near that they fancied they saw them, and then as they rode on all at
once there was a roar of breaking water right ahead.
But it was impossible to change the boat's course, and sitting stern and
with his teeth set, Mr Gregory bent at the tough ash oar, as the boat
refused to swerve a little to the right, where he thought the roar of
breakers was less loud.
Then, with a shock which seemed to electrify all on board, the keel
struck upon a rock, there was a crushing grating sound, a roar of
waters, a wave leaped in, deluging all afresh, and the gig rose high in
the air, and then plunged down as if into the depths of the ocean never
to rise again.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
HOW HELP CAME IN TIME OF NEED.
The shock was so sudden that the half-awakened and helpless occupants of
the boat made no effort to move, but clung to the thwarts of the boat,
while the mast, with its heavy rain-saturated sail, snapped off short
and fell over the side, dragging by its cords, as the boat rose again
after its dive, gliding up a hillock of water, halted for a moment on
the summit, and then glided down again.
This was repeated two or three times, and each with less violence, after
which, to the surprise and joy of all, the little vessel rose and fell
easily as the sea undulated, the officers knowing at once that they had
struck upon a reef, which they had but just touched, and then had been
carried over it into the calm water of a lagoon, where they rocked
peacefully and safely, while only a short distance away the waves were
thundering upon the coral rock, and fretting and raging as they roared,
apparently wroth at not being able to reach their escaping prey.
"No water to signify," said the mate, as Billy Widgeon and Small baled
hard till their dippers scraped the bottom without success.
The captain did not speak, but pressed his wife's hand, while for the
first time Mrs O'Halloran displayed emotion by taking her half-numbed
child to her breast, and sobbing aloud.
The major did not move, but laid one hand on Mark's knee and gave it a
firm grip, sighing hard the while, and then there was silence for a
time, as the gig rocked easily in the darkness, while the thunderous
roar of the breakers grew less violent; and, instead of being deluged
with spray as every billow curved over, there was a sensation as of
shelter and warmth which pointed to the fact that the boat must have
drifted behind rocks as into some channel; but the intense darkness
rendered everything obscure.
"Cheer-ri-ly, mates," said a voice suddenly, as a slight splashing was
heard. "We're not a-going to be drowned--dead this here time, for I've
just touched bottom with the hitcher."
"Now, my lads," said the captain gravely, "our lives have been spared,
thank Heaven! and we are to see the light of another day."
There was again silence, with the muffled roar of the breakers farther
away than ever, and as the boat rocked away slowly with the same gentle
motion, the wet, cold, and misery were forgotten by one after another,
the darkness helping, the occupants of the little craft dropped off to
sleep, one of the last being Mark.
Cramped, faint, and miserable, the lad woke at last with a start, to lie
with his eyes open staring straight up at the blue sunlit sky, his mind
for the time being a perfect blank. In fact it was some minutes before
he realised that he was in the bottom of the boat, with his head resting
upon Bruff's curly coat, and that Jack was huddled up close to him
staring down into his face with an inquiring look, which, being
interpreted, really meant, Where is the food?
Mark struggled up so painfully that he felt ready to lie down again; but
he persevered and knelt in the bottom of the boat, to see as strange a
sight as had ever before met his eyes. For, in spite of their cramped
positions, every soul on board was sleeping heavily, the men in the
bottom of the boat forward making pillows of each other, the tired
ladies clinging together in the stern, and the officers amidships--the
extreme stern with its limited space having been left to Mark, Bruff,
and the monkey.
Haggard, pale, some with faces blackened with powder, others with their
heads bound up with handkerchiefs and bandages which showed the
necessity for their application, and all in the sleep which comes of
utter exhaustion.
The ladies, with their hair dishevelled and their wet garments clinging
to them, evoked most of the lad's pity, which was the next moment
withdrawn for his father, who looked ghastly pale, and lay back with his
head against the side of the boat, his hand resting upon that of Mr
Morgan, whose face was buried in his chest as he leaned against a
thwart.
The first-mate, too, crouched amidships in a very uneasy position, where
he had tried to settle down with the major so as to leave more room.
While the latter seemed the most placid of all, and lay back with half a
cigar in his teeth--one which had evidently been cut in two, for there
was no sign of the end having been lit.
Mark gazed round in a half-stupefied way for some minutes, hardly
realising what it all meant, and it was only by scraps that he recalled
the events since the fight in the cabin.
