ll
see as it's follered," answered the boatswain, walking away.

Now, I was quite determined to hold myself absolutely aloof from
everything in the most remote degree savouring of participation in this
mad scheme, for many reasons; but I had no objection to the dropping of
a hint to Polson now and then, for I considered that by so doing I
should strengthen my influence with him. I wanted him to acquire the
habit of depending upon me to help him when he found himself in a
difficulty of any kind; and there was also the possibility that in this
way I might occasionally be able to induce him to put forward or support
proposals that might be of the utmost advantage to my plans of ultimate
escape.

The revised arrangement of the council was put into effect immediately
after breakfast, the boats being brought alongside and all hands--except
the members of council, myself and my gang, and a few of the idlers--
sent ashore. The carpenter, with a gang of assistants, going up to the
higher lands to select, cut down, and transport to the near
neighbourhood of the beach a sufficient number of suitable trees and
saplings to form the framework of the store, while another gang sought
wattles wherewith to form the walls, the women and children meanwhile
being dispatched along the shore, to collect the fallen leaves of the
coconut-palms and bind them in bundles, prior to their transportation to
the site of the store for use as thatch for the roof and sides of the
building. A fourth working party at the same time was engaged in
digging holes in the soil for the reception of the poles which were to
form the corner and intermediate posts of the structure.

While all hands ashore were thus engaged, the council was sitting in the
poop cabin, drafting the laws by which the community was to be
governed--and making a mighty poor business of it, if the frequent
outburst of voices raised in angry altercation might be taken as a
criterion. As for me, half a dozen seamen were placed at my disposal
thoroughly to overhaul the hull, spars, rigging, and sails of the ship;
and I began my task by unbending all the sails that needed any repair,
sending them down on deck, and storing them away in the sail-room prior
to starting upon the repairs. This did not take very long; and pretty
early in the afternoon I had my party at work on the poop, under an
awning, cutting out worn cloths and inserting new from the stock of
canvas carried for that purpose