He threw them some split peas,
which he had brought with him. They were hungry enough and followed him
home to the house, where he left them and went to join Ready and his
father.
"William," said Ready, "I think, now that we have spread out the tents,
we will, if Mr. Seagrave approves, all set to at once and knock up a
fowl-house; it won't be more than a day's job, and then the creatures
will have a home. There are four very thick cocoa-nut trees close to
the house; we will build it under them; it will be a good job over."
Mr. Seagrave assented, and they set immediately to work. There were
many thin poles left, the tops of the cocoa-nut trees which had been
cut down to build the house; these they nailed to the trunks of the
four trees, so as to make a square, and then they ran up rafters for a
pitched roof.
"Now, sir, this is only rough work; we will first put up a perch or two
for them, and then close in the side, and thatch the roof with
cocoa-nut branches; but there's Juno taking in the dinner, so we'll
finish it afterwards."
After their meal the work was renewed; Mr. Seagrave collected the
branches while William and Ready worked upon the sides and roof, and
before the evening closed in, the fowl-house was complete.
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