We must
keep a little more away to the southward. We had better get on as fast
as we can. We shall have less work by and by, and then we can talk
better."
For half-an-hour they continued their way through the wood, and, as
Ready had observed, the trees became more distant from each other;
still, however, they could not see anything before them but the stems
of the cocoa-nuts. It was hard work, chopping the trees every second,
and their foreheads were moist with the exertion.
"I think we had better pull up for a few minutes, William; you will be
tired."
"I have not been so used to exercise, Ready, and therefore I feel it
more," replied William, wiping his face with his handkerchief. "I
should like to stop a few minutes. How long do you think it will be
before we are out of the wood?"
"Not half-an-hour more, sir, I should think; even before that,
perhaps."
"What do you expect to find, Ready?"
"That's a difficult question to answer. I can tell you what I hope to
find, which is, a good space of clear ground between the beach and the
wood, where we may pasture our sheep and goats; and perhaps we may find
some other trees besides cocoa-nuts: at present, you know, we have seen
only them and the castor-oil beans, that Tommy took such a dose of.
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