weary, and uncomfortable, for sleeping in his clothes seemed to be a
horrible mistake. He had never before realised how many buttons he had
about him; for, if he lay on one side, a brass button seemed to be
thinking that it was a seal, and his ribs were wax. On the other side
it was just as bad. If he turned over on his face, as if about to swim
in the soft sand, the sensation was horrible from his throat downwards;
while, if, in despair, he lay flat on his back, he felt as if a couple
of holes were being bored into his waist, working their way on slowly
till he told himself he could bear no more.
Just then Captain Strong came to the front of the bed, stepping on to
his legs, walking right up him, and sitting down upon his chest, telling
him he was a disobedient son for not going down into the hold of the
ship to dig out the stowaway with the old blue earthenware shell that
lay in the tea-caddy at home, a measure which, when filled three times,
was considered sufficient for the pot. After that Mrs Strong came and
looked at him reproachfully for feeling dissatisfied with his father's
proceedings. She told him he had no business to consider the captain
heavy, for he had often carried him when a little boy, while now it was
his duty to carry his father.
The position seemed painful and tiresome to Mark, for the captain was so
unreasonable; he kept on scolding him in a gruff voice for not getting
up to dig out the stowaway, who by some singular arrangement was deep
down in the hold below the packages of cargo, and at the same time
standing at the foot of the bed with a handkerchief tied round his head,
looking wistfully at him, as if appealing to him to come and use the
caddy-spoon, and yet the captain would not get up.
It was a terrible trouble to Mark, for his reason told him that his
father's conduct in sitting upon him was absurd and bad for his chest,
and yet all the while he felt that his father must know best.
But then there was the little brittle caddy-spoon. He wanted to think
it was correct; but his reason told him it was absurd to attempt to dig
up a man with such a pitiful tool. If his father would only have got
off his chest and reasoned with him he would not have cared; but here he
was, a big heavy man, squatted just upon the top button of his
waistcoat, his legs drawn up, his knees at his chin, and his face
staring right into Mark's.
It was no wonder that the lad felt in a perspiration, and was ready to
reproach his mother for not assisting him in what was minute by minute
growing a more painful position; but Mrs Strong did not stir; the
captain kept up in constant repetition his scolding apostrophe, and the
stowaway looked more dismal than ever.
Mark tried to change his position a little so as to get ease, for the
heels of the captain's boots were very hard, but to move was impossible,
try how he would. He wanted to speak, but the words would not come; the
oppression on his chest grew more terrible; and at last, unable to bear
it any longer, he took hold of his father's thick, short, curly whiskers
with both hands as he tried to thrust him away.
For response the captain uttered a low deep remonstrant growl, and Mark
awoke, to find himself on his back holding Bruff's coat in his hands,
and the dog protesting, for he found Mark's chest a comfortable place.
Jack had agreed with him, and the pair were cuddled up together in a
sort of knot which rolled off on to the sand as the lad threw himself
upon his side.
Mark lay panting and hot for some time, and then once more oblivion came
over him, this time with no painful nightmare full of absurdities, but a
deep heavy dreamless sleep, from which he started up in horror with that
appalling roar ringing in his ears and dying away in the distance.
This was no delusion, for Bruff was standing beside him whining and
shivering with terror, the monkey was grovelling in the sand, and all
around there were eager voices inquiring:
"What was that?"
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
HOW THE AWFUL ROAR WAS CANVASSED.
No one could tell what, or whence came the noise, but the terror it
inspired was sufficient to chase away sleep from all. Everyone had been
awakened, and the captain had at once gone to the watch, followed by
Mark, after he had been to the end of the little tent and tried to give
some comfort by telling its occupants that the noise came from some wild
beast in the jungle.
Mr Gregory and Small were on the alert. They had had a perfectly quiet
watch till just then, as they were noticing the first signs of daybreak,
when, increasing in volume and then dying away, there came this
appalling roar.
"Just the same as we heard, eh, Mark?" said the major, coming up.
"Yes, just the same."
"Well, Gregory, what do you make it?" said the captain, who had rather
doubted before.
"Don't know--some beast of the forest."
"You have heard nothing before?"
"Not a sound. Small thinks it must be a lion."
"Well, something of that kind, sir. I once heered a lion make such a
row that he nearly blew off the roof of his cage! but it wasn't quite
the same as this here, as is hollerer."
