Those were exciting moments, especially for Oliver Lane, who, as he lay
there with arm outstretched, was very slowly and painfully dragged over
the coral rock toward the sea. Every one's attention was so taken up by
the great canoe, that for the moment he was forgotten, and, in spite of
his suffering, he felt that he must not yell out for help, for fear of
being heard. But just as his position was growing dangerous as well as
exciting, Smith saw his peril, and throwing out one hand, took a grip of
the line.
"Hadn't I better cut him adrift, sir?" he whispered, huskily.
"No, no, hold on fast," replied Oliver. "That's better. I'll hold, as
well."
For the help relieved his wrist from the strain that was cutting into
the flesh.
"Don't you leave go, sir," said Smith, hoarsely. "I can't hold him all
alone."
"Silence there!" said the mate. "Sound travels across the water."
"I don't see that it matters much," said Panton, softly. "They must see
us, for they're evidently coming straight for this opening into the
lagoon."
"I don't know," replied the mate. "If they are, they may be friendly,
but if they are not, we haven't so much as a gun with us, and these
mop-headed beggars are a terribly bloodthirsty lot. They think nothing
of knocking a man on the head, and eating him."
"Raw?" said Panton.
"No, no, they make a kind of stone oven, and roast him first."
"Oh, murder!" sighed Wriggs. "Just as if a man was a pig."
"Will you be silent, sir, and lie still? You too, Mr Lane, and that
man with you. What is the matter?"
"We're being dragged overboard, sir," grumbled Smith. "Got a whale, or
some'at o' that kind;" for Oliver was silent, his teeth were set, and he
had all his work to do holding on to the line.
"Don't speak and don't move more than you can help," whispered the mate.
"I want you all to lie here as if you were so much of the coral reef.
Now then, Smith, get your knife out and cut the line."
"What, and let that there critter go, sir? He's a fine 'un, maybe it's
salmon."
"Silence. Out with your knife."
"Can't, sir. If I let's go with one hand, it'll take Mr Lane out to
sea. It's all we can do to hold on."
"Mr Drew, you're nearest. Keep flat down and crawl to where you can
reach the line and cut it through."
Drew made no reply, but as he lay there flat on his face, he took out
his knife, opened it, and began to creep along the dozen yards or so
toward where Lane and Smith lay perspiring in the sunshine, now getting
a few moments' rest, now fighting hard to hold the great fish as it
tugged and dragged vigorously in its efforts to escape.
"Sims a pity, sims a pity," muttered Smith. "Better take a hold, too.
Phew! Look at that!"
For there was a tremendous whirlpool-like swirl in the disturbed water,
and a jerk that promised to dislocate their arms.
At the same moment Drew was reaching out to cut the line, but, just as
his blade touched the stout cord in front of Lane's hand, the tension
ceased.
"He's coming in shore to see who it is has got hold of the line,"
whispered Smith.
"No: gone. Broke away," said Lane, huskily, and then they lay
motionless, watching the on-coming canoe, as it rushed over the sea a
couple of hundred yards or so from where the great billows curled over
upon the coral reef. Now it would be plainly visible with the dancing
outrigger, upon which the nearly naked blacks were seated, riding up and
down as if upon a see-saw, now it would be hidden by a crest of
sparkling spray, which flew up as a larger wave than ordinary struck the
reef. The speed at which it was going was tremendous, and so clear was
the view at times that the little party on the rocks could make out the
great gummed heads of the savages, and see the water glance from the
paddles of those who steered.
Freed entirely from the strain of the fish dragging at the line, Oliver
Lane now had leisure to watch the great canoe, and he at once began to
count the number of the enemy, making them to be either thirty-nine or
forty powerful-looking blacks, several of whom had ugly-looking clubs,
while others bore spears or bows and arrows.
On they came toward the opening in the great reef; and as they
approached, the canoe was steered farther out, evidently so that she
could be headed for the passage and sail through. And as Oliver Lane
watched he began to wonder what would be his next adventure--whether the
savages would be friendly, or if they would attack the small party who
were unarmed.
They were not long in doubt, for at the speed at which the canoe sailed,
she was soon in a position for heading in, and all the time the party on
the rock lay wondering that the savages made no sign. Some of them, if
they had seen the party, would certainly have gesticulated, pointed, or
made some show of being surprised, but they sailed on just at the edge
of the troubled water, made a sweep round, and then, just as Lane felt
sure that the enemy would come rushing through the opening with the
fierce tide, and float on into the calm water of the lagoon, the mate
exclaimed,--
"It was to keep from being swept in by the rush of water. They're going
right on south."
"Hooroar!" muttered Wriggs. "I sha'n't be meat to-day."
