He then shook hands with Arthur and me, and giving a friendly nod to Sambo, turned round to welcome my father, the larger raft having closely followed us to the beach. All the party having landed, the two rafts were secured to the trunks of some trees growing at the water’s edge. The worthy skipper now conducted us to two huts which he and Peter had erected. He exhibited them with no little satisfaction. One was small, but neatly built; the other was of considerable dimensions, and capable of containing several persons, somewhat thickly stowed.
“I thought of the little maid, and my first care was to build a house which she might have entirely to herself. In it she may rest as long in the morning as she likes without being disturbed by us when we go to our work,” he observed.
Marian thanked him warmly as he led her towards the little hut, in which he had formed a bed-place, and put up a table and a three-legged stool; which, though roughly made, showed his desire to attend to her comfort. The bed-place was covered thickly with dry grass. Poor Marian expressed her pleasure at the thought of being able to rest in quiet on it. The larger hut was destitute of furniture.
“We must be content, my friends, to sleep and take our meals on the ground till we can make some hammocks and form a table and benches,” said the captain. “Peter and I could do no more; we have worked hard to accomplish this much, I can assure you.”
“That you have indeed, Captain van Dunk,” observed Uncle Paul. “We are grateful to you for having laboured so hard for our benefit.”
“Peter and I knew that you would require a secure resting-place, where you might sleep in peace without the fear of being pounced upon by a jaguar or a puma,” answered the skipper. “It will afford accommodation to you four gentlemen and Peter and me, and the other men will soon run up a hut for themselves. They must not spend much time on it, for all hands will have enough to do in building the vessel and procuring food. We can obtain an ample supply, but we must not sit down and expect it to drop into our mouths.”
“You will find everyone ready to assist you in carrying out your plans, captain, for a more obedient set of men I have never met with,” said Uncle Paul.
“Yes, yes, I am sure of that,” said the captain. “Now, instead of losing more time in talking, let us go to supper. We have some parrots and macaws roasting, and a collection of ripe fruit for the little maid.”
“And we have brought some fine fish,” I said, “to add to the feast.”
“Then we will put them on the spit at once,” observed the captain; on which I ran down to the raft and returned with a big fish in each hand. Peter, who acted as cook, with Sambo’s assistance soon had the fish cleaned and spitted, when the latter took his seat by the fire to keep the various roasts turning.