"Well," said the captain, "it can't be a lion; and as it does not seem
disposed to molest us we must be--"
He stopped short, for there was a low moan from the same direction as
that in which they had heard the cry.
"Is that something it has killed?" whispered Mark in an awe-stricken
voice.
The captain did not answer; and as all listened for a repetition of the
sounds the day began to dawn rapidly, the birds twittered and piped, and
shrieked at the edge of the jungle, while flecks of orange and scarlet
appeared high up in the sky.
Then a low murmur of admiration burst from the group as they saw a
roseate cloud upon the top of the conical mountain begin to glow and
burst into a dozen tints of purple and gold, shot with the most
effulgent hues; and then slowly there was a glowing point to be seen
just above the cloud, which circled it like a ring of
gorgeously-coloured vapour; then slowly the light descended the mountain
till from top to bottom it was aglow with purple and green and orange;
and they turned sharply, to see that the sun was just rolling up over
the smooth sea, spreading a pathway of light from the horizon to the
isle.
So glorious was the scene, as the light wreaths of mist above the purple
rolled away, that the terrible awakening from sleep was forgotten, and a
spirit of thankfulness that they had been saved from the sea to land in
such a paradise filled the breasts of all.
Beauty is beauty, but the loveliest scene is soon forgotten by a hungry
man. Rest, freedom from peril, wounds and bruises amending, and the
fact that the previous day's supply had been very short, combined to
make everybody ravenous; and the captain, though without a ship, had his
hands full.
He satisfied himself that Morgan and the sailor were better, the fever
having abated, and then gave his orders shortly.
Two men were set to make a fire, two more to cut down a cocoa-nut tree
that was of small size and yet bore several fruits.
The major and Widgeon started off along the shore with a biscuit-bag to
collect shell-fish, and at the muddy exit of a tiny stream came upon
quite a swarm of little crabs, who challenged them to fight--so Billy
afterwards said--by snapping their claws at them and flourishing them
above their heads as they retreated to their holes.
Mark and Small provided themselves with a bag of bivalves for bait and
went off to the boat to fish.
Lastly, the captain and the ladies walked to the edge of the jungle in
search of fruit, while the former shot a few birds.
The morning was delightful, and Mark and Small were soon afloat, to
Billy Widgeon's intense disgust, for it had been his full intention to
take Mark's place and form one of the fishing party.
Mark soon had a line ready, and after opening some of the shell-fish
with his knife baited a couple of hooks and waited till the boatswain
had piloted the boat to where there was an opening in the reef and the
sea was setting into the lagoon.
"Now, lookye here, my lad," said Small; "when I was a boy I used to fish
in the mill-dam at the back of our cottage, and I always found as there
was most fish where the stream set in or came out. Now that's deep
water, and I'll hold on to the bit of rock here while you chuck in; and
if you don't get a bite we'll try somewheres else."
He laid in the oar, and taking the boat-hook had no difficulty in taking
hold of the coral, which was only a couple of feet below, and Mark made
his first cast right into the running current.
It was a good throw, and he stooped down and picked up the loose rings,
to lay them out quite neatly and wind some of the superabundant line
about the little frame, when there was a whiz over the side, the line
darted out, there was a painful sensation of cutting, a jerk at the
lad's arm as if it were about to be dragged out of the socket, and--that
was all!
"Well, you hooked him," said Small grimly. "He must have been a big
un."
"Big?--a monster!" cried Mark excitedly. "He must have broken the
line."
"Haul in and bait again," said Small; and as the line was drawn in it
was found that there was no breakage, but the soft metal hook had bent
out nearly straight and torn from the fish's mouth.
"It hurt my hand horribly," said Mark as he bent the damaged hook back
into position; "but it must have hurt the fish more."
"Sarve him right, my lad!--he was on his way to kill and eat some other
fish. That's it. Chuck out again, and this time let him have it easy,
and if he's a big one give him time."
The carefully-baited hooks were thrown out again, and before the bait
had sunk a couple of feet it was once more seized.
"Sha'n't starve here, my lad!" said Small gleefully.
"Not if we can catch the fish," said Mark, whose fingers were burning
with the friction of the line. "I say, Small, is it a crocodile?"
