A DANGEROUS COMPANION.
They had gone but a few hundred yards up the stream when they heard the
sound of a waterfall, and presently they came upon a perpendicular cliff
some eighty feet high, over the edge of which the water fell unbrokenly.
“It would be a splendid place to camp at the edge of this pool,” the
captain said. “We should have our bath always ready at hand, and even on
the hottest days it would be cool in the shade of the trees.”
“It would not be a nice place to be caught by the natives,” Stephen said.
“Even if we fortified ourselves, they would only have to get up above and
throw rocks down at us.”
The Peruvian regarded this risk as trifling in comparison with the
advantages of the situation. Stephen, however, determined to climb to the
top of the cliff, and examine the position there, so leaving the others
lying in indolent enjoyment by the pool, he set to work to find a way up.
He had to go fully a quarter of a mile along the foot of the cliff before
he could find a place where it could be ascended. Once on the crest, he
followed the edge back until he came to the top of the waterfall. To his
surprise he found that this flowed almost directly from a little lake of
some three hundred yards in diameter. For about fifteen yards from the
fall on either side the rock was bare; and although the level of the
little lake was some three feet below it, Stephen had no doubt that in the
case of a heavy tropical rain the water would rush down from the hills
faster than the gap through which it fell below could carry it off, and
that at such a time it would sweep over the rock on either side, and fall
in a torrent thirty yards wide down in to the pool.
The view, as he stood on the patch of bare rock, was a striking one. The
tree-tops of the forest between the cliff and the shore were almost level
with his feet, some of the taller trees indeed rising considerably higher
than the ground on which he stood. Beyond, a wide semicircle of sea
extended, broken by several islands, some small, others of considerable
size. Behind him the ground rose, in an apparently unbroken ascent, to a
hill, which he judged to be some three or four miles away.
“This would be a grand place for a hut,” he said to himself. “Of course we
could not put it on the rock, for we might be swept away by a sudden
flood, and besides there would be no shade. But just inside the edge of
trees we should do splendidly.”
He found, in fact, that at a distance of twenty yards from the edge of the
bare rock it was but the same distance from the edge of the pool to the
brow of the cliff.
“We could only be attacked on one side here,” he said. “And though we
could not cut down the trees, we might make a defence with creepers twined
in and out among the trunks that would be quite sufficient against a
sudden attack; and with such a store of muskets as we have got we might
keep a whole tribe at bay. The question is how to get the casks and things
up here.”
Going to the edge he found that one of the trees had a large arm
overhanging the cliff.
“By fixing a block there,” he said, “we might bring them up from below
without difficulty.”
Looking over, he shouted to the two men below.
“I have found a place here,” he said, “where we can make ourselves very
comfortable, and with a little labour defend ourselves from any number of
savages.”
“How can we get the things up?” the captain shouted back.
“Easily enough. We have but to fix a block to the arm of this tree over my
head, and we can then run them up without difficulty. Come up, captain.
You will see at once the advantages of the position.”
In a quarter of an hour the Peruvian captain joined him, and, when Stephen
explained his plan, agreed that it was a good one.
“As you say,” he said, “we can only be attacked along this narrow place,
and we could strengthen it so that they would hardly venture to try it.”
He broke off suddenly. “There are two cases of swords in the hold. I never
thought of them before. They might not be much good for cutting trees, but
they would do for chopping down bushes, and especially those long
creepers, which, being as tough as cables, would blunt our knives in no
time. If I remember rightly, the cases were stowed just under the barrels
of ammunition we got out, so there won’t be much trouble in getting at
them.”
“That would be first-rate,” Stephen said. “As there is nothing to do now,
we had better go back to the ship, and get one of the cases out at once.
When we have done that we can begin the work of rolling the barrels along
the sand to the stream.”
“It will be terrible work getting them to the foot of the cliff,” the
captain said.
“Yes, too heavy altogether. We must knock the heads in on the shore, fill
the contents into the sacking that holds the clothes, carry them on our
backs to the foot of the falls, and then sling them up. There are any
number of bales, so that they can remain up here until we get the empty
barrels up, and fill in the stuff again. It will be time enough to set to
work at our fence when we have got everything up.”
