Having made a small fire,
he baked the nuts slightly, and then peeled off the husks. After this
he wished to bore a hole in them, which, not having anything better at
hand at the time, he did with the point of our useless pencil-case.
Then he strung them on the cocoa-nut spine, and on putting a light to
the topmost nut, we found to our joy that it burned with a clear,
beautiful flame; upon seeing which, Peterkin sprang up and danced round
the fire for at least five minutes in the excess of his satisfaction.
"Now, lads," said Jack, extinguishing our candle, "the sun will set in
an hour, so we have no time to lose. I shall go and cut a young tree to
make my bow out of, and you had better each of you go and select good
strong sticks for clubs, and we'll set to work at them after dark."
So saying he shouldered his axe and went off, followed by Peterkin,
while I took up the piece of newly discovered cloth, and fell to
examining its structure. So engrossed was I in this that I was still
sitting in the same attitude and occupation when my companions
returned.
"I told you so!" cried Peterkin, with a loud laugh. "O Ralph, you're
incorrigible. See, there's a club for you. I was sure, when we left you
looking at that bit of stuff, that we would find you poring over it
when we came back, so I just cut a club for you as well as for myself."
"Thank you, Peterkin," said I. "It was kind of you to do that, instead
of scolding me for a lazy fellow, as I confess I deserve.
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