attempt to descend from the ledge. They had shouted to him, when first
coming within hail; but Karl, intently occupied with the difficulty of
the descent, and his anxiety about the bear, had not heard them. It was
just at that moment that he lost his foothold, and Caspar and Ossaroo
saw him sprawling helplessly against the cliff.
Caspar's quick wit suggested what was best to be done. Both he and
Ossaroo ran underneath, and held up their arms to catch Karl as he fell;
but Ossaroo chanced to have a large skin-robe around his shoulders, and,
at Caspar's prompt suggestion, this was hurriedly spread out, and held
between the two, high above their heads. It was while adjusting this,
that Karl had heard them crying out to him to "hold on." Just as the
robe was hoisted into its place, Karl had fallen plump down into the
middle of it; and although his weight brought all three of them together
to the ground, yet they scrambled to their feet again without receiving
the slightest injury.
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Caspar, "just in the nick of time! Ha! ha! ha!"
Of course there followed a good deal of rejoicing and congratulation
upon this narrow escape. Narrow it certainly was, for had not Caspar
and Ossaroo arrived in the "nick of time," as Caspar expressed it, and
acted as promptly as they had, poor Karl would never have lived to thank
them.
"Well," said Caspar, "I think I may call this one of my lucky days; and
yet I don't know about that, since it has come so near being fatal to
both my companions."
"Both?" inquired Karl, with some surprise.
"Indeed, yes, brother," answered Caspar. "Yours is the second life I've
had a hand in saving to-day."
"What! has Ossaroo been in danger, _too_? Ha! he is quite wet--every
rag upon his body!" said Karl, approaching the shikarree, and laying
hand upon his garments. "Why, so are you, Caspar,--dripping wet, I
declare! How is this? You've been in the lake? Have you been in
danger of drowning?"
"Why, yes," replied Caspar. "Ossy has." (Caspar frequently used this
diminutive for Ossaroo.) "I might say worse than drowning. Our comrade
has been near a worse fate--that of being _swallowed up_!"
"Swallowed up!" exclaimed Karl, in astonishment. "Swallowed up! What
mean you, brother?"
"I mean just what I have said--that Ossaroo has been in great danger of
being swallowed up,--body, bones, and all,--so that we would never have
found a trace of him!"
"Oh! Caspar, you must be jesting with me;--there are no whales in the
lake to make a Jonah of our poor shikarree; nor sharks neither, nor any
sort of fish big enough to bolt a full-grown man. What, then, can you
mean?"
"In truth, brother, I am quite serious. We have been very near losing
our comrade,--almost as near as he and I have been of losing you; so
that, you see, there has been a double chance against your life; for if
Ossaroo had not been saved, neither he nor I would have been here in
time to lend you a hand, and both of you in that ease would have
perished. What danger have I been in of losing both? and then what
would have been my forlorn fate? Ah! I cannot call it a lucky day,
after all. A day of perils--even when one has the good fortune to
escape them--is never a pleasant one to be remembered. No--I shudder
when I think of the chances of this day!"
"But come, Caspar!" interposed the botanist, "explain yourself! Tell me
what has happened to get both of you so saturated with water. Who or
what came so near swallowing Ossaroo? Was it fish, flesh, or fowl?"
"A fish, I should think," added Karl, in a jocular way, "judging from
the element in which the adventure occurred. Certainly from the
appearance of both of you it must have been in the water, and under the
water too? Most undoubtedly a fish! Come, then, brother! let us hear
this _fish story_."
"Certainly a fish had something to do with it," replied Caspar; "but
although Ossaroo has proved that there are large fish in the lake, by
capturing one nearly as big as himself--I don't believe there are any
quite large enough to swallow him--body, limbs, and all--without leaving
some trace of him behind: whereas the monster that did threaten to
accomplish this feat, would not have left the slightest record by which
we could have known what had become of our unfortunate companion."
"A monster!" exclaimed Karl, with increased astonishment and some little
terror.
"Well, not exactly that," replied Caspar, smiling at the puzzled
expression on his brother's countenance; "not exactly a monster, for it
is altogether a _natural_ phenomenon; but it is something quite as
dangerous as any monster; and we will do well to avoid it in our future
wanderings about the lake."
"Why, Caspar, you have excited my curiosity to the highest pitch. Pray,
lose no more time, but tell me at once what kind of terrible adventure
is this that has befallen you."
"That I shall leave Ossy to do, for it was his adventure, not mine. I
was not even a witness to it, though, by good fortune, I was present at
the `wind up,' and aided in conducting it to a different result than it
would otherwise have had. Poor Ossy! had I not arrived just in the
right time, I wonder where you'd have been now? Several feet under
ground, I dare say. Ha! ha! ha! It certainly is a very serious matter
to laugh at, brother; but when I first set my eyes upon Ossaroo--on
arriving to relieve him from his dilemma--he appeared in such a forlorn
condition, and looked the thing so perfectly, that for the life of me I
could not help breaking out into a fit of laughter--no more can I now,
when I recall the picture he presented."
