masterman ready-第38节

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　small　patches　of　trees　and　brushwood；　there　was　no　sandy　beach；　but　the　rocks　rose　from　the　sea　about　twenty　to　thirty　feet　high；　and　were　in　one　or　two　places　covered　with　something　which　looked　as　white　as　snow。

〃Well；　Ready；〃　said　William；　〃there　will　be　no　want　of　pasture　for　our　flock；　even　if　it　increases　to　ten　times　its　number。〃

〃No；〃　replied　Ready；　〃we　are　very　fortunate；　and　have　great　reason　to　be　thankful；　this　is　exactly　what　we　required；　and　now　let　us　go　on　a　little；　and　examine　these　patches　of　wood；　and　see　what　they　are。　I　see　a　bright　green　leaf　out　there；　which；　if　my　eyes　do　not　fail　me；　I　have　seen　many　a　time　before。〃　When　they　arrived　at　the　clump　of　trees　which　Ready　had　pointed　out；　he　said；　〃Yes；　I　was　right。　Look　there；　this　is　the　banana；　it　is　just　bursting　out　now；　and　will　soon　be　ten　feet　high；　and　bearing　fruit　which　is　excellent　eating；　besides　which　the　stem　is　capital　fodder　for　the　beasts。〃

〃Here　is　a　plant　I　never　saw　before；〃　said　William；　pulling　off　a　piece　of　it；　and　showing　it　to　Ready。

〃But　I　have；　William。　It　is　what　they　call　the　bird's…eye　pepper；　they　make　Cayenne　pepper　out　of　it。　Look；　the　pods　are　just　formed；　it　will　be　useful　to　us　in　cooking；　as　we　have　no　pepper　left。　You　see；　William；　we　must　have　some　birds　on　the　island；　at　least　it　is　most　probable；　for　all　the　seeds　of　these　plants　and　trees　must　have　been　brought　here　by　them。　The　banana　and　the　pepper　are　the　food　of　many　birds。　What　a　quantity　of　bananas　are　springing　up　in　this　spot；　there　will　be　a　little　forest　of　them　in　a　few　weeks。〃

〃What　is　that　rough…looking　sort　of　shrub　out　there；　Ready？〃

〃I　can't　see　so　well　as　you；　William；　so　let　us　walk　up　to　it。　Oh；　I　know　it　now；　it　is　what　they　call　the　prickly　pear　in　the　West　Indies。　I　am　very　glad　to　have　found　that；　for　it　will　be　very　useful　to　us。〃

〃Is　it　good　eating；　Ready？〃

〃Not　particularly；　and　the　little　spikes　run　into　your　fingers；　and　are　very　difficult　to　get　rid　of；　but　it　is　not　bad　by　way　of　a　change。　No；　the　use　it　will　be　to　us　is　to　hedge　in　our　garden；　and　protect　it　from　the　animals；　it　makes　a　capital　fence；　and　grows　very　fast；　and　without　trouble。　Now　let　us　go　on　to　that　patch　of　trees；　and　see　what　they　are。〃

〃What　is　this　plant；　Ready？〃

〃I　don't　know；　William。〃

〃Then　I　think　I　had　better　make　a　collection　of　all　those　you　don't　know；　and　take　them　back　to　father；　he　is　a　good　botanist。〃

William　pulled　a　branch　of　the　plant　off；　and　carried　it　with　him。　On　their　arrival　at　the　next　patch　of　trees；　Ready　looked　at　them　steadfastly　for　some　time。

〃I　ought　to　know　that　tree；〃　said　he。　〃I　have　often　seen　it　in　hot　countries。　Yes；　it's　the　guava。〃

〃What！　is　it　the　fruit　they　make　guava　jelly　of？〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　the　very　same。〃

〃Let　us　now　walk　in　the　direction　of　those　five　or　six　trees；〃　said　William；　〃and　from　there　down　to　the　rocks；　I　want　to　find　out　how　it　is　that　they　are　so　white。〃

