The young officers were pretty busy over their duties throughout the
day, Bob Roberts to his great delight being left in sole charge of the
steamer, while Lieutenant Johnson went to have a short consultation with
Captain Smithers; and two hours later, when Captain Smithers accompanied
the naval officer back, Ensign Long was in full command at the island.
The hot and sleep-inviting day had rolled slowly by; never had the river
looked brighter and clearer, or more keenly reflected the rays of the
sun. Far down in its pure depths the middy had watched the darting
about of the fish, which seemed to seek the shadow beneath the steamer's
hull for their playground.
This was noticed at stolen moments, for Bob was generally too full of
his duties to think of the fish, or to do more than cast a longing
glance at the dark shadows beneath the trees. For on board the heat was
terrible, the pitch was oozing out of the seams, and blistering the
paint; every piece of tarry cordage was soft and pliant, and very beads
stood out upon the strands; while beneath the awnings there was a stuffy
suffocating heat that was next to unbearable.
On the island the heat was less hard to be borne, the thick grove of
palms and other trees whose roots were always moist, throwing out a
grateful shade. Still the heat was severely felt, and the general
impression was that the hunting-party had by far the worst of it.
The day glided by, and the sultry tropic night set in, with the great
mellow stars glistening overhead reflected in the clear stream, and
seeming to be repeated in the low undergrowth that fringed the shore.
The watches were set, every precaution taken against surprise, and
though no danger need be apprehended, Captain Smithers had the little
fort quite ready to resist attack.
It was the same on board the steamer, the watch being visited at
frequent intervals by the lieutenant and his subordinate, to the great
surprise of the men, who wondered what made the "luff" so fidgety.
That night passed off without anything to disturb them; and the next day
all was so dull and uniform that Bob Roberts, as he could not go ashore,
was fain to amuse himself with his monkey, which he fed till it could
eat no more, and then teased till it got into a passion, snapped at him,
and took refuge in the rigging till its master's back was turned, when,
to the great delight of the men, it leaped down on the middy's shoulder,
and there seized the back of his jacket-collar and shook it vigorously,
till, seeing its opportunity, it once more leaped up into the rigging,
chattering fiercely, and showing its teeth as Bob threatened it and
called it names.
Evening came on again, not too hot, but quite bad enough to make the
middy glad to walk the deck in the loosest jacket he possessed. The
watch had been set, the lights hung up, and all was very still; for,
having had but little sleep the night before, Bob was too tired to talk,
and now sat in the coolest place he could find, hitting out occasionally
at a mosquito, and alternating that exercise with petting the monkey,
which had made its submission by creeping down from the rigging at
dinner-time, and approaching its master in a depressed mournful way, as
if declaring its sorrow for its late sin, and readiness to do anything,
if its master would forgive it. In fact, when the middy rose as if to
beat it, the animal lay down on the deck, grovelling and whining
piteously, as it watched his actions with one eye, that said as plainly
as could be, "You don't mean it. I'm such a little thing that you would
not hurt me."
Bob did not hurt it, but gave it one of Dullah's mangosteens instead,
and peace was made.
Lieutenant Johnson joined the middy soon after he had given up seeking a
nap on account of the heat, and came and leaned over the bulwark by his
side, talking to him in a low voice, both feeling depressed and subdued.
"I wonder how our party is getting on?" said the lieutenant at last.
"They'll have a storm to-night, and soaked tents."
"Yes; there's a flash," exclaimed Bob, as the distant forest seemed to
be lit-up to its very depths by a quivering blaze of sheet lightning.
This was repeated, and with increased vividness, the pale blue light
playing about in the horizon, and displaying the shapes of the great
heavy clouds that overhung the mountains in the east.
"It's very beautiful to watch," said the lieutenant; "but suppose we
take a walk forward."
They strolled along the deck, and on going right to the bows found the
watch every man in his place; and returning aft spoke to the marine, who
stood like a statue leaning upon his piece.
They sat down again, feeling no inclination to seek the cabin; and this
feeling seemed to be shared by the men, who were sitting about, talking
in low whispers, and watching the distant lashing lightning, whose
lambent sheets seemed now to be playing incessantly.
"Is there anything the matter with you, sir?" said Bob at last.
"No, Roberts, only that I feel so restless and unsettled that I should
like to jump overboard for a cool swim."
"That's just what I feel, sir," said Bob, "with a dash of monkey in it."
"A dash of monkey!"
"Yes, sir; as if I must run and jump about, or climb, or do something.
It's the fidgets with this heat. Let's walk forward again, if you don't
mind. I think it's cooler there."
