Chapter 9 Chapter nine

The next day, the sky was still cloudy, but the rain hadn't stopped.Flip and Mrs. Clifton decided to start the move as soon as they had breakfast, and after a night of heavy rain, everyone was eagerly looking forward to their new abode. Mrs. Clifton was busy making breakfast after washing the two small children.Two little children are playing on the beach.Despite Mrs. Clifton's warnings not to tear irreplaceable clothes, they ignored them and continued to roll and play on the beach.Especially Jack, who was naughty and active like Robert, took the lead in making a lot of noise, and set a bad example for his sister.Clothes, of course, were a subject of great concern to Mrs Clifton.On this deserted coast they could find food and find ways to keep warm.But what about clothes?what to wear?Isn't this a harder problem to solve?

At breakfast, people naturally began to discuss the method of moving, what should be used as a means of transportation? "What's your trick, Mr. Jack?" the sailor asked the boy jokingly, since he always chimed in to join the discussion. "Me?" Jack said. "Yes," said Flip, "how shall we get to our new home?" "Walk with your feet," Jack answered. "Of course, we can go in a carriage on Fifth Avenue!" said Robert contemptuously, alluding to the transportation system of the great American cities. "Chariot!" Bell repeated, fixing her large eyes on Flip.

"Don't be joking, Robert," said Mrs. Clifton, "you'd better answer seriously our friend Flip's question." "It's a very simple matter, mother," the older boy replied with a slightly flushed face, "Our family property is not heavy, and I will carry the water bottle. We will take the road under the cliff, and we can walk happily. To the cave." The impetuous Robert stood up and prepared to go on the road. "Wait a minute," cried Flip, taking the boy's hand, "don't be in such a hurry. What about our fire?" Indeed, Robert had completely forgotten the most precious fire, which had to be lit and carried to the new abode.

"Well, Mr. Mark, why don't you say anything?" asked the sailor. "I think," said Mark, after a moment's consideration, "I think we could use another means of transport without any difficulty. Sooner or later we'll have to get the boat to a new port, why don't we just load it with all the cargo we need now?" What about things?" "Well said, Mr. Mark," cried the sailor, "that is a very good idea, I have never thought of such a good idea. We loaded all our luggage in the boat, covered it with a layer of wood ashes, and put it on the boat. Put the charcoal in it so we can set sail for our new home by the lake."

"Okay, great." Jack was overjoyed at the opportunity to travel by boat. "What's our proposal, Mrs. Clifton?" asked Flip. Mrs. Clifton had no objection; she was ready to move with Flip.The sailors intended to take advantage of the high tide, and when the sea flowed southward into the channel between the island and the coast, they could set out, but first the ship had to be lowered back into the ground.The supporting stones had to be removed piece by piece, and the boat was lifted and turned over.Then, regardless of men, women and children, they went into battle and pushed it into the river.In order not to let the waves wash the boat away, they tied the cables to the big rocks to keep the boat fixed on the water.The wind was blowing from the northeast, and it happened to be tailwind, and Flip decided to get the foresail up.Mark was right there to help.Soon the foresail was unfurled, ready to be hoisted atop the mast.

So they began to load the ship. They loaded all the firewood they could bring, and put the thickest branches on the bottom layer as ballast.Then Flip spread a layer of yellow sand on the after deck of the boat, and a layer of plant ashes on top of the sand.On this hotbed of double-layer protection, Mark carefully placed the charcoal fire that was still burning.During the migration, Flip had to steer the helm while tending the fire, adding firewood as needed.In addition, in case of emergency, the fire in the campsite cannot be extinguished, and its burning time should be extended as much as possible.To this end, Robert added some thick firewood to the fire.In case the fire on the ship goes out, you can still come here to look for kindling.To be sure, Mark even suggested that when the family was on the road, he would stay alone and guard the fire here.But Flip didn't see the need for that, and he didn't want to leave anyone alone.

