At Last.
Night had settled down. The Chinamen lay under their tents and
listened to what Lihoa spoke: "So far we have avoided discord; from the
sea we have been saved, and now surely the God of the Golden Fish will
not let us perish from thirst. Within a few days it must rain;
drinking-water will come to us from the heavens. Tonight, I
understand, that the helmsman is to set sail for Australia in a small
boat, and take the boy with him. That will never do. As you know the
Captain and Redbeard are the helmsman's enemies and have conspired
against his life. He will not come back to save them--he would be a
fool if he did--but he loves the boy. Our only salvation lies in
keeping the boy here with us; in holding him as a whiplash over the
helmsman. Otherwise we are lost."
All nodded assent to Lihoa's words, but as they had no way of telling
the Captain what they wanted, they decided that when the time came for
the boat to sail they would forcibly detain Willy. Just here little
Peppo, whom they thought dead, appeared in their midst. He and one
sailor had escaped and swum across the little inlet. The cannibals had
not killed them when they did their companions for some reason or other
but had bound them with cords and left them on the shore. These cords
they had managed to unfasten, and, protected by the darkness, had got
away. While the sailor was telling his companions of his awful
experience Lihoa told Peppo what to say to the Captain, and to add
force to the words, the Chinamen in a body attended the small
interpreter on his mission. Great was the noise and excitement
following his announcement, but how could a handful of men oppose three
hundred Chinaman? Willy was ready to stay behind.
"Tommy," he said to the helmsman, "leave me here with Peppo and my
uncle. In the boat I'd only be in the way. I'll pray that you may
return soon. Good luck to you. Be brave of heart, Tommy, and may your
holy guardian angel watch over you."
Those embarking promised faithfully to come back or to send help as
soon as possible, and parted with tears in their eyes. Tommy kissed
Willy and said: "God knows that if I do not put my faith in your
guardian angel there is little hope of ever seeing you again on this
earth. Once more good-bye until we meet again. Pray for us all,
little one."
Thereupon he sprang into the boat, and they were off. The moon was
full and in its light they could be seen as they passed through the
opening in the reef. Again they called farewell and waved their
handkerchiefs. The crew raised the sail and in a few moments the stiff
breeze had carried the little boat beyond the tongue of land and out of
sight. With hearts too full for utterance the men sat and wondered
what the future would bring. If by chance the boat fell in with a
merchant vessel--not a likely thing, as few vessels frequented this
route--help might come soon, otherwise under the most favorable of
circumstances they must wait for months for Green to go to Australia
and come back.
In the crow's nest of the mast which was still standing they kept a
constant watch in the hope of sighting a vessel and signalling of their
distress. Day after day went by with no sign of help. Mercilessly the
tropical sun burned down on the dreary sandbar. Scurvy broke out. The
small amount of rations which they had, water-soaked biscuits and
salted meats, increased their thirst, and to add to their distress the
cannibals on the opposite shore mockingly showed them bunches of
luscious bananas and other tropical fruits.
"Don't look there any more, Willy," said Peppo. "Those dreadful
cannibals are only just showing us the fruit to tantalize us, and if we
go after it we shall be murdered and eaten up the way I've told you
about."
"But, Peppo, I think the thirst is just as bad as being killed,"
complained Willy, "I'd just as soon be killed as die of thirst."
"That's just what my people were saying today," answered Peppo. "Lihoa
told them that they were to be patient a little longer, that the rain
would surely come for he had seen unfailing signs. We will bear the
thirst with patience for a little time yet. You know why I want them
to hold out. I want to convert them. My poor countrymen!"
"Peppo! how came you to think of that?" said Willy, looking at his
friend with open eyes.
"I don't know. Just a little while ago when I was praying the thought
came to me, and I firmly believe that God saved me from the cannibals
for this purpose. I have been talking to Lihoa and the others about
the belief in Jesus Christ and baptism, and many of them said that if
our God would save them now in their hour of peril, they would be
baptized. The most of them are looking for help from one of their gods
who rides on a Golden Fish. They expect he will be forced to rescue
them from this miserable reef through the offerings of one of their
priests."
"A God that rides on a Golden Fish? I'd like to see him," said Willy.
"You are right about advising them to be baptized. We may all perish
here before Tommy gets back with help. And if we do, the Chinese with
the holy grace of baptism will go to heaven. If we are all saved, then
they will take back with them to Hongkong a greater treasure than all
the gold of the Goldland to the south. That would be such a fine thing
for yon, Peppo! Do you not remember what Father Somazzo said about the
saving of a soul--that one precious soul was worth more to God than all
the gold and jewels in the world. What a happy boy you will be, if you
save not one but three hundred souls? Oh, if I only understood Chinese
and could help you explain our faith!"
"You can help by offering this awful desire for water to God as a
sacrifice. Father Somazzo used to tell us to offer up many unpleasant
little things as sacrifices to God for the conversion of the heathens
and promised us our reward for so doing."
Willy did as Peppo suggested and his thirst became easier to bear.
Captain Brown who happened to be standing by and overheard this
conversation most heartily approved of the plan. Since the rescue from
the shipwreck he had been a different man. Redfox no longer held him
in his power; drinking and gambling had no attractions for him and he
turned away from "his bad angel" in disgust. His sins and frivolity he
repented most sincerely, and with tears in his eyes, he said to the
boys, "If only you and the rest can be saved I will give my life.--O
Lord, Lord, take my life as atonement for the past," he prayed aloud.