A week later they were established in their new camp. The sugar, coffee,
and other articles were all repacked in the casks, which were headed up
again to protect them from the weather and the assaults of insects,
portions sufficient for a week’s consumption only being left out. The
labour had been great, but the Peruvian captain seconded Stephen’s efforts
well. The steward, however, grumbled frequently, and had many times to be
spoken to sharply by the captain. Another week was spent in fortifying the
position. Young trees were cut down and stuck in the earth two feet apart
in the intervals between the trees. A wattle-work of the tough thorny
creepers was interwoven across the little promontory, eight feet high.
This was painful work, for, however careful they were, they frequently
tore their hands with the spikes.
When this was done a similar defence was made along at the edge of the
water to within a short distance of the falls. This was carried to the
height of five feet only. A tent had been erected with canvas brought from
the wreck, thrown over a pole, fixed between two trees, and in a smaller
one by its side the barrels were stowed.
“Now, captain,” Stephen said, as they spent a day in absolute rest after
their labours, “there is one more thing to be done.”
“What is that, señor?”
“It is that gold. You said there were five hundred thousand dollars, which
comes to a hundred thousand pounds in our money. That, as we know, is
lying safely in the stern, for we looked the day after the wreck. So long
as it is there it is safe enough, but the next storm that comes will
certainly smash up the wreck altogether, and the boxes may be swept into
the deep water between her and the shore. Now at the present moment we may
consider that gold to be common property. If a Spanish ship ever comes
here she will, of course, capture it; if, on the other hand, an English or
a Chilian vessel arrives, I shall hand it over to them as their lawful
prize. If neither of them come, which is most likely by far, it is worth
nothing to anyone. I think we ought to get it ashore, and bury it in the
sand above high-water mark.”
“I think that that would be a very good plan,” the captain agreed. “We may
manage in time to get away somehow, and even if we cannot take it all, we
might take some of it. There will be no great trouble in getting it
ashore. The boxes weigh a hundred pounds each. There are twenty of them,
and the raft would take them in three or four journeys. If we make an
early start, we ought to get the job done easily enough in a day. The gold
is of no use to us now; but we may be here for years, and if it is long
before we get away, the Spaniards may be driven out of Peru as they have
been out of Chili. Your admiral will have gone home. There will be no one
to claim the treasure; the Spanish government has lost it, the Chilian has
never gained it, and it will be a sort of windfall that we can with a
clear conscience divide between ourselves.”
“If you don’t mind, captain, I think that it would be a very good plan to
say nothing whatever to Jacopo about this business of the gold. I own I
don’t like the fellow. In the first place, he is abominably lazy, and
never does anything like his share of the work; in the second place, to my
mind he is an evil-looking scoundrel. I don’t want to deprive him of a
share of the money if the time ever comes when we may talk of dividing it,
but in the meantime there is no reason why he should know it has been
moved. That day when we examined it and found it was safe, I noticed an
evil look come into his eyes, and, unless I am greatly mistaken, the idea
struck him that if he were to rid himself of us, he would be master of all
that treasure. There will be no difficulty in carrying out the matter
without his knowing it. When we were moving the stores he often remained
behind under the pretence of cooking, and we have only to say that we are
going to overhaul the cargo and see if we can find anything else that may
be useful to us some day, and he will be glad enough to be left in charge
here.”
“I think that you are right,” the captain agreed. “I have no reason to
doubt Jacopo’s honesty, still the thought of so much wealth, although it
is of no more value here than so much sand, may excite his avarice. Many a
man’s throat has been cut in Peru for a score of dollars or less, and it
is just as well not to put any temptation in the fellow’s way. You and I
at the present moment would exchange all that gold for a stout twenty-feet
boat, well provisioned; but to him it would be simply wealth beyond his
dreams, and it is just as well not to put any ideas into his mind by ever
mentioning the stuff before him.”
