WHEREIN THE SERPENT ENTERS THE EDEN
During the next two or three days we leisurely explored the island.
There was much in it of interest, of course, but nothing else which
merits any particular description or has any bearing on this story. We
did not again visit the central hill, nor did we enter any other cave.
We did not even go near the treasure cave again, on the contrary we
kept to the open. There were charming groves within the walls, but we
could not bear to be shut up within the great cup. It seemed not unlike
a prison to us. Outside we could at least see the vast expanse of the
restless ocean. We chose to live near the sea on the beach which was
high above all tides and which was far removed from the charnel spots
which made a mockery of the sylvan groves within the walls. The island
was well provided with tropical fruits, many being good for food, as I
knew. We caught fish in the lagoon and turtle on the sand. We could
make a fire and cook our food. There was salt in plenty. My tailoring
and cobbling stood the test. We lacked nothing to make us comfortable,
even happy, except the means of escape. My comrade was never in better
health in her life. Roses bloomed in her cheeks again and I--I was more
than contented in her society.
We spent our days in trying to devise some means of getting across the
reef and back home again, that is when I was not idly lying at the feet
or following the footsteps of the woman I loved. I didn’t want to get
away so far as I was concerned. I didn’t care whether we ever got away.
I had wit enough not to let her see, not to let her suspect that for a
moment, however--at least I made the endeavor--and I tried to convince
her by my actions at least that my kissing her on the ship had been but
a momentary madness, but I learned later that I failed lamentably. She
says now that a baby could see that I was dying for her, and I suppose
it is true, but at least I didn’t say anything. After that outbreak in
the cave I kept silence.
As I look back upon those days I scarcely think she treated me kindly,
and yet I know not. I was at once happy and miserable--very happy in
her presence, very miserable in the thought that I was and could be
nothing to her. She played upon me as if I had been a pipe, she led
me on and she repelled me, she drew me and she drove me. I had wit,
however, to see that she was enjoying it, even if I did not; and I
was in some measure content that she should be glad. It was a fool’s
paradise in which we lived. We had no care, nothing could touch us,
nothing could hurt us--at least so we fancied. We had water in plenty
and enough to eat of pleasant variety, fruit, fish fresh caught from
the lagoon, the meat and eggs of the turtle, relieved by the edibles we
had brought from the ship, of which we still had some small store left.
The air was soft and balmy, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed. We
were young, I loved blindly, passionately; she, as I know now though I
never suspected it then, with her beautiful eyes open--that is if eyes
that love are ever open. Eden, Eden! Ah it was there!
We made frequent trips up the stairs and into the cup of the island,
we traversed as much of the wall as possible, although that was but
little because the sharp, jagged edges when we left the path would
have cut our feet to pieces. We fished, we launched the boat on the
lagoon and rowed clear around the island. I left her sometimes that she
might refresh herself in dips within the cool water, while I did the
same further away and out of sight. Like Adam and Eve we lived in that
Garden and dallied with the forbidden fruit even if we did not eat it.
Aye, and the serpent came, as of old, into that soft Pacific Paradise.
Late one afternoon we stood at the head of the stairs looking seaward.
We had come from a long ramble throughout the cup of the island and as
we stood on the top our gaze as usual instinctively turned toward the
sea, perhaps seeking for the sail of some rescuing ship. The water was
black with great formidable looking war canoes!
We could not believe our eyes at first. We stared at the water in
amazement, motionless, awe-struck, appalled. This time it was I who
came to my senses first.
“Great God!” I cried, “look yonder.”
“I see, I see,” she cried, in turn. “Who can they be?”
“Dwellers from the other islands to the westward,” I answered.
They could not see us yet fortunately but, after all, that mattered
little save as a temporary respite. Strangely enough, my lady did not
seem to be nearly so disturbed as I.
“The reef will protect us again,” she said at last, looking at me
confidently.
“Not for a moment,” I answered, “they will ride that reef in those
light canoes more easily than we did.”
“And you think--” she instantly began.
“Our lives are in God’s hands. If I know anything these will be
ferocious, bloodthirsty savages. See, they are armed.”
I pointed to one tall brown man who stood up in the bow of the nearest
canoe, flourishing a broad-bladed spear.
“We must hide,” she said.
