Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/99

Rh she; “but you do not know how dreadfully the heat among the rocks tries me. It is almost intolerable to us who remain here all day while you and Fritz are away out at sea, or wandering among the shady woods, where cool fruits refresh, and fair scenes delight you. As to the contents of the ship, an immense deal has been cast ashore, and I would much rather give up all the remainder, and be spared the painful anxiety it gives me when you even talk of venturing again on the faithless deep.” “Well, I must admit that there is much right on your side,” I continued; “suppose we were to remove to your chosen abode, and make this rocky fastness our magazine and place of retreat in case of danger. I could easily render it still more secure, by blasting portions of the rock with gunpowder. But a bridge must be constructed in the first place, to enable us to cross bag and baggage.”

“Oh, I shall be parched to death before we can leave this place, if a bridge has to be made,” cried my wife impatiently. “Why not just take our things on our backs, and wade across as we have done already? The cow and the donkey could carry a great deal.”

“That they will have to do, in whatever fashion we make the move,” said I; “but bags and baskets we must have, to put things in, and if you will turn your attention to providing those, I will set about the bridge at once. It will be wanted not once, but continually; the stream will probably swell and be impassable at times, and even as it is, an accident might happen.”

“Well! well!” cried my wife, “I submit to your opinion; only pray set about it without delay, for I long to be off. It is an excellent idea to make a strong place among the cliffs here; the gunpowder especially, I shall be delighted to see stored here when we go away, for it is frightfully dangerous to keep so much as we have close to our habitation.”

“Gunpowder is indeed the most dangerous and at the same time the most useful thing we have,” said I, “and for both these 4em