　the　boat　through　the　reef　…　the　water　is　deep　there　close　to　the　rocks。〃

〃I　was　thinking；　Ready；　if　those　gannets　and　men…of…war　birds　would　be　good　eating。〃

〃Not　very；　William；　they　are　very　tough　and　very　fishy：　we　must　try　for　those　when　we　can　get　nothing　better。　Now　that　we　have　got　in　the　seeds　and　potatoes；　we　must　all　set　to　to…morrow　morning　to　fell　and　carry　the　timber。　I　think　Mr。　Seagrave　had　better　use　the　axe　with　me；　and　you　and　Juno　can；　when　I　have　shown　you　how；　hang　the　timber　to　the　axle；　and　wheel　it　out　to　the　place　where　we　have　decided　upon　building　the　house。　And　now　we　had　better　go　to　bed。〃

William；　however；　had　made　up　his　mind　to　do　otherwise：　he　knew　that　his　mother　would　be　very　glad　to　have　some　fish；　and　he　determined；　as　the　moon　shone　bright；　to　try　if　he　could　not　catch　some　before　he　went　to　bed；　so　he　waited　very　quietly　till　he　thought　Ready　was　asleep　as　well　as　the　others；　and　then　went　out　with　the　lines；　and　went　down　to　the　beach；　where　he　picked　up　three　or　four　shells；　and；　breaking　them　between　two　pieces　of　rock；　took　out　the　fish　and　baited　his　hooks。　He　then　walked　to　the　point。　It　was　a　beautiful　night；　the　water　was　very　smooth；　and　the　moonbeams　pierced　deep　below　the　surface。　William　threw　in　his　line；　and　as　soon　as　the　lead　touched　the　bottom　he　pulled　it　up　about　a　foot；　as　Ready　had　instructed　him；　and　he　had　not　held　his　line　more　than　half　a　minute；　when　it　was　jerked　so　forcibly；　that　not　expecting　it　he　was　nearly　hauled　into　the　water；　as　it　was；　the　fish　was　so　strong　that　the　line　slipped　through　his　hand　and　scored　his　fingers；　but　after　a　time　he　was　able　to　pull　it　in；　and　he　landed　on　the　beach　a　large　silver…scaled　fish；　weighing　nine　or　ten　pounds。　As　soon　as　he　had　dragged　it　so　far　away　from　the　edge　of　the　rocks　as　to　prevent　its　flapping　into　the　water　again；　William　took　out　the　hook　and　determined　to　try　for　another。　His　line　was　down　as　short　a　time　as　before；　when　it　was　again　jerked　with　violence；　but　William　was　this　time　prepared；　and　he　let　out　the　line　and　played　the　fish　till　it　was　tired；　and　then　pulled　it　up；　and　found　that　the　second　fish　was　even　larger　than　the　first。　Satisfied　with　his　success；　he　wound　up　his　lines；　and；　running　a　piece　of　string　through　the　gills　of　the　fish；　dragged　them　back　to　the　tents；　and　hanged　them　to　the　pole；　for　fear　of　the　dogs　eating　them；　he　then　went　in；　and　was　soon　fast　asleep。　The　next　morning　William　was　the　first　up；　and　showed　his　prizes　with　much　glee；　but　Ready　was　very　much　displeased　with　him。

〃You　did　very　wrong；　William；　to　run　the　risk　which　you　did。　If　you　were　resolved　to　catch　fish；　why　did　you　not　tell　me；　and　I　would　have　gone　with　you？　You　say；　yourself；　that　the　fish　nearly　hauled　you　into　the　water；　suppose　it　had　done　so；　or　suppose　a　small　shark　instead　of　one　of　these　gropers　（as　we　call　them）　had　taken　the　bait；　you　must　have　been　jerked　in；　and　the　rocks　are　so　steep　there；　that　you　would　not　have　been　able　to　get　out　again　before　a　shark　had　hold　of　you。　Think　a　moment　what　would　have　been　the　distress　of　your　father　and　the　agony　and　despair　of　your　poor　mother；　when　this　news　should　have　arrived。〃

