little group sat beneath the edge of the cocoa-nut grove, satisfying
themselves with the reflected light of the men's fire, which had been
lit as a beacon to attract them home.
"I think yes, decidedly," said Morgan, who was rapidly getting better.
"So did I at first," said the major; "but I have been in Africa as well
as India, and have heard lions roar. When one of these gentlemen is
doing a bit of nightingale he roars in one direction, then in another,
now with his head up, and now with it down; and when you add to it that
he roars loud and roars soft, he seems to be quite a ventriloquist, and
you are puzzled."
"But I think the animal came nearer, my dear," said Mrs O'Halloran.
"I think so, too," said Mrs Strong.
"I'm sure it did, papa," cried Mary.
"Then I'm not," said her father. "It is impossible to tell how near a
cry from a jungle may be."
"Well," said the captain, "it is not pleasant to know that such a savage
creature is close to our camp. Something must be done."
"Seems a pity to pull up stakes and move," said the major.
"Pity!" said the captain. "Suppose we do move to the far side, we shall
still be within reach. We are fixed here, and it seems to me to be the
best spot we can find, and the farthest from the volcano. I'm afraid it
must be a case of war. Either our friend must be driven away or killed.
What do you say, major, to an expedition in search of him?"
"I'm willing," said the major.
"But the risk?" said Mrs Strong.
"More risk in waiting to be attacked than in attacking," said the
captain. "I feel that we must put this danger beyond doubt, or we shall
have everyone in the camp suffering from nervousness."
"If you would wait a few days I could be of some use," said Morgan.
"Then we will wait a few days," said the captain sharply. "It will give
you something to anticipate and help you to get well."
"I am well now," replied Morgan. "I only want strength."
The report of all was the same, that over and over again the creature
had been heard to roar savagely, and to be at times very close at hand.
Still all this did not interfere with Mark's appetite. On the whole,
though sorry that his mother and the O'Hallorans should have been
alarmed, he was rather pleased to find that he had been right in his
belief that from time to time he could hear the roaring. Maleo bird
roasted--the repast being made off those that were first shot--was
excellent; so was the acid fruit squeezed over it--fruit picked by Mrs
O'Halloran while the others cooked. Then there was a kind of oyster
which was delicious roasted in its shells. And one way and another Mark
felt that he had never before partaken of so appetising a repast,
especially as he sat sipping cocoa-nut milk when it was done.
Everyone was in good spirits, for the captain promised tea and chocolate
from the stores that were untouched by fire, and plenty of flour and
biscuit--treasures, which would make their stay on the island far more
bearable, without counting upon the many other things which the ship
would supply.
At last they separated to their couches of leaves and sand, after an
arrangement being made for an early start next day to explore the island
by a party well armed and ready to do battle with any enemy that might
present itself.
Mark's, sleeping-place was next to the major's now, the hospital being
closed, for the stowaway wanted to be along with his mates; and the
other wounded sailor sturdily declared that he was quite well now, and
walked very nimbly to the men's hut.
Mark recollected lying down, and then all was perfectly blank till he
began dreaming in the morning that his father told him that he was not
to go with the expedition; but just then the savage beast in the jungle
roared and repeated its cry in a way which suggested that he was to
come, for the creature particularly wanted him.
This woke him; but all was perfectly still, and he could not tell
whether the sound had rung upon his ears or not.
It was daylight though, and, rising, he went out, to find that Small and
Mr Morgan were taking the morning watch, while Billy Widgeon was
lighting a fire in the rock kitchen.
He was very sleepy still, and his couch coaxed; but he mastered the
sluggishness, fetched his piece of calico which did duty for a towel,
and after a careful inspection of the water, in company with Mr Morgan,
he had a good bathe, and came back to shore feeling as if filled with
new life, and ready for the expedition of the coming adventurous day.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
HOW BILLY WIDGEON WENT SOMEWHERE.
The preparations were soon made, and directly after breakfast, in spite
of Mr Morgan's desire to be of the company, the little band of half the
occupants of the isle gathered for the start. Mr Gregory was obliged
to remain and take charge of the camp, leaving the captain free to be
the head, with the major for his lieutenant, Small, Billy Widgeon, and
two other men.
