“Now, sir,” said Ready, “this is a very simple job; all we have to do is to collect small rocks and stones, pile them up wall-fashion inside, and with a slope outside, so as to break the force of the waves when the water is a little rough; of course, the water will find its way through the stones, and will be constantly changed. It’s very true, that we can at most times catch fish when we want them, but it is not always that we can spare the time, so it’s just as well to have always a certain quantity at hand, to take out at a moment’s warning; and we can, of course, catch them and put them in here when we have nothing else to do. Juno will be able to come down and take them out with a spear, when we are away and she wants something for dinner.”
“But there are few stones about here, Ready; we shall have to fetch them a long way,” said William.
“Well, then, William, let us get the wheels down here, and then we can carry a quantity at a time.”
“But how shall we carry them, Ready?”
“We will sling a tub on the axle; I will go up and get that ready and bring it down; in the meantime, you and Mr Seagrave can collect all the stones which are near at hand.”
Ready soon returned with the wheels, and the tub slung with rope on the axle, and by that means they found that they could collect the stones very fast; Mr Seagrave and William bringing them, and Ready in the water, building up the wall.
“We have quite forgot another job which we must put in hand, sir,” observed Ready; “but the fish-pond reminds me of it.”
“What is that, Ready?”
“A bathing-place for the children, and indeed for us all; we shall want it when the hot weather comes on, but we will put it off till then. I can tell you, sir, that although I don’t mind building this wall in the shallow water, I shall be very careful when the water is up to my knees, for you don’t know how bold the sharks are in these latitudes. When I was at St. Helena, not very long ago, we had a melancholy proof of it.”
“Tell us the story, Ready.”