masterman ready-第40章

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〃Because　you　are　afraid　of　a　visit　from　the　savages；　Ready？〃

〃I　am；　sir；　and　that's　the　truth。〃

〃But；　Ready；　if　they　do　come；　we　shall　see　them　coming；　and　would　it　not　be　better　that　we　should　all　be　together；　even　if　we　are　obliged　to　conceal　ourselves　in　consequence　of　not　being　prepared？　Suppose　the　savages　were　to　overrun　the　island；　and　find　my　mother；　my　little　brother；　and　sister；　defenceless；　at　the　time　we　were　obliged　to　retreat　from　our　house；　how　dreadful　that　would　be！〃

〃But　I　counted　upon　retreating　to　the　tents。〃

〃So　we　can　all　together；　unless　we　are　surprised　in　the　night。〃

〃That　we　must　take　care　not　to　be。　There's　not　three　hours'　dark　in　this　season　of　the　year。　Well；　William；　I　doubt　not　you　may　be　right；　and　if　they　are　all　with　us；　Juno　will　be　a　great　help；　and　we　shall　get　through　our　work　the　faster。〃

〃We　had　better　let　the　question　be　decided　by　my　father　and　mother。〃

〃Very　true；　William；　here's　the　point　at　last。　We　will　haul　the　timber　on　the　beach；　and　then　be　off　as　fast　as　we　can；　for　it　is　getting　late。〃

It　was；　indeed；　much　later　than　they　had　usually　arrived　at　the　little　harbour；　owing　to　the　heavy　load；　which　made　the　boat　so　long　in　coming　round　from　the　cove；　and　when　they　pulled　in；　they　found　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　the　children　all　waiting　for　them。

〃You　are　very　late；　William；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃I　was　quite　uneasy　till　I　saw　the　boat　at　a　distance。〃

〃Yes；　mamma；　but　we　could　not　help　it；　we　had　a　heavy　load　to　bring　round；　and　now　our　work　is　done。〃

〃I　am　delighted　to　hear　it；　William；　for　I　cannot　bear　you　being　away　so　long。〃

〃And　my　work　is　done；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃the　hedge　and　ditch　were　finished　this　morning。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　observed　Ready；　〃we　must　hold　another　council；　but　I　presume　it　will　not　take　very　long。〃

〃No；　I　expect　not；　it　seldom　does　when　people　are　of　the　same　mind。　Mrs。　Seagrave　won't　be　left　here；　Ready；　and　I　don't　want　to　leave　her；　so　I　presume　on　Monday　we　all　start　home　again。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　if　you　please；〃　replied　Ready。

〃Juno；　I　hope　you　have　a　good　supper；〃　said　William；　〃for　I'm　very　hungry。〃

〃Yes；　Massa　William；　plenty　fried　fish；　Massa　catch　'em　this　morning。〃



Chapter　LVI

The　next　day　being　Sunday　was　a　day　of　repose；　and　as　they　had　all　worked　so　hard；　they　felt　the　luxury　of　a　day　of　rest。　In　the　afternoon；　they　agreed　that　on　Monday　they　should　make　every　preparation　for　quitting　the　tents；　and　returning　to　the　house　at　the　bay。　They　decided　that　the　live　stock　should　all　be　left　there；　as　the　pasturage　was　so　plentiful　and　good；　with　the　exception　of　one　goat；　which　they　would　take　back　with　them；　to　supply　them　with　milk；　and　they　also　agreed　that　the　tents　should　be　left　standing；　with　some　cooking　utensils；　that　in　case　William　and　Ready　went　round　for　the　bananas　or　yams；　or　to　examine　the　live　stock；　they　should　not　be　compelled　to　sleep　in　the　open　air；　and　should　have　the　means　of　dressing　their　dinner。　William　and　Ready　were　to　carry　the　beds；　etc。；　round　to　the　bay　in　the　boat；　which　they　could　do　in　two　trips；　and　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Seagrave；　with　the　family；　were　to　walk　through　the　woods　after　taking　a　very　early　breakfast。

All　these　points　being　arranged；　they　had　finished　their　supper；　when　William　again　brought　up　the　conversation　about　animals；　as　he　was　delighted　to　bear　Mr。　Seagrave　talk　on　the　subject。　The　conversation　had　not　commenced　more　than　a　few　minutes；　when　William　said

〃Papa；　they　always　say　‘as　stupid　as　an　ass'。　Is　an　ass　such　a　stupid　animal？〃

〃No；　William；　it　is　a　very　sagacious　one；　but　the　character　has　been　given　to　the　animal　more　on　account　of　its　obstinacy　and　untractableness；　than　on　any　other　account。　It　is　usual　to　say；　as　stupid　as　an　ass；　or　as　stupid　as　a　pig；　or　a　goose。　Now；　these　three　animals　are　very　much　maligned；　for　they　are　all　sagacious　animals。　But　the　fact　is　that；　as　regards　the　ass；　we　have　only　very　sorry　specimens　of　the　animal　in　England；　they　are　stunted　and　small；　and；　from　want　of　corn　and　proper　food；　besides　being　very　ill…treated；　are　slow　and　dull…looking　animals。　The　climate　of　England　is　much　too　cold　for　the　ass；　in　the　south　of　France　and　the　Mediterranean；　where　it　is　much　warmer；　the　ass　is　a　much　finer　animal；　but　to　see　it　in　perfection　we　must　go　to　the　Torrid　Zone　in　Guinea；　right　on　the　equator；　the　hottest　portion　of　the　globe；　where　the　ass；　in　its　native　state　and　in　its　native　country；　is　a　handsome　creature　and　as　fleet　as　the　wind；　indeed；　supposed　to　be；　and　mentioned　in　the　Scriptures　as　the　fleetest　animal　in　creation。　The　fact　is；　that　in　Asia；　especially　in　Palestine　and　Syria；　asses　were　in　great　repute；　and　used　in　preference　to　horses。　We　must　see　an　animal　in　its　own　climate　to　form　a　true　estimate　of　its　value。〃