Next day Lihoa's prophecy came true. The heavens clouded over and
there came a frightful thunderstorm. The rain poured down. The
thirsty men caught it by spreading out the sails and soon the empty
casks were filled. Its coming gave relief to dire distress but brought
with it a new misery. The water soaked and rotted the sun-dried wood
of the wreck, which the Chinese had made into small huts, until fever
broke out to add to the suffering caused by scurvy. The coming of the
fever more than anything else caused the Chinese to lose their faith in
the God of the Golden Fish.
"Neither by discord, the sea, nor thirst, concerning which our lying
priest warned us, have we lost a single one of our number, but now
disease rages until our men die like flies," said Lihoa.
From this time on all of the sick were willing to be baptized--not by
the Captain but by the two boys, Willy and Peppo. The Captain became
very ill and Willy nursed him. Redfox was taken with fever, and in his
delirium would trust no one to wait upon him. Constantly he cried
"Water! water!" then would not take it when offered him. Willy gave
him a glass and he threw it at his head screaming, "Poison! poison!
The boy wants to poison me!" One morning he was gone. His companions
searched for him in vain, and finally recognized his agonizing cries
from the opposite shore where the cannibals were torturing him. In his
delirium he had swum across the narrow inlet which separated them from
their enemies; his heartrending cries told of the reception accorded
him. "Oh, if he had only repented!" cried the boys with a shudder, as
they listened.
* * * * * *
The rainy season had been over for weeks and again the water in the
casks was running short. When it was gone, what then?--Men looked
death in the face and prepared for it. Of the crew barely a dozen were
left; and of the Chinamen not more than fifty, and all of them were
suffering from scurvy. They wandered about looking more like ghosts
than human beings, and now still another danger threatened. For a long
time they had noticed that the cannibals were preparing to attack them.
"How shall we protect ourselves?" asked the Captain; "if they really do
fall upon us, we are lost. Willy go have Peppo tell his people who
have not been baptized that it is high time that they attend to the
matter, and then climb the mast to see if you can make out what the
cannibals are doing. We will sell our hides as dearly as possible."
Willy delivered the message to Peppo, and climbed the mast, which after
the destruction of the wreck had been put up on the shore as a place
from which to keep a lookout for passing vessels rather than to spy on
the neighbors opposite. The sailors were so sick and weak that none of
them could climb the mast to the crow's nest, so the task always
devolved on the two boys, who though they had eaten of the salt meat,
had not as yet been attacked with scurvy. This time instead of
watching the sea Willy gave his attention to the natives who had built
a raft and were manning it to cross the inlet and make an attack.
After reporting what he saw his uncle called to him to come down and
help baptize the Chinamen. Just then the boy glanced seaward and to
his surprise discovered a ship lying at anchor not a mile away. "Holy
guardian angel! Blessed Mother of God!" he cried in joy. "A ship! a
ship! A ship in sight! Ship--ahoy! Wait, wait, they're coming!
They're launching a small boat!" Willy was so excited that he did not
know what he was saying, as he slid down the mast and ran for the shore
followed by all his companions.
It was really true that a ship was at anchor but a short distance away
and that the needed help was at hand, for, "When need is greatest God's
help is nearest." Just as the first raft loaded with cannibals
attempted to land, a boat with Tommy Green at the helm appeared in the
opening of the coral reef and a half dozen shots sufficed to frighten
away the enemy. A moment or two later Willy was in the arms of his old
friend. It did not take long for the men who had survived the horrors
of life on the coral reef to make their way to "The South Star."
What had been Tommy Green's experiences at sea in an open boat? He
told of storms, a calm, hunger, and thirst, and how more than once he
and his companions were in utter despair, but ever to their minds in
the hour of greatest trial came the thought "Surely the guardian angels
of those two innocent boys will not desert us."
"And they have not," said Tommy, "for they have brought us to you now
when you needed us most. Is that not true, my children."
With good care and treatment the most of the sick recovered before "The
South Star" put into the harbor of Hongkong. On disembarking at
Willy's request the Captain gave each of the Chinamen a sum of gold,
which to them seemed a great fortune. Lihoa thanking the Captain for
himself and his people said, "This is not the real treasure which we
have brought home with us; our real treasure is the true religion."
Full of joy they went back to their little hamlet where they told of
their experiences and soon converted many of their people to the
Christian faith. Still greater than the rejoicing in the little hamlet
was that at the College of the Holy Saviour when the shipwrecked boys
put in their appearance. Brother Onufrio shed tears of joy and Father
Somazzo was deeply moved when told of the sufferings endured on the
coral reef. "God has done all things for the best," he said, "and His
guardian angels watched over you, my children, in your hour of greatest
need."
When the excitement attendant upon the arrival of the sufferers had
somewhat died down Tommy Green asked to be received as lay brother in
the congregation of missioners, in accordance with a solemn vow he made
on the night of the shipwreck. Captain Brown showed a desire to follow
his example, but God in His mercy took the deed for the word, calling
the repentant man to Him within a few months. The two boys continued
their studies in the College. Peppo became a missioner, and is perhaps
this very day carrying on his blessed work among his people. Willy
made law his life work and had an honorable career in his chosen
profession.