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masterman ready-第34部分

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〃What do you expect to find; Ready?〃

〃That's a difficult question to answer。 I can tell you what I hope to find; which is; a good space of clear ground between the beach and the wood; where we may pasture our sheep and goats; and perhaps we may find some other trees besides cocoa…nuts: at present; you know; we have seen only them and the castor…oil beans; that Tommy took such a dose of。 You see; William; there is no saying what new seeds may have been brought here by birds; or by the winds and waves。〃

〃But will those seeds grow?〃

〃Yes; William; I have been told that seeds may remain hundreds of years under…ground; and come up afterwards when exposed to the heat。〃

They continued their way; and had not walked for more than a quarter of an hour; when William cried out; 〃I see the blue sky; Ready; we shall soon be out; and glad shall I be; for my arm aches with chopping。〃

〃I dare say it does; sir。 I am just as glad as you are; for I'm tired of marking the trees; however; we must continue to mark; or we shall not find our way back when we want it。〃

In ten minutes more they were clear of the cocoa…nut grove; and found themselves among brushwood higher than their heads; so that they could not see how far they were from the shore。

〃Well;〃 said William; throwing down his hatchet; 〃I'm glad that's over; now let us sit down a little before we go any further。〃

〃I'm of your opinion; sir;〃 replied Ready; sitting down by the side of William; 〃I feel more tired to…day than I did when we first went through the wood; after we set off from the cove。 I suppose it's the weather。 Come back; dogs; lie down。〃

〃The weather is very fine; Ready。〃

〃Yes; now it is; but I meant to have said that the rainy season is very trying to the health; and I suppose I have not recovered from it yet。 You have had a regular fever; and; of course; do not feel strong; but a man may have no fever; and yet his health suffer a great deal from it。 I am an old man; William; and feel these things now。〃

〃I think that before we go on; Ready; we had better have our dinner; that will do us good。〃

〃Well; we will take an early dinner; and we shall get rid of one bottle of water; at all events; indeed; I think that; as we must go back by the same way we came; we may as well leave our knapsacks and everything but our guns under these trees; I dare say we shall sleep here too; for I told Mr。 Seagrave positively not to expect us back to…night。 I did not like to say so before your mother; she is so anxious about you。〃

They opened their knapsacks; and made their meal; the two dogs coming in for their share; after which they again started on their discoveries。 For about ten minutes they continued to force their way through the thick and high bushes; till at last they broke out clear of them; and then looked around them for a short time without speaking。 The sea was about half a mile distant; and the intervening land was clear; with fresh blades of grass just bursting out of the earth; composing a fine piece of pasture of at least fifty acres; here and there broken with 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。〃

〃Yo
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