"Bother, Caspar!" cried Karl, a little vexed at his brother's
circumlocution, "you quite try one's patience. Pray, Ossaroo, do you
proceed, and relieve me by giving me an account of your late troubles.
Never mind Caspar; let him laugh away. Go on, Ossaroo!" Ossaroo, thus
appealed to, commenced his narration of the adventure that had occurred
to him, and which, as Caspar had justly stated, had very nearly proved
fatal; but as the shikarree talked in a very broken and mixed language,
that would hardly be intelligible to the reader, I must translate his
story for him; and its main incidents will be found in the chapters that
follow.
CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.
"BANG."
It so happened that Ossaroo had made for himself a regular fish-net.
Not being permitted to poison the lake with wolf's-bane, and having no
bamboo to make wicker-work of, he looked around for some other substance
wherewith to construct a net; and soon found the very thing itself, in
the shape of a plant that grew in abundance throughout the valley, and
particularly near the shores of the lake.
This plant was a tall single-stemmed annual, with a few digitate and
toothed leaves, and a loose panicle of greenish flowers at its top.
There was nothing _very_ remarkable about its appearance, except that
its stem was covered with short rigid hairs, and rose undivided to a
height of nearly twenty feet. Many plants were growing together, and
when first discovered--all three of our adventurers were present at the
discovery--Caspar had said that they reminded him of hemp. It was not a
bad comparison Caspar had hit upon, for the plant was _hemp_, as Karl
immediately made known--the true _Cannabis sativa_, though the variety
which grows in India, or rather a drug extracted from it, is called
_Cannabis Indica_, or "Indian hemp." It was the tallest hemp either
Karl or Caspar had ever seen--some of the stalks actually measuring
eighteen feet in length, whereas that of the northern or middle parts of
Europe rarely reaches the height of an ordinary man. In Italy, however,
and other southern portions of the European Continent, hemp attains a
much greater height, rivalling that of India in the length of its stalk
and fibre. It was noticed that nearly one half of the plants, although
growing side by side, and mingled with the others, were much riper, and,
in fact, fast withering to decay. The botanist explained this to his
companions, by saying that these were the male plants, and the growing
ones the females; for hemp is what is termed by botanists "dioecious"--
that, is, having male flowers on one plant, and female ones upon
another. Karl farther observed that the male plants, after having
performed their office--that is, having shed their pollen upon the
females--not only cease to grow taller, but soon wither and die; whereas
the females still flourish, and do not arrive at maturity until several
weeks afterwards. In consequence of this peculiarity, people who make a
business of cultivating hemp pull the male plants at the time they have
shed their pollen, and leave the females standing for four or five weeks
after.
It is well-known that hemp is one of the finest articles in the world
for the manufacture of coarse cloth, and every sort of cordage and
ropes. The material used for the purpose is the fibrous covering of the
stalk, which is separated almost by the same means that are employed in
obtaining flax. The hemp, when pulled up, is tied in bundles, and for a
time submitted to the action of water. It is then dried and broken, and
afterwards "scutched," and rendered still cleaner and finer by a process
called "hackling." It makes no difference in the fineness of the fibre
whether the stalks be small or large, since the great coarse stems of
the Italian and Indian hemp produce a staple equally as fine as the
small kinds grown farther north.
The Russians extract an oil from the seeds of hemp, which is used by
them in cooking, and by painters in mixing their colours.
Hemp-seed is also given to poultry--as it is popularly believed that it
occasions hens to lay a greater number of eggs. Small birds are
exceedingly fond of it; but a singular fact has been recorded in
relation to this--that the effect of feeding bullfinches and goldfinches
on hemp-seed alone, has been to change the red and yellow feathers of
these birds to a total blackness!
Notwithstanding the many valuable properties of this plant, it has some
that are not only deleterious, but dangerous. It contains a narcotic
principle of great power; and, strange to say, this principle is far
more fully developed in the Indian or Southern hemp than in that grown
in middle Europe. Of course this is accounted for by the difference of
temperature. Any one remaining for a length of time in the midst of a
field of young growing hemp, will feel certain ill effects from it--it
will occasion headache and vertigo. In a hot country the effect is
still more violent, and a kind of intoxication is produced by it.
From observing this, the Oriental nations have been led to prepare a
drug from hemp, which they make use of in the same way as opium, and
with almost similar results--for it produces a drowsy ecstatic feeling,
always followed by a reaction of wretchedness. This drug is known by
the Turks, Persians, and Hindoos, under a variety of names, such as
"bang," "haschish," "chinab," "ganga," and others; but under any name it
is a bad article to deal in, either for the health of the body or the
mind.
