Foul Play [89]
spade, two great augers, that I believe had a hand in bringing us here, but have not been any use to us since, a center-bit, two planes, a hammer, a pair of pincers, two brad-awls, three gimlets, two scrapers, a plumb-lead and line, a large pair of scissors, and you have a small pair, two gauges, a screw-driver, five clasp-knives, a few screws and nails of various sizes, two small barrels, two bags, two tin bowls, two wooden bowls, and the shell of this turtle, and that is a very good soup-tureen, only we have no meat to make soup with."
"Well, sir," said Miss Rolleston, resignedly, "we can but kneel down and die."
"That would be cutting the gordian knot, indeed," said Hazel. "What, die to shirk a few difficulties? No. I propose an amendment to that. After the words 'kneel down,' insert the words, 'and get up again, trusting in that merciful Providence which has saved us so far, but expects us to exert ourselves too.'"
"It is good and pious advice," said Helen, "and let us follow it this moment."
"Now," said Hazel, "I have three propositions to lay before you. 1st. That I hereby give up walking and take to running; time is so precious. 2d. That we both work by night as well as day. 3d. That we each tell the other our principal wants, so that there may be four eyes on the lookout, as we go, instead of two."
"I consent," said Helen; "pray what are your wants?"
"Iron, oil, salt, tar, a bellows, a pickax, planks, thread, nets, light matting for roofs, bricks, chimney-pots, jars, glass, animal food, some variety of vegetable food, and so on. I'll write down the entire list for you."
"You will be puzzled to do that without ink or paper."
"Not in the least. I shall engrave it in _alto-rilievo,_ make the words with pebbles on the turf just above high-water mark. Now tell me _your_ wants."
"Well, I want--impossibilities."
"Enumerate them."
"What is the use?"
It is the method we have agreed upon."
"Oh, very well, then. I want--a sponge."
"Good. What next?"
"I have broken my comb."
"Good."
"I'm glad you think so. I want--Oh, Mr. Hazel, what _is_ the use?--well, I should like a mattress to lie on."
"Hair or wool?"
"I don't care which. And it is a shame to ask you for either."
"Go on."
"I want a looking-glass."
"Great Heaven! What for?"
"Oh, never mind; I want one. And some more towels, and some soap, and a few hair-pins; and some elastic bands; and some pen, ink and paper, to write my feelings down in this island for nobody ever to see."
When she began Hazel looked bright, but the list was like a wasp, its sting lay in its tail. However, he put a good face on it. "I'll try and get you all those things; only give me time. Do you know I am writing a dictionary on a novel method."
"That means on the sand."
"No; the work is suspended for the present. But two of the definitions in it are--DIFFICULTIES--things to be subdued; IMPOSSIBILITIES--things to be trampled on."
"Well, subdue mine. Trample on--a sponge for me."
"That is just what I was going to do," said he; opened a clasp-knife and jumped coolly into the river.
Helen screamed faintly, but after all the water was only up to his knees.
He soon cut a large sponge off a piece of slimy rock, and held it up to her. "There," said he, "why, there are a score of them at your very door and you never saw them."
"Oh, excuse me, I did see them and shuddered; I thought they were reptiles; dormant and biding their time."
When he was out of the river again, she thought a little, and asked him whether old iron would be of any use to him.
"Oh, certainly," said he; "what, do you know of any?"
"I think I saw some one day. I'll go and look for it."
She took the way of the shore; and he got his cart and spade, and went posthaste to his clay-pit.
He made a quantity of bricks, and brought them home, and put them to dry in the sun. He also cut great pieces of the turtle, and wrapped them in fresh banana-leaves, and inclosed them in clay. He then tried to make a large narrow-necked vessel, and failed
"Well, sir," said Miss Rolleston, resignedly, "we can but kneel down and die."
"That would be cutting the gordian knot, indeed," said Hazel. "What, die to shirk a few difficulties? No. I propose an amendment to that. After the words 'kneel down,' insert the words, 'and get up again, trusting in that merciful Providence which has saved us so far, but expects us to exert ourselves too.'"
"It is good and pious advice," said Helen, "and let us follow it this moment."
"Now," said Hazel, "I have three propositions to lay before you. 1st. That I hereby give up walking and take to running; time is so precious. 2d. That we both work by night as well as day. 3d. That we each tell the other our principal wants, so that there may be four eyes on the lookout, as we go, instead of two."
"I consent," said Helen; "pray what are your wants?"
"Iron, oil, salt, tar, a bellows, a pickax, planks, thread, nets, light matting for roofs, bricks, chimney-pots, jars, glass, animal food, some variety of vegetable food, and so on. I'll write down the entire list for you."
"You will be puzzled to do that without ink or paper."
"Not in the least. I shall engrave it in _alto-rilievo,_ make the words with pebbles on the turf just above high-water mark. Now tell me _your_ wants."
"Well, I want--impossibilities."
"Enumerate them."
"What is the use?"
It is the method we have agreed upon."
"Oh, very well, then. I want--a sponge."
"Good. What next?"
"I have broken my comb."
"Good."
"I'm glad you think so. I want--Oh, Mr. Hazel, what _is_ the use?--well, I should like a mattress to lie on."
"Hair or wool?"
"I don't care which. And it is a shame to ask you for either."
"Go on."
"I want a looking-glass."
"Great Heaven! What for?"
"Oh, never mind; I want one. And some more towels, and some soap, and a few hair-pins; and some elastic bands; and some pen, ink and paper, to write my feelings down in this island for nobody ever to see."
When she began Hazel looked bright, but the list was like a wasp, its sting lay in its tail. However, he put a good face on it. "I'll try and get you all those things; only give me time. Do you know I am writing a dictionary on a novel method."
"That means on the sand."
"No; the work is suspended for the present. But two of the definitions in it are--DIFFICULTIES--things to be subdued; IMPOSSIBILITIES--things to be trampled on."
"Well, subdue mine. Trample on--a sponge for me."
"That is just what I was going to do," said he; opened a clasp-knife and jumped coolly into the river.
Helen screamed faintly, but after all the water was only up to his knees.
He soon cut a large sponge off a piece of slimy rock, and held it up to her. "There," said he, "why, there are a score of them at your very door and you never saw them."
"Oh, excuse me, I did see them and shuddered; I thought they were reptiles; dormant and biding their time."
When he was out of the river again, she thought a little, and asked him whether old iron would be of any use to him.
"Oh, certainly," said he; "what, do you know of any?"
"I think I saw some one day. I'll go and look for it."
She took the way of the shore; and he got his cart and spade, and went posthaste to his clay-pit.
He made a quantity of bricks, and brought them home, and put them to dry in the sun. He also cut great pieces of the turtle, and wrapped them in fresh banana-leaves, and inclosed them in clay. He then tried to make a large narrow-necked vessel, and failed