〃Be　it　so；　if　you　wish；〃　replied　Ready。

〃Why；　Ready；　what　noise　is　that？　Hark！　such　a　chattering；　it　must　be　monkeys。〃

〃No；　they　are　not　monkeys；　but　I'll　tell　you　what　they　are；　although　I　cannot　see　them；　they　are　parrots　…　I　know　their　noise　well。　You　see；　William；　it's　not　very　likely　that　monkeys　should　get　here；　but　birds　can；　and　it　is　the　birds　that　we　have　to　thank　for　the　bananas　and　guavas；　and　other　fruits　we　may　find　here。〃

As　soon　as　they　came　under　the　trees；　there　was　a　great　rioting　and　fluttering；　and　then　away　flew；　screaming　as　loud　as　they　could；　a　flock　of　about　three　hundred　parrots；　their　beautiful　green　and　blue　feathers　glistening　in　the　beams　of　the　sun。

〃I　told　you　so；　well；　we'll　have　some　capital　pies　out　of　them；　William。〃

〃Pies！　do　they　make　good　pies；　Ready？〃

〃Yes；　excellent；　and　very　often　have　I　had　a　good　dinner　from　one　in　the　West　Indies；　and　in　South　America。　Stop；　let　us　come　a　little　this　way；　I　see　a　leaf　which　I　should　like　to　examine。〃

〃The　ground　is　very　swampy　just　here；　Ready；　is　it　not？〃

〃Yes；　there's　plenty　of　water　below；　I　don't　doubt。　So　much　the　better　for　the　animals；　we　must　dig　some　pools　when　they　come　here。

〃Oh！　I　thought　I　was　not　wrong。　Look！　this　is　the　best　thing　I　have　found　yet　…　we　now　need　not　care　so　much　about　potatoes。〃

〃Why；　what　are　they；　Ready？〃

〃Yams；　which　they　use　instead　of　potatoes　in　the　West　Indies。　Indeed；　potatoes　do　not　remain　potatoes　long；　when　planted　in　hot　climates。〃

〃How　do　you　mean；　Ready？〃

〃They　turn　into　what　they　call　sweet…potatoes；　after　one　or　two　crops：　yams　are　better　things；　in　my　opinion。〃

At　this　moment　the　dogs　dashed　among　the　broad　yam　leaves；　and　commenced　baying；　there　was　a　great　rustling　and　snorting。

〃What's　that？〃　cried　William；　who　had　been　stooping　down　to　examine　the　yam　plant；　and　who　was　startled　at　the　noise。

Ready　laughed　heartily。　〃It　isn't　the　first　time　that　they've　made　you　jump；　William。〃

〃Why；　it's　our　pigs；　isn't　it？〃　replied　William。

〃To　be　sure；　they're　in　the　yam　patch；　very　busy　feeding　on　them；　I'll　be　bound。〃

Ready　gave　a　shout；　and　a　grunting　and　rushing　were　heard　among　the　broad　leaves；　and；　very　soon；　out　rushed；　instead　of　the　six；　about　thirty　pigs　large　and　small；　who；　snorting　and　twisting　their　tails；　galloped　away　at　a　great　rate；　until　they　gained　the　cocoa…nut　grove。

〃How　wild　they　are；　Ready！〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　and　they'll　be　wilder　every　day；　but　we　must　fence　these　yams　from　them；　or　we　shall　get　none　ourselves。〃

〃But　they'll　beat　down　the　fence　before　it　grows　up。〃

〃We　must　pale　it　with　cocoa…nut　palings；　and　plant　the　prickly　pears　outside。　Now；　we'll　go　down　to　the　sea…side。〃

As　they　neared　the　rocks；　which　were　bare　for　about　fifty　yards　from　the　water's　edge；　Ready　said；　〃I　can　tell　you　now　what　those　white　patches　on　the　rocks　are；　William；　they　are　the　places　where　the　sea…birds　come　to　every　year　to　make　their　nests；　and　bring　up　their　young。　They　always　come　to　the　same　place　every　year；　if　they　are　not　disturbed。〃　They　soon　arrived　at　the　spot；　and　found　it　white　with　the　feathers　of　birds；　mixed　up　with　dirt。