At nine o'clock everything was loaded on board, the kettle, the sacks for biscuits and bacon, the hind legs of the capybara that Mrs Clifton had left over from the day before before she had had time to smoke, the razor clams, the eggs... .In order not to forget anything, Flip took one last look around.Could it be possible for these unfortunate people to leave out their meager possessions?Flip gave the signal to board.Mark and Robert sat forward, Mrs Clifton with Jack and Bell on the middeck, and Flip sat aft, on the workbench by the helm facing the coal fire burning in the corner of the cabin.He enshrined his sacred fire like a virgin who worshiped the kitchen god.

At the command of the seamen, Mark and Robert tightened the slings and hoisted the jib atop the mast.Flip untied the cable from the boulder, he turned the left corner of the sail tied by the rope, tightened the sheet, and under the blowing of the sea wind, the boat began to sail with the rising water.At the mouth of the river, Frypura tightened the lower corners of the sail, turned the ship, and sailed into the channel.With the water and the wind, the boat sailed fast. The sea was calm, and the light boat was speeding forward with the wind blowing from the land.The beautiful mountains and green waters in front of them, the beautiful scenery made the young travelers sigh.Flocks of waterfowl flitted across the water with deafening cries; fish startled by the sailing of the boat jumped out of the water from time to time.On one side or the other of the ship there appeared eddies, which Flip saw were timid seals playing in the water with the haunted porpoises.The boat approached the right bank of the gorge and sailed along the small rectangular island.A few meters away, hundreds of clumsy penguins can be seen walking on the island, and they have no intention of running away when seeing the boat approaching.The island is about four meters above the water and is formed by a huge flat rocky reef.It seems to be a dike, separating the sea from a small part of the coast.Flip thought that if one end of the strait was blocked at a place like the bottom of the pocket, the strait could become a natural harbor, fully capable of anchoring a large fleet.

The boat continued to drive rapidly, and the people on board were silent.The children looked at the commanding cliffs: Flip steered the helm and watched the fire, Mrs Clifton's eye was always roving the sea, asking the silent heaven where her husband was, but the sea was vast, Not a single sail. Half an hour later, the boat reached the far left end of the cliff.In order not to hit the sharp underwater reef, the boat had to sail in a roundabout way.The rising tide of seawater merged with the seawater in the canal gorge, stirring up powerful waves that beat heavily on the coast. As soon as the boat passed the top of the cliff, the clear lake water and the beautiful scenery on the lakeshore immediately appeared in front of our eyes: on the green grassy lakeshore, bushes were overgrown, and the blossoming flowers were like blooming flower beds in parks; In the south, the golden sand dunes are rolling; in the distance, there are dense forests and high mountains into the clouds.

"How beautiful!" the children cheered. "Yes," replied Flip, "this is the great garden which the Creator has planted for us." Mrs. Clifton looked down at the shore with melancholy eyes, as if to say, I hope this beautiful spot should be a comfort to the soul as well as to look at. Flip hoped the beautiful scenery would comfort the traumatized hearts of the small group.He had found a small harbor, and his two new sailors had lowered the sails to mid-mast.Flip steered deftly through the narrow reef-lined channel, let go of the jib, and the ship hardly moved.Then he put the boat firmly on the shore.

