CHAPTER XXXI
HARD WORK--LABOUR-SAVING DEVICE--DISCOVERY AS TO THE TIME OF THEYEAR--SCHEMES FOR AMUSEMENT--TIDES ON THE FLORIDA COAST
For a fortnight the boys worked very hard, and yet made but littleapparent progress. Previous to this, they had devoted two days toMary's convenience, and three more to her protection. The rest had beenspent in hacking, with dull axes, upon an immense tree. The log wasthree feet in diameter, and had been rough shaped into the general formof a boat, eighteen feet long. But having no adze, nor mattock, whichmight be used in digging, and receiving from Sam very little assistancemore than the benefit of his advice, they began to feel somewhatdiscouraged at the small results of their unpractised labours. Thiscaused them to cast in their minds for some device by which their workmight be facilitated, and thankful enough were they to Indian ingenuityfor suggesting the plan by fire. They set small logs of pine along theintended excavation, and guarding the edges with clay, to prevent thefire from extending beyond the prescribed limits, had the satisfactionto see, the next morning, that the work accomplished by this new agentduring the night, was quite as great as that accomplished by themselvesduring the day.
For a few days they had been working under the pleasing stimulationproduced by this discovery, when Robert, pausing in the midst of hiswork, said,
"Harold, have you any idea what day of the month this is?"
"No," replied Harold, "I know that it is Friday, and that we aresomewhere past the middle of December. But why do you ask?"
"Because, if I am not mistaken, tomorrow is Christmas day. This is thetwenty-fourth of December."
The announcement made Sam start. He looked at Robert with a halfbewildered, half joyful gaze. The very name of Christmas brought thefire to his eye.
"Ki, Mas Robbut," said he, "you tink I remember Christmas? Who ebberhear o' nigger forget Christmas befo'? But for sure, I nebber sayChristmas to myself once, since I been come to dis island. Eh! eh! Iwonder if ee ent[#] 'cause dis Injin country, whey dey nebber hab noChristmas at all? Eh! Christmas? Tomorrow Christmas?"
[#] If it is not.
Robert could have predicted the effect which his discovery would haveupon Sam, but he was excessively amused to observe how unforgiving heseemed to be to himself for neglecting this part of a negro's privilege.As soon as it was settled, by a brief calculation, that the next day wasindeed the twenty-fifth of December, another thing was settled, ofcourse--that no work should be done, and that the day should be spent inenjoyment. Sam clapped his hands, and would have been guilty of someantic on the occasion, if his lame leg had not admonished him to becareful. So he only tossed his cap into the air, and shouted,
"Merry Christmas to ebbery body here, at Bellevue and at home!"
"Now comes another question," said Robert; "how shall the day be spent?We have no neighbours to visit. No Christmas trees grow here, and Frankmay hang up his moccasins in vain, for I doubt whether Santa Claus everheard of this island."
"O, yes, Mas Robbut," Sam merrily interposed. "Dere is one neighbour Ibeen want to see for long time. I hear say I got a countryman[#] libbinway yonder in a hollow tree. He is a black nigger, 'sept he is got fourlegs and a mighty ugly face."
[#] Pronounced long, country ma-an. It usually means a native African.
"What does the fellow mean?" said Harold, seriously.
"O," replied Robert, laughing, "it is only his way of asking us to visitour friend the bear. What do you think of it?"
"We have _promised_ to make Mrs. Bruin a visit," said Harold, enteringinto the joke; "and perhaps she may think it hard if we do not keep ourword." Just then the conch called them home. "But let us hear whatMary and Frank have to say. I foresee difficulties all around."
When the question was discussed in general conclave, Mary looked rathersober. She had not yet recovered wholly from her former fright; but notwilling to interfere with a frolic, from which the others seemed toanticipate so much pleasure, although it seemed to her to be one ofneedless peril, she replied that she would consent on twoconditions--one was that they should go on the raft, to save the immensewalk to the spot, and the other was that they should either put her andFrank in some place of safety while they fought the bear, or supply herwith an abundance of hot water.
"That idea of the raft is capital," said Robert. "The tide will suitexactly for floating down in the morning and back in the afternoon. Ithink we can give sister all she asks, and the hot water too, if sheinsists upon it."
A word here about tides on the western coast of Florida. From CapeRomano, or Punta Largo, northward to Tampa, and beyond, there is but onetide in the course of the day, and that with a rise usually of not morethan three feet. But south of Cape Romano, and particularly in theneighbourhood of Chatham Bay, there are two, as in other parts of theworld, except that they are of unequal lengths, one occupying six, andthe other eighteen hours, with its flood and ebb. People there callthem "the tide and half tide." The plan of the boys was to float downon the nine hour ebb, and to return on the three hour flood.
Sam's notions about the observation of Christmas eve, as a part ofChristmas, suited exactly the inclination of the boys; their hands wereblistered, and they were glad of a good excuse for leaving off work, byan hour or two of the sun. In anticipation of the next day's absence,and of the Sabbath succeeding, Frank gathered during the afternoonplenty of acorns for the poultry, and grass for the deer and goats,which were to be kept in their fold; and the others laid up a supply ofwood for the fire. Mary sliced some nice pieces of venison and bear'smeat, and made some bread and Christmas cakes; all, which she packedaway in a basket, with oranges, limes, and a bottle of transparenthoney. Long before dark everything was ready for the expedition.