"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."