Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/87

Rh had charge of the watches. Baxter had charge of the almanac. And to Webb fell the duty of daily recording the readings of the barometer and thermometer.

The next thing done was to start a log of all that happened during their stay on Charman Island. Baxter volunteered for this, and thanks to him the "Journal of French Den" was written up with minute exactitude.

A work of no less importance, and which could be no longer delayed, was the washing of the linen, for which there was no scarcity of soap; and this was lucky considering the mess into which the youngsters got when they played on the terrace or fished in the stream. In vain Gordon cautioned them, and growled at them, and threatened to punish them: dirty they would get in spite of all he could do. There was no doubt as to who would do the washing. Moko knew all about it; but as he could not manage it all, the bigger boys had to assist him, under his directions.

The day after this programme had been agreed upon was Sunday, and the way in which that day is kept in England and America is well known. In the morning the young colonists went out for a walk along the banks of Family Lake. But as it was extremely cold the boys, after an outing of a couple of hours, were glad to get back to their warm hall and a hot dinner in the storeroom, carefully prepared by the clever master cook of French Den. In the evening there was a concert, in which Garnett's accordion took the place of orchestra, and the singing, more or less out of tune, was of the true Anglo-Saxon type. The only boy with a really musical voice was Jack, but in his present humour he would take no part in his companions' occupations, and refused to sing when they asked him.

The day, which had begun with a short address by "the Reverend Gordon," as Service called him, ended with a few minutes' prayer in the hall: and by ten o'clock all the boys were asleep under the protection of Fan, to whom they could trust in the event of any suspicious approach.