But by degrees all came back, even to the grazing of the reef and the
gliding into calm water, and he looked to the right, to see about a mile
away a long line of white foam, whose sound came in a low murmur, while
between them and it lay blue water quite smooth and unruffled, save that
it heaved softly, and far beyond the line of white foam there was the
sunlit sea.
Sunlit, for, save to his left, there was not a cloud to be seen. The
sky was of an intense blue, and the cloud that remained was
peculiar-looking--fleecy and roseate, and hanging over the centre of a
beautiful land whose shore was of pure white sand, rising right out of
which and close to the water were the smooth straight columns of the
cocoa-nut trees with their capitals of green.
He could see little but these beautiful vegetable productions, save
farther along the shore, and beyond the belt of cocoa-nut trees a pile
of rocks ran right down into the water; but from a glimpse here and
there it was evident that there were tall trees and high ground beyond
the palms.
Greatest boon of all to his eyes was the sun, which was not yet high,
but whose warm beams provided him with an invigorating bath and seemed
to send life and hope and strength into his cramped and chilled limbs.
He turned to look in another direction, and found that the boat was
within a few yards of the pure white sands of a sort of spit or point
which ran down into the lagoon, whose limpid waters were sheltered by
the barrier reef; and as he wondered how it was that they had not
drifted quite ashore he realised that the sail with its yard half sunken
beneath the surface had caught in a piece of jagged coral rock, which
rose from the bottom covered with its freight of animation, and to this
they were anchored.
"Shall I wake them?" thought Mark as he looked round him at the sleeping
people; but he did not stir, for the act seemed cruel. They were
sleeping soundly and resting; the sun was rising higher and drying their
wet garments; and at last, deciding that it would be wiser to let them
wake of themselves, he turned his longing eyes to the soft white sand,
which he felt must be warm, and it was all he could do to keep from
lowering himself over the side and wading ashore, to lie down in it, to
cover his limbs with it, and try once more to sleep.
The act would have aroused the sufferers about him, and he refrained,
contenting himself with gazing down over the side at the coral rock
three feet below the bottom of the boat, and seeing there among the
miniature groves of wondrously tinted weeds shoals of silvery fish;
translucent shrimps; curiously long snaky, scaly looking objects which
wound in and out and undulated among the weeds, while every here and
there played about some tiny chubby-looking fish like a fat young John
Dory, but gorgeous in colour in the sunlit waters almost beyond
description, so vivid were the bands of orange, purple, azure-blue,
green, and gold.
Every here and there were curious shell-fish, some creeping like snails
with their heavy houses upon their backs, others were oyster and mussel
like, anchored and lying with their valvular shells half open; while a
couple of yards away lay one monster about two feet long, a bivalve with
ponderous shells, whose edges were waved in three folds, and a glance
inside whose opening showed a lining of the most delicate pinky tint.
The warmth of the sun and the wonders of the coral-reef beneath his eyes
made Mark forget his troubles for a time, but he was recalled to his
position by his sensations of hunger, a whine from Bruff, and an
inquiring chatter from the monkey, who changed his position and sat up
on one of the thwarts looking very skinny and miserable, his face
wrinkled and puckered, and the appealing inquiring look in his eyes
growing more intense.
Mark gazed from one countenance to the other, all haggard and troubled,
and he was beginning to long to awaken some one when the major stirred
slightly, and drawing a long breath rolled the half cigar to and fro
between his lips. Then without unclosing his eyes he grunted out:
"Bring me a light."
Miserable, wet, and hungry as he was, Mark could not restrain a smile.
"Bring me a light," growled the major again. "Do you--eh?" he
ejaculated, opening his eyes and gazing round. "Oh! hah! I remember
now. Huph! Oh my legs; they're as stiff as if they'd no joints! Why,
Mark, my lad, good morning."
His words were uttered in a low voice, for he had glanced round and seen
that everyone was asleep.
Mark reached over and extended his hand, which was warmly grasped, and
this done, the major gave a glance round, grasping at once their
position.
"Shame to wake them," he said, "but I want to stretch my legs. Ah,
that's it! Give me your knife, lad."
Mark drew out his pocket-knife, and the major took hold of the sheet
which reached to the submerged sail, and drew upon it so as to set the
boat in motion. Then letting it go again he dexterously cut the sheet
in two upon the edge of the boat before there was any check, and the gig
floated slowly towards the shore.
