"Goodness gracious me!" exclaimed Mrs Major Negus in accents of genuine
terror, "the world's coming to an end!" and she sank down in a heap on
the ground, close to the door of the general room, where she had been
standing uncertain whether to go out or in.
There was ample reason for the good lady's consternation, for danger
seemed staring her in the face in either direction.
On the one hand, the flood in the valley appeared approaching as if to
swallow up the hut and all its belongings; while, on the other, the
deafening noise of the water pouring down from the cliff above on to the
roof made everybody feel impelled to quit the house.
Mary Llewellyn, the stewardess, generally a quiet and retiring person,
was driven into a fit of hysterics by the concatenation of horrors that
all at once surrounded them.
As for the children, they shared the fright of their elders, Florry
clinging convulsively to Kate, who had dropped on her knees and was
praying in the corner--believing really that the last supreme moment was
at hand.
The men, too--they had been hastily called together the moment the
dangerous predicament of the roof was noticed, and had begun to knock
together a sort of wooden shield to interpose between the cliff and the
top of the house, so that the water might rim over it in the fashion of
a spout--stopped in their task with one accord, staring as if bewildered
at each other the moment the terrible black snow began to fall from the
sombre pall-like clouds which hung over the creek. This was immediately
after the cascade of water came down the cliff; and so frightened were
they, that not one of them uttered a word, nor did Mr McCarthy, who had
summoned them together, urge them on with their work. All remained
spell-bound and tongue-tied.
"It air orfull," said Mr Lathrope, drawing a deep breath, and looking
up at the sky as if to peer into its mysteries. "I guess I never seed
such a fall before--no, nor nobody else in the land of the living!"
No one answered him, however; for, at that moment, there was a strange
concussion in the air, the earth shaking beneath their feet, and they
were all thrown to the ground. At the same time, the black flakes
descended faster and faster as if to bury them, and some of the men,
imitating the example of the women, cried out in positive alarm.
Mr Meldrum was the first to recover his self-command.
"Silence!" he shouted, making his powerful voice heard above the chorus
of groans and shrieks that arose from the frightened men and screaming
women. "It's only an earthquake; and God will protect us here against
the perils of the land, the same as he did through the tempests of the
deep! Let us meet what may be in store for us with the courage of brave
men and faith of Christians!"
His words at once checked the tumult--even the stewardess and Mrs Negus
hushing down their wailing outcry to an occasional moan or faint muffled
sob, which they could not quite stifle; but the strange rocking motion
of the ground, which seemed as if they were again on shipboard,
prevented the yen from at once regaining their feet, only a few being
able to scramble up into an erect position by holding on to the supports
of the house, which fortunately stood the shock of the subterranean
commotion without giving way.
"The worst is past now," said Mr Meldrum presently, as the throbs of
the earthquake grew less and less potent and the quivering sensation,
which appeared to jingle through every nerve in their bodies, died away
into a faint rumbling in the distance, that finally disappeared a few
seconds afterwards--the whole thing not lasting longer than a minute
altogether, although it seemed more than an hour to the terror-stricken
people. "I don't think we'll have another shock."
He stood up firmly as he spoke; and those of the men who were still
lying on the ground rose too.
"But the snow, sir," said one. "What does that mean?"
"Why, look--can't you see!" replied he, drawing his hand over his face
and showing it to the speaker.
"Lor' bless us!" ejaculated the sailor. "It's only smut from the
chimbley."
"Ah! it came from a bigger chimney than we have here," said Mr Meldrum.
"There has been a volcanic eruption on the island; and what we all
thought was black snow was only the ashes thrown up from the crater, and
these have now been brought down from the higher air by the descending
ram."
"Snakes and alligators!" exclaimed Mr Lathrope, who was one of the last
to get on his long legs and when he did so appeared to touch the ground
as tenderly "as if he were a cat treading on hot eggs," as Mr McCarthy
said. "If I wurn't clean took in, and thought the outlandish thing wer
nat'ral, like the red rain I've heerd folks tell o' seeing in some parts
of the world! I guess you was startled, too, mister, and kinder frit!"
