“Yes, Jem,” said Don drily; “and how are you going to get them there?”
“Ah!” said Jem, scratching his head. “Never thought of that.”
There was half an hour’s drowsy silence. The sun shone down with glorious power, and the lizards rustled among the large stones. From the forest behind there came the buzz of insects, and the occasional cry of some parrot. Save for these sounds all was wonderfully still.
And they sat there gazing before them at the hundreds of acres of uncultivated land, rich in its wild beauty, unwilling to move, till Don said suddenly,—
“Yes, Jem; this is a lazy land. Let’s be up and doing.”
“Yes, Mas’ Don. What?”
“I don’t know, Jem; something useful.”
“But there arn’t nothing useful to do. I couldn’t make a boat, but I think I could make a hogshead after a fashion; but if I did, there arn’t no sugar to put in it, and—”
“Look, Jem!”
“What at, Mas’ Don? Eh?” he continued as he followed his companion’s pointing hand. “Why, I thought you said there was no beasts here.”