"They wouldn't ha' touched you, Billy," whispered Smith, softly. "Too
tough."
"Think they'll turn back, Mr Rimmer?" said Oliver, after a few minutes'
relief from the mental strain.
"I'm sure they will, sir," said the mate, harshly, "if you will persist
in talking."
Smith gave his mouth a pat with his open hand, and winked at Wriggs,
while the mate went on more softly,--
"You do not consider how sound is carried over the water. There! did
you hear the creaking of their bamboo mast and the crackling of the
matting sail?"
These sounds were clear enough for a few moments, but the boom of the
breakers smothered them directly, and the party lay watching the canoe
as it glided on rapidly south till it was quite evident there was no
intention of landing, the savages shaping their course so as to pass
round the great point a mile or two distant, and as if meaning to make
for the west.
Then by degrees the long, slight vessel with its matting sail grew more
and more indistinct as it passed into the silvery haze caused by the
waves breaking upon the reef; but not until he felt perfectly certain
that they were safe, did the mate give the word for the fishing to begin
again.
"This puts another face upon our position, gentlemen," he said. "They
did not see us this time, but once they know that there is a vessel
ashore inland, they'll be after it like wasps at a plum, and we shall
have our work cut out to keep them off."
"They must come from the shore north of the volcano," said Lane. "Don't
you think so, Mr Rimmer?"
"No, sir, I don't, because I fancy that this must be an island, and if
it is, and plays up such games as we have seen, no savages would stay
upon it. But we shall see as soon as we have had our expedition."
"Which we ought to have been having to-day," said Panton, "instead of
coming fishing."
"If we had been up north to-day, those gentlemen might have seen us,"
said the mate.
"And if they had," said Drew, who was holding his hook for one of the
men to bait, "it strikes me that we should have had no more fishing."
"Well, as we have come fishing, gentlemen, let's see if we can't take
back a good bagful for the hungry lads at the brig."
"Ready for another go, Mr Lane, sir?" said Smith.
"Oh, yes, I'm ready, but we don't want such a big one this time,"
replied Oliver, and once more he threw in the lead, a fresh one, for the
great fish they had hooked had broken away, carrying with it hooks,
snooding, and all.
Three lines were soon in now, and the party of fishers waited full of
expectancy for the first bite, but for some time there was no sign.
"Haul in, sir, and let's see if the bait's all right," said Smith.
Oliver followed the suggestion, and dragged in the hook perfectly bare.
"Something's had that," he said.
"Mine's gone too," cried Panton, who had followed suit, and directly
after Drew found that his bait was also gone.
Fresh baits were put on, and they threw into the rushing water again,
watching their lines as they were swept to and fro by the coming and
retiring waves.
"Seems as if there only was one fish, Lane," said Panton, "and you've
given him such a dose of hook and lead, that he has gone for good."
The words were hardly out of the young geologist's lips, before he felt
a sharp tug.
"Here's one!" he cried, and beginning to haul in fast, he soon had a
bright silvery fish of eight or ten pounds' weight splashing and darting
about at the top of the water.
"Dinner for one," said Drew.
"Good for half a dozen, I should say," cried the mate, laughing.
"That's right, sir, don't stop to play him. Haul him in quick."
"Murder!" cried Panton. "Look at that."
For as he was drawing in the fast tiring fish level with the surface,
there was a sudden gleam of gold, silver, and green, a rush and a check,
as a long twining creature suddenly seized the fish, and quick as
lightning, wrapped itself round and round it in a knot, doubling the
weight, and adding to the resistance by lashing round and round with a
flattened tail, whose effect was like that of a screw propeller
reversed.
"Eel! Snake! Whatever is it?" came from different voices, as Panton
ceased dragging on his fish.
"Go on! Have him out," cried the mate.
"No, no, steady," said Oliver. "I think it's a sea snake, and I believe
that some of these creatures are poisonous."
"But it wouldn't bite out of water," cried Drew.
"I wouldn't chance it," said Oliver. "Shake and jerk your line, and it
may let go."
Panton followed the advice, and after a few sharp snatches he shook off
the creature, but the fish was gone as well.
"Taken the hook?" asked the mate.
"No, that's all right."
"I've got one," cried Drew, and a fresh struggle began, while Panton was
busied in rebaiting. A few moments later, a bright golden-striped fish
was at the top of the water. "Look here, this is something like. I
mean to--Oh!"
For just as he had his captive about twenty feet from where he stood, a
great wide-jawed sharkish-looking creature sprang out of the water,
describing an arc, seized Drew's fish, and was gone.
"Oh, I say," he cried, "we shall never get a dinner like this."
"Follow my example," said Oliver quietly. "I have one now, a heavy one,
too. Nothing like the first I got hold of though," he continued as he
hauled away. "But it's a fine fellow."