"I confess I was, at first," replied Mr Meldrum, "till I felt the
earthquake. Then I recollected about the volcano."
"Oh! the one down south, that we seed to leeward when the old ship poked
her nose on the reef?"
"The same," said the other. "It was smoking then; and we've just had
the eruption. It is pretty nearly over, I think, however, for the ashes
are not falling quite so thickly now."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Mr Lathrope. "Gin it didn't stop soon,
we'd all be transmogrified inter blacker niggers than the cook haar!"
"I ain't no nigger, massa!" interposed Snowball, feeling his dignity
insulted by the remark.
"My crickey!" ejaculated the American, emitting a shrill whistle of
astonishment at the naive assertion. "Then what, in the name of George
Washington and Abe Lincoln rolled into one, air you, sir-ree!"
"I'se a 'spectable collud genlemun," replied the darkey pompously.
"I guess you'll do," said Mr Lathrope laughing. "Jest hear that, now!
Waal, never mind, my Ethiopian serenader," he added good-humouredly.
"You're none the worse fur your colour, as fur as I ken see; and I will
say this fur you, that you're the slickest and smartest ship's cook I
ever came across from Maine to Californy; and that's saying something!"
"Tank you, massa," replied Snowball, much flattered by the compliment.
"I make you one good rabbit-pie next time I'se get rabbits."
"That's a bargain!" said Mr Lathrope; and there the incident ended.
"Rouse up there with that spout!" shouted out Mr McCarthy, who had at
once turned back to tackle the roof as soon as the alarm caused by the
earthquake had passed away. "Bedad, if you don't look pretty sharp,
there'll be no ruff to put it on, at all at all!"
"That's right!" said Mr Meldrum. "In the fear of a greater calamity, I
had forgotten the lesser danger! Do you think the roof will bear the
pressure on it?"
"Sure, sorr," replied the other. "It has borne it all this toime, and
the ould house has stood the airthquake; so, there's hopes that it'll
last out yit! It is more frightened of the flood coming up and swaping
it away I am, than that the wather'll do it any harm."
"Then we're safe, thank God!" said Mr Meldrum. "The river has not
swelled any more since I last marked it. It seems to have worn a
channel deep enough to carry off all the overflow from the valley,
without spreading further and threatening the house. I think we are out
of danger now."
"We've much to be thankful for, papa," observed Kate thoughtfully.
Frank had joined her within, after the last shock of earthquake, having
been engaged before in helping Mr McCarthy on the roof; so his prayers
had ascended to heaven along with hers, the two kneeling side by side in
silent worship and praise to Him who had watched over them.
Coming out of the house together, they had approached the spot where Mr
Meldrum was standing.
"Yes, my child, we have much to be thankful for," said he in answer to
Kate's observation. "You need not fear now, my dear," he added.
"I was not frightened, even when the earth trembled, papa."
"No!" said he inquiringly.
"No, not a bit," she answered quietly; "although, I confess, I thought
we should all be killed. I can't tell what sort of feeling seemed to
possess me; but I felt quite peaceful and happy, as if I were prepared
to die!"
"Ah!" said her father, "you had that peace which the world cannot give!
I--I--"
"I felt happy, papa," continued Kate, as if uttering her thoughts aloud,
"because I thought we would see mamma again--you, and I, and Florry."
"And didn't you think of me too, Kate; and wish me to be with you?"
asked Frank eagerly.
"Yes, you too," said she. "Don't you belong to me now?" Mr Meldrum
did not hear Frank's answer; for his attention was at that moment called
away by Ben Boltrope, who had come up to report that the roof had been
made snug, the water from the cliff now arching over it in a cascade,
and not pouring down directly on to it as it had done before, when it
fell with terrific force right upon the shingles, displacing some which
were now repaired as soon as the spout was put up.
The weather improved very much after this, the sun appearing and shining
with increasing power each day, while the snow disappeared entirely from
the valleys and lower portions of the hills. The water below, however,
did not drain off sufficiently to allow of any excursion for some days
towards the rabbit warren they had visited before, or of their going
anywhere, indeed, far from the little stretch of beach before the creek.
