A PERILOUS PLIGHT
A few minutes later the two families—complete this time—with Captain
Harry Gould and the boatswain, were together in the store-house in the
middle of the island, five hundred paces from the battery knoll over
which the flag of New Switzerland floated.
Fritz, Frank, and Jenny were clasped to the hearts of M. and Mme.
Zermatt and covered with kisses; James, Dolly, Susan, and Bob were
unable to extricate themselves from the embraces of Mr. and Mrs.
Wolston; and much hand-shaking was exchanged with Captain Gould and the
boatswain.
Then they had to exchange stories of the fifteen months which had passed
since the day when the _Unicorn_ disappeared behind the heights of False
Hope Point, bearing away Jenny Montrose, Fritz, Frank, and Dolly.
But before recalling all these past events, it was necessary to talk of
the present.
For although they were reunited now, the two families were none the less
in a serious and perilous position. The savages must ultimately become
masters of this island when the ammunition and provisions were
exhausted, unless help came. And whence could M. Zermatt and his people
expect help?
First of all Fritz told briefly the story of the _Flag’s_ castaways.
“And where are the savages?” Fritz asked, as he came to the end of
telling how they had seen the savages.
“At Rock Castle,” M. Zermatt replied.
“Many of them?”
“A hundred at least; they came in fifteen pirogues—probably from the
Australian coast.”
“Thank God you were able to escape from them!” Jenny exclaimed.
“Yes, indeed, dear child,” M. Zermatt replied. “As soon as we saw the
canoes making for Deliverance Bay, we took refuge on Shark’s Island,
thinking that we might be able to defend ourselves here against an
attack by them.”
“Papa,” said Frank, “the savages know now that you are on this island.”
“Yes, they do,” M. Zermatt answered, “but thank God, they have not
succeeded in landing here yet, and our old flag is still flying!”
The following is a very brief summary of what had happened since the
time at which the first part of this narrative ended.
On the return of the dry season, after the expeditions which resulted in
the discovery of the Montrose River, a reconnaissance was carried out as
far as the range of mountains, where Mr. Wolston, Ernest and Jack
planted the British flag on the summit of Jean Zermatt peak. That
happened some ten or twelve days before the boat arrived on the southern
coast of the island, and if the expedition had been carried beyond the
range they might have met Captain Gould at Turtle Bay. But Mr. Wolston
and the two brothers had not ventured across the desert plateau.
The newcomers were told how Jack, carried away by his wild desire to
capture a young elephant, had fallen into the midst of savages, who made
him prisoner. After escaping from them, he had brought back the grave
news of their presence on the island.
Thoroughly alarmed, the Zermatts and Wolstons made plans in anticipation
of an attack upon Rock Castle, and maintained a watch day and night.
For three months, however, nothing happened. The savages did not appear.
It seemed that they had finally left the island.
But there was matter of new anxiety in the fact that the _Unicorn_, due
to arrive in September or October, made no appearance off New
Switzerland. In vain did Jack go many times to the top of Prospect Hill
to look out for the return of the corvette. On each occasion he had to
come back to Rock Castle without having seen her.
It should be mentioned here that the ship observed by Mr. Wolston,
Ernest, and Jack from the summit of Jean Zermatt peak was no other than
the _Flag_, as could be proved by comparison of dates. Yes, it was the
three-master which had fallen into the hands of Robert Borupt. After
approaching the island, she had sailed to the Pacific Ocean, through the
Sunda Seas, never to be heard of again.
The last weeks of the year brought them to despair. After the lapse of
fifteen months, all abandoned hope of ever seeing the _Unicorn_ again.
Mme. Zermatt, Mrs. Wolston, and Hannah mourned their lost ones. None had
courage left for anything. Nothing seemed of any use.
It was only after this long delay, that they took it for granted that
the _Unicorn_ had been wrecked, lost with all hands, and that nothing
more would ever be heard of her, either in England or in the Promised
Land!
For if the corvette had accomplished her outward voyage without mishap,
after a call at the Cape of Good Hope lasting a few days, she would have
reached Portsmouth, her destination, within three months. From there, a
few months later, she would have sailed for New Switzerland, and several
emigrant ships would have been despatched soon after her to the English
colony. The fact that no ship had visited this portion of the Indian
Ocean meant that the _Unicorn_ had foundered in the dangerous seas that
lie between Australia and Africa before she had reached her first port
of call, Cape Town; it meant, too, that the existence of the island was
still unknown, and would remain unknown, unless the chances of
navigation brought some other ship into these remote seas which, at this
period, lay within none of the maritime routes.
During the first half of the dry season neither M. Zermatt nor Mr.
Wolston thought of leaving Rock Castle. As a rule they spent the finest
part of the year at Falconhurst, reserving a week each for the farms at
Wood Grange, Sugar-cane Grove, Prospect Hill, and the hermitage at
Eberfurt. On this occasion they limited themselves to the brief visits
necessitated by their duty to the animals. They made no attempt to
explore the other portions of the island outside the district of the
Promised Land. Jack contented himself with hunting in the immediate
neighbourhood of Rock Castle, leaving Whirlwind and Storm and Grumbler
idle. Various works which Mr. Wolston had planned to do, to which his
engineering instinct had moved him, were left unattempted.