The gold was brought on shore and buried in the sand at the foot of a tall
tree standing just beyond the highest watermark. The work took them two
days, as some time was spent in making a further search in the cargo, from
which was fished up a bale of linen trousers and coats, which formed the
undress uniform during the heat of summer. Some shoes were also found, and
Stephen and the captain returned to the fort, each laden with a large
bundle. Stephen was especially glad at the discovery of the light clothes.
Those in which he had started on the chase of the brig were so shrunk with
sea water as to be almost unwearable, and he had been going about in
Spanish uniform, which he found most uncomfortably hot. He was almost
barefooted, and the shoes were even more highly prized than the light
clothing. The captain had also lost all his effects, but Jacopo had saved
his scanty wardrobe.
“We are now prepared for everything,” Stephen said. “I don’t think
shipwrecked mariners were ever better set up. We have clothes sufficient
for a lifetime, a great stock of weapons and ammunition, and provisions
enough for a couple of months at least. The last is our weakest point, I
admit. But there is the whole island as a hunting-ground. We must begin
and set to work to explore, captain. The ham has gone long ago, and I have
been longing for some time for a change from salt meat; besides, we want
some fruit or vegetables badly. We have stuck to work well, and deserve a
holiday. The first thing to do will be to climb to the top of the hill and
get some idea of the size of the island. I begin to think that it cannot
be inhabited, for if it had been they would surely have discovered the
wreck before now.”
“That is not certain,” the captain replied. “It may be a large island, and
the villages may lie on the other side. However, we have certainly grounds
for hope that we have got it all to ourselves. One thing I am anxious to
find is some sheltered spot or cave where we can pass the rainy season.
The place where we now are is charming in such weather as this, that is
for ten months in the year; but it is not a perch I should choose in such
a gale as that which cast us ashore.”
“No; it would certainly be unpleasant. I should not think there is much
chance of our finding a cave except on the seashore caves are by no means
common articles. However, we shall no doubt be able to light on some
sheltered place where we can take up our abode during the rain. But, first
of all, we must find out whether the island is really uninhabited; there
will be all sorts of things to do as soon as we can assure ourselves of
that.
“I should be rather glad of one good gale, captain—a gale strong enough to
break up the vessel altogether. Of course, it has been a perfect treasure
house to us, but I never go on board without a shudder at the thought of
the fo’c’s’le just below the level of the water.”
“It is no more than standing at the edge of a graveyard,” the captain said
philosophically.
“Yes, that is true, and I know that even if we could have got at them the
first day, taken them ashore and buried them, it would have been an
unpleasant business.”
“Very,” the Peruvian agreed; “things have turned out for the best—they are
buried at sea instead of being buried on land. For myself, my regret that
the ship did not lie on an even keel was not because we could have got at
the bodies and buried them, but because in there we should have found many
things that would have been useful. We should probably have got an axe or
two, some tools, canvas, needles, and twine, all of which would have been
very valuable to us.”
“Well, all the same, captain, I shall be glad when a gale knocks the ship
to pieces. Besides, as long as she is there she would be seen at once by
any canoe coming along on this side of the island, and on going on board
the natives would see that some of the crew must have survived, and that
things have been brought up and taken ashore; then there would be sure to
be a search after us.”
“Yes, you are right there, señor; I had not thought of that. No doubt it
is desirable that she should disappear.”
“Do you think that we could blow her up, captain? There is plenty of
powder on board.”
The Peruvian shook his head. “We could shatter her, but portions would
still remain sticking up above water, and the explosion would be heard
fifty miles round, and the cloud of smoke be seen from all the islands
within that distance, and there would soon be canoes coming to see what
had caused it. No; it will be best to let her remain as she is until she
breaks up with the first gale.”
The next morning they started, taking Jacopo with them. The captain
proposed leaving him behind, but Stephen pointed out that if left alone
for a long day the man might not improbably swim off to the ship to assure
himself that the gold was still in its position.
“He might do that,” the captain agreed; “but, like most of his class, he
is superstitious, and I doubt whether he would go on board the wreck
alone. Still, it will be better to take him with us. It is certain that
there is no fear of our hut being disturbed during our absence, and if we
should come upon natives three of us are better than two.”
