The dreary hours crawled along, and it seemed to Carey that he was
suffering from a long-drawn weary nightmare, made up of his own pain, a
sigh or two at times from the doctor and restless movements, groans, and
threats and cursings from the beachcomber.
It was a horrible night, for the boy, in addition to his other troubles,
felt as if he were somehow to blame for the sufferings of the wretched
man below.
Lying there in agony with broken legs! It was horrible, and the boy
could not have suffered more if he had himself been the victim of the
accident.
But there were breaks in the misery of that long dark night. Bostock
was soon back, announcing that his head was two sizes larger than usual,
but that he was all the better for his supper, and ready for anything
now.
He told the watcher, too, that the black fellows ashore were still
keeping up their fire, stopping probably to eat sometimes, but at others
re-making the fire till it blazed again, and playing in the bright light
at "Here we go round the mulberry bush."
But the little incident that gave Carey the most satisfaction was that
soon after Bostock's return to his post at the skylight there was a soft
rustling, a light thud on the floor, and directly after the black
squatted down close by where the lad was seated, and, though he could
not make out his figure, he felt sure that the Australian was watching
him with the dumb patience of a dog.
"That you, Jackum?" he said, softly, and he stretched out his hand, to
find it touched the black's rough head, which seemed to press itself
into his palm.
"Iss. Jackum eat big lot. 'Top here now. Car-ee go sleep."
The boy sighed, and then there was silence till he spoke again.
"Will the black fellows come back soon?" he said, as he thought of the
idea he had had about keeping them off.
"No come back. Go sleep roun' fire. 'Top all snakum eatum."
Twice over it seemed to Carey that he lost consciousness, though he
never went fairly off to sleep, but sat there suffering terrible mental
pain and the burning sensation in his chest as if he were being seared
with a hot iron.
The night seemed as if it would never come to an end. Mallam had begun
muttering hoarse threats again, and at last startled all into
preparation for action by firing three times, each shot striking some
place on the upper part of the staircase, and once shivering some glass.
Then he became quiet again, and it seemed directly after that Bostock
said:
"The blacks' fire's out, sir, and the stars are beginning to get
whitish. Be sunrise in less than an hour. I'll go and light our fire
now, and as soon as the kettle boils I'll make you a cup of tea."
"Thank you, Bob," said Carey, huskily. "I shall be glad of that."
It seemed a long time to one suffering from a parched throat, and the
pale light of dawn was beginning to steal in through the broken opening
and the cabin ports, when there was the click of a teacup on the deck,
and Jackum said softly:
"Cookey make billy boil. Car-ee tea."
_Crash_!
Down went the tray with the refreshing cup on the deck, and Bostock
thrust his head through the broken light.
"Master Carey, sir, ahoy! Three cheers, and another for luck. If ever
there was a sight for sore eyes it's now. Sail ho, sir, not three mile
out, lying just beyond the reef. A small steamer, dear lad, as must ha'
seen the fire last night."
"Help at last!" panted Carey.
"Ay, my lad, they've kept their fires banked up, and the smoke's pouring
out of her funnel and hanging to leeward like a flag."
"Iss. Ship come," said Jackum, who had bounded up and inspected the
vessel. "Jackum fess all aboy. Car-ee going fight him?"
"No, no," cried the boy; "they must be friends," and, utterly worn out
now, he broke down and hid his face.
"Don't do that, dear lad," whispered Bostock. "Keep it up a bit longer,
for I must leave you now. Jackum and I must go off in the whale-boat
and pilot them inside. Can't you keep it up just an hour more?" and the
old sailor's voice shook as he spoke.
"Yes," said Carey, as his teeth grated together. "Go on."
"Right, my lad. I don't think there's anything to fear, but take my
gun, and if that old ruffian does rouse up and crawl to the saloon
door--'tarn't likely, or he'd ha' been here before, but I says it, my
lad, because it would be your dooty, and you must--shoot, sir; shoot
him. He aren't a human man, only a something in a man's shape; a
murderer, that's what he is, and you must shoot him as if he was a wild
beast. Now, Jackum, give him the gun, and come with me."
The black obeyed with alacrity, and a few minutes later Carey heard the
faint plash of oars, and sat there in the utter silence, watching the
doctor's pallid thin features, as he still slept deeply, and listening
for the sounds from below which did not come.
It must have been close upon two hours before that silence was broken by
the sound of voices, the grating of a boat against the steamer's side,
and the trampling of feet on deck.
"Jackum backum," cried the black, as he dropped down, with his face
shining with excitement.
"Ahoy there!" cried Bostock. "How goes it, my lad? Here we are.
Boat's crew well armed, and we're going to have Old King Cole out before
many more minutes are gone."
"Take care," cried Carey, excitedly. "Think of the danger. What are
you going to do?"
"Roosh him, sir, somehow or another," cried the old sailor, "and I'm
a-going first."
"What! He will shoot you."
"Let him try," cried Bostock, grimly. "I aren't forgot what he did to
me with one of the nigger's clubs. I've got Jackum's here, and maybe I
shall get its big knob home quicker than he can put in a shot."
Carey had no further protest ready, and he sat in agony, hardly
realising that it was strange the various sounds had not awakened the
doctor.
But his every sense was on the strain, as he listened to a sudden rush
down past the saloon door, expectant of shot after shot from the
beachcomber's revolver.
