A BOATSWAIN’S FATE.
As a matter of course, Philip was enabled to resume his proper
habiliments as soon as he stepped on board the Reynard, Captain Seaworth
supplying him with a full outfit, and it was with no slight degree of
satisfaction that he surveyed himself in the mirror.
His long and peculiar residence on the island rendered him a valuable
adviser to Captain Seaworth, and it was decided that during such
time as he would be obliged to remain, owing to the limited means of
transportation, he was to act as a member of the board of directors.
The first labor the colonists engaged in was the repairing of the houses
which had been injured during the last siege. Then every dwelling was
fortified, as far as possible, for it was not to be supposed that such a
large body of apes, having once had possession of the settlement, would
remain very long at a respectful distance.
Philip’s advice to Captain Seaworth was that before anything was done
toward restoring the plantations to their former condition some means
be devised for ridding the island of the mischievous and vindictive
animals. To plant anew would be only to provide something for the apes
to destroy, and it was by no means safe for the male colonists to go
into the fields, leaving the cottages unprotected, since Goliah might
lead his forces to an attack at any moment; therefore if the scheme of
transforming the island into a garden was to be carried out, the first
and all-important task was the destruction or subjugation of the apes.
No one knew better than Philip how difficult would be such a task. At
the very lowest computation there were two thousand of these long-tailed
brutes against whom war must be waged, and, as has already been shown,
they were no mean antagonists. One such as Goliah would be more than a
match for three unarmed men, and the strictest orders were issued that
the colonists should only go from one point to another when in large
numbers, and with sufficient weapons to repel any onslaught which might
be made.
This order was promulgated on the afternoon of the same day the Reynard
entered the little cove, and before twelve hours had elapsed those of the
colonists who thought such a precaution foolish were fully convinced of
its wisdom.
The boatswain of the ship, whose constant boast it was that he could
overcome, single-handed, any three men who might be opposed to him,
laughed at the idea of banding together to resist an attack by monkeys,
and openly declared that he was not afraid of all the apes in the
Malay Archipelago. He even went so far as to intimate that Philip was
little less than a chicken-hearted fellow to allow himself to be made
a prisoner by such animals, and to do their bidding like a slave. In
fact, he did not hesitate to say he doubted Mr. Garland’s story very
seriously, and otherwise made so much sport of the “Munchausen Tales,” as
he called them, that many of the colonists were disposed to share in his
incredulity.
At about four o’clock in the afternoon Captain Seaworth decided to have
one of the small cannon brought from the Reynard for the better defense
of the village, and instructed the boatswain to proceed to the ship with
a sufficient number of men for mutual protection.
“I am going alone,” the old sailor said when he emerged from the
captain’s temporary dwelling, speaking to a number of his comrades with
whom he had previously been discussing the alleged facts of Philip’s
story. “I’ll make it my business to walk half-around the island just to
show how much truth there is in the yarn of this monkey-trainer, who has
been scared out of his senses by two or three tame baboons.”
Of course this would be a total disregard of the captain’s express
commands; but the boatswain flattered himself that his disobedience would
not be known save to those in whose eyes he wished to appear as a hero,
and away he started, armed only with a stout cudgel, which he declared
was enough to frighten all the apes on the island into convulsions.
Three hours later, the piece of ordnance not having arrived, Captain
Seaworth sent half a dozen colonists to the ship, and in due time they
returned with the information that the boatswain had not arrived at the
coast. The foolhardy man had been absent from the settlement sufficiently
long to have made four or five trips to the tiny harbor, and, believing
his desire to show contempt for the apes had resulted in a catastrophe,
those who heard his boasts laid the matter before the captain and Philip.
It was then too late to make any search for the unfortunate man, since
night, which comes on so suddenly in the tropics, was already close at
hand, and it would be worse than reckless to venture into the thicket
where the animals could so readily conceal themselves.
That Goliah and his forces had taken the boatswain prisoner, even if they
had not murdered him, Philip felt certain; but nothing could be done
until morning, and immediately after sunrise fifty well-armed men set
out, following as nearly as possible the supposed direction in which he
had gone.
The search was not of long duration. When the party arrived within a
hundred yards of the terminus of the road leading to the south they saw
that which caused the stoutest-hearted to draw back with a shudder.
Hanging to the lower limb of a mangrove-tree, exactly as Philip had seen
the skeleton of the mandrill suspended, was the unfortunate boatswain.
The rope for the execution of the deed had been formed from strips of
his clothing, and a party of Western lynchers could not have done the
deed more thoroughly.
From such slight evidence as could be seen among the underbrush or
foliage, it was not probable the sailor had had an opportunity to defend
himself more than a few seconds. Most likely Goliah’s forces leaped upon
him so quickly, and in such numbers, that before he could strike many
blows he was over-powered; but that he was alive when suspended from the
tree could be readily seen.
After the unfortunate man was given a Christian burial there was not one
among the colonists who questioned any detail of Philip’s story, however
improbable it may have seemed. Now that there could be no question as to
the dangers which menaced, Captain Seaworth resolved to rid the island of
the brutes, if possible; and to this end, acting under Philip’s advice,
he went to work systematically.
The buildings were left in charge of forty well-armed men, and the
strictest orders issued against the women venturing out of doors under
any pretense. Then all save a force necessary to guard the ship were set
at work cutting paths through the thicket at different angles from the
settlement, in order that there should be no opportunity of concealment
for the apes within reach of the house.
This task required no small amount of labor, and three days elapsed
before the colonists were in condition to open the battle.
During this time they had every evidence that Goliah’s forces were
watching them intently, for more than once could be heard shrill cries in
the thicket as if spies were reporting to their commander the progress
made, and on several occasions the workmen saw dark forms flitting by,
but at such a pace as to render it impossible to shoot with any accuracy
of aim.
It was on the night previous to the day set for the general attack that
the vessel from Batavia arrived with reinforcements, and then Captain
Seaworth had quite an army under his command.
Had the colonists been going forth to meet a regularly organized force
of men they could not have proceeded more carefully. The new-comers,
who were well aware of the fighting qualities of apes, were by no means
disposed to make light of the intended engagement, but at the same time
no one seemed disposed to shirk his duty.
Divided into squads of twenty, each man carrying fifty rounds of
ammunition, the detachments started from the village, marching through
the paths and down the roads, and diverging as do the spokes of a wheel
from its hub.
Philip, who commanded the party which proceeded toward the south, had
tried to induce the chimpanzees to accompany him, believing they could
give timely warning of the approach of the enemy; but these intelligent
animals were far too wise to put their precious bodies in such jeopardy.
They probably understood what the result would be in case of capture,
and all the inducements held out by their master were insufficient to
persuade them even to step over the ship’s rail.
During the first half hour after the forces began to advance, those in
the village heard no sound. Then came a few scattering shots, followed
by another time of silence, until finally the rattle of regular and
rapid firing from the road down which Philip had passed told the anxious
listeners that the battle was in progress.