It took them four hours to reach the summit of the hill, the undergrowth
of creepers being so dense that they were often compelled to cut a way
through it. At last they reached the summit; as they did so they stopped
in surprise. Before them was a cup-shaped depression some two hundred
yards across, the centre being a hundred feet below the edges.
“It is the crater of an old volcano,” the Peruvian said; “it is ages since
it was active, so that we need have no fear or uneasiness on that score.”
The interior was clothed with verdure. Here and there black crags showed
through the foliage, but elsewhere all was smooth and smiling. The slope
was regular, and it was evident that, as the captain said, long ages had
gone by since there had been any disturbance. Vegetation had grown up and
died, until a soil thick enough to conceal all the rocks, that had at one
time no doubt thickly strewn the bottom, had been buried.
“What is that down in the centre?” Stephen said. “There seems to be a
patch clear of trees, and there are some figures of some kind there. See,
on the other side what looks like a regular path has been cut through the
trees and bushes. Perhaps it is a burying-place; at any rate we will go
and see.”
They walked round to the other side of the crater. From there they could
obtain a view of the side of the island opposite to that on which they had
landed. It was far less extensive than they had expected, the hill sloping
steeply down, and the sea was but a quarter of a mile away. A great number
of islands studded the ocean, and some of those at a distance appeared
considerably larger than that upon which they had been cast.
“Thank goodness,” Stephen exclaimed, “the island is evidently uninhabited;
now we can wander about freely.”
“Yes; we might have saved ourselves all the trouble of fortifying that
position,” the captain said.
“It gave us something to do, captain, and did us good in that way.
Besides, parties of natives from the other islands may land here
sometimes. Now let us go down and explore the crater.”
They descended the path and soon stood in the bottom of the crater. This
they saw was a veritable graveyard. In the centre was a rough structure
built of large stones sloping inwards, and forming a rough representation
of a hut. They had evidently been placed there centuries before, for they
were green with age; lichens and mosses grew upon them, and here and there
small shrubs sprang up in the crevices. What had once been an entrance was
closed with a great flat slab of rock. Round this central cairn were some
eight or ten smaller ones.
These were evidently of comparatively recent origin, and one of them was
surrounded by a hedge of spears, on some of which hung pieces of tattered
cloth of native manufacture. Round the central hut were arranged four
figureheads of ships; while in a circle stood a number of the hideous
idols carried by many of the South Sea Islanders in their war-canoes.
“I should say that this accounts for the island being uninhabited,”
Stephen said. “I suppose there are still traditions of this having been a
volcano, and that the mountain and perhaps the whole island is sacred, and
only used as a burial-place for some very great chiefs.”
He went across to the grave surrounded by spears.
“Here,” he said, “are a dozen skeletons piled together—sacrifices, I
suppose, on the tomb of a chief. If it had not been for these spears and
skeletons, I should have said, from the appearance of the cairns, that
they must all be at least a hundred years old, perhaps a great deal more.”
“All the better,” the Peruvian said. “I hope it will be a hundred years
before they come to bury anyone else here.”
“They must come here a good deal oftener than that,” Stephen said. “These
gods of theirs are all new, or at any rate freshly painted. Besides, the
place is evidently kept with some care; and I should think very likely the
people of the other islands make pilgrimages here once a year or so to
offer sacrifices to the god supposed to reside in that central cairn, and
to keep his house in order. I think that we cannot do better than follow
this path back and sees where it goes to. It may not extend beyond the
crater; but if it continues through the forest down to the shore it will
be evident that it has recently been visited, for things grow so fast in a
climate like this that in a year a path would be completely blocked up by
vegetation. Where is Jacopo?”
“There he is at the top of the crater; he did not come down with us, and
no doubt considered that the place was likely to be haunted by spirits.”
They ascended the path to the top of the crater. The ground here was bare
for a short distance, and Stephen saw that two lines of stones marked the
course of the path to the trees. It did not lead down towards the sea, but
was carried obliquely round the top of the hill until it reached the edge
of the forest on the side of the island on which they had landed. Two rude
images marked the spot where it entered the forest. It now led down in a
direct path six feet wide. This was completely clear of shrubs, and not
the smallest shoot of brushwood showed above the soil. Wherever the ground
descended steeply rude steps had been cut; the trees on each side of the
path had been barked on the side facing it. Here and there sticks, some
ten feet high, with pieces of coloured cloth hanging from them, stood
along the side of the path. The path itself was almost like a trough, the
centre being fully two feet lower than the general level.