〃I　was　very　wrong；　Ready；〃　replied　William；　〃now　that　I　think　of　it；　but　I　wanted　to　surprise　and　please　my　mother。〃

〃That　reason　is　almost　sufficient　to　plead　your　pardon；　my　dear　boy；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　don't　do　so　again。　And　now　let　us　say　no　more　about　it；　nobody　will　know　that　you　have　been　in　danger；　and　there's　no　harm　done；　and　you　mustn't　mind　an　old　man　scolding　you　a　little。〃

〃No；　indeed；　Ready；　I　do　not；　for　I　was　very　thoughtless；　but　I　had　no　idea　that　there　was　danger。〃

〃There's　your　mother　coming　out　of　her　tent；〃　replied　Ready。　〃Good…morning；　madam。　Do　you　know　what　William　has　done　for　you　last　night？　Look；　here　are　two　beautiful　fish；　and　very　excellent　eating　they　are；　I　can　tell　you。〃

〃I　am　quite　delighted；〃　replied　Mrs。　Seagrave。

Tommy　clapped　his　hands　and　danced　about；　crying；　〃Fried　fish　for　dinner；〃　and　Juno　said；　〃Have　very　fine　dinner　to…day；　Missy　Caroline。〃

After　breakfast　they　all　set　out　for　the　grove；　where　Ready　had　been　cutting　down　the　trees；　taking　with　them　the　wheels　and　axle；　and　a　couple　of　stout　ropes。　Mr。　Seagrave　and　Ready　cut　down　the　trees　and　slung　them　to　the　axle；　and　Juno　and　William　dragged　them　to　the　spot　where　the　house　was　to　be　built。

They　were　not　sorry　when　dinner　was　ready；　for　it　was　very　hard　work。

That　night；　tired　as　they　were；　Ready　and　William　went　out；　and　turned　eight　more　turtle。　They　continued　felling　the　cocoa…nut　trees　and　dragging　the　timber　for　the　remainder　of　the　week；　when　they　considered　that　they　had　nearly　enough；　and　on　Tuesday　morning　they　commenced　building　the　house。



Chapter　XXIX

Ready　had　cut　out　and　prepared　the　door…posts　and　window…frames　from　timber　which　he　had　towed　round　from　the　cove。　He　now　fixed　four　poles　in　the　earth　upright　at　each　corner；　and　then；　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Seagrave；　notched　every　log　of　cocoa…nut　wood　on　both　sides；　where　it　was　to　meet　with　the　one　crossing　it；　so　that；　by　laying　log　upon　log　alternately；　they　fitted　pretty　close；　and　had　only　to　have　the　chinks　between　them　filled　in　with　cocoa…nut　leaves　twisted　very　tight；　and　forced　between　them：　this　was　the　work　of　William　and　Juno　when　no　more　logs　were　ready　for　carrying；　and；　by　degrees；　the　house　rose　up　from　its　foundation。　The　fireplace　could　not　be　made　at　once；　as　they　had　either　to　find　clay；　or　to　burn　shells　into　lime　and　build　it　up　with　rocks　and　mortar；　but　a　space　was　left　for　it。　For　three　weeks　they　worked　very　hard：　as　soon　as　the　sides　were　up；　they　got　on　the　whole　of　the　roof　and　rafters；　and　then；　with　the　broad　leaves　of　the　cocoa…nut　trees　which　had　been　cut　down；　Ready　thatched　it　very　strong　and　securely。　At　the　end　of　the　three　weeks　the　house　was　secure　from　the　weather；　and　it　was　quite　time；　for　the　weather　had　begun　to　change；　the　clouds　now　gathered　thick；　and　the　rainy　season　was　commencing。

〃We　have　no　time　to　lose；　sir；〃　said　Ready　to　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃We　have　worked　hard；　but　we　must　for　a　few　days　work　harder　still。　We　must　fit　up　the　inside　of　the　house；　so　as　to　enable　Madam　to　get　into　it　as　soon　as　possible。〃

The　earth　in　the　inside　of　the　house　was　then　b