“But where? They will search the whole island as soon as they discover
our boat and other belongings and realize that some strangers are here.
Where can we find concealment?”
“In the treasure cave, of course,” she answered promptly.
And indeed that was the most likely spot. We had brought but little
with us that afternoon. I had thrust a brace of pistols in my belt and
she herself, by my advice, always carried her two smaller ones, and
I had my sword and axe, but everything else was with the boat on the
beach under the cliff. For a moment I thought of running down there and
getting some of our things, but as I half turned to descend the stairs,
she detained me, divining my purpose.
“No, no,” she urged, clasping my arm with both hands, “we must make
shift with what we have. You could not go and come in time. Perhaps
they may not discover us, they may not understand the boat if they are
only savages. We can hide safely until they depart, it may be. Come,
let us go.”
There was sense in her remarks. It might be that after performing some
awful worship these most unwelcome visitors would return as they came.
And by keeping closely hid we might escape an encounter with them.
As ever in the emergency she gave the better counsel. Nevertheless,
I deplored more than I can say that I could not get to the arms and
other things under the cliff on the beach near the boat. They would
certainly find everything as soon as they crossed the reef and landed,
although what it would tell them and what they would do only time would
determine. But there was no help for that now. We had to make the best
of a bad situation.
We turned and ran back down the path across the wall. I had forethought
to gather a number of cocoanuts and some other fruit as we passed.
I filled my own pockets and then she made a bag out of her tunic
and carried the rest. Presently I reflected that we had no need for
such haste. There would be plenty of time for us to reach the cave
and conceal ourselves long before they landed, so we progressed more
slowly. It was almost dusk when we reached our shelter. I had uprooted
a small tree just before we started to climb the pile of stones which I
used as a lever to push down the heap in every direction as we climbed
so that it would be impossible for anyone else to enter the cave
without piling up the stones again. We passed by the stone altar and
its skeletons, crept into the inner room, flung ourselves panting upon
the sand and there we waited.
In that secret and secluded shelter I thought that we were safe for
the time being. Especially was I sure that they would make no effort
to find us at night, as the place had anciently been some sort of a
shrine and was probably held sacred still. And in the morning I did
not think that they would chance upon that particular cave out of the
many in the coral walls without a long search, unless they had proposed
coming just there for other reasons than we attributed to them. Even
if they did stumble upon our hiding place early in the hunt, which I
felt sure would be made for us as soon as they discovered evidences of
our presence on the island in the shape of the dinghy, or at least at
daybreak, it would take them some time to rebuild the pyramid of rock
against the wall again; and when they did enter the outer room they
would find it a matter of extreme difficulty to get into the inner
chamber so long as I was there. Unfortunately, we had brought no powder
and ball with us. We had no means of reloading our firearms, once they
had been discharged. I resolved to reserve the four pistols we had for
the last emergency. For other weapons I had my axe and sword, to say
nothing of the loose stones and even of the human skulls about the
altar.
I have said, I think, that the inner cave was slightly damp. The
dampness rose from a spring of water which bubbled away in some dark
corner which we had not cared to explore. We had what provisions we
had brought with us left over from our luncheon, which I had luckily
preserved instead of throwing them away, and an armful of cocoanuts and
other fruit. These, however, would last us but a short while. If they
could not come at us by force, they could easily starve us out. Also
they could, without too much trouble or danger, make themselves masters
of the outer cave. Indeed, I scarcely thought it would be wise for me
to attempt to prevent that, and in that case they could wall up the
entrance and leave us there.
It did not occur to us for a single moment that they had any knowledge
of the treasure, and that they could be after that. Not for even
the thousandth part of a second did I dream the savages were led by
Pimball, Glibby, and most of the other seamen of _The Rose of Devon_.
I did not know then, although I have since heard the whole story
from the survivors, that _The Rose of Devon_ had gone ashore in the
terrific storm I have described, there had been a battle with the
savages who sought to plunder the ship, but which was prevented at
frightful loss to the islanders who were unable to contend successfully
against the firearms with which the ship was so abundantly provided. A
means of communication between the ship and the shore had been found
subsequently, through one of the seamen who had sailed the South Seas.
The savages had been told of the treasure, of which indeed they had
some dim traditions from days gone by; they also held the cave as one
of their most sacred spots, scarcely less sacred than the great altar
on the hillock in the center of the island, for what reason I cannot
tell.