"We shall be able to find that afterwards," he said in a whisper; and
then he waited till the boat softly grounded upon the sands, so close to
where they lay dry, that the major was able to step ashore, rocking the
boat so slightly that no one stirred.
Mark made a sign, and Bruff limped up on to the thwart painfully, and
made as if to leap ashore, but hesitated, lifted up his wounded paw, and
whimpered.
The difficulty was solved by his master lifting his hind quarters over
the side, the dog offering no resistance, and touching bottom he managed
the rest himself, and splashed through the water to limp a few yards,
and lie down and roll in the warm dry sand.
Jack needed no invitation or order, for, hopping to the side rather
stiffly, he leaped over the intervening water on to the sand, and
bounded to Bruff, chattering and revelling in the sunshine, while the
dog ran on along the shore, and the two now began to gambol and roll.
Mark was the next to step ashore, and as he followed the major he
limped, feeling as if every joint had been wrenched; but the pain wore
off a little as he persevered, and following the major's example he
stretched himself upon the sand.
"We're not much more than damp now, my lad," said the major; "and this
will dry us and warm us too. I say, my boy, I thought we had come to
the end of the book. Didn't you?"
"No," said Mark quietly. "I knew we were in great danger; but I felt
that my father would save our lives."
"That's right," said the major. "Always have faith in your father, my
lad. He's a fine fellow, and if you follow his example you will not go
far wrong. Now, then, I begin to feel much better, and if I could light
my cigar I should feel better still."
"Have you no matches, sir?"
"Yes, my lad, but if they are dry they may be wanted to cook something
if there is anything here to cook, and I mustn't waste them on my
luxuries. I wish I had awakened my Mary, but it's best to let her waken
herself, and if I woke her I should have awakened them all."
"There's Mr Gregory opening his eyes, sir," said Mark eagerly; and he
made a sign to the mate.
Mr Gregory stared hard at him for a few moments before any sign of
comprehension came into his face. It did, however, at last, and he rose
stiffly and stepped ashore.
"Good morning, indeed," he said; "it's more than good, for yesterday I
thought it was good night for all of us. Why don't you light your
cigar, major?"
"Don't tempt me, man, I'm going to practise chewing. Have this other
half. Will you chew it?"
"No," said Mr Gregory, taking out a little silver matchbox; "I've
plenty of lights, quite dry."
He struck one, and the two men lit their half cigars and sat in the sun
smoking, while Mark watched them, the sun begetting a delicious sense of
content and satisfaction, making him half-close his eyes as he listened
to their conversation.
"Where are we, major! Can't exactly say. Small coral island somewhere
near the track of ships to the east."
"It must be a good-sized coral island," said the major, "for there seems
to be quite a mountain yonder."
"Can't be the mainland," said Gregory. "Yes, you're right. That is a
hill of some height, and--why, there are clouds upon it and--why, they
are only half-way up, and there are more on the top."
"Why, Gregory," cried the major, "it's a volcano!"
"No," said the mate; "there is no volcano anywhere near where we can be.
You're right, sir, after all. Well, I'm puzzled; for that's a burning
mountain certainly!"
Mark gazed with wondering eyes at the mountain, to see that the clouds
which he had noticed when he first gazed shoreward were slowly
dissolving away, leaving a line of mist apparently about a thousand feet
above the sea; while above that the mountain was visible running up in a
perfect cone to quite three thousand feet higher, where the point was
hidden in a steaming cloud.
"You don't know where we are, then?"
"No, sir; perhaps the captain will know when he wakes. I've been out
here again and again, and never seen that mountain. We can't, I am
sure, be on the mainland, and it seems impossible that we can have been
driven anywhere near Java. However, we are safe ashore, and, judging
from the look of the trees and the sea, we shall not starve."
"I shall," said the major, puffing away at his bit of cigar. "If we
don't soon have food I shall either kill and eat the monkey or Master
Mark here! I must have something. By the way, don't throw your
cigar-end down--save it. Tobacco may grow scarce."
The mate nodded; and just then Mark uttered an ejaculation, for he saw
Mrs Strong move; her companions started into wakefulness at the same
time; and the next moment, as they rose painfully the major and Mark
helped them ashore, where they sank down in the warm sand.
