The rush of smoke and fire passed away as rapidly as it had come, but
the slope newly made ran down to where the light of day was reflected
back from a dim mist which bore somewhat the aspect of disturbed water,
but the earth, being quiescent once more, no one displayed any desire to
make an examination of the opening, but at once gave it what the mate
called a wide berth.
"Let's get back to the boat," he said. "You must be pretty well done
up, Mr Lane."
"Well, I am stiff," said Oliver, stooping to give one leg a rub, "but I
feel refreshed now, and I was thinking--"
He stopped short and gazed back at the mountain with its glistening
cloud cap and smooth slope of ashes dotted with blocks of lava and
pumice, the latter flashing in the sunshine, and the whole having an
alluring look which was tempting in the extreme.
"What were you thinking?" said Panton; "not of climbing up again?"
"Yes, I was thinking something of the kind. It seems a shame, now we
are on the slope, not to go right up and see the crater and the view of
the whole island which we should get from there?"
The mate gave one of his ears a vexatious rub, and wrinkled up his
forehead as he turned to give Drew a comical look.
"Yes; what is it?" said that gentleman.
"Oh, nothing, sir," replied Mr Rimmer. "I was only thanking my stars
that I wasn't born to be a naturalist. For of all the unreasonable
people I ever met they're about the worst."
"Why?" said Oliver, innocently.
"Why, sir!" cried the mate; "here have you been missing all this time,
and by your own showing you've been nearly bitten by snakes and clawed
by a leopard, suffocated, swallowed up, stuck on a bit of a bridge
across a hole that goes down to the middle of the earth, and last of all
nearly scorched like a leaf in a fireplace by that puff which came at
us. And now, as soon as you have had a bite and sup, you look as if
you'd like to tackle the mountain again."
"Of course, that's what I do feel," said Oliver, laughing. "So do we
all."
"I'll be hanged if I do!" cried Mr Rimmer. "The brig isn't floating, I
know, but she stands up pretty solid, and I feel as if I shall not be
very comfortable till I'm standing upon her deck."
"But we've come on a voyage of discovery," said Panton.
"Yes, sir, that's right enough, but we seem to have begun wrong way on.
We want to discover things, and, instead, they keep discovering us.
It's just as if we'd no business here and the whole island was rising up
against us."
"But this is such an opportunity," pleaded Oliver. "We are, as I said,
on the slope of the mountain, pretty well rested, and I think I may say
that we are all eager to go up."
"No, sir, I don't think you may say that," replied the mate, grimly.
"I'm pretty tired, and I've had a very anxious time lately."
"Well, we three are anxious to try the ascent."
"Oh, yes, I'm ready," cried Panton, eagerly.
"And so am I," cried Drew; but there was a want of earnestness in his
words. "Let's start at once."
"Yes, gentlemen, back to the brig, please, and have a good rest. We're
none of us fit to-day."
"But we must ascend this mountain."
"Of course, sir, if it will let us," said the mate; "but let's come
prepared. I'm with you at any time, and I should like to do it, but
what I say is, let's go back to the brig and have a day or two's rest,
and while we're waiting make our plans and get a stock of food ready.
Then we shall want plenty of light, strong line and a bit of rope
ladder, and it would be wise to let the carpenter knock us up a light,
strong set of steps of ten or a dozen foot long, the same as the Alpine
gentlemen use. Then we could start some afternoon."
"At daybreak, some morning," cried Oliver.
"Let me finish, sir," said the mate. "Start some afternoon and carry a
spare sail and a hitcher or two in the boat. Then we could get round
the mist, land, walk as far as we like that evening, and then light up
our fire, and set up a bit of a tent. Next morning, after a good
night's rest, we could start fair, and do some work before the sun gets
hot; for the mountain will be quite warm enough without the sun. There,
gentlemen, what do you say to my plan?"
"Carried unanimously," cried Drew, and Panton and Oliver remained silent
and ready to acquiesce, for the arrangement certainly promised well.
The next minute they were on their way back down to the lower ground,
where before reaching the forest patch below they came upon the remains
of a group of what must have been well-grown trees, which had been so
calcined that though the trunks retained their shape, they were so
fragile that a kick given by one of the men brought the first down in
powder which partly rose in a cloud, the remainder forming a heap of
ashes.
This was the more curious from the fact that within twenty yards there
was a clump of vegetation evidently of greater age, growing in full
luxuriance. But the reason was soon shown by Panton, who after a few
minutes' examination pointed to a narrow, jagged rift in the earth,
running for twenty or thirty yards, and whose sides upon their peering
down showed that fire must have rushed up with such intensity that in
places the rock was covered with a thick glaze, such as is seen upon
earthenware.
"Strikes me, Tommy Smith--" said Wriggs, after he and the other men had
had their turn at examining the earth crack.
"Well, what strikes yer, and whereabouts?" replied Smith, turning to
give his companions a wink as much as to say, "Hark at him and don't
laugh."
"Hidees, Tommy," said Wriggs, "and they hits me in the head--hard."
"Well, then, matey, let 'em out again and tell us what they mean."
