But the moaning of the children was very soon after dusk drowned by the
yells of the savages, who, as Ready had prognosticated, now advanced to
the night attack.
Every part of the stockade was at once assailed, and their attempts now
made were to climb into it; a few spears were occasionally thrown, but
it was evident that the object was to obtain an entrance by dint of
numbers. It was well that Ready had taken the precaution of nailing the
deal planks above the original stockade, or there is little doubt but
that the savages would have gained their object; as it was, before the
flames of the fire, which Juno had lighted by Ready's order, gave them
sufficient light, three or four savages had climbed up and had been shot
by William and Mr Seagrave, as they were on the top of the stockade.
When the fire burnt brightly, the savages outside were more easily aimed
at, and a great many fell in their attempts to get over. The attack
continued more than an hour, when at last, satisfied that they could not
succeed, the savages once more withdrew, carrying with them, as before,
their dead and wounded.
"I trust that they will now re-embark, and leave the island," said Mr
Seagrave.
"I only wish they may, sir; it is not at all impossible; but there is no
saying. I have been thinking, Mr Seagrave, that we might be able to
ascertain their movements by making a look-out. You see, sir, that
cocoa-nut tree," continued Ready, pointing to one of those to which the
palisades were fastened, "is much taller than any of the others: now, by
driving spike-nails into the trunk at about a foot apart, we might
ascend it with ease, and it would command a view of the whole bay; we
then could know what the enemy were about."
"Yes, that is very true; but will not anyone be very much exposed if he
climbs up?"
"No, sir; for you see the cocoa-nut trees are cut down clear of the
palisades to such a distance, that no savage could come at all near
without being seen by anyone on the look-out, and giving us sufficient
time to get down again before he could use his spear."
"I believe that you are right there, Ready; but at all events I would
not attempt to do it before daylight, as there may be some of them still
lurking underneath the stockade."
"Certainly there may be, sir, and therefore until daylight we will not
begin."
Mr Seagrave then went into the house; Ready desired William to lie down
and sleep for two or three hours, as he would watch. In the morning,
when Mr Seagrave came out, he would have a little sleep himself.
"I can't sleep, Ready. I'm mad with thirst," replied William.
"Yes, sir; it's very painful--I feel it myself very much, but what must
those poor children feel? I pity them most."
"I pity my mother most, Ready," replied William; "it must be agony to
her to witness their sufferings, and not be able to relieve them."
"Yes, indeed, it must be terrible, William, to a mother's feelings; but
perhaps these savages will be off to-morrow, and then we shall forget
our privations."
"I trust in God that they may, Ready, but they seem very determined."
"Yes, sir; iron is gold to them, and what will civilised men not do for
gold?"
In the meantime, Mr Seagrave had gone into the house. He found the
children still crying for water, notwithstanding the coaxing and
soothing of Mrs Seagrave, who was shedding tears as she hung over poor
little Albert. Little Caroline only drooped, and said nothing. Mr
Seagrave remained for two or three hours with his wife, assisting her in
pacifying the children, and soothing her to the utmost of his power; at
last he went out and found old Ready on the watch.
"Ready, I had rather a hundred times be attacked by these savages and
have to defend this place, than be in that house for even five minutes,
and witness the sufferings of my wife and children."
"I do not doubt it, sir," replied Ready; "but cheer up, and let us hope
for the best; I think it very probable that the savages after this
second defeat will leave the island."
"I wish I could think so, Ready; it would make me very happy; but I have
come out to take the watch, Ready. Will you not sleep for a while?"
"I will, sir, if you please, take a little sleep. Call me in two hours;
it will then be daylight, and I can go to work, and you can get some
repose yourself."
"I am too anxious to sleep; I think so, at least."
"William said he was too thirsty to sleep, sir, but, poor fellow, he is
now fast enough."
"I trust that boy will be spared, Ready."
"I hope so too; but we are all in the hands of the Almighty."
Mr Seagrave took his station on the plank, and was left to his own
reflections; that they were not of the most pleasant kind may easily be
imagined. He prayed earnestly and fervently that they might be
delivered from the danger and sufferings which threatened them, and
became calm and tranquil; prepared for the worst, if the worst was to
happen, and confidently placing himself and his family under the care of
him who orders all as he thinks best.
At daylight Ready woke up and relieved Mr Seagrave, who did not return
to the house, but lay down on the cocoa-nut boughs, where Ready had been
lying by the side of William. As soon as Ready had got out the
spike-nails and hammer, he summoned William to his assistance, and they
commenced driving them into the cocoa-nut tree, one looking out in case
of the savages approaching, while the other was at work. In less than
an hour they had gained the top of the tree close to the boughs, and had
a very commanding view of the bay, as well as inland. William, who was
driving the last dozen spikes, took a survey, and then came down to
Ready.
"I can see everything, Ready: they have pulled down the old house
altogether, and are most of them lying down outside, covered up with
their war-cloaks; some women are walking to and fro from the canoes,
which are lying on the beach where they first landed."
"They have pulled down the house to obtain the iron nails, I have no
doubt," replied Ready. "Did you see any of their dead?"
"No; I did not look about very much, but I will go up again directly. I
came down because my hands were jarred with hammering, and the hammer
was so heavy to carry. In a minute or two I shall go up light enough.
My lips are burning, Ready, and swelled; the skin is peeling off. I had
no idea that want of water would have been so dreadful. I was in hopes
of finding a cocoa-nut or two on the tree, but there was not one."
"And if you had found one, it would not have had any milk in it at this
season of the year. However, William, if the savages do not go away
to-day, something must be done. I wish now that you would go up again,
and see if they are not stirring."
William again mounted to the top of the tree, and remained up for some
minutes; when he came down, he said, "They are all up now, and swarming
like bees. I counted 260 of the men in their war-cloaks and feather
head-dresses; the women are passing to and fro from the well with water;
there is nobody at the canoes except eight or ten women, who are beating
their heads, I think, or doing something of the kind. I could not make
it out well, but they seem all doing the same thing."
"I know what they are about, William: they are cutting themselves with
knives or other sharp instruments. It is the custom of these people.
The dead are all put into the canoes, and these women are lamenting over
them; perhaps they are going away, since the dead are in the canoes, but
there is no saying."