CHAPTER SIXTY.
Another week passed away, during which Ready repaired the boat, andWilliam and Mr Seagrave were employed in digging up the garden. It wasalso a very busy week at the house, as they had not washed linen forsome time. Mrs Seagrave and Juno, and even little Caroline were hardat work, and Tommy was more useful than ever he had been, going for thewater as they required it, and watching little Albert. Indeed, he wasso active, that Mrs Seagrave praised him before his papa, and Tommy wasquite proud.
On the Monday William and Ready set off in the boat to the littleharbour, and found all the stock doing well. Many of the bananas andguavas had ripened and withered, but there were enough left to fill theboat half full.
"We cannot do better than to leave the stock where it is at present,William; they can run into the cocoa-nut grove for shelter if there is astorm, and there is feed enough for ten times as many."
"Yes; but will you not dig up a few yams first?"
"I had quite forgotten it, William. I will go for the spade."
Having procured the yams, they set off on their return. Before theyarrived at the bay, the sky clouded over and threatened a storm. It didnot, however, rain till after they had landed, when a small showerannounced the commencement of the rainy season. The fruit was verywelcome to all of them, it was so long since they had tasted any.
The following day was beautifully fine, and everything appearedrefreshed by the rain which had fallen. It was, however, agreed, thatReady and William should go round the next morning, bring home thetents, and as many yams as the boat could carry. William and Ready wentout at night as usual, when Ready observed that the wind had choppedround to the eastward.
"That will be bad for us to-morrow, Ready," replied William. "We maysail to the harbour, but we shall have to pull back with the loadedboat."
"I trust it will be no worse than that, at all events," replied Ready;"but we must now return, and go to bed. I shall be up by daylight, soyou need not wake without you like."
"I can't help waking," replied William, "and I shall, therefore, be upwith you."
"Very well, I am always glad of your company."
The next morning, just before the day dawned, Ready and Williamunfastened the door of the stockade, and went down to the beach. Thewind was still to the eastward, and blowing rather fresh, and the skywas cloudy. As the sun rose, Ready, as usual, had his telescope withhim, and looked through it at the offing to the eastward. As he keptthe spy-glass to his eye for some time without speaking, William said:
"Do you see anything, Ready, that you look so long in that direction?"
"Either my old eyes deceive me, or I fear that I do," replied Ready;"but a few minutes more will decide."
There was a bank of clouds on the horizon to the eastward, but as soonas the sun had risen above them, Ready, who had the telescope fixed inthe same direction, said:
"Yes, William, I am right. I thought that those dark patches I sawthere were brown grass sails."
"Sails of what, Ready?" said William, hastily.
"Of the Indian canoes; I knew that they would come. Take the glass andlook yourself; my eye is quite dim from straining it so long."
"Yes, I have them now," replied William, with his eye to the glass. Atlast he said:
"Why, there are twenty or thirty of them, Ready, at least."
"And with twenty or thirty men in each too, William."
"What must we do, Ready? How frightened my poor mother will be! I'mafraid we can do nothing against such a number."
"Yes, William, we can do a great deal, and we must do a great deal.That there are hundreds of savages there is no doubt; but recollect thatwe have a stockade, which they cannot easily climb over, and plenty offirearms and ammunition, so that we can make a good fight of it, andperhaps beat them off, for they have nothing but clubs and spears."
"How fast they come down, Ready; why, they will be here in an hour."
"No, sir, nor in two hours either; those are very large canoes.However, there is no time to be lost. While I watch them for a fewminutes till I make them more clearly out, do you run up to the houseand beckon your father to come down to me; and then, William, get allthe muskets ready, and bring the casks of powder, and of made-upcartridges, from the old house into the stockade. Call Juno, and shewill help you. We shall have time enough to do everything. After youhave done that, you had better come down and join us."
In a very few minutes after William ran up to the house, Mr Seagravemade his appearance.
"Ready, there is danger, I'm sure; William would not tell me, I presume,because he was afraid of alarming his mother. What is it?"
"It is, Mr Seagrave, that the savages are now coming down upon us inlarge force; perhaps five or six hundred of them; and that we shall haveto defend ourselves with might and main."
"Do you think we have any chance against such a force?"
"Yes, sir, with God's help I have no doubt but that we shall beat themoff; but we must fight hard, and for some days, I fear."
Mr Seagrave examined the fleet of canoes with the glass. "It is,indeed, dreadful odds to contend against."
"Yes, sir, but three muskets behind a stockade are almost a match forall their clubs and spears, provided none of us are wounded."
"Well, Ready, we must put our trust in the Lord, and do our best; I willsecond you to the utmost of my power, and William, I'm sure, will do hisduty."
"I think, sir," said Ready, "we had better not wait here any more, as wehave not long to prepare for them. We have only to fix up some of ourstrong deal planks on the inside of the stockade for us to stand uponwhen we are attacked, that we may see what the enemy is about, and beable to fire upon them. But first we had better go to the old house,and take out what provisions and other articles we shall most want, androll the casks into the stockade, for to the old house they will gofirst, and perhaps destroy everything in it. The casks they certainlywill, for the sake of the iron hoops. An hour's work will do a greatdeal. I believe we have everything we want in the stockade; Juno hasher fuel, the large butt of water will last us two or three weeks atleast, and if we have time, we will get the wheels down, and spear acouple of turtles for fresh provisions."
These observations were made as they walked up to the house. As soon asthey arrived, they found William and Juno had just brought in the powderand cartridges. Mr Seagrave went in to break the matter to his wife.
"I was told that I had to expect this, my dear," replied Mrs Seagrave,"so that it has not come upon me altogether unawares, and anything thata poor weak woman can do, I will."
"I am indeed greatly relieved," said Mr Seagrave, "by finding you thusprepared and supported. I shall feel no anxiety--but we have work to bedone."
Mr and Mrs Seagrave then joined William, Ready, and Juno, who hadalready proceeded to the old house. The children were all still in bedand asleep, so that there was no occasion for any one to watch them.
Masterman Ready; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific Page 60