"Cooler, Roberts? It seems to me as if the deck is thoroughly hot, and
as if one's clothes were baking. I quite envy the lads, with their bare
feet and open necks."
They strolled forward again, with the monkey softly following them; and
when they stood leaning over the bulwarks, listening to the ripple of
the water under the vessel's stem, the animal perched itself on one of
the stays just above their heads.
They could almost have fancied they were at sea, gazing down at the
phosphorescent water, so beautiful was the reflection of the stars in
the smooth, dark current, as it glided swiftly along, rippling a little
about the large buoy to which they were moored, and breaking the stars
up, as it were, into a thousand tiny points, that divided into a double
current and swept by the steamer's bows.
"What a night for a couple of prahus to come down and board us, sir!"
said Bob.
"Rather unlucky for them, if they did," said the lieutenant quietly.
"One good shot at them, or one of our biggest shells dropped into their
hold, would crash through, and send them to the bottom. There's no such
luck, Roberts."
"I suppose not, sir," said Bob; but, all the same, he could not help
feeling that this was a kind of luck which he could very well dispense
with, on a dark night. He did not venture to say so, though.
"How quiet they seem on the island!" said the lieutenant at last.
"Heigh-ho! ha hum! I wish we were there, Roberts, along with the
ladies; a cup of tea and a little pleasant chat would be very
agreeable."
"And some music," said Bob.
"And some music," said the lieutenant. "What's the matter with your
monkey?"
"What's the matter, Charcoal?" said Bob; for the little animal had
suddenly grown excited, chattering, and changing its place, coming down
the stay, and then leaping on to the bulwark.
"He sees something in the water," said the lieutenant.
"Crocodile," said Bob; "they like monkey. Look out, Charcoal, or you'll
be overboard."
This was on dimly seeing the monkey run along the bulwark, chattering
excitedly.
"Help!" came in a hoarse tone from somewhere ahead.
"There's a man overboard," cried the lieutenant. "Pass the word there.
Lower down the gig."
There was the sharp pipe of a whistle, and a scuffling of feet, for the
hail had electrified the men; but meanwhile the cry was repeated.
"It's some one from the island swimming down to us," said the
lieutenant. "Hold on, my lad," he cried, as the cry was repeated nearer
and nearer, and then just ahead.
"Quick, sir," cried Bob, "he's holding on by the hawser, whoever he is;"
and fully satisfied in his own mind that one of the soldiers had been
bathing, and had been swept down by the current, he called out to the
swimmer to hold on, but only to hear once more the one hoarse cry,
"Help!" and with it a gurgling noise where the bright stars were broken
up into a forked stream of tiny points.
So eager was he to cry out to the drowning man that help was coming,
that he missed the chance of going himself, but leaned over the bows as
the captain's gig, manned with a ready little crew, kissed the water,
was unhooked, and ran swiftly along the side; then the oars splashed,
and the little, light boat was rapidly rowed to where the great hawser
was made fast.
It was so dark that Bob could only dimly make out the round buoy,
towards which the gig passed over the water like a shadow.
"Can you see him?" cried the lieutenant, who was once more by Bob
Roberts' side.
"No, sir; there's no one here," said the bow-man.
"Help! help!" came in a hoarse whisper just then, exactly below where
the two officers leaned over; and they saw that a dark face, that had
risen to the surface, was being swept quickly along by the steamer's
side.
"Quick, my lads, here he is! Stern all!" cried the lieutenant; and the
light gig was backed rapidly in quest of the drowning man; while Bob ran
aft as hard as he could go, and climbed out into the mizzen chains, to
stare down into the swift current, holding on by one hand.
But he could see nothing, and he was beginning, with throbbing heart, to
believe that he was too late--that the wretched man had been swept away
before he climbed over, when he caught sight of something just below the
surface.
"Here, boat, quick!" he cried; and the bow-man struck his hook into the
side, and sent the gig flying through the water.
"Where, sir? where?" cried he in the hoarse voice of Dick.
"There, just below there; I saw him."
For answer Dick leaned over the gig's bows, and thrust down his
boat-hook.
"Give way, my lads," he cried, and again and again he thrust down his
hook. Then a strange, choking feeling of horror seemed to seize upon
the middy, and he felt dizzy as he gazed after the boat in the midst of
that weird darkness, which made the event ten times more terrible than
if it had been by day.
Just as his heart sank with dread, and he in fancy saw the dead body
seized by one or other of the terrible reptiles that swarmed in the
river, wondering the while which of the poor men it was, and why they
had heard no alarm at the island, Dick's hoarse voice was heard some
distance astern, exclaiming in triumph--
"I've got him, my lads! Give way!"