Mark was to be left behind, but a piteous appeal reversed the edict,
and, armed with a gun, he took his place with the expedition folk ready
for the start.
They took a bag or two for fruit and game, a small amount of luncheon
for each, and their arms and ammunition. Thus equipped and with the
good wishes of those they left behind, the party set off for the creek
where the nipah-palms grew, and up the path followed by Mark and the
major before, but with the intention of turning off where the steam
issued from the earth, as everyone seemed to select the jungle between
that and the mountain-slope as being the spot from whence the roaring
sounds were heard.
Backed by the knowledge already gained, there was not much difficulty in
reaching the scene of the fright with the supposed serpent; and here
they paused to try the ground, which sent out puffs of steam with a loud
hiss directly it was pierced.
Billy Widgeon shook his head at it and looked at Small, who frowned,
took off his cap, and scratched his head, as if he did not approve of
the place as one for a walk.
Just then there was a capital opportunity for a shot at the great
pigeons; but shooting was forbidden until their return, the object being
to trace the strange creature if possible and see what it was like.
"It can't be a crocodile," said the major, "for there is no river up
this way except this bit of a stream; great snake I can't believe it is;
what is it, then?"
"The only way is to examine every bit of soft ground for traces of
footprints," said the captain. "Nearly every beast has its times for
going to drink; so we ought to get some inkling of what it is like at
the various springs."
They were not long in coming to one in a hollow beneath a great pile of
moss-grown rock down whose sides trickled the water to form at last a
good-sized pool of the most limpid kind; but the mossy boggy earth
around was untrodden, the water clear, and no trace to be seen of a
single footprint other than their own.
The water was delicious on that hot day in the steamy jungle, and the
band was refreshed--Mark having hard work to refrain from chasing some
gorgeous butterfly of green and gold, or with wings painted in
pearl-blue, steel, and burnished silver. At other times some lovely
kingfisher, with elongated tail, settled almost within reach. Then it
would be a green barbet, with bristle-armed beak and bright blue and
scarlet feathers to make it gay. Or again, one of the cuckoo trogons,
sitting on some twig, like a ball of feathers of bronze, golden green,
and salmon rose.
But this was not a collecting trip. Earnest investigation was the order
of the day; and after carefully taking their bearings the captain
pressed on, with their way always on the ascent and growing wilder and
more rocky.
This had its advantages as well as its disadvantages; for though the
path was from time to time one continuous climb, they were not compelled
to force their way through tangled growth, with trees bound together by
canes and creepers, as if nature were roughly weaving a stockade.
Another stream was passed rising out of a boggy patch of ground, and
here footprints were plentiful, but they were only those of birds that
had been down to drink.
Onward again, and to ascend a steep precipitous slope right before them
they had to descend into a dank, dark, gloomy-looking gorge, whose
vegetation was scarce, and yet the place seemed to grow hotter as they
went down.
A peculiar whistling sound came now from before them, and they stopped
to listen, with the day evidently growing hotter, for down in the gorge
there was not a breath of air; while as they listened the whistling grew
louder and was accompanied by another in a different key, the two
producing a curious dissonant sound for a few minutes, increasing
rapidly, and then ceased, to be followed by absolute silence, and then a
dull sound followed as if something had burst.
"Steam--a hot spring, I should say," exclaimed the captain, going
cautiously forward, parting the low growth as he went.
His progress became slower, and at the end of a minute he stopped and
stepped cautiously back.
"Not safe," he said; "my feet were sinking in. We must go farther
round."
He led the way, and they forced their way through the sickly-looking
bushes till they came all at once upon a glistening patch of
whitish-looking mud some thirty or forty yards round, and above which
the atmosphere seemed to be quivering, if it were not so much clear
steam rising in the air.
Here they found the cause of the noise, for as they approached there was
a tiny jet of steam issuing from one side near the dense growth of a
peculiar grass, and when this had been whistling for about a minute,
another jet burst out on the other side, whistling in the different key,
while in the middle of the mud-pool there was a quivering and rifting of
the surface, followed by the formation of a huge bubble, which kept on
rising up larger and larger till it was a big globe of quite two feet
high, when it suddenly burst with a peculiar sound, as if someone had
said the word _Beff_! in a low whisper.