〃Does　climate；　then；　make　so　great　a　difference？〃　said　William。

〃Of　course　it　does；　not　only　with　animals；　but　with　trees；　plants；　and　even　man；　until　he　is　accustomed　to　the　change。　With　respect　to　animals；　there　are　some　which　can　bear　the　different　varieties　of　climate；　and　even　change　of　food。　The　horse；　for　instance；　although　originally　indigenous　to　Arabia；　lives　as　well　in　the　Temperate；　and　even　in　the　Frigid　Zones　it　may　be　said；　for　they　endure　the　hard　winters　of　Russia　and　North　America；　so　will　domestic　cattle；　such　as　cows；　sheep；　pigs；　&c。　It　is　a　curious　fact　that；　during　the　winter　in　Canada；　a　large　proportion　of　the　food　of　cattle　consists　of　fish。〃

〃Fish；　papa！　Cows　eat　fish？〃

〃Yes；　my　dear　boy；　such　is　the　fact。　It　is　a　remarkable　instance　of　a　graminivorous　or　grass…eating　animal　being　changed　for　a　time　into　a

flesh…eating；　or　rather　into　fish…eating　animal。　But　there　are　other　animals　which　can　live　under　any　temperature；　as　the　wolf；　the　fox；　the　hare；　and　rabbit。　It　is　a　curious　provision；　…　that　the　sheep　and　goats　in　the　hottest　climates　throw　off　their　warm　covering　of　wool；　and　retain　little　better　than　hair；　while；　removed　to　a　cold　climate；　they　recover　their　warm　covering　immediately。〃

〃But　a　goat　has　no　wool；　papa。〃

〃What　are　Cashmere　shawls　made　of；　William？〃

〃Very　true；　papa。〃

〃Most　animals　have　a　certain　increase　of　covering　as　they　recede　further　from　the　warm　climates　to　the　cold　ones。　Wolves　and　foxes；　hares　and　rabbits；　change　the　colour　of　their　skins　to　white　when　they　get　far　north。　The　little　English　stoat；　which　is　destroyed　by　the　gamekeepers；　becomes　the　beautiful　snow…white　ermine　in　Russia　and　other　cold　countries。〃

〃Well；　papa；　I　think　it　a　great　advantage　to　man；　and　a　proof　of　the　Almighty's　care　of　him　and　kindness　to　him；　in　permitting　all　the　animals　most　useful　to　him　to　be　able　to　live　in　any　country；　but　I　don't　know　whether　I　am　wrong　in　saying　so；　papa：　I　cannot　see　why　an　animal　like　the　wolf　should　not　have　been　kept　to　his　own　climate；　like　the　lion　and　tiger；　and　other　ferocious　animals。〃

〃You　have　started　a　question；　William；　which　I　am　glad　you　have　done；　rather　than　it　should　have　remained　on　your　mind；　and　have　puzzled　you。　It　is　true　that　the　shepherd　might　agree　with　you；　that　the　wolf　is　a　nuisance；　equally　true　that　the　husband　man　may　exclaim；　What　is　the　good　of　thistles；　and　the　various　weeds　which　choke　the　soil？　But；　my　dear　boy；　if　they　are　not；　which　I　think　they　are；　for　the　benefit　of　man；　at　all　events　they　are　his　doom　for　the　first　transgression。　‘Cursed　is　the　ground　for　thy　sake　…　thorns　and　thistles　shall　it　bring　forth　to　thee　…　and　by　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　shalt　thou　eat　bread；'　was　the　Almighty's　sentence；　and　it　is　only　by　labour　that　the　husbandman　can　obtain　his　crops；　and　by　watchfulness　that　the　shepherd　can　guard　his　flocks。　Labour　is　in　itself　a　benefit：　without　exercise　there　would　be　no　health；　and　without　health　there　would　be　no　enjoyment。〃

〃I　see　now；　papa。　You　have　mentioned　the　animals　which　can　live　in　all　climates；　will　you　not　tell　us　something　about　other　animals？〃

〃There　is　but　one　remark　to　make；　William；　which　is；　that　animals　indigenous　to；　that　is；　originally　to　be　found　in；　any　one　portion　of　the　globe；　invariably　are　so　fashioned　as　to　be　most　fit　for　that　country；　and　have　the　food　also　most　proper　for　them　growing　or　to　be　obtained　in　that　country。　Take；　for　instance；　the　camel；　an　animal　fashioned　expressly　for　the　country　to　which　he　is　indigenous；　and　without　whose　aid　all　communication　must　have　been　stopped　between　Asia　and　Africa。　He　is　called　the　‘Ship　of　the　Desert'；　for　the　desert　is　a　‘sea　of　sand'。　His　feet　are　so　fashioned　that　he　can　traverse　the　sands　with　facility；　he　can　live　upon　the　coarsest　vegetable　food　and　salt　plants　which　are　found　there；　and　he　has　the　capacity　of　carrying　water　in　a　sort　of　secondary　stomach；　for　his　own　supply　where　no　water　is　to　be　found。　Here　is　an　animal　wonderfully　made　by　the　Almighty　for　an　express　locality；　and　for　the　convenience　of　man　in　that　country；　for；　in　England；　or　elsewhere；　he　would　be　of　no　value。　But　it　is　late；　my　dear　William；　so　we　will　first　thank　him　for　all　his　mercies；　and　then　to　bed。〃



Chapter　LVII

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　se