But no shot was fired, though a revolver was fast clenched in the old
ruffian's hand.
There was, however, to be no hand-cuffing and carrying off to the
justice of man, for the spirit of Dan Mallam the beachcomber had passed
out that morning, as the old sailor said, with the tide.
The small steamer lying anchored close by in the lagoon had after a long
and dangerous search at last achieved her purpose, having been
despatched, with Carey's father and the captain and chief officer of the
_Chusan_ on board, in search of the wreck if it were still on the reef,
and the meeting was a joyful one.
"I never could think you were dead, my boy," was whispered in Carey's
ear; "and your dear mother always felt the same. I knew I should find
you, and I have, thank God! thank God!"
"Car-ee's ole man?" said a voice just after, and Mr Cranford turned
sharply round to stare at the shining black face.
"Yes," he said, frowning; "I am Carey's--er--old man."
"Me Jackum! You shake han'?"
"Next to Bostock and the doctor, father, my best friend," said Carey,
eagerly.
"Then he is mine," said Mr Cranford.
"Here's a canoe of savages off from the island," shouted the captain of
the _Chusan_ from the deck. "Does this mean a fight?"
"Jackum boy come back," cried the black. "No shoot; all good boy.
Jackum take you Big Dan island. Plenty shell, plenty copra, plenty old
ship 'tuff. Big Dan mumkull. Jackum give all Car-ee now."
But no start was made for the other portion of the King's domain, for a
few days were necessary in the way of rest for the doctor; and the
captain of the _Chusan_ and the mate had to satisfy themselves of the
impossibility of getting the vessel off. During these days, though,
there were busy times, for the specie the _Chusan_ had been bearing was
all hoisted out in safety and transferred to the smaller vessel.
Not much else was done save the taking on board of the pearl shells as
the freight belonging to the doctor and Carey. The pearls were already
in safety, and Bostock made a greater haul with the help of a chum and
the blacks from the tubs ashore.
"Twice as many as the first go, my lad," said the old sailor, rubbing
his hands, "and, I say, oughtn't you and the doctor to lay claim to what
we're a-going to find?"
"No," said Carey, "and besides, we have not found it yet. If there is
much worth having it will go, I should think, to the company that owns
the _Chusan_. But we shall see."
Carey Cranford saw the great treasures in pearls, pearl shell, and
valuables collected from wrecked vessels in the course of some twenty
years, during which Dan Mallam had reigned paramount in a lonely island
off the north-west coast of Australia, for Jackum piloted the steamer
there in triumph, and looked proud of his achievement, while he pointed
out everything he thought of value to Carey, and could not understand
the lad's hanging back from helping himself to articles he did not want.
The steamer was nearly laden with valuable pearl shell and the boxes of
pearls hoarded up by the old beachcomber, who was supposed to have
escaped from Norfolk Island with a party of his fellows who had all
passed away.
These must have been enough, with their insurance, to quite compensate
the company for their loss. In fact, voyage after voyage was made to
the _Chusan_ and to Jackum's island during the following twelve months
on salvage business, and with excellent results.
But we have nothing to do with that. It is enough to state that the
boats on the night of the wreck had been carried in safety to a western
Australian port; that the doctor rapidly began to mend; that Carey's
injured chest was doctored by a sick man; and that Jackum wanted badly
to follow the young adventurer when the time came for saying good-bye,
and was only stopped by its being impressed upon him that he was King of
Pearl Island now, and was to go on collecting till Carey came to see him
some day on a voyage with his father, to trade for all his copra, shell,
and pearls.
Jackum nodded and grinned.
"Get big lot. You come some day," he cried.
"Some day, Jackum, if my father will fit out a vessel."
"Iss," said Jackum. "No Big Dan. Killa feller. Mumkull eberybody.
You come sit along Jackum. Jackum show Car-ee how fro boomerang next
time. Ha, ha!"
The last Carey saw of him then was the tall black figure waving his
boomerang as he stood up in his canoe, before showing his teeth and then
hurling the weapon, to fly far after the retreating steamer, to curve up
and return--to the canoe--not quite, for it dropped into the sea some
fifty feet away, to be lost somewhere in the lovely submarine gardens of
the reef along by whose side the steamer glided.
A fortnight later, with the doctor steadily gaining strength, the vessel
glided into Moreton Bay. Then Brisbane was soon reached; but the
message had flown before on wire to the lonely watcher, waiting for the
son she would not believe to be dead, month after month, till
three-quarters of a year had passed.
And when the house was in sight there was a figure at an open door, and
Carey dashed off, his father hanging back, while Robert Bostock,
mariner, who was laden with luggage, placed it in the road, turned his
back, sat upon it, and began to fill his pipe. This done, he struck a
match, but somehow when he held it to the tobacco there was a sudden
_ciss_, and the match went out.
"Now, how did that there 'bacco get wet like that?" he growled. "Dear!
and she a-waiting all this time for the dear lad as didn't come. Ah,
it's no use wishin', but I do wish as my old mother was alive now to do
that to me."
"Bob ahoy!" came in a cheery shout. "Come on! Never mind the things.
Here's mother wants to shake your hand."
"Ahoy, sir; hand it is," shouted back the old fellow. Then in a growl,
"S'pose I must go. Think on it, though; me havin' a drop o' salt water
in one eye!"