the beauties of the place were quite startling to Mark in their novelty.
Over the clear sun-spangled stream drooped the loveliest of ferns,
whose fronds were like the most delicate lace; while by way of contrast
other ferns clung to the boles of trees, that were dark-green and forked
like the horns of some huge stag; great masses and clusters, six or
seven feet long, hung here and there pendent from the old stumps.
Flowers too were in abundance, but for the most part quaintly-shaped
orchids of cream, and yellow, and brown, some among the moss, others
clinging to the mossy bark of the trees. But the greatest curiosities
of all were the pitcher-plants hanging here and there, some fully
suspended, others so large that they partly rested on the moss, forming
jungle cups capable of containing fully a pint of water, some of them
even more.
The beauties of the scene increased, in spite of each one in which they
paused seeming as if it could not be surpassed; for as they penetrated
more deeply they not only came upon flowering trees about which tiny
sun-birds, whose plumage was a blaze of burnished metallic splendour,
whirred, and buzzed, and darted, or probed the blossoms with their
beaks, but they found that the island, if island it should prove, was
inhabited by endless numbers of gorgeous butterflies.
Great pearly-looking insects, whose wings gleamed with azure
reflections, floated calmly down the glades, their wings fully eight
inches across. Others were specked and splashed with scarlet, or barred
with orange, or dashed with glistening green. Then, as if there was to
be no end to the feast of beauty for their eyes, great quick-flying
insects came darting among the sunny openings, butterflies with
elongated, narrow, and pointed wings similar to those of the sphinx
moths of our own land.
Mark could have sat down and watched the various gorgeously-coloured
beauties for hours, but theirs was a business task, and he plodded on
behind the major, both the monkey and the dog untiringly investigating
everything they saw.
But there was no trace of large animal, no sound that suggested the
neighbourhood of anything likely to be inimical, while the best test was
the fearlessness with which their two companions kept by their sides.
"Ah!" ejaculated the major at last, as a low cooing noise fell upon
their ears. "Now for something for dinner! You go first, Mark, and let
them have both barrels sharply--one after the other."
"Let what have them?"
"The pigeons. Creep on yonder softly, and you will soon come upon
them--a flock of pigeons feeding in one of the trees."
Mark went on as silently as he could, and the major kept back the two
animals and waited a minute--five minutes, ten minutes--and then softly
followed, to find the lad at the edge of a glade watching a flock of
great lavender-hued and feather-crowned pigeons, as big as fowls,
feeding in the most unconcerned manner.
The major did not hesitate for a moment, but fired at the spot where the
birds were thickest, and again as they rose with whirring and flapping
wings in a little flock.
Three went down at his first discharge, two at his second; and Mark
started as if he too had been shot.
"You here, sir?" he said.
"Yes. Why didn't you shoot?"
"I forgot to," said Mark hesitatingly; "and I was admiring them."
"Yes, admirable, my young naturalist!" said the major. "But we are sent
out here to find food for so many hungry people; and these are glorious
eating."
"Yes; I forgot," said Mark, helping to collect the birds, which were
tied by the legs and hung over the trunk of a tree, as the stream would
act as their guide on their return.
Then going on, the little rapids and falls in the tiny river showed that
they must be steadily rising, but at so slow a rate that it soon became
evident that, unless the country opened out, they would not reach the
mountain that day.
At the end of a couple of hours, though, when they paused to rest and
began refreshing themselves with some fruit similar to a large nut, but
whose interior contained a couple of kernels imbedded in custard, they
found themselves quite upon a hill, with a valley dipping down below
along which the streamlet came, and beyond these the mountain-slope
rose, so that they had a good view of the cone, with the film of cloud
still rising, but looking almost transparent in the bright sunrise.
"There ought to be pigs here," said the major; "but it does not seem as
if we shall see any. But look yonder; there's another of those
fruit-trees, with pigeons feeding beneath. Go and try now."
Mark hurried on, and threading his way among the trees took a long and
careful aim before firing; and, as might be expected, missing. But as
luck had it, the flock rose with a tremendous beating of wings and went
right over the major's head, giving him an opportunity to get a couple
of good shots, with the result that three more of the great pigeons came
crashing down.
"I think I hit one," said Mark as he came panting back, to find that the
major and Bruff between them had retrieved all three birds.