"G'long with you! Crocodile!--no; it's not a very big one."
"But see how it pulls!" cried Mark as the fish continued its rush and
would have been off, line and all, some twenty fathoms, if it had not
been that the cord was securely fastened to the winder, which was
suddenly snatched from the bottom of the boat to fly with a rap against
the lad's knuckles.
"Don't you let him go, Mr Mark, sir!" cried Small, who was as excited
now as the lad. "Hold on! That's all our braxfusses."
"I'm going to hold on if I can," said Mark between his teeth; "but I
shall let him run if he's going to pull me out of the boat."
As he spoke the fish was tugging furiously at the line, drawing the
holder's arms out to their full stretch, and actually threatening to
jerk him over the side of the boat. Now it rushed to right, now to
left, and then made straight once more for the sea, and so full of
strength that this time Mark set his teeth, feeling sure that line,
hook, or his fingers must give way.
"You'll lose him. I know you will," cried Small, though how the
fisherman was to prevent the catastrophe now that he was at the end of
the line the boatswain did not say; and while finding fault, after the
fashion of lookers-on, it never occurred to him that he might help the
capture by letting the boat follow the fish.
Matters then had just as it were reached a climax, when, instead of the
line breaking or Mark going over the side, the strong cord, which had
been hissing here and there through the water, suddenly grew slack, and
the tension was taken off Mark's muscles and mind to give place to a
feeling of despair.
"Well, you are a fisherman, sir," growled Small, spitting a little
tobacco juice into the water in disgust. "You've lost as fine a fish as
was ever pulled out of the sea."
"How do you know?" said Mark, beginning to haul in the line slowly hand
over hand. "You didn't see it."
"See it! Why, I see it pull. It was a fine un, and badly as we wants a
bit o' fish too. There, haul in sharp and put on a fresh bait."
"It doesn't seem much use," said Mark bitterly. "My hands are quite
sore."
"You'll be obliged to let me have a try. Skipper'll come down on me if
we don't have something to show when we get back. Ah! there's a nice
fish now," he continued, as a great fellow looking like a fifty-pound
salmon sprang a full yard out of the water and fell back with a
tremendous splash.
"Why, that's him," cried Mark, "and he's on still."
"Hooray! then: get him this time, my lad," cried Small; and it was
evident now that, finding its course out to sea checked, the fish had
suddenly turned and darted back, swimming toward the boat and causing
the slackening of the line, but directly in the hauling it felt the hook
it sprang right out of the water and made a fresh rush.
But this was not so powerful a run as the first, and as Mark held on,
the fish repeated its manoeuvre and swam toward the boat.
This time Mark was able to haul in nearly half the line before the fish
made another dart, but only to be checked, and rush to and fro, forming
zigzags through the water, which it varied by a series of leaps clear
out.
"You'll lose him, my lad, you'll lose him," grumbled Small at every
bound; but the hook was fast in, and Mark instinctively gave line at
every rush till the fish grew weary, and was drawn in closer to the boat
after the wild dashes, and then, for the seventh or eighth time as it
was hauled in, and Mark was prepared for a new dart, and in dread that
this time the hook should straighten or break away, the panting creature
suddenly turned up and floated upon its side.
"Well hauled," shouted Small. "You have done it this time, my lad."
"Not caught yet!" said Mark. "How are we to get it in the boat?"
"Oh, I'll show you about that," said the boatswain, loosening his hold
of the rock, and, watching his opportunity, he gaffed the great fish
cleverly with the boat-hook by drawing it into the prize's gills, and
the next instant it lay splashing at the bottom of the boat.
"Well done us!" cried Small, as Mark stood gazing down at his prize, a
magnificent fish of over forty pounds weight, with brilliant silvery
scales double the size of those of a salmon, and all flashing in the
morning sunshine.
"What is it?" said Mark.
"Well, I don't rightly know," said Small drily. "'Taint a sole."
"Why, of course not."
"Nor it arn't a salmon, you see, cause it's got all them stickles on its
back. Some kind o' shark, I should say. Look at its teeth."
"And you've been to sea all your life, Small, and don't know a shark!"
cried Mark. "Why, I know that isn't a shark, or anything of the kind."