This occurred several times before they went on, having vainly searched
the borders of the mud-pool for footmarks; and at the end of another few
hundred yards loud hissing and shrieking noises led them to another
pool, but, far from being so quiescent as that which they had left
behind, this was all in commotion. The hot shining mud was bubbling
furiously, rising in mud bladders, which were incessantly rising and
dancing all over the surface, while one in the middle, larger than the
rest, rose and burst with a loud puff.
Very little steam was visible, and though here too the edge of the pool
was examined, there was not even the footprint of a bird.
Still ascending, and with traces of the volcanic action growing more
frequent as they progressed, the mud springs were left behind, and an
opening reached so beautiful, that all stopped to rest in the shade of a
wild durian tree, whose fruit were about the size of small cricket
balls, and chancing the fall of the woody spinous husk, all sat down to
admire the beauty of the mountain rising before them, and to partake of
some of the fallen fruit.
They would not have been touched if the major had not pounced upon them,
and declared that they were a delicacy; but as soon as he opened one
with his knife, and handed it to Mark, that gentleman's nose curled, in
company with his lip, and he threw the fruit down.
"Pah! it's a bad one," he exclaimed.
"Bad! you young ignoramus!" cried the major, taking up the fallen fruit,
and beginning to pick out its seeds and custardy interior with his
knife. "You have no taste."
"But it smells so horrible!" cried Mark.
"Bah! Don't think about the smell. Taste it."
He opened another, and handed it to Mark, who, seeing that his father
was eating one, proceeded cautiously to taste the evil-smelling object,
and found in it so peculiarly grateful a flavour that he tried it again
and again, and before he knew what he was about he had finished it.
"Try another, Mark," said the major. "I learned to eat these at
Singapore, where they cultivate them, and they are twice as big, often
three times."
Mark took another, and sniffed at it, to find when he had done that
Billy Widgeon had been looking on with an air of the most profound
contempt.
"Haven't you had one, Billy?" said Mark eagerly.
"Haven't I had one, Mr Mark, sir! No, I haven't; and how people of
eddication can go and eat such things as them is more'n I can make out."
"You try one," said Mark. "They're lovely."
"Too lovely for me, Mr Mark, sir. I'm going to have a chew of
tobacco!"
Mark was so highly pleased with his experiment that he turned to Small,
who was seated staring straight before him and listening.
"Try one of these, Mr Small," he said.
Small took the fruit, smelt it, and then jerked it away.
"Don't you try to play larks on them as is older than yourself, young
gentleman," he said so sourly that Mark walked away discomfited, and the
boatswain went on listening till the sound he had heard increased in
violence, and he found that everyone was on the _qui vive_.
"It comes from over the other side of that rocky patch of hill," said
the major, pointing. "It's a waterfall, and we did not hear it before
on account of the wind."
But if it was a waterfall, and that it sounded to be, it ceased flowing
as rapidly and suddenly as it had begun, for once more all was still in
that direction, and they sat resting and gazing with mingled feelings of
awe and delight at the glorious landscape of black and brown rock and
wondrous ferny growth rising before them from beyond a little valley at
their feet right up to the summit of the mountain, about whose top the
little cloud of smoke or vapour still hung.
It was a never-to-be-forgotten scene of beauty that no one cared to
leave, but the captain soon gave the word, for he was desirous of
finding some sign of the strange creature that had caused so much alarm.
They had climbed far above the spot whence the sounds seemed to come,
but all felt that probably the beast would come down from the mountain
and make that his home; and in this belief the party once more started,
directing their course so as to go down and round the rocky eminence in
face of where they stood, and then begin to climb the mountain where it
steadily rose in one long slope to the summit.
The major was leading as they went down, and he had no sooner reached a
spot whence he could see beyond the long mass of rock than he waved his
hand for the party to come on.
Mark was the first to reach him, and as he did so it was to see a tall
column of water as big as a man's body rush down a hole, which seemed to
have been formed in the centre of a pale stony-looking basin.
"Look, my lad, look!" cried the major.