“It must be used very frequently,” the Peruvian said, “and has probably
been used for ages. No doubt in the rainy season the water helps to hollow
it out, but the work must have been begun by human feet.”
Jacopo kept closely behind the others, crossing himself frequently and
muttering invocations to the saints. They followed the path until it came
out at the head of a deep inlet.
“It is a useful road to the top of the hill,” Stephen said. “It has not
taken us more than three-quarters of an hour coming down, while we were
six times as long in going up, and hard at work all the time. Look there;
there is no mistake as to the numbers who come here,” and he pointed to
the patches of ashes and charred wood scattered thickly on the sand above
the water-line, all along the edge of the inlet.
“There can be no doubt about that,” the Peruvian said; “the place must be
constantly visited, or at any rate by a great number at a time. However, I
don’t know whether that need disturb us. They evidently go straight up to
worship or sacrifice and come straight down again, and all that we have
got to do is not to fire a gun when they are on the island. However, we
may as well look along the shore to see if there are any further paths
into the forest.”
They examined carefully, but could see no signs that the natives had gone
inland at any other point.
“We may as well go along the shore now,” Stephen said, “then we shall see
how far this inlet is from our bay.”
They were turning to start when there was a rustle among the undergrowth,
followed by a short deep sound. Jacopo dropped his musket and fell on his
knees. The captain crossed himself hastily; but Stephen dashed forward
towards the spot where the sound had come, shouting:
“Come along, captain, it is a pig.”
There was a rush as he entered the bushes, and a dozen pigs dashed off. He
levelled his musket and fired at the hindmost, and gave a shout of delight
as it rolled over.
“Fresh meat, captain,” he exclaimed as the Peruvian joined him; “and there
are at least a dozen others who have made off. Hurrah! there is no fear of
starving; we may be sure that this is not the only herd on the island.”
The pig was dragged out on to the sea-shore; it was a young animal,
although nearly full grown. Jacopo was now in his element; he cut the pig
open, eviscerated it, carried it down to the edge of the water, washed it,
tied the legs together, and with his sword cut down a sapling and thrust
it through them.
“We will carry the pig, señor, as you shot him. That is but a fair
division of labour,” the captain said, raising one end of the pole on his
shoulder, while Jacopo took the other. They had gone but a hundred yards
further when the trees near the beach grew less densely, and the ground
beneath them was covered by a plant with large leaves and yellow flowers.
Stephen, who was walking ahead, went up to examine them.
“Hurrah, captain!” he shouted, “they are wild melons.”
The others laid down the pig and ran up to him. The patch extended as far
as they could see; the plants covered the ground and climbed the trees by
means of the rattans, festooning them with their bright leaves and flowers
and fruit of all degree of ripeness. On the ground they found no ripe
fruit. There were evident signs that this was a favourite resort of the
pigs, and that they devoured the fruit as fast as it ripened.
“We will fence in a large patch of this,” Stephen said; “there will be
plenty for the pigs and us too. I never felt thankful that a pig could not
climb before,” he laughed, as he cut a melon hanging overhead. Although
somewhat wanting in flavour the fruit seemed to the three men, after their
privation for upwards of a month from green vegetables or fruit, to be
delicious. “How do you suppose that it got here, captain?”
“The seed may have been carried by birds from some place where melons are
cultivated,” the captain said, “possibly even from the mainland. I have
heard that seeds are carried immense distances in that way. It may be that
some seeds were washed overboard from a passing ship and some were cast
ashore here. I do not care how they came here, I am well contented to find
them.”
“We will carry away the seeds of those we eat and plant them near our
camp,” said Stephen; “we shall soon get a supply without having to come
here to fetch them. Besides, these will attract the pigs and enable us to
get fresh meat without having the trouble of scrambling through the
forest, and tearing ourselves and our clothes to pieces with thorns.”
