Swiss Family Robinson Part 28

For two months we worked steadily at our salt-cave, in order to complete the necessary arrangement of part.i.tion walls, so as to put the rooms and stalls for the animals in comfortable order for the next long rainy season, during which time, when other work would be at a standstill, we could carry on many minor details for the improvement of the abode.

We levelled the floors first with clay; then spread gravel mixed with melted gypsum over that, producing a smooth hard surface, which did very well for most of the apartments; but I was ambitious of having one or two carpets, and set about making a kind of felt in the following way.

I spread out a large piece of sailcloth, and covered it equally all over with a strong liquid, made of glue and isingla.s.s, which saturated it thoroughly. On it we then laid wool and hair from the sheep and goats, which had been carefully cleaned and prepared, and rolled and beat it until it adhered tolerably smoothly to the cloth. Finally it became, when perfectly dry, a covering for the floor of our sitting-room by no means to be despised.

One morning, just after these labours at the salt-cave were completed, happening to awake unusually early, I turned my thoughts, as I lay waiting for sunrise, to considering what length of time we had now pa.s.sed on this coast, and discovered, to my surprise, that the very next day would be the anniversary of our escape from the wreck. My heart swelled with grat.i.tude to the gracious G.o.d, who had then granted us deliverance, and ever since had loaded us with benefits; and I resolved to set tomorrow apart as a day of thanksgiving, in joyful celebration of the occasion.

My mind was full of indefinite plans when I rose, and the day's work began as usual. I took care that everything should be cleaned, cleared and set in order both outside and inside our dwelling: none, however, suspecting that there was any particular object in view. Other more private preparations I also made for the next day. At supper I made the coming event known to the a.s.sembled family.

'Good people! do you know that tomorrow is a very great and important day? We shall have to keep it in honour of our merciful escape to this land, and call it Thanksgiving-Day.'

Everyone was surprised to hear that we had already been twelve months in the country--indeed, my wife believed I might be mistaken, until I showed her how I had calculated regularly ever since the 31st of January, on which day we were wrecked, by marking off in my almanac the Sundays as they arrived for the remaining eleven months of that year.

'Since then,' I added, 'I have counted thirty-one days. This is the 1st of February. We landed on the 2nd; therefore tomorrow is the anniversary of the day of our escape. As my bookseller has not sent me an almanac for the present year, we must henceforth reckon for ourselves.'

'Oh, that will be good fun for us,' said Ernest. 'We must have a long stick, like Robinson Crusoe, and cut a notch in it every day, and count them up every now and then, to see how the weeks and months and years go by.'

'That is all very well, if you know for certain the number of days in each month, and in the year. What do you say, Ernest?'

'The year contains 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds,'

returned he promptly.

'Perfectly correct!' said I, smiling, 'but you would get in a mess with those spare hours, minutes, and seconds in a year or two, wouldn't you?'

'Not at all! Every four years I would add them all together, make a day, stick it into February, and call that year leap year.'

'Well done, Professor Ernest! We must elect you astronomer royal in this our kingdom, and let you superintend and regulate everything connected with the lapse of time, clocks and watches included.'

Before they went to sleep, I could hear my boys whispering among themselves, about 'father's mysterious allusions' to next day's festival and rejoicings; but I offered no explanation, and went to sleep, little guessing that the rogues had laid a counter-plot, far more surprising than my simple plan for their diversion.

Nothing less than a roar of artillery startled me from sleep at daybreak next morning. I sprang up and found my wife as much alarmed as I was by the noise, otherwise I should have been inclined to believe it fancy.

'Fritz! Dress quickly and come with me!' cried I, turning to his hammock. Lo, it was empty! Neither he nor Jack were to be seen.

Altogether bewildered, I was hastily dressing, when their voices were heard, and they rushed in shouting:

'Hurrah! Didn't we rouse you with a right good thundering salute?'

But perceiving at a glance that we had been seriously alarmed, Fritz hastened to apologize for the thoughtless way in which they had sought to do honour to the Day of Thanksgiving, without considering that an unexpected cannon-shot would startle us unpleasantly from our slumbers.

We readily forgave the authors of our alarm, in consideration of the good intention which had prompted the deed, and, satisfied that the day had at least been duly inaugurated, we all went quietly to breakfast.

Afterwards we sat together for a long time, enjoying the calm beauty of the morning, and talking of all that had taken place on the memorable days of the storm a year ago; for I desired that the awful events of that time should live in the remembrance of my children with a deepening sense of grat.i.tude of our deliverance.

