THE AMERICAN CRUSOE.
The third night closed, leaving us still upon the island. Who could tell
if the vessel would be in sight by morning? Should the gale continue, it
was not improbable that she would be driven far to the leeward, and
perhaps compelled to give up the search for us entirely. Ships had not
unfrequently been in sight of the island for weeks, as we afterward
learned, and yet unable to make an anchorage, in consequence of baffling
winds and heavy gales. It might turn out to be no joke, after all, this
wild exhibition. To be Crusoes by inclination was one thing, by
compulsion another.
We were determined not to spend another night in the cave; that was out
of the question. There was not one of us who wanted to enjoy the romance
of that place again. No better alternative remained for us than to make
a bargain with Pearce, the American, for quarters in his straw cabin.
This we were the more content to do upon seeing him emerge from the
bushes with a dead kid hanging over his shoulders, which we naturally
supposed he intended for supper.
[Illustration: THE AMERICAN CRUSOE.]
At first he spoke rather gruffly for a fellow-countryman; but this we
attributed to his wild manner of life, separated from all society; nor
were we at all disposed to quarrel with him on account of his uncouth
address, when we came to consider that a man might understand but little
of politeness, and yet be a very good sort of fellow, and understand
very well how to cook a kid. We had no money, which we honestly told him
in the beginning; but we promised him, in lieu thereof, a large supply
of ham and bread from the ship. This did not seem to improve the matter
at all; indeed, we began to think he was loth to credit us, which,
however, was not the case. He said the Californians who had been there
had eaten up nearly all his stores, and had paid him little or nothing.
They had promised him a good deal, but promises were the principal
amount of what he got. If this was all, he wouldn't mind it; they were
welcome to what he had; but he didn't like folks to come and take
possession of his house as a matter of right, and get drunk in it, and
raise Old Scratch with his furniture, and then swear at him next morning
for not keepin' a better tavern. He didn't pretend to keep a tavern; it
was his own private house, and he wanted it to be private--that's what
he came here for. He had society enough at home, and a darn'd sight too
much of it. He liked to choose his own company. He was an independent
character himself, and meant to be independent in spite of all the
Californians on this side of creation. All he wished was that old Nick
had a hold of California and all the gold in it--if there was any in it,
which he didn't much believe himself. He hoped it would be sunk
tolerably deep under the sea before some of 'em got there. It was a
tolerable hard case, that a man couldn't live alone without a parcel of
fellers, that hadn't any thing to do at home, comin' all the way to Juan
Fernandez to play Scratch with his house and furniture, and turn every
thing upside down, as if it belonged to 'em, and cuss the hair off'n his
head for not makin' a bigger house, and keepin' a bar full of good
liquor, and a billiard saloon, and bowlin'-alley for the accommodation
of travelers--a tolerable hard case. He'd be squarmed ef he was a goin'
to stand it any longer.
We agreed with Crusoe that this was indeed rather a hard case, but
promised him that he would find us altogether different sort of persons.
We were first-class passengers--none of your rowdy third-class; he
understood all that; they were all first-class passengers ashore; he
wouldn't believe one of 'em on oath. Again we endeavored to compromise
the matter, so far as regarded the ham at least, of which he was
entirely incredulous, by telling him that he might come on board with
us, and then when we'd be sure not to run away without paying him.
"But what if you should carry ME away?" said he, evidently startled by
this proposition.
"Nothing--only we'd take you to California. That would be a lucky chance
for you."
"No, it wouldn't. I don't want to go there. I'm very well here."
"But there's plenty of gold in California," said we; "no doubt about it
at all. You may live here all your life, and be no better off."
"I'm well enough off," retorted Crusoe; "I only want people to let me
alone. Ever since this California business they've been troublin' me."
"You surely can't be happy here without a soul near you! Why, it's
enough to drive a man mad. It must be dreadfully dull. You can't be
happy!"
"Yes I am!" said Crusoe, peevishly; "I'm always happy when I ain't
troubled. When I'm troubled I'm mis'rable. Nothin' makes me so mis'rable
as bein' troubled."
"It makes a good many people miserable," was our reply. "We must
trouble you for a night's lodging, at all events, for we have no place
else to stay."
"I don't want you to stay nowhere else!" cried Crusoe; "that wasn't what
I meant: you mustn't get drunk--that's what I meant."
"No, we won't get drunk; we haven't any thing to get drunk on, unless
you insist upon giving us something."
"Very well, then; you can sleep in my cabin, ef you don't tear it down.
Some fellers have tried to tear it down."
We promised him that we would use every exertion to overcome any
propensity we might have in regard to tearing his house down; and,
although he still shook his head mournfully, as if he had no farther
confidence in man, he led the way toward his hut, hinting in a sort of
undergrowl that it would be greatly to our advantage not to get drunk,
or attempt to destroy his house and furniture, inasmuch as he had a
number of goatskins, which he wouldn't mind letting sober people have to
sleep on, but he'd be squarmed ef he'd lend 'em to people that cuss'd
him for not keepin' feather beds. We declared upon our words, as
gentlemen, that we had no idea whatever of sleeping on feather beds in
such a remote part of the world as this, and would be most happy to
prove to him that we were worthy of sleeping on goatskins; that we would
regard goatskins in the light of a favor, whereas if he put us upon
feather beds, we should feel disposed to look upon it rather as a
reflection upon our character as disciples of the immortal Crusoe.
Abraham and myself were wet to the skin after our adventure in the
mountains, and, having been five or six hours in that condition, we were
hungry enough to eat any thing. We therefore left the party down on the
beach, where they were trying to set fire to an old pitch-barrel as a
signal for the ship, and, under the guidance of Pearce, hurried up to
the cabin. Upon entering the low doorway, we found that there was some
promise of good cheer. There was a basket of fish in one corner, and
sundry pieces of dried meat hanging upon the walls. Our friend set to
work to skin the kid; and we, finding a sort of stone fireplace in the
middle of the floor, with a few live embers in it, sat down, and began
putting on some wood out of a neighboring pile, by which means we soon
had a comfortable fire. As soon as the steam was pretty well out of our
clothes, and the warmth struck through to our skins, we felt an
uncommonly pleasant glow all over us; and the blaze was exceedingly
cheerful. In fact, we were quite happy, in spite of the gloomy
forebodings of Pearce, who kept saying to himself all the time he was
skinning the kid, "I expect nothin' else but what they'll burn my house
down. Ef they'd only let a feller alone, and not come troublin' him, I'd
like it a good deal better than bread or ham either--'specially when
it's aboard a ship that ain't here, and never will be, I reckon. Fun's
fun; but I'll be squarmed ef I want to see my house burned down over my
head. Tain't nothin' to larf at. When I want somethin' to larf at, I kin
raise it myself without troublin' other folks. Ef a man can't live to
himself here, I'd like to know where in creation he _kin_ live. I expect
they'll be explorin' the bottom of the sea by'm-by in search of gold;
I'd go there to be to myself, ef I thought I could be to myself; but I
know they'd be arter me in less than a month. Ef I was a bettin'
character, I'd be willin' to bet five dollars they'll set fire to the
house, and burn it down afore they stop!"
Meantime Brigham and the rest of the party succeeded at length in making
a large fire on the beach as a signal for the ship, and they remained
down there some time in hopes she would send a boat ashore. But the gale
increasing, accompanied by heavy rain, they had to leave the fire, and
make a hasty retreat to the hut.