The captain was roused by the motion of the boat; and he would have come
ashore without awaking his men, but the boat was so lightened now that
the men were roused. The least injured came ashore, and after an effort
or two ran the gig up on the sands, with the two men who were worst
lying in the bottom--Mr Morgan and one of the fore-mast men--these two
being carefully lifted out and laid on the sand in the shade of the
cocoa-nut trees, while something in the shape of breakfast was prepared.
At first everyone moved painfully, but every step in the light and
warmth seemed comforting; and before long all were busy, the men finding
shell-fish in the hollows and crevices of the coral rocks; others
collected wood, while a fire was made. Billy Widgeon, after rubbing his
legs and bathing his feet first in the sea and then in the warm sand,
volunteered to climb a cocoa-nut tree and get down some fruit; the
ladies went to a pool in the rocks to try and perform something in the
way of a morning toilet; and the major turned chef and cooked the
shell-fish, and opened some tins of preserved meat and biscuit; Mark
being the successful discoverer of a spring as he went in search of
Bruff, to find him drinking thereof.
Shortly afterwards, in earnest thankfulness, a hearty breakfast was
eaten upon that lonely shore. But when cuts had been bathed and
re-bandaged and evidences of the conflict removed, and a short
inspection made to see if there was anything to fear from savages, the
arms were examined and made ready, a watch was set; and in the shade of
the cocoa-nut grove the greatest boon of the weary was sought and
found--for by mid-day, when the sun was scorching in its power, all had
gladly lain down to rest and find the sleep that would prepare them for
the struggle for life in which they were to engage.
"So we are to be the first watch--eh, Mark?" said the major.
"Yes, sir," was the reply.
"Four hours. Shall we keep awake?"
Just then there was a low moan.
"Yes," said the major; "we shall not want to sleep with poor Morgan like
that."
"Will he recover, sir?" whispered Mark as he knelt in the sand by the
sick man's head, and raised some cocoa-nut leaves over his head as a
screen.
"Please God!" said the major piously; and he followed Mark's example and
screened the injured and now delirious fore-mast-man from the sunbeams,
which streamed like silvery arrows through the great founts of verdant
leaves.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
HOW THE WATCH HEARD A NOISE.
That was a weary watch, but, as the major said, they did not want to
sleep, with the wounded men moaning and muttering in their uneasy rest.
For there was so much to do, seeing to the shade and altering the
positions of the leaves, so that while the sun was kept off, the soft
breeze from the sea was allowed to cool the fevered brows of the
patients.
Then there were flies which were disposed to be troublesome and had to
be kept at a distance, Mark making a loose chowry, like a horse-tail, of
long wiry grass, and this proving so effective that the major annexed
it, and advised Mark to make another.
And so an hour passed away, after which Mark took a tin and fetched some
of the cool spring-water which came trickling down from the interior,
deeply shaded by the ferns, and so low among mossy stones that he had to
climb into a narrow chasm to the clear basin-like pool.
With this he prepared to bathe Morgan's forehead; but as he bent over
him the poor fellow's countenance wore so terrible an aspect, the skin
being absolutely green, that the lad shrank away and signed to the
major.
"Well, my lad, what is it?"
"Look!--his face! What does it mean?"
"Eh!--mean! What?"
"Don't you see? That horrible green!"
"Tchah! what are you talking about?" said the major, picking up a leaf
and holding it over his head. "Now, then, what colour is my face?"
"Green," said Mark, smiling. "How stupid of me!"
"Well, we will not call it stupid, my lad; but with so many real
difficulties we must not make imaginary ones. Why, Mark, this voyage is
making a man of you--self-reliant, business-like, and strong. When we
get over it--"
"Shall we get over it, sir?" said Mark sadly.
"Ah!" said the major, speaking in a low tone so as not to disturb the
patients; "now, that's a chance for a sermon for you, my lad, only I
can't preach. Look here, Mark, ten thousand things may happen to us,
one of which is that we may all die here of starvation."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, then, that's ten thousand to one. Bah! Don't fidget now. We
have just landed in a little paradise, after running terrible risks from
spear and kris, explosion, fire, storm, and wreck. You ought to be
thankful, and not growl."
"I am thankful, sir."
"Then show it, my lad. Take what comes, like a man; do the best you can
for everybody, and leave the rest."
"I'll try, sir."
