This afternoon I helped Johnnywith the roofing
sheets while Jakey went to the reef with his spear. The greatest obstacle ever
encountered by a golfer!
We had to walk with care to avoid trampling
them.
As I had expected, the cold water chilled
thecaptains dream.
Im going tolive in a tree, like Swiss Family
Robinson.
One bigshark, hungrier than the others, brushed my
leg with his tail. Then afew heavy seas came over the reef to race across the
shallows a good twofeet deep.
They eyed us with asort of calculating detachment,
with cold objectivity, snobbishly. These made window sills, rafters,
andridgepole.
Elaine joined me,but ended the yell with a burst of
laughter.
The tide will be coming in by the time they reach
Green No. Johnny relaxed; Elaine stopped crying;Jakey and Nga stopped
whooping.
They believed I would soon be fed up and
wouldremarry or hire a nursemaid.
There was little sport in spearing fish, for they
were too plentiful. Inother things I proposed to teach my children to take care of
themselves.
Fresh wide-awake eggs were everywhere, on an
average of about four to eachsquare foot of sand. One bigshark, hungrier than the
others, brushed my leg with his tail. Nice place to build a house, the captain
opined, producing his calabashpipe and lighting it.
Their clamor seemed a palpable substance, filling
the air and our verybodies as well.
Then we built another fire, in a shallow pit, and
piled lumps of coral onit. Two bob an hour, with hooks and lines thrown
in.
The tide was low in the forenoon and the reef dry.
We have been marooned by request, as the captain put it. They believed I would soon
be fed up and wouldremarry or hire a nursemaid. Food being their sole reason for
living, the cowboys went after thebirds.
There would be time before the tide came in,
wemiscalculated, to walk to the cays and back.
The tide will be coming in by the time they reach
Green No.
Fresh wide-awake eggs were everywhere, on an
average of about four to eachsquare foot of sand.
Johnny and Jakey braced themselves with their
spears against thecoral; I held Elaine and Nga.
Prirnitive men do not differentiate so nicely. I
said soothingly today as betimes I petted herand held her tightly.
Ipropose establishing a high-toned health resort.