“Because we’ve got something else to do,” said Chris grimly. “Besides, how could we live?”
“Live? Why, the same as we did at the plantation. I believe that everything would grow here and that we could raise abundance of fruit.”
“And who should we sell it to?”
“Bother! Never mind about selling it,” cried Ned contemptuously. “Eat it ourselves.”
“Live on oranges, eh? What stuff you talk! Ask your father what he thinks.”
“But there’d be plenty of other things here to eat. We could grow corn, and graze cattle, and keep poultry. I dare say we shall come across buffaloes and deer. Then there are abundance of birds, and I dare say these fish in the pools would be good, without reckoning on the salmon.”
“What salmon?” said Chris grimly.
“The salmon in the rivers that come down from the mountains over there.”
“Of course!” cried Chris mockingly. “Here, let’s go salmon-fishing this morning. We’ve got hooks and lines packed up somewhere, and I don’t suppose it will take us long to find a salmon-river.”
Ned stared wide-eyed at his comrade, who burst out laughing.