eal to
do. He could not tell how long he might have to remain on the island.
It might be not only for months, but for years. Much depended on his
own sense and energy whether he would retain his health, or indeed life
itself. He began the day with prayer and reading the Testament. He
knew that that was the best way at all events to save himself from
turning into a savage. He then made his breakfast off cocoa-nut and
shell-fish. "I must catch some fish, however," he said to himself, as
he finished the last clam; "this food will not do to live on always. I
may find some roots and berries, and perhaps turtles' eggs. I heard
some wild-fowl cry last evening; I may find their eggs too, and trap
them or some other birds, or get a turtle itself. The first thing I'll
now do is to carry my hut nearer to the water, instead of having to
bring the water all this way to the hut. That won't take long. I can
carry the whole of it in two journeys, and quickly put it up. I must
take the fire after it. That will keep in for many hours, I see, with
the help of this rotten wood. If I go working on in these clothes, I
shall soon wear them out. I must see what I can do to make others out
of the bark of the paper-mulberry, as the natives do; I thought I saw
some of those trees yesterday. I daresay I shall not succeed at first,
but there is nothing like trying. There is a piece of open ground near
the spring which will just do for the gourd-seeds. I'll sow them
therein forthwith. The fruit is very wholesome, I know; and the dried
gourds will furnish me with basins and pots and pans in abundance."

Ben put all his plans into execution in a methodical, regular way. He
became, indeed, perfectly happy, and almost contented with his lot,
except when he thought of his mother and Ned--poor Ned, still
undiscovered, living among savages, or on a desert island, like himself.
His own fate made him hope more than ever that Ned had escaped.

Now and then the course of his plans was interrupted by something else
which occurred to him to do. One idea was to erect a beacon at each end
of the island, to attract the attention of those on board any passing
vessel. He had nothing of which to make a flag, so a flagstaff would
have been of no use. It then struck him that a cross would be more
remarkable than anything else, and he devoted a part of each day to the
work. It was a very heavy task. He chose a tree towards the end of the
island,