"
"First-rate!" cried Peterkin. "You will make the bows, Jack, and I'll
try my hand at the arrows. The fact is, I'm quite tired of throwing
stones at the birds. I began the very day we landed, I think, and have
persevered up to the present time, but I've never hit anything yet."
"You forget," said I, "you hit me one day on the shin."
"Ah, true," replied Peterkin, "and a precious shindy you kicked up in
consequence. But you were at least four yards away from the impudent
paroquet I aimed at; so you see what a horribly bad shot I am."
"But," said I, "Jack, you cannot make three bows and arrows before
to-morrow, and would it not be a pity to waste time, now that we have made
up our minds to go on this expedition? Suppose that you make one bow
and arrow for yourself, and we can take our clubs?"
"That's true, Ralph. The day is pretty far advanced, and I doubt if I
can make even one bow before dark. To be sure, I might work by
firelight, after the sun goes down."
We had, up to this time, been in the habit of going to bed with the
sun, as we had no pressing call to work o' nights; and, indeed, our
work during the day was usually hard enough--what between fishing, and
improving our bower, and diving in the Water Garden, and rambling in
the woods; so that when night came we were usually very glad to retire
to our beds. But now that we had a desire to work at night, we felt a
wish for candles.
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