"No fear, Massa Guy," answered Maco; "while we make noise like this, the
caymans take care not to come near us."

"I hope that you will not be mistaken," I answered, advising them to
place a number of small poles in the mud in front of them, which might
prevent even a hungry cayman from landing, as he would probably be
suspicious.

A most important event now took place. It was laying the keel of our
proposed vessel, which had been prepared with infinite labour, chiefly
by a single axe. When we considered that we had to cut out the ribs
with such tools, and then to shape and nail on the planks, we might well
have despaired of accomplishing the work.

"Have we not an auger, and a saw, and an axe? why then should we
despair?" exclaimed the skipper over and over again. "Though we have no
nails, we can make wooden ones; and though we have no iron, we will
compel wood and fibre to take its place. We shall build a vessel, never
fear."

Having no paper for the plan, the captain had smoothed a piece of
ground, on which he had drawn it out with great accuracy, so that the
opposite timbers should be of the same shape, and agree with each other,
expanding less and less towards the bow and stern, that when the planks
were laid on they should remain even and be firmly fixed. Uncle Paul
approved of Captain van Dunk's plan, and ably seconded him in every part
of the work.

All day long hewing and chipping went on. Each crooked piece of timber,
as it was cut off, was brought to the plan to ascertain for which of the
ribs it was most fitted. Tim proved himself one of the best workmen of
the party. I suspect that had all possessed regular tools others might
have excelled him, but his talent consisted in employing our very
imperfect instruments, and in devising new methods of getting through
the work. He was especially an adept at splitting trees. No sooner was
one felled than he would set to work to scrape off the bark at the upper
part, and to run deep and straight lines down it; he then fixed the
wedges in a long row, and went from one to another, driving them in as
if playing on a musical instrument. When they were all firmly fixed, he
would call the rest of the party with their hammers, and at a signal
make them all strike at once, seldom failing to separate an even plank.

We had not hitherto been troubled by wild beasts, nor had even any
serpents shown their ugly heads. I had one morning accompanied Tim into
t