The strangeness of their position grew hourly to the crew of the
_Planet_ brig, and again and again the mate proposed plans for
extricating themselves.
"It will take time," he said, "but it would be far better than
attempting the trip in open boats. I have had it over with the
carpenter, and he thinks that we could build a small lugger--decked--of
about the size of one of the Cornish mackerel craft. What do you
gentlemen say to that?"
"I say it's a capital idea," said Oliver, and his companions endorsed
his opinion.
"So I thought," said the mate. "It will take a long time to tear up
enough of the old brig, and to get the material down to the shore, but
we shall all work with a will. I thought that we might make a hut under
the cocoa-nut trees just opposite one of the openings in the reef, and
as you agree that it's a good plan, I propose beginning at once. Then
we could sail east, west, or north, to one of the settlements."
"But what's the hurry?" said Oliver.
"Eh? Hurry? Why, we're wrecked, sir, and I want to get afloat again."
"But we don't," cried Oliver. "We could not be in a better place for
our studies, and we shall want you to let us have the men to go with us
upon expeditions and carry our collections."
"But isn't it rather too cool to sit down patiently here with our ship
wrecked?"
"I haven't found the place very cool, Mr Rimmer," said Panton, smiling.
"I didn't mean that kind of coolness," said the mate, heartily. "But it
fidgets me about my vessel. See how she's canted over. I should not be
surprised to find her some day sunk out of sight."
"But you couldn't find her if she was sunk out of sight," said Drew,
merrily.
"No, no, of course not. How you gents do catch me up."
"Look here, Mr Rimmer, don't you worry," cried Oliver. "Let the vessel
be for a bit while we collect. When we have exhausted the place we will
all join you heart and soul in any plan to get away; but, dangerous as
the island is, I don't want to leave it yet."
"Nor I," said Panton.
"Nor I," cried Drew.
"All right then, gentlemen. Then we'll stay as we are for the present,
only something must be done about fresh provisions."
"I'll start at once shooting, and we can eat all the birds I kill. I
only want the skins."
"And I daresay I can collect a good deal of fruit and some form of
vegetables that may be useful," said Drew.
"That's good, gentlemen. But first of all, I think we ought to do some
fishing."
"Good," said Panton. "Why not net one of the big pools?"
"First reason, because we have no drag-net, sir. Second, because there
are things in those pools that would tear any net to pieces and take the
men who used it as bait."
"Yes, there are crocodiles, I know."
"Yes, sir, and a kind of sea-serpent thing in plenty."
"What!" cried Panton, with a laugh.
"Oh, I don't mean sea captains' sea-serpents, sir; but fellows of five,
six, or seven feet long. There are plenty of them out in these seas,
and some are poisonous, too. No, I don't think we'll try the pools, for
did we catch any fish I'm afraid they'd be sickly and unwholesome. I
propose getting the lines and going to the shore, rowing out to one of
those patches of rock just at the opening of the reef; and trying our
luck there."
"I'm ready," said Oliver, "and we might perhaps get hold of a turtle.
We ought to slip a noose round one of the flippers if we see one again."
"That's right, sir, we will. A good turtle would be worth having now."
"When do you propose going?" asked Panton.
"To-day, if you are all willing," said the mate.
"I'm willing enough if the others are," cried Oliver, "for it will be a
treat to examine the strange tropical fish."
"What about bait?" asked Drew.
"Oh, a bit or two of salt meat will do to begin with," said the mate.
"I daresay we can catch one or two with that. Then we shall be all
right. There is no better bait than a bit of fresh fish to tempt
others."
"Plenty of shell fish, too, in the lagoon," suggested Oliver.
"Of course, I had forgotten them. An hour's time? Will that do?"
"Capitally," they cried.
"Then I'll go and see about the tackle and some bait for ourselves."
In less than the suggested time the little party, with four of the
sailors to help row and carry the provisions out, and any fish they
might catch, back to the ship, were on their way to the shore.
It was a couple of weeks since Oliver's return, and the eagerness to
ascend the mountain was as strong with him as ever; but the attempt had
been put off for the present, and in the interval plenty of collecting
had been going on, and the mate had enough to do to make things what he
called snug.
They passed a couple of pools on the way, and it was evident that they
were rapidly drying up, for the shrinking of the water was visible at
the edges, and the presence of crocodiles plain enough.
"Will not these places be very offensive when they dry and the fish
die?" said Drew, quickly.
"No, sir, the crocs won't leave any fish to die, and before long they'll
begin travelling down to the sea."
The shore was reached at last, and all eagerly laid the cocoa-nuts under
contribution, the cool, sub-acid milk being most refreshing. Then the
boat was run down over the sand by the sailors, launched, and they put
off across the calm lagoon, only pausing twice for a few of the soft
molluscs to be fished up to act as bait.
A quarter of an hour later the boat was made fast to a mass of coral
upon a bare patch of fairly level rock some fifty feet across. It was
close to an opening in the reef, where the tide came rushing in and the
water was roughened and disturbed, beside possessing the advantage for
the fisherman of going down at once quite deep, where they could throw
out their lines right into the opening.
Three of these were soon rigged up and baited by the men, Smith devoting
himself to Oliver Lane, who stood ready to throw out his lead sinker.
"Aren't you going to fish too, Mr Rammer?" he asked.
"Not if you can get any, my lad; I'm going to lash this big shark hook
on to the end of a long pole and gaff all you catch."
Oliver laughed.
"You don't expect that I'm going to catch anything big enough for you to
want a hook like that to haul it out?"
"Why not? We haven't come to catch sprats, sir. Strikes me that if the
fish bite, you'll find you get hold of some thumpers. I've fished in
these waters before, and I remember what sort of sport I had out in
Fiji. Ready?"
"Yes," said Lane, who had just covered his hook with the tough
mussel-like mollusc he had drawn out of a shell.
"Throw in just out yonder, then, right in the opening of the reef where
the waves come in."
Oliver gave his lead a swing and brought it heavily in contact with
Smith's head.
"That aren't fish, sir, that's foul," grumbled the man.
"I beg your pardon, Smith," cried Oliver, confusedly.
"My fault p'raps, sir. Try again. All right: line's laid in rings so
that it'll run out."
Oliver gave the lead another swing and loosed it with so good an aim
that it fell twenty yards away right in the swift current rushing
through the opening in the reef.
"First in," he cried. "Look sharp, you two."
"Mind, sir, quick!" cried Smith, as the line began to run out rapidly,
and the man seized the end so as to check it.
"Precious deep," said Oliver, catching at the line in turn, and in an
instant feeling a ring tighten round and cut into his wrist. "Why I've
hooked one already--a monster. Here, Smith, come and pull."
"Quick! all of you: lie down!" shouted the mate, excitedly, and he set
the example.
"What is it, what's the matter?" cried Panton.
"You're to hold me," said Oliver. "I've got hold of a whale, and it
will tug me off the rock. Help, please, it's cutting into my arm."
"Never mind the fish," cried the mate, angrily. "Don't you see? Lie
close all of you and they may pass us."
He pointed as he spoke, and the little party now saw the cause of his
excitement, for half a mile away, just coming round a point masked by a
clump of cocoa palms, was a large canoe with outrigger, upon which three
or four men were perched so as to help balance their vessel, which,
crowded with blacks, was literally racing along a short distance from
the reef, impelled by its wide-spreading matting sail.
"Friends," said Panton, excitedly.
"If we were on board our brig and at sea," said the mate, "but as a
shipwrecked party they are foes."