Therefore I read aloud pa.s.sages from my journal, as well as many beautiful verses from the Psalms, expressive of joyful praise and thanksgiving, so that even the youngest among us was impressed and solemnized at the recollections of escape from a terrible death, and also led to bless and praise the name of the Lord our Deliverer.

Dinner followed shortly after this happy service, and I then announced for the afternoon a 'Grand Display of Athletic Sports', in which I and my wife were to be spectators and judges.

'Father, what a grand idea!'

'Oh, how jolly! Are we to run races?'

'And prizes! Will there be prizes, father?'

'The judges offer prizes for compet.i.tion in every sort of manly exercise,' replied I. 'Shooting, running, riding, leaping, climbing, swimming, we will have an exhibition of your skill in all. Now for it!

'Trumpeters! Sound for the opening of the lists.'

Uttering these last words in a stentorian voice and wildly waving my arms towards a shady spot, where the ducks and geese were quietly resting, had the absurd effect I intended.

Up they all started in a fright, gabbling and quacking loudly, to the infinite amus.e.m.e.nt of the children, who began to bustle about in eager preparations for the contest, and begging to know with what they were to begin.

'Let us have shooting first, and the rest when the heat of the day declines. Here is a mark I have got ready for you,' said I, producing a board roughly shaped like a kangaroo, and of about the size of one.

This target was admired, but Jack could not rest satisfied till he had added ears, and a long leather strap for a tail.

It was then fixed in the att.i.tude most characteristic of the creature, and the distance for firing measured off. Each of the three compet.i.tors was to fire twice.

Fritz hit the kangaroo's head each time; Ernest hit the body once; and Jack, by a lucky chance, shot the ears clean away from the head, which feat raised a shout of laughter.

A second trial with pistols ensued, in which Fritz again came off victor.

Then desiring the compet.i.tors to load with small shot, I threw a little board as high as I possibly could up in the air, each in turn aiming at and endeavouring to hit it before it touched the ground.

In this I found to my surprise that the sedate Ernest succeeded quite as well as his more impetuous brother Fritz.

As for Jack, his flying board escaped wholly uninjured. After this followed archery, which I liked to encourage, foreseeing that a time might come when ammunition would fail; and in this practise I saw with pleasure that my elder sons were really skilful, while even little Franz acquitted himself well.

A pause ensued, and then I started a running match. Fritz, Ernest and Jack were to run to Falconhurst, by the most direct path. The first to reach the tree was to bring me, in proof of his success, a penknife I had accidentally left on the table in my sleeping-room.

At a given signal, away went the racers in fine style. Fritz and Jack, putting forth all their powers, took the lead at once, running in advance of Ernest, who started at a good steady pace, which I predicted he would be better able to maintain than such a furious rate as his brothers.

But long before we expected to see them back, a tremendous noise of galloping caused us to look with surprise towards the bridge, and Jack made his appearance, thundering along on his buffalo, with the onager and the donkey tearing after him riderless, and the whole party in the wildest spirits.

'Hollo!' cried I. 'What sort of foot-race do you call this, Master Jack?'

He shouted merrily as he dashed up to us; then flinging himself off, and saluting us in a playful way:

'I very soon saw,' said he, 'that I hadn't a chance; so renouncing all idea of the prize, I caught Storm, and made him gallop home with me, to be in time to see the others come puffing in. Lightfoot and old Grizzle chose to join me--I never invited them!'

By and by the other boys arrived, Ernest holding up the knife in token of being the winner; and after hearing all particulars about the running, and that he had reached Falconhurst two minutes before Fritz, we proceeded to test the climbing powers of the youthful athletes.

In this exercise Jack performed wonders. He ascended with remarkable agility the highest palms whose stems he could clasp.

And when he put on the shark-skin buskins, which enabled him to take firm hold of larger trees, he played antics like a squirrel or a monkey: peeping and grinning at us, at first on one side of the stem, and then on the other, in a most diverting way.

Fritz and Ernest climbed well, but could not come near the grace and skill of their active and lively young brother.

Riding followed, and marvellous feats were performed, Fritz and Jack proving themselves very equal in their management of their different steeds. I thought the riding was over, when little Franz appeared from the stable in the cave, leading young Grumble the bull-calf, with a neat saddle of kangaroo hide, and a bridle pa.s.sed through his nose ring.