There was no occasion for him to speak, for Mark was already gazing with
a feeling of shrinking awe at another of these stony basins, in which a
quantity of clear hot water was boiling up and steaming. It rose from a
hole in the middle, quite four feet in diameter, and simmered and
bubbled and danced, and then suddenly disappeared down the hole with a
hideous gurgling, rushing sound, followed by horrible rumblings and
gurgitations in what seemed to be an enormous pipe of stone.
Once more it rushed to the surface, and then disappeared again, leaving
the opening clear of water, so that the major went to the stony bottom
of the basin, or saucer, to try whether it was slippery; and finding it
firm, he walked on to where he could gaze down the well-like hole.
He did not stop many moments, but stepped back.
"Horrid!" he said. "Right down into blackness. Come and look."
Mark hesitated for a moment, and then took the hand his father extended,
and they walked down the slope of the basin to where the opening gaped.
As they reached it there was a puff of hot vapour sent up, followed by
hollow roaring sounds, mingled with the gurgling of water. Then there
was such a furious hissing rush that they started back, and had just
stepped clear of the basin when a fount of boiling water rushed up with
terrific violence, maintaining the shape of the tube through which it
had risen to the height of a hundred feet in the air, and keeping to
that height for a minute or two, looking like a solid pillar of water.
Then the force which had ejected it seemed to be spent, and the huge
fountain descended slowly lower and lower, with several other
elevations, and finally descended below the surface with a hideous
rushing turmoil, and was gone.
They were about to advance and look down again, but there was a roar,
and the water rushed to the surface just high enough to fill the basin,
and for a portion to run gurgling over where the rim, which seemed to be
formed of a curious deposit, was broken away, and trickle down toward
the valley.
"I say, aren't it hot?" said Billy Widgeon, who had thrust in his hands
before the water ran back. "Why, you might cook in it. I say, bo'sun,
look ye here; why if it aren't just like the stuff as my old mother used
to scrape out of the tea-kettle at home."
Small stooped and broke off a scrap of the deposit, and examined it,
holding it out afterwards to Mark.
"Yes," said the major, who examined it in turn, after Mark had taken it
to him, "the man is quite right. It is a limy deposit from the boiling
water, similar to what is found in kettles and boilers. Shows that the
water is very hard, eh, captain?"
"Yes, I suppose that's it," replied Captain Strong. "But all this is
very interesting for travellers, and does not concern us. We've come to
find out our noisy friend, so let's get on. Some day, when we've
nothing to do, we may come here on a pleasure trip. To-day we must
work."
"Stop a few minutes longer, father," said Mark, as the men went to
another of the geysers a little lower down, one which had just thrown a
column of water up some forty feet, and then subsided--a column not a
third of the size of that which they had just seen.
"Very well," said the captain. "Want to see it spout again?"
"I should like to, once," said Mark; and then, moved by that energetic
spirit which is always inciting boys to do something, he ran to the
other side of the basin, where a good-sized piece of rock lay half
incrusted with the stony deposit of the hot spring. It weighed about
three-quarters of a hundredweight, but of so rounded a shape that it
could be easily moved, and Mark rolled it over and over into the basin
of the geyser while his father was pointing out something to the major
across the little valley, and just as the stone was close to the
rock-like opening the captain turned.
"I wouldn't do that, Mark," he said, as he realised his son's intention;
but his warning came too late, for the final impetus had been given, and
the stone disappeared in the hole.
Mark looked up apologetically as his father and the major came closer,
and were listening to hear what would be the result, and expecting to
note a tremendous hollow-sounding splash from far below.
What seemed to be a long time elapsed before there was any sign, and
then with a roar up came the volley of water again so instantaneously
that they had only just time to flee to the other side of the basin to
avoid a drenching, possibly a scalding, while to the surprise of all
there was a dull thud. The water descended with its furious hissing and
gurgling, rose again to the top, and then, judging from the sounds, came
up less and less distances in its vast stony pipe, and then all was
silent once more, and they were gazing at the piece of rock Mark had
thrown down, now lying in the basin about three feet from the well-like
central hole.
"That's the way to make it spurt," said the major, laughing. "The hot
water-works don't approve of stones, Master Mark."
