"
"Stop - now let me see," said Ready, talking to himself; "first - but
I'll get the log board and a bit of chalk, and write them down, for my
memory is not quite so good as it was."
Ready placed the logboard on the hen-coop, and then wrote on it with
the chalk:-- "Three dogs, two goats, and Billy the kid (I think there's
five pigs); fowls (quite enough); three or four pigeons (I'm sure); the
cow (she has lain down and won't get up again, I'm afraid, so we must
kill her); and there's the merino ram and sheep belonging to Mr.
Seagrave - plenty of live stock. Now, what's the first things we must
get on shore after we are all landed - a spar and topgallant sail for a
tent, a coil or two of rope, a mattress or two for Madam and the
children, two axes, hammer and nails, something to eat - yes, and
something to cut it with. There, that will do for the present," said
old Ready, getting up. "Now, I'll just light the fire, get the water
on, and, while I think of it, boil two or three pieces of beef and pork
to go on shore with them; and then I'll call up Mr. Seagrave, for I
reckon it will be a hard day's work."
Chapter IX
As soon as Ready had executed his intentions, and had fed the animals,
he went to the cabin and called Mr.
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