CHAPTER VI.
THE meal at an end, my first thought was to make some steps by means ofwhich we could reach the first strong branch of the tree. Ernest and Iwent in search of some thick canes that grew in the sands hard by. Thesewe cut down, bound them to four long poles, and thus made a pair ofsteps that would, we thought, reach far up the trunk.
On our way back from the sands, one of the dogs made a dart at a clumpof reeds, and a troop of large birds rose on the wing with a loud noise.Fritz let fly at them, and brought down two at a shot. One of them fellquite dead, but its mate, though hurt in the wing, made use of its longlegs so well that it would have got off if Bill had not held it. The joyof Fritz, to have caught such a strange bird, was so great that he wouldhave us at once bind it by the neck and take it back with us. "Look,"said Ernest, "what fine plumes he has, and you see he has web feet likea goose, and has long legs like a stork: thus he can run on land as fastas he can swim."
"Yes," said I, "and he can fly with more speed through the air, forthese birds have great strength in their wings. In fact, few birds havesuch means of flight as the FLA-MIN-GO."
My wife thought the great bird might need more food than we could spare.I told her that it would feed on small fish and worms, and not rob ourgeese of their grain. I then tied him to a stake near the stream; andin a few days we were glad to find that he knew us, and would come at acall, like a tame bird.
While I sat on the grass with my sons, late in the day, I thought Iwould try to make a bow and thus save our shot. This I did with a longcane and a piece of string, and then made a dart with a sharp point,which I shot off and found it would go straight. The branch of the treeon which we were to fix our hut was so high that our steps would notnear reach it. I tied some strong thread to the dart, and shot it overthe branch; then tied a piece of rope to the end of the thread, and drewthat up, and at last made a long row of cane steps, with a rope at eachside, which we drew up to the first strong branch. The boys were nowall in haste to climb the tree, but I chose that Jack, who was light ofbuild and sure of foot, should go up first and try the strength of ourwork. Fritz went up next with some nails, and made the ropes fast to thetree, while I drove stakes in the ground to keep them firm at the foot.It was now time for me to mount, and up I went with an axe to lop offthe twigs and smooth the bough that was to form the ground of our newhouse. I sent the boys down out of my way, and kept hard at work till itwas late, for the sky was clear, and the moon lent me her beams of lightto see by.
When I came down my wife spread a good meal on the ground, which we ateas best we could, and then made our beds of dry moss, round which we putheaps of twigs. These we set light to, as watch fires to keep off wildbeasts and snakes. The toils of the day had made the boys tired, andthey were soon in a sound sleep, but my wife and I took it in turns towatch through the whole night.
We were all out of bed as soon as light was in the sky, and set to workto hoist up the planks that were to form the floor of our hut. These welaid down on the branch, with their ends made fast to a cross piece ofwood that we had to fix to the trunk of the tree. Our nails were long,and we drove each one of them home, so that we had no cause to fearthe strength of our work. By the time we had done this the day was farspent, and we were all glad to lay by our tools and rest our limbs. Thatnight we lit our fires round the tree, tied the dogs to the roots, andwent up to sleep out of harm's way for the first time since we left theship. When the steps were drawn up we all felt that we were now safe atlast, and that we had brought the toils of the day to a good end.