They cut as many melons as they could carry in addition to the pig, and
then proceeded on their way. They followed the shore but a quarter of a
mile further, when to their satisfaction they found themselves at the bay
at the mouth of which the wreck was lying, and in another half-hour they
were at home.
“We are certain to see boats coming,” Stephen said, as he stood at the
edge of the cliff and looked out over the sea, “unless they come from some
of the islands on the other side and coast round to their landing-place.
But on the other hand, there is the disadvantage that as they come in to
the inlet they can hardly help seeing the wreck. We must make it a rule
when we go down, to walk in the stream until we get to the edge of the
sea, and then to keep along on the wet sand where our footprints will
disappear directly. In that way they would have no clue whatever to the
direction in which to look for us.”
“Yes, it would be as well to observe that precaution,” the Peruvian said.
“When we once get a melon patch here we shall not have any reason to go
down there very often. We have got everything we want from the wreck, and
we have all the coast along to the left to explore, where we may make some
useful discoveries.”
Two days later they again went to the sea-shore and followed it to the
left, leaving Jacopo this time behind. They had gone but a mile when they
came upon a thorny bush covered with fruit, which the Peruvian pronounced
to be guavas; they ate some of these and then proceeded on their way, and
before long came upon a group of trees bearing a fruit considerably larger
than an orange. Stephen had seen these when cruising on his first voyage
among the islands, and pronounced them to be bread-fruit.
“Let us go no further,” the Peruvian said; “we have found enough good
things for one day, let us leave the rest for to-morrow.”
Stephen laughed. “At any rate it is a good excuse for getting back again;
and indeed I am quite ready to do so, for I have a strong desire to see
what Jacopo has been up to in our absence, and would be willing to make a
wager with you that we don’t find him at the hut.”
They gathered a quantity of the bread-fruit and passed the guava bush
reluctantly.
“We must set to work to make a basket, captain,” Stephen said, “we want
such a thing badly. We can each make a good-sized bag out of sacking,
which will do very well for melons and bread-fruit, but we want something
that we can carry things like guavas in without crushing them.”
On their return to the camp they found, as Stephen expected, that Jacopo
was absent, and at once set out along the edge of the cliff until they
reached the point at which they obtained a view into the bay. The wreck
lay apparently deserted.
“Let us sit down and watch,” Stephen said, “he may not have reached it
yet. No, there he is.” As he spoke, a figure came out from the door of the
poop. “Just as I thought, captain. He has gone down to see if the gold is
there. Look at him.” Jacopo was evidently furious; they could see him
waving his arms and stamping angrily on the deck, and then he went to the
side and shook his fist in the direction of the tent.
“That fellow is dangerous, captain,” Stephen said gravely.
The captain nodded.
“The safest plan will be to shoot him at once.”
“No, we cannot do that; we had better tell him frankly tonight that we
have moved the gold and buried it, lest the vessel should go to pieces in
a storm, that we intend to give it up to any Spanish or Chilian ship that
may come here; but that if it is a long time before we are rescued we
shall then divide the gold between us, and that he will get a fair share
of it.”
“It would be better to shoot him,” the captain said. “You were right, it
is evident that he has been thinking over that money, and that as likely
as not he has determined to possess the whole of it. However, we shall see
how he behaves. I may as well tell him as soon as he arrives; when he sees
that we mean fair by him he may possibly be content, at any rate for a
time, especially as he must know as well as we do how small is the chance
of a ship coming along. We are altogether out of the line of traffic.
Ships going round the Horn keep far south of this on their way to China,
while those for Peru and Chili keep up the coast; and there is no traffic
at all from Peru or Chili to China or India.”
“Now that we have everything we want here, captain, and know that we can
hold on for a long time, we ought to begin to think over our plans for the
future. If we had tools we could certainly build a craft that would carry
us to Chili; but it would be a terrible business to build one with nothing
but our swords to cut down trees, hew out the timbers, and shape planks.
