Masterman Ready; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

  Mr Seagrave was the first up on the ensuing morning; and when Readycame out of the tent, he said to him, "Do you know, Ready, I feel muchhappier and my mind much more at ease since I find myself here. On theother side of the island everything reminded me that we had beenshipwrecked; and I could not help thinking of home and my own country;but here we appear as if we had been long settled, and as if we had comehere by choice."

  "I trust that feeling will be stronger every day, sir; for it's no use,and indeed sinful, to repine."

  "I acknowledge it, and with all humility. What is the first thing whichyou wish we should set about?"

  "I think, sir, the first object is to have a good supply of fresh water;and I therefore wish you and William--Here he is. Good-morning,William--I was saying that I thought it better that Mr Seagrave and youshould clear out the spring while I am away in the boat. I broughtanother shovel with me yesterday, and you both can work; perhaps we hadbetter go there, as Juno, I see, is getting the breakfast ready. Youobserve, Mr Seagrave, we must follow up the spring till we get amongthe cocoa-nut trees, where it will be shaded from the sun; that iseasily done by digging towards them, and watching how the water flows.Then, if you will dig out a hole large enough to sink down in the earthone of the water-casks which lie on the beach, I will bring it down withme this afternoon; and then, when it is fixed in the earth in that way,we shall always have the cask full of water for use, and the springfilling it as fast as we empty it."

  "I understand," replied Mr Seagrave; "that shall be our task while youare absent."

  "Now, I have nothing more to do than to speak to Juno about dinner,"replied Ready; "and then I'll just take a mouthful, and be off."

  Ready directed Juno to fry some pork in the frying-pan, and then to cutoff some slices from the turtle, and cook turtle-steaks for dinner, aswell as to warm up the soup which was left; and then, with a biscuit anda piece of beef in his hand, he went down to the boat and set off forthe cove. Mr Seagrave and William worked hard; and, by twelve o'clock,the hole was quite large and deep enough, according to the directionsReady had given. They then left their work and went to the tent.

  "You don't know how much happier I am now that I am here," said MrsSeagrave, taking her husband's hand, as he seated himself by her.

  "I trust it is a presentiment of future happiness, my dear," said MrSeagrave. "I assure you that I feel the same, and was saying so toReady this morning."

  "I feel that I could live here for ever, it is so calm and beautiful;but I miss one thing--there are no birds singing here as at home."

  "I have seen no birds except sea-birds, and of them there is plenty.Have you, William?"

  "Only once, father. I saw a flight a long way off. Ready was not withme, and I could not tell what they were; but they were large birds, asbig as pigeons, I should think. There is Ready coming round the point,"continued William. "How fast that little boat sails! It is a longpull, though, for the old man when he goes to the cove."

  "Let us go down and help Ready carry up some of the things beforedinner," said Mrs Seagrave.

  They did so; and William rolled up the empty water-cask which Ready hadbrought with him.

  The turtle-steaks were as much approved of as the turtle-soup; indeed,after having been so long on salt meat, a return to fresh provisions wasdelightful.

  "And now to finish our well," said William, as soon as dinner was over.

  "How hard you do work, William!" said his mother.

  "So I ought, mother. I must learn to do everything now."

  "And that you will very soon," said Ready.

  They rolled the cask to the spring, and, to their astonishment, foundthe great hole which they had dug not two hours before quite full ofwater.

  "Oh dear," said William, "we shall have to throw all the water out toget the cask down."

  "Think a little, William," said Mr Seagrave, "for the spring runs sofast that it will not be an easy task. Cannot we do something else?"

  "Why, father, the cask will float, you know," replied William.

  "To be sure it will as it is; but is there no way of making it sink?"

  "Oh yes. I know--we must bore some holes in the bottom, and then itwill fill and sink down of itself."

  "Exactly," replied Ready. "I expected that we should have to do that,and have the big gimlet with me."

  Ready bored three or four holes in the bottom of the cask, and as itfloated the water ran into it, and by degrees it gradually sank down.As soon as the top of the cask was level with the surface they filled inall round with the spade and shovel, and the well was completed.