"Where is it, then?" said the major.
"The smoke got in my eyes, and I could not see whether one fell."
"Take the dog, then, and see if he can find it," said the major, smiling
to himself. But after a good search the lad came back hot and
disappointed.
"Better luck next time, my boy," said the major. "You are not the only
one who did not hit his first bird. Shooting is not so easy as fishing
in the sea."
The question now arose whether to go on further or to return. They had
obtained eight good weighty birds, and the heat was great; but Mark was
so anxious to try and make better use of his piece that the pigeons just
shot were hung up similarly to the first, and they proceeded, to find
hopeful signs of an abundance of fruit, some of which was familiar to
the major from his having encountered it in different parts of the East,
while other kinds looked promising enough for testing.
But though a sharp look-out was kept, no other opportunity for a shot
presented itself.
The reason was plain enough--they were unable to get along without
making a good deal of noise; and though the smaller birds of brilliant
plumage paid little heed, the larger, such as might have been used for
food, took flight before they got within shot, as they often knew by the
flapping and beating of their wings.
They were slowly descending one beautiful slope after carefully taking
in some landmarks so as to guide them on their return, when all at once
Mark laid his hand upon the major's arm and pointed to an opening in the
jungle about a hundred yards away.
"What is it?" said the major sharply. "Ah! that looks bad;" and he
pressed Mark back under cover.
"Savages?" whispered the lad.
"I'm afraid so. It's a bad sign and a good sign."
Mark looked at him interrogatively.
"Bad sign if they are a fierce lot like the New Guinea men; good sign if
they are peaceable fellows, for it shows that it is quite possible to
live here."
The sight which had caught Mark's attention was a thin cloud of vapour
rising slowly from among some low bushes, and it was evident that there
was a fire and some cooking operation going on.
"Better part of valour is discretion," said the major softly. "Not
going to run away, Mark--soldiers can't do that--but we must retire and
take up fresh ground, my lad, for your father expressly pointed out to
me that we were not cannibals, and that I was not to shoot the human
savage. Keep out of sight. Perhaps we had better return."
They backed away softly, the dog following, and the major whispered:
"The mystery is explained, Mark. It must have been one of those
interesting gentlemen who made that terrific row. His idea of a cooey,
I suppose."
A low growl came from Bruff just then, and they stopped short, the
silence being broken by the dick, dick of the major's gun.
They had on retiring gone a little higher up the slope so as to be more
among the trees, and the result was that they found themselves at the
top of a little ridge and at the edge of the denser growth, so that, as
they paused, they could look down into another part where the trees gave
place to low bushes and glorious ferns, the whole being a glade of
surpassing loveliness, such a spot as might very well be chosen by a
party of simple savages for their home.
The major pressed Mark down, and they cowered among the trees, for they
were evidently going right in sight of a second encampment.
"Keep the dog quiet if you can, lad," whispered the major, peering among
the trees. "Can't see their attap [see note 1] huts, but there are
plenty of fruit-trees."
"Have they seen us?" whispered Mark.
"Impossible to say. You go along first between those trees bearing to
the right. Stoop. I don't want you to get a notice to quit in the
shape of a spear."
Mark obeyed, and went on as swiftly and as silently as he could, so as
to reach the path they had made in coming, and to this end he had to
quit the denser shade and pass through a clump of foliage plants and
flowering bushes of the loveliest hues.
The way seemed easy, and the bushes were not so closely together, but
the ferns were enormous, their fronds stretching out in all directions
and having to be pressed aside.
"Never mind me," whispered the major, as Mark held an unusually large
frond aside. "Bear down more to the right and strike the stream. We
mustn't leave those pigeons."
Mark forced his way on, with the growth completely hiding him from his
companion, while the heat seemed to be more and more oppressive. It was
a dank stewing heat, very different to the scorching of the sun out in
the more open parts, and both were longing to get to a spot where they
could breathe more freely, when Mark, who was about six yards ahead,
leaped down into a little hollow to save himself from a fall, his feet
having given way as he trod upon the rotten roots of a large fern.
It was a matter of a few instants, for as the lad alighted he found that
it was upon something soft and elastic, and at the same moment there was
a disturbance among the undergrowth and a sharp angry hiss.
He bounded back with a faint cry of horror, turned, and taking rapid aim
at the spot where he had leaped fired downward.