Still, if there is nothing else to be done we must do that. It is only a
matter of time and patience, and we shall find that the hours hang very
heavy on our hands when all our necessary work is done here. I should
think that we ought to be able to build a craft of twenty tons in a couple
of years at the outside; at any rate, I can think of no other plan for
getting away.”
“I have been thinking that we might steal a canoe when the natives come
here,” the Peruvian said.
“I daresay we might, captain; but if, as is probable, they come in large
canoes, three of us would make but very little speed with one of them, and
we should be pursued and overtaken in no time. You may be sure that they
don’t spend the night up on the hill, and probably when they go up they
will leave some of their number on the beach to look after the canoes, and
cook. But even if we did get away we could do nothing with such a canoe.”
“I don’t know,” the captain said; “we might land with her on some small
island, fit a deep keel on to her, and get up a couple of masts and
lug-sails, which, of course, we should make beforehand.”
“Yes, we might do that,” Stephen agreed; “but the difficulty of carrying
off the boat would be immense. And besides, she would have to be
victualled; we should have to take food and water for a long journey. And
to get our barrels filled with fresh water on board would be a long task,
and utterly impossible to carry out in the short time that we should have
to spare, even if the beach was entirely deserted.”
“Yes, I see it is very difficult,” the captain agreed; “but I would not
mind running the risk rather than undertake two years’ hard labour.”
“I would not mind running the risk either, captain, if I saw any
probability of success, but I own that this seems an impossibility.
However, it may be that sometimes a small party comes alone, and that we
could get possession of a canoe of manageable size. At any rate, we may as
well prepare for such a chance before setting to work to build. We have
plenty of canvas from the fore-topgallant sail and head-sails of the brig,
and can make a couple of lug-sails fit for a large canoe and a couple for
a smaller one, and get the spars ready; that would not take us a great
deal of time, and if a bit of luck does fall in our way we should be ready
to avail ourselves of it. That fellow has swam ashore now, so we had
better be going back to the hut.”
A quarter of an hour after they reached it Jacopo appeared. He stopped in
surprise when he saw them.
“So you have been off to the wreck, Jacopo,” the captain said. “We found
as much fruit as we could carry, and have brought it straight back again;
and finding that you had gone we went along the cliff and saw you on the
deck. I suppose you went off to see if the gold was all safe. We have seen
to that; we did not like to leave it there, for the ship will break up in
the first gale, and the boxes might be swept into the deep water and be
lost, so we carried it ashore. The gold, you know, is not ours, it is the
property either of the Spanish or the Chilian government, and we shall
hand it over to the first ship of either of these nations that may come
along. If, however, as is likely enough, no ship comes near the island for
years, and the Spanish, as may well be, have by that time lost their
possessions on the west coast altogether, we may then consider it to be
ours, and if we get away we propose to divide it into three equal shares.
As officers we have a right to a larger share than you; but we have agreed
that if you do your work here with us willingly and cheerfully we shall
not stand on our rights, but shall give you an equal portion of it with
ourselves. At present the gold is of no more value to any of us than so
much sand, beyond the fact that if we build a craft, as the señor and I
have been talking of doing, the boxes will be found excellent ballast,
otherwise it is not worth a thought either way.”
“You are very good, señor,” Jacopo said humbly, “and I can promise that
you shall have no reason to complain of me;” and without another word he
turned, cut off a portion of the pig that was hanging from a bough near,
and proceeded to prepare a meal.
“I hope that that has made the matter all right,” the Peruvian said in a
low voice to Stephen; “but we must watch him closely for a short time and
see how he goes on. If he looks at the matter sensibly he must see that,
as I said, the gold is of no value to any of us at present.”
“He spoke too humbly altogether in my opinion,” said Stephen; “but as it
is evident that so long as we are here our interests are all alike, and
that the three of us will have a better chance of escape than one would
alone, he may give up all thought of the gold until the time approaches
for us to make a start.”
The next day they went down, unlaced the fore-topgallant sail from its
yard where it lay on the beach, upon which it had been washed up after
they had stripped the mast, and proceeded to cut from it two lug-sails, so
as to save themselves the trouble of carrying the entire canvas up to the
tent.