up the cocoa-nut branches
and wood. Ready made a square stack, like a haystack, with a gable top,
over which he tied the long branches, so that the rain would pour off
it.

"There," said Ready, as he came down the ladder, "that will be our
provision for next year; we have quite enough left to go on with till
the rainy season is over, and we shall have no difficulty in collecting
it afterwards when the weather is dry."

Mr Seagrave sighed and looked grave; Ready observed it, and said, "Mr
Seagrave, it is not that we may want it; but still we must prepare for
the next rainy season, in case we do want it. That Captain Osborn, if
he lives, will send to look for us, I have no doubt; nay, I believe that
Mackintosh will do the same; but still you must not forget that they all
may have perished, although we have been so mercifully preserved. We
must put our trust in God, sir."

"We must, Ready; and if it is his will, we must not murmur. I have
schooled myself as much as possible; but thoughts will come in spite of
my endeavours to restrain them."

"Of course they will, sir; that's natural: however, sir, you must hope
for the best; fretting is no good, and it is sinful."

"I feel it is, Ready; and when I see how patient, and even happy, my
wife is under such privations, I am angry with myself."

"A woman, sir, bears adversity better than a man. A woman is all love,
and if she has but her husband and children with her, and in good
health, she will make herself happy almost anywhere: but men are
different: they cannot bear being shut out of the world as you are now."

"It is our ambition which makes us unhappy, Ready," replied Mr
Seagrave; "but let us say no more about it: God must dispose of me as he
thinks fit."

After supper, Ready, being requested by William, continued his
narrative.

"I left off, if I recollect right, William, just as the Hottentot, with
the cattle under his care, had frightened away the baboons who were
tormenting us. Well, we came out of the cave and sat down under the
rock, so that the Hottentot could not see us, and we had a sort of
council of war. Romer was for going back and giving ourselves up again;
for he said it was ridiculous to be wandering about without any arms to
defend ourselves against wild beasts, and that we might fall in with
something worse than the baboons very soon; and he was right. It would
have been the wisest thing which we could have done; but Hastings said,
tha