WE THINK THE WORST OF OUR TROUBLES ARE OVER; BUT THEY ARE NOT.
Before we departed from that place I wounded the milk-tree in divers
places, and, with Lady Biddy's help, drew off nigh upon half a gallon of
juice, with which we filled a small keg which, as luck would have it,
the seamen had left in the locker. Also I cut a fan-shaped palmetto-leaf
with a long stem for Lady Biddy to protect her head, and likewise I got
a leaf for my own crown, tying it under my chin with that sling I had in
my pocket, for though the sun was now sinking this heat was prodigious.
Then, with our store of provisions in the locker, we slipped out with
the current--the tide of the sea being yet at ebb--and passing the bar
came into the open water, which was as smooth and fair as the sky above.
Looking about us we were comforted to perceive no boat nor any sign of
our enemy nearer than the black ship, which lay best part of two
leagues, as I judged, to the east. This distance I strove to increase by
laying vigorously on to my oars and making for the west; but by keeping
too close in shore I ran presently on a sandbank; and, getting off that,
grounded shortly after on a second; and thence on a third; till at
length, seeing that I made less speed than haste, I was compelled to
pull out a quarter of a mile or more for deeper water, and so get free
of those plaguy sands.
However, I was consoled for the loss of time and my discomfort by the
pleasure of Lady Biddy, as we thus again obtained a view of the majestic
mountains I have spoken of. Indeed, I was fain to lose another five
minutes, resting on my oars, and looking over my shoulder at the superb
spectacle; for the sun, being now in its decline, did light up these
mountains so that they were glorious to behold. Some of the peaks burnt
and sparkled like cut diamonds--indeed, they may have been crystal, for
all I know to the contrary--while others shot up like tongues of flame,
as if the sun by its near approach had set them afire; then those
further from his course shone all rosy, pink with shadows of tender
violet.
Lower down, their sides glowed with rich shades of purple, yet painted
over with a soft bloom like any plum. As for the valley below, 'twas
like naught in the world but a great maze of lilac-bushes, by reason of
the flowering trees.
Quitting this prospect I scanned the sea very closely, yet could I see
nothing like a sail of any kind, which made me doubt whether there lay
any town in those parts we were coming to; for if there were, then most
likely would there be fishers; and with a smooth sea and a gentle air,
they surely would be abroad casting nets at this time. This raised a
secret joy in my heart; but, Lord! when I glanced back at those
incredibly high mountains, I was awed by the vastness of the wilderness
in which we must somewhere make a dwelling-place.
To make up for lost time I now bent my back to the work before me, and
rowed on very steadily, only casting my eye round over my shoulder from
time to time for my guidance. Lady Biddy was very thoughtful and grave,
as if she likewise was impressed with awe by the aspect of those vast
mountains. Moreover, she was recovering that strength and composure of
mind which enabled her to gauge her condition justly, as I had foreseen;
and this she could not do without perceiving how slender was the thread
of hope that held her from despair. But, despite the return of strength,
there was more in her heart than she could bear; and when she had been
sitting in silence thus some while, she turned her head aside, as if to
scan the shore, but it was that I should not see her eyes. Presently she
stole her hand up and gently wiped away a tear that was stealing down
her cheek, and I saw a movement of her fair throat, as though she were
choking down a sob. And this so moved me that I had much ado to keep
from weeping in sympathy.
She gave another little gulp, and pushed again the tear from her
cheek--poor soul, she had no handkerchief; and then with an effort turns
to me, and, seeing my long face, laughed faintly, though her eyes were
yet full.
"We're better off than we were this time yesterday," says I as
cheerfully as I could, but with a horrid thick voice.
"Ay," says she, "and 'tis ungrateful and foolish to forget it."
"Why, as for that," says I, "a scald will smart none the less for your
getting out of hot water. But 'tis a comfort to know that we are not
likely to get into the same broth again, and may reasonably hope to be
relieved of our pain in time, and not long neither, which will give us
patience to endure our present ills."
"I will be patient; indeed I will," says she earnestly. "'Tis the least
I can do in return for your goodness, Benet."
"Let us talk of something else," says I.
"Can you make any guess as to where we are?" she asks presently.
"Ay," says I, with as stout a voice as if I were telling the truth, "I
make no question of our whereabouts, or I should not have spoken so
hopefully."
"But you did not seem to know before we started"--with a shrewd glance.
"No, for then I could not see the run of the mountains. Now, when we
landed before supper I could not have sworn but we were in Campeachy, or
Honduras, or the Isle of Cuba."
"How could you know after we had eaten?" says she.
"Because our thirst led to the discovery of the milk-tree. Then I knew
we must be in Guiana, for they grow nowhere else"; adding to myself,
"for aught I know."
A little smile of satisfaction played about her face; then she asked
eagerly:
"And what have you learnt by the run of the mountains?"
"Why, that we can't be many miles from the Gulf of Paria. For, if you
will recall Sir Bartlemy's chart to mind, you will remember that the
only mountains in Guiana that run by the sea are there."
"What part of the chart, Benet?" says she, knitting her brows.
"Up at the top, against Trinidado."
"Oh! I remember," said she, clapping her hands joyfully. "Why, that is
close to where you left--left _him_!"
"Yes," says I; "and the very place Sir Bartlemy will go to refit, if I
know aught about the matter."
In this way did I bring her round to a more cheerful temper and a
forgetfulness of her position. Nay, I almost cheated myself in trying to
deceive her. For, to tell the truth, I had no honest opinion that we
were near Paria, else had we seen by this time Margarita, or some of
those isles thereabouts. Rather I was inclined to think we were over
against the mountains of Guayva. However, I believe we were in neither
the one place nor the other but on the coast of Darian--these huge
mountains being a spur of the Andes; and if we were not there, then I
know not where we were.
I kept on long after the sun had set, nor would I have stayed when I did
but for the rocks which began to encumber the shore, and my fear to
venture far abroad lest some current should get me into trouble.
Coming now to a kind of cove, well sheltered with rocks and convenient
to abide in, as far as we could judge by the light of the stars, I threw
out the grapple, which was made fast to the headline, and found it held
very well.
This being done, we ate a second supper of turtle and milk; after which
I made up as comfortable a bed in the bottom of the boat as was to be
had with no better material than the lug-sail, and induced Lady Biddy to
lie down and get some sleep, promising to wake her as soon as the day
broke, and get a few hours' sleep myself whilst she kept watch.
There was just enough light for me to descry her pale face at the
further end of the boat as she lay on the rude bed. I sat watching her,
maybe two hours, thinking by her stillness she had fallen asleep; but of
a sudden, without moving, she says:
"Benet, do you think we could get there in a week?"
I answered--though with a feeling that I did wrong to encourage a false
hope--I answered, I say, that I thought we might do so.
"If we have good luck," she adds.
"Good luck we must have, for the worst is past," says I.
"Yes, I think so," says she. "Good-night."
And in this belief she fell asleep, perhaps to dream her hopes were
realized.
Alas! she was soon to be roused from that dream--soon to know that the
worst was not past.