“Yes,” said the captain; “a good plan;” and Don’s eyes sparkled. “No,” said the captain the next moment; “he is only a boy, and the walking will be too hard for him. Let him and another stay with the boat.”
Don’s brow clouded over with disappointment, but it cleared a little directly after as he found that Jem was to be his companion; and as the party marched off toward where the forest came down nearly to the sea, they, in obedience to their orders, thrust the boat off again, climbed in, and cast out her grapnel a few fathoms from the shore.
“I am disappointed,” said Don, after they had sat in the boat some time, watching their companions till they had disappeared.
“Oh, I dunno, Mas’ Don; we’ve got some beef and biscuit, and somewhere to sit down, and nothing to do. They, poor fellows, will come back hot and tired out.”
“Yes; but’s it’s so dull here.”
“Well, I dunno ’bout that,” said Jem, looking lazily round at the glorious prospect of glistening sea, island and shore, backed up by mountains; “I call it just lovely.”
“Oh, it’s lovely enough, Jem; but I want to go ashore.”
“Now if you call my cottage dull inside the yard gates at Bristol, I’m with you, Mas’ Don; but after all there’s no place like home.”
There was a dead silence, during which Don sat gazing at a group of the savages half-a-mile away, as they landed from a long canoe, and ran it up the beach in front of one of the native whares or dwellings.
“Why, Jem!” Don exclaimed suddenly, “why not now?”