hope to obtain an ample supply of fresh meat. We shall find clubs of
more use than our guns," he added; "make haste, and get some ready." As
soon as the clubs were cut from some small trees growing near the beach,
the doctor, fearing that the seals might return to the water before they
could get up to them, hurried his companions into the boat, which pulled
away across the harbour. The launch had been hauled alongside the
rocks, and as soon as she was unloaded, Harry and the boatswain set to
work to erect a tent. The mast served as the ridge pole, and the spars
and oars formed supports over these, while the sails of the two boats
were spread and secured to the ground by stones placed along the lower
edges. Besides this, the canvas was made fast with lashings and ropes
to the poles. A tent of tolerable dimensions was thus formed,
sufficiently large to protect all the women and children.

"Should rain come on, there is something it wants," observed Mrs
Rumbelow, who had been very active in bringing up the things from the
boats. "We must spread a flooring of some sort. It will not do for
Mrs Morley and the young ladies to lie on the bare ground." Saying
this, and summoning the other women, she hurried off to the wood. In a
short time she and her attendants returned with loads of spruce
fir-tops. These were spread over the ground at one end of the tent.
The cutter's foresail had been triced up, and served as a partition.
"There, marm," she said, addressing Mrs Morley; "we have fitted up a
room for you, and the two young ladies, and Mrs Twopenny, where you may
be tolerably private; I wish it were a better one. You have not been
accustomed to this sort of rough life; but I and most of the other women
have seen something of it before, and can manage very well in the rest
of the tent. I only hope the children won't disturb you at night."

Mrs Morley warmly thanked her.

"Bless you, marm," answered Mrs Rumbelow, "we have only done our duty.
We could never do too much for our poor colonel's lady; so pray, marm,
don't talk of thanks."

Mrs Morley and the other ladies gladly took possession of that portion
of the tent prepared for them, feeling truly thankful that they could
rest without the dread of awaking and finding the dark seas tossing and
foaming around them. As soon as the tent was set up, the boatswain and
most of the other men joined the party in the wood, to collect the
boughs and the thickest bushes the