The men were delighted with the hot springs, and after the fashion of
sailors were pretty ready at giving them names according to their
peculiarities. One was "The Grumbler;" another "The Bear-pit." A
whistling hissing spring became "The Squealer." One that gurgled
horribly, "The Bubbly Jock;" whilst others were, "The Lion's Den," from
the roaring sound; "The Trumpet Major;" and the noisiest of all, from
which a curious clattering metallic sound came up, "The Bull in the
China-shop."
All at once the investigating party were aroused by a tremendous burst
of laughter, which came from behind a clump of bushes where the men had
gathered to watch the action of one of the smaller geysers.
The captain led the way toward the spot, for the noise was very
boisterous, and as they approached it was to see the men rush away in
the height of enjoyment, laughing again, for the spout of hot water,
which seemed less steamy and hot, played up again and descended, while
as it ran back with a low bellowing roar, the men followed quickly,
evidently to watch its descent down the stony tube, just as so many boys
might at play.
But there was no play here, for the comedy of running away to avoid a
wetting with the hot water, and rushing back to look down, turned into
tragedy. Short-legged Billy Widgeon, in his eagerness to be first,
tried to take long strides like leaps, and bounded with a hop, skip, and
a jump right into the wet basin, when the men set up a wild cry as, to
the horror of all, they saw the little sailor's feet glide from under
him, his hands thrown up wildly to clutch at something to save himself,
and then he seemed to glide down the narrow well-like hole and was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
HOW THE SULPHUR CAVERN WAS FOUND.
For a few seconds every one stood still as if petrified by the horror of
the scene. Then with a hoarse cry the captain dashed to the opening,
slipped, and would also have gone down, had he not made a leap and
thrown himself headlong across to the other side.
Mark stopped short, with a horrified expression on his face, for in
those brief moments he suffered all the agony of having seen his father
disappear, but almost before the captain had regained his legs the men
uttered a warning shout, for there was the gurgling roaring below, a
vibration in the earth, and the hot fountain played again to the height
of twenty or thirty feet, descended almost as rapidly, and those on one
side of the basin, as the water descended, saw the captain on the other
side holding Billy Widgeon by the jacket, dragging him from the very
edge of the hole to some half a dozen yards away.
The next minute all were gathered round where the little sailor lay
apparently lifeless.
"Is he dead?" whispered Mark, catching at his father's arm.
"Not he," cried Small, stooping down and shaking the prostrate man.
"Billy, old chap; here, wake up, I say! How goes it?"
Billy Widgeon opened his eyes, stared, choked, spat out some water,
looked round, and shook his head to get rid of some more.
"Eh?" he said at last.
"How are you, my man?" said the captain.
Billy Widgeon stared at him, then looked all round, rubbed his eyes with
his knuckles, stared again, rose, and trotted slowly to the basin, into
which he stepped cautiously, and before he could be stopped peered down
the hole.
He came away directly thereafter shaking his head.
"It's a rum un," he said, rubbing one ear, and slowly taking off and
wringing his jacket to get rid of the water.
"You're not hurt, then?" said the captain, anxiously.
"Hurt, sir? No, I don't know as I'm hurt, sir, but I'm precious wet."
"How far did you go down?" cried Mark.
"How far did I go down?" said Billy, sulkily. "Miles!"
"Was it very hot, my man?" said the major.
"Hot! Well, if tumbling down a well like that there, and then being
shot up again like a pellet out of a pop-gun aren't getting it hot, I
should like to know what is?"
"I mean was the water very hot?" said the major, as the men, now that
there was no danger, began to grin.
"'Bout as hot as I likes it, sir; just tidy," replied Billy.
"But what did it feel like?" said Mark; "I mean falling down there."
"Oh, there warn't no time to feel, Mr Mark, sir. I went down so
quickly."
"Well, what did it seem like?" said Mark.
"Don't know, sir. I was in such a hurry," said Billy.
There was a laugh at this, in which Billy joined.
"You can't give us any description, then?" said the captain smiling.
"No, sir. I only found out one thing--I didn't seem to be wanted down
there, being in the way, as you may say, and likely to stop the pipes.
And now, Mr Small, sir, I'd take it kindly if you'd come in the wood
there with me and lend a hand while I wring all the wet I can out o' my
things, as'll make 'em dry more handy."