"Try! nonsense! I know you already, my lad, better than you know
yourself. You'll do it naturally without trying."
They sat here in that golden glow of shelter for some time in silence,
watching their patients and the glittering sea, broken every now and
then by the splash of a fish.
"Do you think Mr Morgan will get better, sir?" whispered Mark at last.
"Certainly I do. Why shouldn't he? A strong healthy man with his wound
waiting to heal as soon as he could have rest and proper sleep. What we
have gone through was enough to give us all fever, so no wonder a
wounded man is so bad. I expected that your father would give up."
"But he has not, sir."
"No; mind has kept him from breaking down. He has all the
responsibility, you see. You must try and grow up just such a man, my
lad."
There was again a silence, broken at last by the major.
"I want to go exploring here, Mark," he said. "I expect this will prove
to be a very wonderful place."
"But I thought such an island as this would be full of beautiful birds."
"Perhaps it is, but the birds are all sitting under their sun-shades
till the sun begins to go down. Why, Mark, we shall be in clover!"
"But about food, sir? What shall we do for food for such a party? The
stores won't last long."
"Now, that's a boy all over," said the major, chuckling. "Food! My
word, how a boy does love the larder! There, don't look so serious,
Mark. I was just as bad, I can remember, at home, enjoying my own
school-room breakfast, then getting a little more when my father had
his; having a little lunch; then my dinner, followed by my tea; after
which dessert, when they had theirs, in the dining-room; lastly, a bit
of supper; and I finished off by taking biscuits or baking-pears to
bed."
"Yes, sir," said Mark; "but that was in England."
"Well, never mind. We shall find something to eat here, I daresay.
Enough to keep us. Why, Mark, I don't suppose we should have to put you
in the pot for quite a year."
Mark laughed, and the major's eyes twinkled as he went on.
"What nonsense, my lad! we couldn't starve here. The sea teems with
fish waiting to be caught. Look yonder."
Mark glanced in the required direction, and could see the smooth water
in the lagoon dappled and blurring as a shoal of fish played upon the
surface.
"But how are we to catch them, sir?"
"Hooks and lines; make nets; fish-traps. Why, Mark, if a savage can do
these things, surely we can!"
"Do you think there are any animals here?" said Mark, glancing round.
"Sure to be of some kind. The place is evidently extensive. Pig,
perhaps deer; plenty of birds; and we have guns and ammunition. Then
there will be fruit."
"Do you think so, sir?"
"I'm sure of it. There are the cocoa-nuts to begin with. Fruit! yes,
and vegetables too."
Mark smiled.
"Ah, you don't know! Knock that fly off Morgan's cheek. But I do, my
lad. We sha'n't get any asparagus; but we can eat the palm-shoots; and
as for cabbage, we sha'n't regret that as long as we can get at the
hearts of the palms."
"Do you think there will be any snakes?" asked Mark.
"Sure to be."
"Poisonous?"
"Very likely. Perhaps some big ones. They'll do to eat if we are very
hungry."
"Ugh!" ejaculated Mark, with a shudder.
"Well, I'm like the Yankee backwoodsman, Mark, my lad. He didn't
`hanker arter crows' after he had eaten them once. I don't `hanker
arter' snakes, but I'd sooner sit down to a section of boa-constrictor
roasted in the ashes than starve."
"I don't think I would."
"Wait till you are starving, my lad."
"Should you say there are any big dangerous animals?" continued Mark,
after a pause; "lions, or tigers, or leopards?"
"Certainly not; but there may be rhinoceros or elephant, if the island
is big enough, or near the mainland, and--what the dickens is that?"
He jumped up as rapidly as Mark sprang to his feet, for just then there
came, apparently not from very far off, so terrible a roar that the
major ran to the nearest gun, examined the loading, and then stood with
the weapon cocked.
Mark involuntarily caught his arm.
"Don't do that, boy," said the major in a low angry voice. "That is
what a woman would do--try to find protection, and hinder the man. Get
a weapon if it's only your knife."
Mark's pale face flushed, and he caught up a gun, to stand beside the
major, as the terrific harsh yelling roar came again.
It was a sound horrible enough to startle the stoutest hearted, so weird
and peculiar was it in its tones; while the silence which succeeded was
even more terror inspiring, for it suggested that the wild beast which
had uttered the cry might have caught sight of them, and be coming
nearer.