"Yes, because you've had books to go at all your life, my boy, while
I've been knocking about in ships. Man may learn to be a good sailor,
but he don't learn much else aboard ship afore the mast."
"Never mind," said Mark; "the question for us to settle is--Is it good
to eat?"
"Just you wait till we've cooked him over the fire," said Small, as he
extracted the hook from the fierce jaws. "I'll answer that question
then. 'Most anything's good to eat when you're half starved, my lad.
I've knowed men eat their shoes. Going to have another try?"
"Yes, I should like to get some more," said Mark; and as soon as the
captured fish was laid under the thwart he baited and threw out again.
This time he waited so long that he began to draw in the line, expecting
to find the bait gone; but long before it reached the surface it was
seized by another ravenous fish, and after a sharp fight this was also
got into the boat, proving to be something similar to the other, but
only about half the size.
"As I said before, I says it again," said Small oracularly, "we sha'n't
starve here."
Mark thought of his words as he paddled ashore--Small cleaning the fish
the while and throwing the offal overboard for ground-bait, as he said--
when he helped carry the prizes up to the fire in triumph, for there he
found that the major had returned, he and Widgeon having quite a load of
shell-fish; the men had cut down the cocoa-nut tree, and the nuts were
lying on the sand; while the captain and the ladies were back, the
former with about a dozen small cockatoos, and the latter with
handkerchiefs full of jungle fruit, a good deal of which promised to be
valuable.
A large fire of drift-wood and old cocoa-nuts and their husks was
burning, making a fierce blaze, before and partly over which the fish
were soon roasting on wooden spits, the sailors being particularly handy
in obeying orders for anything which they could provide by means of
their knives.
The shell-fish soon followed, being ranged round the glowing embers to
cook in their shells, and before long there was an odour rising that was
little short of maddening to the hungry throng, several of whom directed
envious glances at the birds which were hung up in the shade to be
prepared for the next meal.
"Well, not so very badly," said the major about half an hour after the
fish had been declared done. "I missed my cup of coffee and my dry
toast, but I never ate fresher fish; and as to the scalloped gentlemen
in their shells, captain, with one exception I never ate anything more
delicious. Whether they were oysters, clams, cockles, or mussels, I'm
sure I don't know, and what's more, I don't care. I say they were
good."
"What was the exception?" said Mrs O'Halloran, smiling, for that lady
seemed to bear everything with equanimity, and always proved herself a
campaigner's wife.
"The exception, my dear," said the major, "was that spiral gentleman
handed to me all hot by friend Mark, who took it sizzling out of the
fire with a bit of bent stick held like tongs."
"But I meant that for Miss O'Halloran, sir," said Mark, flushing.
"Then, for what reason, sir, did you try to poison my daughter?" cried
the major. "That fish, or mollusc as the naturalists would call it, was
undoubtedly something of the whelk family; and if you can only find some
of them large enough to cut up in slices, we shall have nothing to ear
as to a supply of india-rubber shoe-soles. I've had some experience of
contract beef in the army; but that is calves'-foot jelly compared to
Mark's whelk."
"I thought it would be a delicacy, sir," said Mark, whose ears were
particularly red as he saw Mary laughing.
"And I thought it was a trick," said the major; "so, after wriggling the
monster out with my penknife and trying it fairly, I gave it to Mark's
dog, and he has looked very unwell ever since."
The major's high spirits, and the calm matter-of-fact way in which his
wife and daughter bore their privations, had an influence on the rest of
the party, the captain looking less troubled, and Mr Gregory less
serious. As for the sailors, they appeared to be quite enjoying
themselves and treating the whole as a kind of picnic.
But there was plenty of work to be done, for as soon as the captain had
seen to the two wounded men, who were able to talk now feebly, but
without a trace of delirium, he began to make his plans, talking the
matters over with the major and the mate; while the men, pending
instructions, cut off all the cocoa-nut leaves to lay to dry, and
gathered plenty of fuel for the cooking fire, whose place Small decided
ought to be in a nook among some rocks, where it would be sheltered from
the wind, and the rocks would grow heated and help the roasting or
baking.
"It is gloriously fine now," the captain commenced by saying; "and one
of the first things we ought to do is to provide a kind of hut or shed
against the tremendous showers we are sure to have before long."
"My dear Strong," said the major, "I'm ready for anything, from shooting
savages to cutting down trees."
