The Girl Crusoes Part 8

"It's only a bit better than being in the open," said Mary. "I know, why not make a fire to scare off intruders? I've read about that being done."

"That's quite brilliant," said Tommy. "And it will be a beacon too; perhaps Uncle will see it. Let's go back at once and get ready for supper and bed."

Elizabeth was glad of any activity that would keep them from thinking of their troubles. They returned to the beach. First they collected a number of stones, which they piled up to make a rough fire-place. Then they gathered a large quant.i.ty of twigs and dry gra.s.s from the edge of the forest, and finding several small trees which had been uprooted by storms, they lugged these down to their fire-place. Then the self-lighter which Tommy had received from her uncle came in handy, and by the time it was dark they had a bright pleasant fire that was very cheering.

They ate more of their biscuit and bacon, with plum cake for sweets and bananas as dessert; then, having heaped some fuel on the fire, they crept into the boat and arranged themselves as comfortably as possible.

Tommy was soon asleep, but the elder girls lay awake for a long time, clasping each other, and talking in murmurs so as not to disturb their sister.

"Mary dear," said Elizabeth, "we must look at the worst side and face it for Tommy's sake, you know."

"Yes, I know. She's not really very strong, is she? Though she has such spirit."

"No, she'll be all right so long as she doesn't get wretched, so we won't say a word to depress her. We ought to be thankful that we are safe so far. I'm afraid to think of what has happened to Uncle; but supposing--supposing he is--lost, we shall have to do as well as we can until we are seen from a pa.s.sing ship."

"Suppose we never are!"

"We won't suppose that. Think of the many castaways who have been picked up in time. By the look of it we shall find food here, and I rather fancy the island must be uninhabited, or we should have seen some signs of people."

"We haven't been all over it yet."

"No, of course we can't be sure. If we do come across people we must try and make friends with them. Aren't there some islands called the Friendly Islands because the people were quite decent?"

"Yes. Some of the islanders in these parts are gentle and peaceable.

But I'm dreadfully afraid of savages."

"So am I, but we won't think of them. What a lovely night it is! So still and peaceful! and we're just three insignificant dots in all this great beautiful universe."

They mused in silence, and by and by fell asleep. Dawn found them very cramped and stiff. The fire was out, and as they shivered in the cool morning air they felt something of the previous day's despondency. But Elizabeth, with determined cheerfulness, called to her sisters that it was breakfast-time. They made themselves some coffee, using the extract sparingly to eke it out as long as possible, and after bathing their faces in the water at the brook, ate their simple breakfast and then made their way to the top of the cliff to search the ocean once more for a sign of help.

The sea was even calmer than it had been yesterday, and as the mist rolled off its surface they were able to scan countless miles of s.p.a.ce.

There were the same dark distant shapes, purple in the early sunlight, and they felt a wondering curiosity about them; but there was no sail or funnel that betokened a ship. First one and then another discovered a speck on the skyline, and they debated whether it was or was not a boat; but after gazing until their eyes were tired they came to the conclusion that there was no immediate hope of rescue.

"We ought to raise a flag of distress," said Mary, "which might be seen if a ship comes near; but we haven't anything big enough."

"Oh, yes, we have!" said Tommy. "If we tie our silk scarves together they will make a fine flag."

"But we haven't a flagstaff," said Elizabeth.

"There's a lovely one," said Mary, pointing to a tall slender tree that stood a little apart from the nearest clump of woodland, like a sentinel thrown out seaward. "Can you climb that, Tommy?"

"Rather! Father didn't like my climbing, but if I hadn't where should we be now?"

Elizabeth knotted the three scarves together. Then Tommy ran to the tree and climbed nimbly almost to the top, the others watching her breathlessly. Soon the flag of red and white was fluttering in the light morning breeze.

"It'll be torn to shreds by the first storm," said Tommy when she descended. "Let's hope it will be seen before a storm comes."

They spent the day much as they had spent the first one on the island; sitting on the beach, now and again visiting the cliff to take another look across the sea, gathering bananas from the little plantation and wandering for a short distance along the sh.o.r.e.

"What shall we do when all the bananas are gone?" asked Tommy, as they ate their dinner. "The food we have in the boat won't last a week."

"We shall have to go exploring," said Mary. "I can't believe that these bananas are the only eatable fruits, and no doubt there are more bananas somewhere."

They looked up once more at the distant mysterious ridge.

"I don't know how you feel," said Tommy, "but I'm rather scared of going far from the beach. Who knows what we should find among those trees?"

"We might go a little farther than we did yesterday," suggested Elizabeth.

"Come along, then," said Tommy. "Oh, gracious! What's that?"

She pointed towards the ridge. The other girls looked, but saw nothing.

"What is it?" asked Mary.

"I saw a large beast cross over that bare spot," replied Tommy.

"I think you must have fancied it," said Mary.

"Rubbish! I tell you I saw it."

"But there aren't any large beasts in these islands," said Mary.

"How do you know? You think you know everything," said Tommy sharply, "just because you've read a few books. I tell you I _did_ see it."

"It couldn't have been a large animal, all the same," persisted Mary.

"You're an idiot," cried Tommy.

Elizabeth saw it was time to intervene. The girls' nerves were a little on edge.

"I dare say you are both right," she said tranquilly. "Tommy evidently saw something, and though there are no large native animals, Mary, perhaps it's an imported one. We can't tell but that there are people over there, and they might have anything, you know."

"Of course they might," said Tommy triumphantly. "It might be an elephant or anything."

And so the little storm blew over, but it made Elizabeth very thoughtful. As she lay awake that night, she resolved that something must be done to occupy their thoughts. "It will never do to idle away our time, as we've been doing," she said to herself, "or there'll be constant bickerings, and we shall all get slack and mopish. Oh, dear!"

And she did not sleep before she had made a plan.

CHAPTER VII

A LOCAL HABITATION

"Now, my dears," said Elizabeth as they sat at breakfast next morning, "I've got an idea."