〃I　see　no　nests；　Ready；　nor　the　remains　of　any。〃

〃No；　they　do　not　make　any　nests；　further　than　scratching　a　round　hole；　about　half　an　inch　deep；　in　the　soil；　and　there　they　lay　their　eggs；　sitting　quite　close　to　one　another；　they　will　soon　be　here；　and　begin　to　lay；　and　then　we　will　come　and　take　the　eggs；　if　we　want　any；　for　they　are　not　bad　eating。〃

〃Why；　Ready；　what　a　quantity　of　good　things　we　have　found　out　already！　This　has　been　a　very　fortunate　expedition　of　ours。〃

〃Yes；　it　has；　and　we　may　thank　God　for　his　goodness；　who　thus　provides　for　us　so　plentifully　in　the　wilderness。〃

〃Do　you　know；　Ready；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　we　ought　to　have　built　our　house　here。〃

〃Not　so；　William；　we　have　not　the　pure　water；　recollect；　and　we　have　not　the　advantages　of　the　sandy　beach；　where　we　have　our　turtle…　and　fish…pond。　No；　we　may　feed　our　stock　here；　we　may　gather　the　fruit；　taking　our　share　of　it　with　the　poor　birds；　we　may　get　our　yams；　and　every　other　good　provided　for　us；　but　our　house　and　home　must　be　where　it　is　now。〃

〃You　are　right；　Ready；　but　it　will　be　a　long　walk。〃

〃Not　when　we　are　accustomed　to　it；　and　have　made　a　beaten　path；　besides；　we　may　bring　the　boat　round；　perhaps。〃

Then　they　walked　along　the　sea…side　for　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　until　they　came　to　where　the　rocks　were　not　so　high；　and　there　they　discovered　a　little　basin；　completely　formed　in　the　rocks；　with　a　narrow　entrance。

〃See；　William；　what　a　nice　little　harbour　for　our　boat！　we　may　here　load　it　with　yams　and　take　it　round　to　the　bay；　provided　we　can　find　an　entrance　through　the　reefs　on　the　southern　side　of　it；　which　we　have　not　looked　for　yet；　because　we　have　not　required　it。〃

〃Yes；　Ready　…　it　is；　indeed；　a　nice；　smooth　little　place　for　the　boat。　What　is　that　thing　on　the　bottom；　there？〃　said　William；　pointing　in　the　direction。

〃That　is　a　sea　crawfish；　quite　as　good　eating　as　a　lobster。　I　wonder　if　I　could　make　a　lobster…pot；　we　should　catch　plenty；　and　very　good　they　are。〃

〃And　what　are　those　little　rough　things　on　the　rock？〃

〃They　are　a　very　nice　little　sort　of　oyster；　not　like　those　we　have　in　England；　but　much　better　…　they　are　so　delicate。〃

〃Why；　Ready；　we　have　two　more　good　things　for　our　table；　again；〃　replied　William；　〃how　rich　we　shall　be！〃

〃Yes；　but　we　have　to　catch　them；　recollect：　there　is　nothing　to　be　had　in　this　world　without　labour。〃

〃Ready；〃　said　William；　〃we　have　good　three　hours'　daylight；　suppose　we　go　back　and　tell　what　we　have　seen：　my　mother　will　be　so　glad　to　see　us。〃

〃I　agree　with　you；　William。　We　have　done　well　for　one　day；　and　may　safely　go　back　again；　and　remain　for　another　week。　There　are　no　fruits　at　present；　and　all　I　care　about　are　the　yams；　I　should　like　to　protect　them　from　the　pigs。　But　let　us　go　home　and　talk　the　matter　over　with　Mr。　Seagrave。〃

They　found　out　the　spot　where　they　had　left　their　knapsacks　and　hatchets；　and　again　took　their　path　through　the　cocoa…nut　trees；　following　the　blaze　which　they　had　made　in　the　morning。　One　hour　before　sunset　they　arrived　at　the　house；　where　they　found　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave　s