"That's what I have been thinking. We must build a house."
"A brownstone front?" said Robert. "The governor ought to live in a good house."
"So he shall," said Bates. "He shall have the first on the island."
"I wonder if it rains often?"
"Not much at this season. In the winter a good deal of rain falls, but I hope we won't be here then."
"Where shall we build our house?"
"It would be pleasanter inland, but we must be near the shore, so as to be in sight of ships."
"That's true, Bates. That is the most important consideration."
They set to work at once, and built a hut, something like an Indian's wigwam, about a hundred yards from the shore. It was composed, for the most part, of branches of trees and inclosed an inner space of about fifteen feet in diameter. They gathered large quantities of leaves, which were spread upon the ground for beds.
"That's softer than our bunks aboard ship," said Bates.