But, in spite of this drawback, the castaways' stock of provisions was
most unexpectedly added to, a very agreeable change of diet from penguin
fricassees being introduced, by the coming of large flocks of wild
ducks, which visited the valley a few days after they were all in danger
of being flooded out. The water evidently was the attraction, for,
previously, none of the water-fowl had ever come near the place--with
the exception of a solitary couple of teal that Mr Meldrum had noticed
flying over the creek shortly after they landed from the wreck.
The first day that they had roast duck for dinner, everybody thought
that Mr Lathrope would have said something about the unexpected treat;
but he did not, and Mrs Major Negus seemed somehow or other much vexed
at his silence in the matter.
"You generally speak a good deal about eating," said she at last
impatiently. "I wonder why you've nothing to say now!"
"Ah! marm," replied Mr Lathrope, "don't you be surprised at anything!
I'd advise you never to measure other people's corns by your own
chilblains! Because you happen to set your fancy on a thing, that's no
reason for other folks to do the same!"
"No," said she; "though I can't see the application of your remark about
chilblains, for I never had one in my life."
"Ah! that's a sort of metaphorical conundrum, which I leave you to find
out bye and bye! But, if you'd really like to know why I ain't
satisfied with having roast duck to dinner, I'll tell you; it makes me
feel kinder lonesome, it dew!"
"Why!"
"'Cause there ain't no green peas with it, marm," said Mr Lathrope,
with a melancholy smile. "I guess I'm a whale on peas, I am!"
It was now the end of September; but the month was not fated to pass
without another event happening to break the monotonous life of the
little party. On its very last day, something occurred which took them
all by surprise.
It may be remembered that when Mr Meldrum assumed the command of the
party in the place of Captain Dinks, who was still on the sick list and
recovering slowly but yet far from well, he established certain
regulations for the employment of the men.
Amongst the several duties they had to perform, in accordance with these
regulations, was the one of keeping watch, as if on guard, for a certain
stated number of hours at the foot of a short flagstaff which had been
erected on the top of a little eminence overlooking the beach in front
of the creek--a man being stationed here regularly to report anything
that might come in sight. This duty, it may be added, had been a
sinecure from the date of its institution, nothing having ever since
been seen.
On this last day of September, however, all hands were electrified by
the look-out man calling out, just about noon.
"Sail ho!"
"A sail!" cried Mr Meldrum, quite as much astonished as the rest; and
he hurried out to scan the offing. However, he could not see anything,
and thought the man must have been asleep at his post and dreaming. "Do
you know what you are saying?" he called out to the look-out. "Where
away is this sail, my man!"
"Far off on the port side of the reef, sir," answered the sailor,
speaking quite composedly.
"What do you make it?" asked the other, as he hastened to the look-out
station, which commanded a larger stretch of the coast than could be
seen from the house--Mr McCarthy and the others following after him
with anxious curiosity.
"Looks like a boat's sail, sir; but, it's so far to leeward, I can't
quite make it out yet."
"I see," said Mr Meldrum, who had now reached the man, taking his glass
from his pocket and looking in the direction pointed out. "Yes, there
is a small boat, sure enough. By Jove," he added presently, "I wouldn't
be surprised if it were the missing mutineers in the longboat turned up
at last! Look, McCarthy, and see if you don't recognise the _Nancy
Bell's_ boat by the white streak below the gunwale."
The first-mate took the telescope and gazed intently at the approaching
object for some few moments. He then turned round and stared at Mr
Meldrum.
"Be jabers, it is the longboat, sorr!" he exclaimed at length; "and
faix, sorr, I belave I can say that baste Moody lookin' out over the
gunwale, as if tellin' thim where to steer, with his long black hair and
ugly mug, and the cut across his hid which the cap'en giv him wid the
butt end of his pistol! The murtherin' villin! won't I be aven wid him
if iver he comes ashore, and pay him out--bad cess to him!"
"Are you sure," said Mr Meldrum, "that it is the long-boat?"
"As sartin as there's mud in a ditch, son--the divil a doubt of it!"