"Haul in as quickly as you can," said the mate. "Don't lose this one."
"Just what I am doing," said Oliver between his teeth, as he hauled away
rapidly, and soon had the head of another of the silvery fishes above
water. "Now, Smith, be ready. Eh? Well, you, Mr Rimmer, with that
hook. Now then, gaff him."
"Gaffed," said the mate, for instantaneously there was another rush in
the water, a splash, and Oliver drew out the head of his prize, the rest
having been bitten off as cleanly as a pair of scissors would go through
a sprat, just below its gills.
The young man turned a comically chagrined face to his unfortunate
companions.
"I say, this is fishing with a vengeance," cried Panton.
"Starvation sport," said the mate.
"Tommy, old lad," whispered Wriggs, "I have gone fishing as a boy, and
ketched all manner o' things, heels, gudgeons, roach and dace, and one
day I ketched a 'normous jack, as weighed almost a pound. I ketched him
with a wurrum, I did, but I never seed no fishing like this here."
"Nobody never said you did, mate," growled Smith.
"Well, we did not come here to catch fish for the big ones to eat," said
the mate. "Have another try, and you must be sharper. Look here, Mr
Lane--No, no, don't take that head off," he cried, "that will make a
splendid bait. Throw it in as it is."
Oliver nodded, threw out the hook and lead again, and saw that the bait
must have fallen into a shoal right out in the opening, for there was a
tremendous splashing instantly, a drag, and he was fast into another,
evidently much larger fish.
"Now then, bravo, haul away, my lad," cried the mate. "You must have
this one. Ah! Gone!"
"No, not yet," said Lane, who was hauling away, for a huge fish had
dashed at his captive but struck it sidewise, driving it away instead of
getting a good grip, and in a few moments the prisoner was close in, but
followed by the enemy, which made another dash, its head and shoulders
flashing out of the water, close up to the rock. Then it curved over
and showed its glittering back and half-moon shaped tail, as it plunged
down again, while Lane had his captive well out upon the rock, looking
the strangest two-headed monster imaginable, for the hook was fast in
its jaws, with the head used for a bait close up alongside, held tightly
in place by the beaten-out end of the shank of the line.
"Well done: a fifteen pounder," cried the mate, as the captive was
secured, the sailors hurriedly getting it into the biscuit bag they had
brought, for fear that it should leap from the rock back into the sea.
Five minutes after Drew hooked another fish, but it was carried off by a
pursuer and the hook was drawn in bare. Almost at the same moment
Panton struck another and then stamped about the rock in a rage, for
before he could get it to the land it was seized by a monster, there was
a tug, a snap, and hook, snood, and lead were all gone.
"We must rig up some different tackle, gentlemen," said the mate. "You
want larger hooks, with twisted wire and swivels. Got him again, Mr
Lane?"
"Yes, and--ah, there's another of those sea snake things. Yes, he has
carried it off. My word! How strong they are."
"All right, try again, sir. Use that fish's head once more."
"But it's so knocked about. Never mind: stick it on, Smith."
"Stuck on it is, sir," said the man, and it was thrown in, but some
minutes elapsed before it was taken, and then not until it was being
dragged in, when a fish seized it, was hooked fast, and another struggle
commenced, during which, as a snake dashed at it, Oliver gave the line a
snatch and baulked the creature. But, quick as lightning, it was at it
again, seized it with its teeth, and was in the act of constricting it,
when the maddened fish made a tremendous leap out of the water, dragging
the writhing snake with it, and again escaping its coils, while, as
Oliver made another snatch, he drew the two right out on to the rock,
running a few paces so as to get his captive right into the middle.
The effect was that the snake was dislodged, and a panic set in as the
creature, which was fully six feet long and thick in proportion, began
to travel about over the surface of the rock with a rapid serpentine
motion, everyone giving way till it reached the side and glided into the
water once more.
"Why didn't yer get hold of his tail, Billy?" cried Smith. "Yer might
ha' stopped it. Dessay them sort's as good eating as heels."
"I should, Tommy, only I thought you wanted to have a mate. But I never
see no fishing like this afore."
"Look here, Mr Rimmer," cried Oliver, just then, and he pointed to the
large handsome fish he had taken, showing that a half-moon shaped piece
had been bitten clean out of its back by the sea snake. "Do you think
this will be good now."
"I should not like to venture upon it," replied the mate, and, after the
bitten piece had been cut thoroughly out, the rest was utilised for
making attractive bait, with which they had more or less sport--enough
though to enable them to take back full sixty pounds of good fish to the
brig, but not until the boat had been run ashore and carefully secured
and hidden in the cocoa-nut grove.