"Quick! load again," said the major.
"A great serpent," panted Mark, obeying with nervous fingers.
"Killed him?"
"Don't know, sir," said Mark, staring down among the ferns and arums
which filled the hole.
"Must have killed him, for he does not move. Squat down. We don't want
the savages to see us. They are sure to come."
"Let's run."
"What? The gauntlet? No, thank you, my boy. We are safer here.
Hist!"
They crouched there listening for the sounds of the enemy's approach,
but all remained silent. Mark could hear his heart beating with
excitement, and he found himself wondering why it was that he, with a
serpent on one side and savages on the other, was not more alarmed.
"Keep still," whispered the major; "we must hear them directly. What's
that?"
"The dog," said Mark in the same low tone, for Bruff had softly crept to
their side, looked up in their faces, and lain down.
"Why, hallo!" exclaimed the major, "this isn't natural."
"What?"
"This dog. There can't be any savages on the way; and, what is more,
you can't have shot a serpent, or Bruff here would have been excited and
routed him out. Did you see the serpent?"
"No, sir; I didn't see it exactly, but you heard it hiss."
"But, hang it all, Mark! You didn't shoot at a hiss, did you?"
"Well, no, sir. I was horribly startled, and shot down at the soft
thing upon which I jumped."
"But if you are entrusted with a gun," said the major angrily, "you
mustn't take fright and shoot at what you hear and feel, my lad."
"Did you see the savages, sir?" said Mark in self-defence.
"Well, no, but I saw the smoke of their fire; and here, Bruff, fetch him
out, boy," he continued, breaking off his speech, and with cocked gun he
parted the twigs and fronds cautiously as he stepped down into the
hollow from which Mark had fled.
Hiss! hiss! hiss! came sharply from where the major stepped, and he in
turn bounded back to Mark's side, falling over the dog, and having some
difficulty in recovering himself.
"That's good! I like that," he cried, as, instead of helping him, Mark
covered his escape by taking a step forward, and bringing his gun to
bear on the spot whence the sounds came.
"Did--did you see it?" said Mark huskily.
"See it! No, my lad. Only that! Look!"
He pointed as he rose to a filmy vapour floating away and dissolving in
the sunshine. "You did not see that before because you fired. Don't
you see? It's steam."
"Steam!" said Mark.
"Yes. Look here. Give me your hand. I don't want to go through."
He caught Mark's hand and stepped cautiously down, keeping one foot on
sure ground, as with the other he pressed and stamped upon a spot that
was quite elastic. At every stamp there was a hiss--a sharp, angry hiss
and a puff of vapour rose from among the leaves.
"There's your serpent," he said, laughing. "No wonder you did not hit
it."
"Then that must be steam we saw over yonder, and not savages' fires."
"Right, my lad. A false alarm. We're in a volcanic land, and if we
search about I daresay we shall find hot springs somewhere."
"It can't be very safe," said Mark thoughtfully, as he watched the
little puffs of steam rise.
"Not if you jump on a soft place, for there would be no knowing where
you went. But come along, I think we've done enough for one day, so
let's find our pigeons and get back."
"Where's Jacko?" said Mark, looking round.
"Jack! Last time I saw him he was up a tree eating those sour berries
just after I shot the last pigeon. He must have stayed back to feed."
They whistled and called, while, as if comprehending it all, the dog
barked; but all was still, and in the hope of finding their hairy
companion they now pressed steadily on, passing the tree laden still
with a bright purple kind of berry, but there was no sign of Jack.
"He'll return to savage life, safe," said the major. "It is too much of
a temptation to throw in his way. Why, Mark, if I were a monkey I think
I should."
"I don't think he'd leave Bruff now," replied Mark. "They're such
friends that they wouldn't part, and I'm sure my dog wouldn't go."
He glanced down at Bruff as he spoke, and the dog barked at him, and
raised his injured paw.
"Well, we shall see," said the major, as they forced their way on.
"There's where we stopped to listen for birds," he continued, "and
there's the tree upon which I hung the pigeons."
"Where?" asked Mark.
"Yonder, straight before you. There, lad, fifty yards away."
"But I can't see any pigeons," said Mark.
