The castaways now turned their attention to the garden. Walks were laid out and bordered with old plank, and covered thickly over with silver sand from the beach. Then flowers and flowering shrubs were planted, and when all was finished proud indeed were they of their charming cottage and grounds. Even the snake fence they had run up round the compound sprouted and grew rapidly, so it was partly hedge and partly railing.
There was no occasion to plant vegetables in the garden, for everything they wanted grew wild in the woods, including many kinds of spices and turmeric also, from which Quambo, after they settled down again, concocted many a fragrant and delicious curry.
Well now, on the whole, our castaways were not badly off. They owned a house and grounds, they owned a boat, they had rifles and ammunition, and no lack of food.
All they longed for was the sight of a ship.
But the climate in which they lived is not only healthful and balmy, but calmative as well, so they did not pine so much as might have been expected.
"I say," said Fred one evening, "to-morrow will complete our first year on this island.
"How the time has fled!" said Frank. "I couldn't have believed it."
So they celebrated their advent-day by having quite a banquet in their new-built cottage, and everyone admitted—including Hurricane Bob—that Quambo had never spread before them such a dinner as this, such fragrant curry, nor such delightfully cooked fish.
* * * * * *
It was early summer in the woods now; early summer with the trees, with their gorgeous and glittering foliage, and their wealth of flowers—snow-white, yellow, lemon, and crimson; early summer with the forest birds, whose sweet low songs filled every grove and glen; early summer with the wild bees, the gorgeous beetles, and still more lovely butterflies; early summer with many species of seafaring birds as well, who built on the rocks and cliffs—gulls and noddies, and the swift-winged frigate bird; early summer on land and on sea, which shimmered in the sunshine like polished steel.