"Then take your gun," said the captain, "and shoot a few savages, only
keep yourself to the smaller inhabitants of the place, as we are not
cannibals."
"Can I have Mark for my game-bearer?" said the major; and the lad darted
a grateful look at him.
"I was going to propose that he should take a gun and go with you," said
the captain. "He can catch a fish, and the sooner he can shoot us food
the better. But be careful, my lad, and don't waste powder."
"I'll drill him," said the major; "and, by the way, would it not be as
well to hoist something in the shape of colours on the top of the
highest tree one of the men can mount?"
"I had planned that too," said the captain. "I hope our signals will
soon be seen; but we must go on as if we expected to be in this place
for years."
"That's good policy, my dear Strong," said the major; "so we'll leave
you to your work, while we two idlers see what we can find inland. Now,
Mark, guns and cartridges, and call your dog. His leg seems to be
healing fast."
"Keep a sharp look-out," whispered the captain. "That noise must be
made by some uncouth creature, so be on your guard."
"That's why I'm going to have the dog," replied the major; and, leaving
the rest all busy over some preparation for the future comfort of the
party, the ladies preparing to go fruit-seeking after attending to the
wounded men's wants, while Mary collected some large pearl-shell oysters
and the halves of the cocoa-nuts for cups and plates, the major and his
young henchman set off.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
HOW MARK AND THE MAJOR SAW SIGNS.
Bruff limped up eagerly, and sometimes put down his injured paw, which
he had been dressing after nature's fashion by licking it well, and
trotted by their side; but it was evident directly that another was to
be of the party, for before they had gone fifty yards Jack bounded up
and placed himself beside the dog.
The major hesitated for a moment.
"He won't do any harm," he said at last. "Let him come. I say, Mark,
my lad, all that was very comic about the little fellow climbing the
tree; but do you know, if you took pains I'm sure you might teach him to
go up into the leafy crowns and screw the nuts round till they dropped."
"I was wondering whether it would be possible," said Mark eagerly.
"Quite. He is an intelligent little fellow. Try. Now, then, let's
take our bearings," continued the major, and he pulled out a
pocket-compass. "Don't let's be wearied out in finding our way back
when we are tired."
"Which way are we going, sir?"
"That depends, my lad. It is not as we please, but as the jungle
allows. You talk as if you were in a country full of roads."
"I forgot," said Mark, changing the position in which he carried his
father's double gun.
"First lesson in using a gun," said the major: "either point the muzzle
at the ground or up at the sky. It's considered bad manners, Mark, to
shoot your companions."
"I--I beg your pardon, sir," faltered Mark. "It was very clumsy of me."
"Not a bit more clumsy than every young fellow is, when he first handles
a gun. That's the way. I'm sure you don't want to have to carry me
home without a head. Now, then, our easiest route would be to go along
the sands at the edge of the cocoa-nut groves; but I propose we strike
in beside the first stream or through the first valley we find. Come
along."
They followed the beautiful shore line for about five hundred yards, and
at a turn came suddenly upon a lovely little stream which offered far
better facilities for obtaining drinking water than that from which it
had been obtained, and as soon as he saw the spot, the major exclaimed
that this was the place for their temporary home.
A cocoa-nut grove, a sandy cove, plenty of nipah-palms ready for making
into thatch or wails for their hut, and an abundance of slight young
palm-trees like scaffold poles exactly suitable for making their hut or
shed.
"We must go back, Mark," said the major. "This is a find that will save
them endless trouble."
It seemed a pity to return, as the sun was growing very hot; but they
tramped back, and the captain followed when they again started, to
decide with Gregory whether it would be a better site.
"Now," said the major, leaving them to their discussion, "you shall try
and bring down the first eatable bird we see, and I'll look out for pig
or deer."
"Are you going straight inland?" asked Mark.
"No, but just as the open ground beside this stream will let us. I want
to get to the high ground and reach the slope of the volcano if we can."
It was not an easy task; for though the jungle was open here in
comparison to what it was on either hand, every step of the way was
impeded by creepers, awkward roots, patches of moss into which their
feet sank, and by the rattan-canes that draped the trees and ran in and
out and enlaced them together, as if nature were making rough attempts
to turn the edge of the forest into a verdant piece of basket-work.