"Not near enough. Let's get on, I'm growing hungry, and beginning to
think of dinner, a cigar, a good rest, and a bathe in that
delicious-looking sea. By the way, the clouds are gathering about the
top of that mountain. I hope we shall have no storm to-night. Why,
Mark, the pigeons are gone! I hung them upon that branch."
Mark turned from gazing at the clouds, which seemed to be forming about
the cone away to his right, and was obliged to confess that the pigeons
were gone.
"Savage, or some animal," said the major, peering cautiously round.
"Would it be a big bird--eagle or vulture?" said Mark. "I saw one fly
over."
"Might be," replied the major. "I'm not naturalist enough to say; and
if I was, I daren't, Mark, for what a bird will do in one country it
will not in another."
Mark stared at him.
"Well, I mean this, Mark, my lad. At home, in England, the kingfishers
sit on twigs over the streams, and dive into the water and catch fish.
Here, in the East, numbers of them sit on twigs in the forest paths and
catch beetles, so there's no knowing what a bird of prey would do in a
place like this."
Just then they were close up to the tree, and Bruff set up a joyous
barking, which was answered by the chattering of the monkey.
"Why, there's Jack!" cried Mark.
"The rascal, he has got down my pigeons!" cried the major.
Just then a puff of feathers flew up in the air, and the two travellers
stepped forward and simultaneously burst into a roar of laughter.
For there, in amongst the undergrowth, sat Jack, his hairy coat, head,
arms, and legs covered with feathers, which formed quite a nest about
him, and as they came up he chattered away loudly, and went on tearing
the lavender plumage out of one of the great pigeons which lay in his
lap, and scattering the soft down far and wide.
"Why, he must have seen the birds plucked yesterday," said the major,
wiping his eyes, so comical was the monkey's seriously intent aspect, as
he kept glancing up at them sharply, and then chattering and peering
down at the half-denuded pigeon, his little black fingers nimbly
twisting out the feathers, and his whole aspect suggestive of his being
a cook in a tremendous hurry.
"There, come along," continued the major; "pick up the birds, Mark."
Easier said than done. There were three, but two, half-picked, had to
be hunted out from the heap of feathers, and Jack objected to part with
the third, holding on to it tightly till he was pressed back with the
stock of the gun, after which the miserable half-picked birds were tied
together by the legs and hung over the barrel.
They had no difficulty in finding the rest of the morning's sport, and
this done, the first being shouldered by the major, they walked as fast
as the nature of the way would allow, back to the shore, unwillingly on
Mark's part, for there was always some brilliant bird or insect flitting
across their path and inviting inspection.
But this inclination to stay was always checked by the major, who kept
on bringing his companion back to the commonplace by uttering the one
word, "Dinner!" and this sufficed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. Attap, thatching made of the leaves of a palm--the nipah.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
HOW MARK ENCOUNTERED A SAVAGE.
"We were beginning to think you long," said the captain as they reached
the cocoa-nut grove, having found that though there were signs of palm
leaves and young trees having been cut by the mouth of the stream this
had not been selected as the site of the huts.
"We've been a long way," said the major. "Not empty-handed, you see."
"Splendid," cried the captain; "but you need not have stopped to pick
them."
"Thereby hangs a tale," said the major, laughing. "How's Morgan?"
"Much better, and sitting up. There, you see, we've not been idle."
He pointed to a large low hut formed in the cocoa-nut grove by utilising
six growing trees as corners and centre-posts, and binding to these thin
horizontal poles, freshly cut down for eaves and ridge. Others formed
gables, being fixed by the sailors with their customary deftness, thin
rattans being used as binding cords. Then other poles had been bound
together for the roof, and over these an abundant thatching of palm
leaves had been laid and laced on with rattan till there was a
water-tight roof, and in addition one end was furnished with palm-leaf
walls.
"That will keep us dry if the rain comes," said the captain, after due
praise had been awarded for the energy displayed. "But now, quick: have
a wash, and we'll dine. Every one is hungry."
Mark's eyes twinkled as he saw the preparations. Palm leaves were
spread in two places, but the food supply was the same for all; and if
they were going to feed as well during their stay on the island, they
felt that they would not have much cause to complain.
Food is so important a matter in our everyday life that, even without
being sybarites, one may pause to give an account of the savage banquet
prepared in the rock kitchen by the captain's and major's wives, aided
by Mary O'Halloran, whilst the rest were busy hunting and building.