"Tommy, my lad, you're trying to be werry wise and to show off, but
don't do it, mate. This here aren't a place for cutting jokes and
making fun o' your messmate. What I says is--this here place aren't
safe, and the sooner we digs a canawl and takes the old _Planet_ out to
sea the better it'll be for all consarned."
"I knowed it," said Smith, oracularly. "I felt sure as something werry
wise was a coming. How many spades have we got aboard, mates?"
"Not none at all," said one of the men.
"No, not one," said Smith. "I once heard some one may as it would take
a long time to cut through Primrose Hill with a mustard spoon, and I
can't help thinking as it would take as long to make our canal."
"Now, my lads, what are you doing?" cried the mate.
"Only just taking a sniff at the hole here, sir," replied Smith, rising
from his knees.
"Well, and what can you smell--sulphur?"
"No, sir, it's more of a brimstone smell, just as if somebody had been
burning matches down below in the back kitchen, sir. Now, my lads,
forrard," he whispered, for the mate had turned and gone on after the
others.
In a very short time the mountain was forgotten in the many objects of
interest encountered at the edge of the forest, each naturalist finding,
as he afterwards owned, ample specimens connected with his own especial
branch to last him for weeks of earnest study. But at the suggestion of
the mate they pressed on, and, choosing the easiest line of route they
could find, they at last reached the shore where the boat lay upon the
coral and shell-sand high up out of reach of the tide.
She was soon launched, the party half lifting, half pushing, as they ran
on either side, and then as she floated, springing in and gliding off
over a lovely forest of coral and weed only a foot or two beneath the
boat's keel. Every spray was clearly seen, for the water was perfectly
still and limpid in the lagoon, while a mile out the sea curled over in
great billows and broke with a dull, thunderous roar upon the barrier
reef which stretched north and south as far as eye could reach, but with
a quiet space here and there which told of openings in the coral rock,
gateways so to speak leading out into the open sea.
The sun beat down with tropical force, but the gentle breeze from the
ocean rendered the heat bearable, and a feeling of combined restfulness
and pleasure came over Oliver Lane as he watched the wondrous
transparent tints of the billows as their arches glistened in the
sunshine before striking the coral reef, and breaking into foam which
flashed and sparkled like freshly-cut gems.
Turning from this he could feast his eyes upon the brilliantly scaled
fish which glided in and out amongst the branching coral and bushy weed
which formed a miniature submarine forest of pink, blue, amber, scarlet,
and golden brown. Gorgeous creatures were some of these fish when they
turned over a little on one side, displaying their armour of silver,
gold, and orange, often in vivid bands across steely blue or brilliant
green. Twice over, long, lithe sharks were seen hurrying out of their
course, each of a dingy grey, with what Wriggs called a "shovel nose,"
and curious tail with the top of the fork continued far out beyond the
lower portion.
But there was the shore to take his attention, too, and to this he
turned eagerly as the shrieking and whistling of a flock of birds met
his ear, and he saw them flying along over the far-stretching grove of
cocoa-nut palms which curved up in a curious way from the very sand
where at certain times the sea must have nearly washed their roots.
"Hold hard a moment," cried Oliver, suddenly, and the men ceased rowing,
sitting with their oars balanced, and the boat silently gliding over the
smooth surface of the water, making a tiny shoal of fish flash out into
the sunshine from where the bows cut, and look like sparks of silver.
"What is it, sir?" said the mate.
"I want to know what that noise is. Didn't you hear it, Drew?"
"Yes, I heard something which seemed to come from the trees there, but
it has stopped now."
"Men's oars in the rowlocks," said Panton.
"Oh, no. It was not that," cried Oliver. "It was just as if someone
was making a noise in a big brass tube. Ah, there it goes."
Just then from out of the grove of palms about a hundred yards to their
right came softly and regularly just such a sound as he had described.
_Phoomp, phoomp, phoomp, phoom_, soft, clear, and musical, rising and
falling in a peculiar way, as if close at hand and then distant.
"Native brass band practising," said Drew, merrily.
"Puffs of steam from some volcanic blow hole."
"Music: must be," said the mate. "There's an instrument called a
serpent. Perhaps it's one of them playing itself."
"I don't know what it is," said Oliver. "Shall we pull ashore and see?"
"No, no, not to-day," said the mate. "Let's get back."
"There's a turtle just ahead, sir," said Smith, from the bows.
"A turtle?--a dove!" cried Oliver. "Perhaps it was that."
"I meant a turtle souper, sir," said Smith, with a grin. Then to the
mate, "If you'll steer for her, sir, I'll try and catch her, she's
asleep in the sunshine."
They all looked to where the olive green hued shell of the floating
reptile could be seen, and with two of the men dipping their oars gently
to keep the boat in motion, and Mr Rimmer steering, they softly
approached, while Smith leaned over the gunwale with his sleeves rolled
up over his brawny arms ready to get hold of one of the flippers.
"Hadn't you better try a boat-hook?" said Oliver, softly.
"Too late; let him try his own way, sir," whispered the mate. "Turn it
over if you can, Smith."
