He selected a spot where the rock was out of the perpendicular, hanging over to some extent, and here he soon had four young straight trees set up, held in place by cross-pieces. Then rafters of bamboo were bound in position with the strong creepers which abounded, and this done, he began thatching, first with green boughs, then with a layer of palm-like leaves, which he made to overlap, and a strong reedy grass, that grew abundantly in a low moist place by the river, was bound on in bundles for a finish.
“Capital,” said my uncle; “but too much like stopping for months, when it is hardly likely we shall stay two weeks.”
“May as well be comfortable, sir, while we are here,” said Cross, smiling. “Keep the sun off, if we don’t have rain.”
That night we had everything shipshape, and retired early to rest, to enjoy a delicious sleep, which only seemed to last ten minutes before I opened my eyes to find it was morning once more, and I lay wondering what it was that Cross had lost, for it seemed to me in my half-wakeful state that I heard him say:
“Well, no more bones about it; you had it last, and you must find it.”
I could not speak till I had made an effort and sat up, and then I was wakeful enough for the words to come.
“What have you lost?” I asked.
“My axe, sir, and I can’t get along without that. It’s a whole bag of tools to me. Pete had it last thing to chop some wood, and he says he laid it down inside the hut; but it aren’t here now, and he’s got to find it.”
“I can’t find it, Master Nat,” said Pete dolefully; “he must have took it away and laid it somewhere else himself. Seems such a pity, it do.”
“What, to take the axe?” I said.