Robert only waited for the boat to touch the shore before jumping onto land first, followed by Mark and Flip.Then all three of them pulled the boat as hard as they could on the cable to the shore, and held it fast so that the waves wouldn't beat it and wash it away. Mrs. Clifton, Bell, and Jack disembarked immediately. "Go to the cave, go to the cave!" cried Robert. "Wait, my young sir," said Flip, "unload the boat first." It was the fire that Flip had to tend first, and the still-burning coals were brought to the side of the cave, and some dry wood was added, and the impromptu hearth was raised again, and the smoke filled the air again, and the wood was brought from the boat. unloaded.Each of the children is carrying daily necessities.The small group headed for the cave, their new home, along the southern slope of the cliff. What was Chief Flip thinking at this moment?He was thinking about the footprints left on the sandy floor of the cave the day before, which had been erased after his observation.Are there new footprints in the sand?This worried him greatly, for their new abode was nothing more than a crude cave where wild animals had once haunted.Should they live in such a treacherous cave without any defensive weapons?The brave sailor was baffled.But since he didn't tell anyone about his worries, he had no one to discuss the issue with. A small group of people finally arrived in front of the cave. Robert kept walking ahead and wanted to enter the cave first, but was stopped by Flip, who wanted to check for new doubts before the sand was trampled. "Mr. Robert," cried Flip to the boy, "don't go in, don't go in! Mrs. Clifton, I beg you, stop him, and let him wait for me." "Is there any danger in the cave?" asked Mrs. Clifton. "Not at all, ma'am," cried the seaman, "but there may be some wild animal in it, and it is better to be careful for safety." Flip quickened his pace and overtook Robert who was standing before the hole.He went in alone, found nothing in the sand, and went out again immediately. "Come, madam, come in," he called, "you are welcome in your new home." Mother and children walked into their new home together.Jack rolled happily on the soft sand; Bell yelled for the gems set on the cave wall, but forgot everything when he saw the mica pieces on the ground that shone like fireflies.Mrs. Clifton could only sincerely thank God for giving her and her children a refuge from the torment of the weather, and at the same time a ray of hope began to burst forth in her heart. Flip left Mrs. Clifton and others in the cave, and went to the boat with Mark to carry firewood.On the way, Mark asked Flip why he had to go into the hole to check.Flip believed that Mark was trustworthy and could tell him everything, so he told him about the discovery of the beast the day before, and said that no new signs had been found, and he hoped that the beast would not come again. Mark assured Seaman that he would keep his mouth shut, but asked him not to withhold any information from him that would be dangerous to the family in the future.Flip agreed, and told him he ought to know everything.He, Flip, from now on, regards Mark as the head of the family. Parents!A parent of only sixteen years old, this cave reminds Mark of their misfortune on the Vancouver and everything they lost. "Father, poor father!" He whispered to himself, and tried his best to restrain the tears welling up in his eyes. He raised his head and walked to the beach with firm steps. On board, Flip took two very heavy bundles of wood, and he told Mark to fetch two or three burning coals, and shake them as he went, to make it burn more vigorously. Mark complied, and the charcoal fire was still burning when they reached their new camp.Flip picked a suitable place outside the cave for their stove.This is a place like a corner formed by rocks, which can shelter from the wind and rain blowing from the sea.He first laid a few flat stones to make a stove, and then put two long stones as a firewood frame. Robert added a few large dry firewood to the charcoal fire, so that the fire that could live at home was raised again. up. The long-awaited new home was finally arranged, and immediately, the children began to cry that they were hungry.Because the early morning trip whetted their appetites, Mark fetched a pot of fresh water from the lake, and Mrs. Clifton quickly made the so-called pot of stuffed water guinea pig meat, which satisfied the family's gluttonous appetite. After dinner, Flapp thought it best to get more wood before daylight.Although the new residence was far away from the woods, there was a boat for transportation, so all the people were dispatched.There are dry branches and dead leaves everywhere in the woods, just pack them into bundles and transport them away.Under Flip's leadership and encouragement, all men, women, and children devoted themselves to the important work of preparing firewood, and all the dry wood was neatly piled up in the corner of the cave at night.According to Flip's calculations, there was enough wood for three days and three nights, if the fire was not overheated. Mrs. Clifton saw the children working so hard, and decided to treat them with a nice supper.She took out the smoked ham she was going to save for another use and seared it until it was charred on the outside and tender on the inside.The whole family chewed again, and soon there were only a few bones left.Seeing this situation, Master Flip planned to spend the next day hunting and fishing to expand the food reserves of the small group. At eight o'clock in the evening, the whole crew lay down and fell asleep, except for Flip who guarded the hearth outside the cave.In the middle of the night, Mark came to replace him.The night is charming and slightly chilly.Around ten o'clock the round moon rose from behind the mountain, and the soft moonlight shone on the calm sea.