The man dared not answer, but leaned out as far as he could, anchoring
himself by passing one leg under the thwart as they went on nearer and
nearer, every eye strained, lips parted, and a feeling of natural
history or cooking interest animating the different breasts.
"Got her!" cried Smith, suddenly, as he made a quick dip down and seized
one of the turtle's flippers with both hands. "Hi! one on yer. Help!"
Wriggs made a snatch at and caught the man's leg, as there was a sudden
tug and jerk, a tremendous splash, and then, as the boat rocked, Smith's
leg was dragged from its holding and he disappeared beneath the surface.
"Gone!" cried Wriggs, "and I did git tight hold on him, too."
"Pull!" shouted the mate, and as the oars dipped sharply the boat
followed a little wave of water, which ran along in front, and out of
which Smith's head suddenly appeared, and directly after his bands
grasped the gunwale of the boat.
"Where's the turtle?" cried Oliver, laughing.
"I did get a hold on her, sir," panted Smith; "but she went off like a
steamer, and dragged me underneath. Ah! there she goes," he continued,
as he looked toward where the little wave showed that the turtle was
swimming rapidly through the troubled water.
"Here, quick, in with you!" cried Oliver, excitedly, as Smith made a
jump and climbed--or rather tumbled in--over the side, and none too
soon, for the back fin of a shark suddenly appeared a few yards away,
and as the man slowly subsided into the boat there was a gleam of creamy
white in the water, and a dull thud up against the bows.
"The brute!" cried the mate, as the shark glided out of sight, and then
displayed its back fin again above water. "A warning that against
bathing."
"Yes, and a very narrow escape!" cried Panton.
"Sarves me right, sir," said Smith, standing up in the bows to wring
himself as much as he could without stripping. "Comes o' trying to make
turtle soup of t'other thing."
"Pull away, my lads," said the mate, smiling.
"If it's all the same to you, sir," said Wriggs, "mightn't us try and
ketch that Jack shark for trying to kill our mate?"
"Oh, yes! if you can do so, by all means; but not to-day. Now,
gentlemen, look just ahead. What do you say to that?"
"It's where the mist bank runs into the sea," cried Lane, excitedly; for
there, to their right, the vapour rose up among the cocoa-nut trees
which just there seemed to be half dead, while all around the boat the
clear water was in a state of ebullition, tiny globules of gas running
up from below, and breaking on the surface.
"Runs right away to the reef," cried Panton.
"Ay, sir, and perhaps far enough beyond," said the mate. "Pull hard, my
lads, and let's get through."
"The coral seems to be all dead," said Drew, "and there are no weeds."
"Not a sign of fish either," said Lane, whose face was over the side.
"Plenty of great clam shells, but they are gaping open, and the
occupants dead--ah!"
He drew his head back sharply, for he had been suddenly seized with a
catching of the breath.
"Get a sniff of it, sir?" said Smith, who was now close by.
"I breathed it, too," said Drew, "but the gas does not seem to be so
powerful here above the water."
"No," said Panton. "I could just make out a crack or two through the
coral. We're clear now."
"Yes," said the mate, looking back at the effervescing water, "and the
bottom is alive again."
He was right, for the peculiar display of animal and vegetable growth
was plain to see once more. Great sea slugs crawled about on the bottom
with gigantic starfish, and actiniae of vivid colours spread their
tentacled blossoms.
"Best way this of getting through the mist, eh, Lane?" cried Panton.
"But there is no mist over the sea," said Lane.
"No, I suppose the passage through water makes the gas invisible," said
Panton. "Isn't this somewhere near where we started, Mr Rimmer?"
"No, sir, 'bout a mile farther on. Keep a look-out and you'll see the
opening in the cocoa-nut grove, and the marks of the boat's keel upon
the sand."
They were not long in reaching the spot, and there the boat was run
right up over the soft beach in among the tall stems of the nearest
cocoanuts, and carefully made fast.
"But suppose savages come and find it?" suggested Oliver.
"Strikes me, Mr Lane," said the mate, "that we're the only savages
here. Now, gentlemen, who says a drink of cocoa-nut milk, and then
we'll make haste back to the brig."
There was ample store swinging overhead, and after a couple of tries, a
man succeeded in climbing one of the tall, spar-like trees, and shaking
down ample for their light lunch. A couple of hours later they had
traversed the wave-swept plain, and reached the brig, where they were
heartily welcomed by the portion of the crew left in charge.
"But what's the matter?" cried the mate. "You all look white about the
gills."
"Had a bit of a scare, sir," said one of the men. "All at wonst, it was
just as if the brig was an old cow a trying to get on her legs. For she
was heaved up, shook herself a bit, and then settled down again, just as
she was before."
"Not quite, my lad," said Wriggs. "Speak the truth whatever yer does.
She's got a cant to port since we went away."
He was quite right, the _Planet's_ deck was no longer level, but had a
slope, and the masts, instead of being perpendicular, slanted slightly
towards the horizon.
"Yes, Tommy Smith. Wet as you are," whispered Wriggs, solemnly, "I must
tell yer the truth, it's as they say quite dangerous to be safe."