over before we put up the fence, and we can prepare it in the meantime,
when the weather will permit us to work. The seeds and potatoes will
not come up until after the rains are finished; so all we have to do is
to dig up the ground, and put them in as fast as we can. We cannot make
a large garden this year; but our potatoes we must contrive to get in,
if we cannot manage anything else."

"If we have no fence to make," replied Mr. Seagrave, "I think we shall
be able to clear away quite enough ground in a week to put in all that
we require."

"The first job will be to pull up the small brushwood," said Ready,
"and turn up the ground; the larger plants we must leave, if we have
not time. Tommy might be of some use here in taking away the shrubs as
you pull them up; but we had better now go on to the grove, and choose
the spot for cutting down the trees. I have made my mark."

Ready and Mr. Seagrave proceeded in the direction which the former had
pointed out, until they arrived at a spot on a rising ground, where the
trees were so thick that it was not very easy to pass through them.

"There is the place," said Ready. "I propose to cut all the timber we
want for the houses out of this part of the grove, and to leave an open
square place, in the centre of which we will build our storerooms. You
see, sir, if necessary, with a very little trouble we might turn it
into a place of protection and defence, as a few palisades here and
there between the trees would make it, what they call in the East
Indies, a stockade."

"Very true, but I trust we shall not require it for such a purpose."