There was another fish secured by Small, similar to the one Mark had
caught, about two dozen little roast cockatoos, and an ample supply of
baked shell-fish. These delicacies were supplemented by plenty of
cocoa-nut milk and wild fruit, some of which was delicious.
"I never had a better dinner in my life," said the major. "It has been
so good that I never once remembered our heavy fat Goura pigeons, which
I had reckoned upon having for a treat."
"I think we ought to compliment the cooks," said the captain. "Poor
Morgan quite enjoyed his fish, and Brown says he didn't know cockatoos
could taste so good."
"I think we've fallen into a kind of Eden," said Gregory pleasantly.
"If we could find some tea-trees or coffee-bushes, and a wheat-field and
windmill, we shouldn't want anything more."
"Ah!" said the captain gravely; "we should want a great deal more than
those to make up for the loss of civilisation; but let's try and do our
best under the circumstances."
"Why, we are doing it," said Mrs O'Halloran with a smile.
"True, madam; and I thank you for your brave, true womanly help, both
for the wounded and for my men."
"Thank your wife too, captain," said Mrs O'Halloran gravely.
"She does not need it, madam," said Captain Strong. "It is her duty."
That night passed quite peacefully, the watch hearing nothing of the
strange roar. The next day busy hands were at work making a second hut
for the men, every one working his best so as to be prepared for the
tropical showers, which have a habit of coming on nearly daily; but this
day broke gloriously fine, and palm leaves were cut and carried, bamboos
discovered and cut down for poles and rafters, and the men worked with
such good heart that the second hut towards afternoon began to assume
shape.
The ladies were as busy as ever, undertaking the nursing and cooking;
but Morgan relieved them of half the former by getting up to seat
himself under a shady tree and watch the progress made.
Mark and the major were told off for their former task of finding
provisions; and, nothing loth, they started in good time, choosing
another route--that is to say, they struck off to the east--going beyond
the cooking place among the rocks, meaning to see if any of the great
grey pigeons were to be found in that direction by some other pass into
the interior.
Their walk was glorious; with the beautiful lagoon on one side,
evidently crowded with fish, and the fringe of cocoa-nut trees on their
left; while from time to time, as the groves opened, they obtained
glimpses of the volcanic cone.
Bruff and Jack took it as a matter of course that they were to belong to
the foraging party, and trotted along over the sand, the one eagerly on
the search for something that he might hunt, the other with his little
restless eyes watching for fruit. But neither met with any reward.
Picking out the firm sand where the tide had gone down the hunters found
good walking, and were able to leave the encampment several miles behind
without feeling any fatigue, but the game-bags which they had this time
slung over their shoulders, remained empty, and the guns seemed to
increase in weight.
"I wish we could get right round and prove that this is an island," said
the major; "but we must not attempt it to-day. Are these cocoa-nut
palms never coming to an end?"
"Let's go through them, and try to reach the foot of the mountain," said
Mark at last. "I want to get a supply of something to eat, but I should
like to see the mountain close to."
"And go up it and peep in at the crater, eh?"
"Indeed I should, sir."
"Ah, well! we'll see about that; but work first, Mark. We must get a
load of birds or a pig."
"Think there are pigs, sir?"
"Can't say. I haven't seen a sign of one yet. If it is a part of some
great island we may find deer."
They tramped on, hoping to find a stream, but another two miles were
traversed before they came upon a rushing rivulet, gurgling down from
among piled-up masses of blackish vesicular rock, which the major at
once dubbed scoria.
"Now for a good drink," he said. "I'm thirsty;" and they both lay down
to drink from a pool of the loveliest nature, so clear was the water, so
beautiful the ferns and other growth that overhung.
But at the first mouthful both rose, spitting it out, and ready to
express their disgust.
"Why, it's bitter, and salt, and physicky as a mineral spring," said the
major.
"And it's quite hot," said Mark. "Ugh! what stuff!"
It was disappointing, for they were both suffering from thirst; but it
was evident that to penetrate the jungle from where they stood would be
next to impossible, so craggy and rocky was the ground, while, as after
struggling on for about a couple of hundred yards, they found the water
grown already so hot that it was almost too much for their hands, they
concluded that if they persevered they would find it boiling--an
interesting fact for a student of the wonders of nature, but an
unsatisfactory matter for a thirsty man.