What was the use? In those four little words was summed up a volume of
despondency.
So when they came to celebrate the festival of Christmas—kept with joy
so many years—tears were in the eyes of all, and prayers rose for those
who were not with them!
Thus the year 1817 opened. In that splendid summer season Nature was
more lavish with her gifts than she had ever been before. But her
generosity far exceeded the requirements of seven persons. The great
house seemed empty, now that those they had expected could be looked for
no longer!
And yet there came at times faint hopes that everything was not lost
irreparably. Could the delay of the _Unicorn_ be explained in no other
way than by shipwreck with loss of all hands? Perhaps she had prolonged
her stay in Europe. Perhaps quite soon they would see her topsails on
the horizon, and the long pennon streaming from her mainmast.
It was in the second week of January of this most gloomy year that M.
Zermatt saw a flotilla of pirogues round Cape East, and making for
Deliverance Bay. Their appearance caused no great surprise, for after
Jack had fallen into their hands, the savages could no longer be unaware
that the island was inhabited.
In less than two hours the tide would bring the pirogues to the mouth of
Jackal River. Manned by something like a hundred men, for, of course,
the whole party that had landed on the island must have joined in this
expedition, how would it be possible to offer them serious resistance?
Would it be well to take refuge at Falconhurst, Wood Grange, Prospect
Hill, Sugar-cane Grove, or even at the hermitage at Eberfurt? Would they
be any safer there? As soon as they had set foot on this rich domain of
the Promised Land, the invaders would be sure to go all over it! Ought
they to seek a more secret shelter in the unknown regions of the island,
and would there be any certainty that they would not be discovered even
there?
Then Mr. Wolston suggested that they should abandon Rock Castle in
favour of Shark’s Island. If they put off in the long boat behind the
point of Deliverance Bay, and went along the Falconhurst shore, they
might perhaps be able to get to the island before the pirogues arrived.
There, at any rate, under the protection of the two cannon in the
battery, they might defend themselves, if the natives attempted to set
foot on the island.
Besides, if there were not time to take over the stores and provisions
needed for a long stay, the store-house had beds and could accommodate
the two families. The boat could be laden with articles of prime
necessity. And further, as has been related before, Shark’s Island had
been planted with mangroves, palms, and other trees and was used as a
park for a herd of antelopes, while a limpid stream assured an abundant
supply of water, even during the very hottest season.
There would thus be nothing to fear on the score of food for several
months. Whether or not the two four-pounder carronades would be
sufficient to repulse the flotilla if it made an attack in full force
upon Shark’s Island, nobody could say. The natives, of course, could
have no knowledge of the power of these arms, whose reports would spread
panic among them, not to mention the bullets and balls which the two
guns and the carbines would rain upon them. But if even half of them
succeeded in landing on the island there would be little hope.
There was not a moment to lose. Jack and Ernest brought round the boat
to the mouth of Jackal River. Boxes of preserves, cassava, rice and
flour, and also arms and ammunition were taken down to it. Then M. and
Mme. Zermatt, Mr. and Mrs. Wolston, Ernest and Hannah got into it, while
Jack took his seat in his canoe which would enable him, if need arose,
to establish communication between the island and the shore. The
animals, except the two dogs, had to be left at Rock Castle. The jackal,
ostrich, and the onager were set at liberty. They would be able to find
their own food.
The boat left the mouth of the river just as the pirogues came into
sight off Whale Island. But it ran no risk of being seen in this portion
of the sea lying between Rock Castle and Shark’s Island.
Mr. Wolston and Ernest rowed, while M. Zermatt steered in such a way as
to profit by certain backwaters which enabled them to make headway
against the rising tide without excessive exertion. Nevertheless, for a
mile they had to struggle hard not to be carried back towards
Deliverance Bay, and it was three-quarters of an hour before the boat
slipped in among the rocks and anchored at the foot of the battery
knoll.
They at once unloaded the chests, arms, and various articles brought
from Rock Castle, which they deposited in the store-house. Mr. Wolston
and Jack went to the battery, and took up their posts there to keep
watch over the approaches to the island.
The flag flying from the signal mast was immediately pulled down.
Nevertheless, it was to be feared that the savages had seen it, since
their canoes were not more than a mile away.
Thus they had to remain on the defensive in anticipation of an immediate
attack.
The attack did not take place. When the pirogues were off the island,
they turned southwards and the current took them in towards the mouth of
Jackal River. After the savages had landed, the canoes were taken into
shelter in the little creek where the pinnace lay at her moorings.
This was the position of affairs. For a fortnight the savages had been
in possession of Rock Castle, and it did not appear that they had sacked
the house. It was different at Falconhurst, and from the top of the
knoll M. Zermatt had seen them chasing the animals, after they had
wrought havoc in the rooms and store-houses.
But there was soon no doubt that the band had discovered that Shark’s
Island was serving as a refuge for the inhabitants of the island. On
several occasions half-a-dozen of the canoes came across Deliverance Bay
and made towards the island. Several shots sent among them by Ernest and
Jack sank one or two and put the others to flight. But from that moment
it was necessary to watch day and night. A night attack would be very
difficult to repulse.
M. Zermatt hoisted the flag at the top of the hill again, for the
improbable might happen, and a ship might come within sight of New
Switzerland!