By some persuasion, I know not what, Pimball and Glibby had won them
over. Together they had organized an expedition to come and seize us
and take the treasure. _The Rose of Devon_ was not badly damaged, she
had been floated and found to be still seaworthy. The savages naturally
cared little or nothing for the gold or silver, and I divined later
that Pimball had promised to turn us over to them for such purposes as
the reader can well imagine. After tortures, we would inevitably be
killed and eaten.
I did not figure this out then, of course. If I had guessed it, I
believe I should have been so blindly furious that I should have
sallied out and attacked them at the giant stairs. Indeed, that would
have been no bad place for defense if the stairway had been but a
little narrower. Had I been alone perhaps I should have defied them
there, but I had my lady to look to and I dared take no chances. I
could not force the fighting.
We sat silent in the cave for a long time. I had not lighted the
ship’s lantern we had left there at our last visit, having no use for
it elsewhere on the island, since we went to bed at dark and rose at
dawn, for some of the light of the dying day filtered through from the
outside cave. There was nothing that we needed light for anyway. We sat
close together on the remains of one of the chests to protect us from
the damp sand. I always carried with me a flask of spirits. Not that I
am a drinking man, I left and still leave that practice to the gallants
of the day, but I have found it useful in some dire emergency, and now
as Mistress Lucy shivered in the chill, damp air, I heartened her and
strengthened her with a dram.
As it was summer and not far from the line, I had not brought the boat
cloak with us. I had not even worn my sailor’s jacket, but my mutilated
leather waistcoat was heavy and warm and I was thankful that I had it.
The pieces which I had cut from it for the soles of her little shoes
had not spoiled it for wear either, since I had been careful in their
selection. I took it off and despite her protestations slipped it on
her. In girth it was big enough to encircle her twice, which was all
the better for her comfort. I drew it around to cover her breast with
a double fold and with a length of line I had in my pocket I made it
fast. We sat close together and talked in low whispers and I thrilled
at the contact of her sweet presence in spite of our peril.
How long we talked or how long we waited I have no means of telling. It
grew dark in the cave very early and when I ventured into the outside
room after what seemed an interminable wait, I found night had fallen.
I felt pretty sure that we need apprehend no attack that night and yet
it was necessary to keep watch, so I proposed that one of us should
sleep while the other listened. Naturally she was the first to take
rest. It was too damp and cold to lie down on the sand, so I wedged
myself against one of the least rotted of the chests whose shape had
been kept intact by the pile of gold and silver bars it had contained,
and somewhat hesitatingly offered her the shelter of my arm.
“Madam,” I said, with all the formality I could muster, “you must have
sleep. You cannot lie upon this damp sand, it is bad enough to sit upon
it; but upon my shoulder and within the support of my arm you shall
have rest.”
“I trust you,” she replied, coming closer to me, “and if I am to sleep
I know that I shall be safe within your arms.”
“As my sister, had I one, or as my mother, were she alive and here,
will I support you,” said I, which was, I must admit, untrue, for I
had a great to-do to keep my arm from trembling, and I felt sure she
would hear my heart throbbing madly when she nestled close to me, her
head upon my shoulder. And she has since admitted that she did feel
the tremor and hear the throb, whereat she was most glad. But I knew
nothing of that then, nor for a long time after.
Before she closed her eyes, however, she made her evening prayer for
herself and for me, and then she made me promise that I would awaken
her when I judged it to be midnight, and upon my promise she nestled
down and went to sleep, her head upon my shoulder. Surely never had man
a more precious charge than I that night!
I sat there motionless, my bared sword at my side, listening. I could
hear nothing, no sound except her soft breathing and once in a while
the sough of the night wind through the trees outside, which penetrated
faintly into the cave, and at more infrequent intervals the cry of some
night bird came to me, but there was no sound of humanity. How long
I sat there, I know not. It was my purpose to keep awake the night
through, and I think I must have kept awake the greater part thereof,
but toward morning my head dropped back on the pile of ingots and I
fell asleep. Yet I did not relax my clasp upon the sleeping figure
lying upon my breast. It was she who awakened when the dim light began
to sift through the narrow opening into the little cave where we sat.