THE RAINY SEASON SETS IN WITH A VENGEANCE, AND WE ARE PUT TO SORRY SHIFT
TO KEEP FROM DROWNING.
For five weeks we traveled down that great river, and if I set about it
I could give a good account of every day; for 'twas my pleasure when I
lay down at night to review the incidents of the day, since every hour
did yield some precious food for rumination. Assuredly there were
accidents, mishaps, and perils in that journey (as notably an assault by
hostile savages, which made us mindful to trust them not thereafter);
but in overcoming these difficulties and helping each other, my dear
lady and I were knit more closely together, seeing that we had fared but
miserably alone; and trouble, I take it, is like salt, which of itself
is an abomination, but mingled sparingly with one's daily bread does
give it good savor, and serves as a zest to the appetite.
But not to weary the reader with a tedious detail of my happiness, I
will cut this matter short, and come to that time when the rainy season
set in, and I knew no comfort day or night for concern on my dear lady's
account. And over this business I will not linger neither, for surely no
one with a feeling heart will care to hear of my misery.
At first we counted that the rain would give over at the end of the day,
and that we might yet go a little further before taking refuge for the
season; but we soon found our mistake, for in these parts it does not
rain in showers, but comes down cats and dogs, as you may say, for
spitefulness, a whole month without ceasing. So when we perceived how
matters stood, having not a dry thread on us, and no means to lie down
but in a bath, we resolved to stop at the next convenient spot we came
to. And coming at length to a part of the river where the waters spread
out into a kind of lake, we spied, standing up out of it on its south
side, a very fair high island, which I then made for, as we deemed it
would be more proper to our purpose than elsewhere. And a very good sort
of island we found it--about fifty acres in extent, well furnished with
trees, and of a sandy soil; and we were well pleased to find abundance
of holes in the higher part, which I knew at once for the burrows of
acutis,[4] which, boiled or roast, make as good a dish as any man could
have. Here, having settled to make our dwelling on the highest part of
the island, as being the best drained, we drew our canoe ashore, and
hauled it up thither. I say we, for my lady did haul with all her
strength bravely, for she shrank from no helpful service, and well she
aided me, bless her good heart!
[Footnote 4: These acutis are a kind of conies that dress themselves on
their hind-quarters and feed with their fore-paws in the manner of a
jack-squirrel.--B. P.]
Then with a couple of lianes that had served us for mooring our boat, we
made a shift to sling up our canoe bottom upwards between two trees
about seven feet from the ground; and, this done, we went to the
water-side and cut a fair stack of cane-reeds, that grew abundantly
there, and with a good deal of labor carried them up to our canoe. And
now we set about planting our canes the length of the canoe, but a good
bit wider at the base, and inclining them in such sort that they joined
at the top within the boat, so that no wet could enter that way; indeed,
we set these canes so close together, and so thickly all round and about
save a little opening at the leeward end for our door, that not a drop
of rain came through anywhere. Thus by nightfall had we made for
ourselves a very decent little cottage, which I divided in two by
hanging my mat across midway of its length, in order that my lady should
have a chamber to herself.
Miserable as our estate may appear to those who have never suffered
adversity, and are frighted out of their wits if they be but caught in
an April shower, we were, I protest, heartily well content with our
shelter, taking mighty satisfaction to ourselves because no wet leaked
through our walls; that the ground, by being sandy, absorbed the water,
so that there was no mud or beastliness on our floor; that, though our
clothes were sodden, yet we felt no discomfort of cold, etc. Nay, we
even made merry in getting our supper, because we were nearly choked by
our fire of damp nuts, which set us coughing like any sick of a
phthisic. But the true reason of our cheerfulness was that we were each
minded to make the best of a bad job for the sake of the other, and in
that way looked over the defects in our condition in spying out its
advantages; and sure I am that the less we study our personal happiness,
the less we find to be discontented with in our lot.
When we had been here three weeks I began to grow uneasy, for in all
this time the rain had not ceased to fall, I verily believe, half an
hour, whereby the waters were swelled to such a prodigious extent that
more than half our island was flooded (and that the steeper part), so
that I foresaw we could stay there not above another week unless a
change in the weather came about; but sign of change was there none, the
rain pouring down as though it would never have done. Yet where on earth
we were to go, or what to do for the best, I could no way imagine. For
as our island lay under water, so did the land by the river-side. To
pass afoot amidst the trees in quest of higher ground was not less
impossible than to get thither with the canoe--the trees about there
being as close together as nine-pins, and the water pretty nigh a couple
of fathoms high amongst them.
At length, seeing my anxiety, Lady Biddy accused me of keeping a secret
from her against the spirit of true friendship. Whereupon I told her of
my fears, and the perplexity they threw me into.
"I did think you had this matter on your mind, Benet," says she, "and I
own I have noticed the rising of the waters with mistrust. Indeed," adds
she, "you and I are not alone in this apprehension."
"Why, who else is there here to heed such matters?" says I.
"Look," says she, pointing before her through the opening as we sat in
our hut.
Casting my eyes as she directed, I noticed a troop of acutis with their
heads to the ground and their ears cast back.
"They have been driven from their holes by the water," says she, "and
are so subdued by fear that they have let me take them up in my arms."
"They know they are safe here; which we may take for our own assurance,"
says I.
"So I think," says she. "A change must come ere long. Indeed, the air
feels different already."
And a change did come the very next night; but such as we had not
bargained for. About midnight there broke over us the most terrific
storm of thunder and lightning I ever knew, and with it the rain came
down in such torrents that I thought the weight of it must burst the
lianes and bring our shelter down about our ears. This continued all the
night, and I could not sleep a wink for thinking that mayhap the end of
the world was at hand, and we were to be drowned by a second flood,
despite the rainbow.
About daybreak Lady Biddy called to me.
"Benet," says she, "here's one of those poor acutis crept right into my
arms."
Upon that I sprang to my feet and went outside, fearing the worst. And
there, in the half-light, the whole of the ground about me was alive
with the poor acutis, all so numbed with the wet and terror that they
had not the sense to move out of my way; nor did they even cry out when
I trod upon them. I had not gone a score of paces when I felt the sand
yielding beneath me, and caught sight of water amidst the trees.
"Cousin," says I, running back, "we must prepare to go at once."
"I am dressed, Benet," says she cheerfully; "what can I do?"
I could not at once reply for admiring of the helpful, ready character
of that dear woman (thus revealed), but paused to gaze on her in wonder
and love; however, this was no time for long delay, so we presently got
all the things out of the hut and placed them ready to our hand; and
then I unfastened the lianes that held up our canoe, and we had now but
a short distance to haul it ere we reached the water. Then we stowed all
our poor possessions in their place, and launched the canoe amidst the
trees. When it lay fairly afloat I begged my lady to get in. But she
hesitated, with a mournful look behind her.
"Benet," says she, "if it won't make your labor of rowing more
difficult, I should like to take some of those poor dear conies away.
'Tis so pitiful to leave them here to die."
I helped her with a willing and ready heart to carry as many of the
half-dead acutis to the canoe as we could take, and then we got in, and
I pushed my way through the trees out into the stream.