But Ossaroo was not deterred by any considerations about its baneful
effects; and as soon as he saw the hemp growing in the valley, he
recognised the plant with a shout of joy, and proceeded to prepare
himself a dose of "bang." This he did by simply powdering some of the
dry leaves, which he obtained from the withered male stalks, and then
mixing the powder with a little water. An aromatic substance is usually
added to give flavour to the mixture, but Ossaroo did not care so much
for flavour as strength; and he drank off his "bang" without any
adulteration, and was soon in the land of pleasant dreams.
The discovery of the hemp had made Ossaroo unusually happy. He had been
suffering for the want of his "betel" for a long while, and the rhubarb
tobacco had proved but a poor substitute. But the hemp was the very
thing, as it not only afforded him an intoxicating drink, but its dry
leaves were also good for smoking; and they are often used for this
purpose when mixed with real tobacco. Of course Ossaroo had none of the
genuine "weed" wherewith to mix them, else he would not have troubled
his head about the rhubarb.
Ossaroo, however, was glad at discovering the hemp for another reason.
From its fibres he could make cordage, and with that cordage a net, and
with that net he would soon provide their table with a supply of fish.
He was not long about it. The hemp was soon pulled, tied in bundles,
and carried to the hot spring. There it was immersed under the water,
and soon sufficiently "steeped;" for it is well-known that hot water
will bring either flax or hemp to the same state in a few hours that can
be obtained by weeks of immersion in water that is cold.
Ossaroo soon prepared a sufficient quantity for his purpose, having
separated the fibre by "hand-scutching;" and working continually at the
thing, in a few days he succeeded in making a complete mesh-net of
several yards in length.
It only remained for him to set it, and see what sort of fish were to be
caught out of that solitary mountain lake.
And now for Ossaroo's adventure!
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.
SETTING THE NET.
Karl had not been very long gone when Caspar and Ossaroo both left the
hut, but not together. They parted from each other, taking different
directions. Caspar had his gun, and went forth to search for game;
while Ossaroo proceeded towards the lake, with the intention of
capturing fish.
As nothing particular happened to Caspar--not even so much as the
starling of a head of game, or the getting a shot at any thing--there is
nothing to tell about him; and I shall therefore proceed at once to
Ossaroo and his adventure.
The shikarree, on arriving at the lake, soon found a proper place to set
his net in. There was a little bay on one side that ran for some twenty
or more yards into the land, and ended just at the embouchure of the
little rivulet that came from the hot springs.
This bay was narrower at its mouth than elsewhere, where it formed a
kind of miniature "straits." The water in the bay was of considerable
depth; but just at its entrance, where the straits were, it was not over
three feet, with a white sandy bottom that could be seen shining like
silver. Any one standing near this point, in clear weather, could
easily observe fishes of several sorts and different sizes passing into
the bay and out of it, and disporting themselves over the white sand bed
that shone sparkling beneath them. It was an interesting sight to watch
them at their innocent gambols, and the boys had more than once gone
down to the edge of the straits to observe them.
But Ossaroo had always regarded the sight rather with feelings of
chagrin than pleasure; for plainly as these beautiful fish could be
seen, not one of them could he capture. Even the shoal-water of the
straits, where there was a sort of bar, was too deep to be dammed up in
any way, and Ossaroo had tried one or two plans for taking the fish,
without effect. He had used his bow, and endeavoured to kill them with
arrows; but they swam too deep, and, somehow or another, he always
missed them. The fact was that Ossaroo was not practised in shooting
fish with the arrow; and not understanding any thing about optics or the
laws of refraction, he missed his mark by aiming too high.
Had he been an Indian of North or South America, instead of an Indian of
the "East Indies," he would have pierced those fishes with an arrow at
every twang of his bow.
Instead of that, he only missed them, and was constantly wading in to
recover his arrows, but never to bring out any fish. He was, therefore,
rather chagrined than pleased to see them so fearlessly and freely
playing about over the silvery sand; and this very chagrin had caused
him to work with greater diligence while preparing his mesh-net.
The net was now ready, and Ossaroo walked along chuckling and
congratulating himself on the prospect of speedy revenge--for he had
actually become inspired with a revengeful feeling against the poor
fish, because he had not been able to capture and kill them!
The place where Ossaroo intended to set his net was across the strait
that formed the mouth of the aforesaid bay. He had designed the net for
this very place; and had made it of such length, that when at full
stretch, it would just reach from one side to the other.
The upper edge of the net was attached to a strong piece of raw hide,
for this was more easily attainable than a rope of hemp; and on the
lower edge there was another strip of hide, to which were fastened the
sinkers. These, with the floats at the top--made out of a sort of
light-wood that he had found in the valley--would keep the meshes fully
spread, and hold the net in a vertical position.
It would thus form a complete gate, shutting up the little bay, and
leaving neither egress nor ingress for any fish that could not squeeze
itself through the meshes. These last had been made very large; for
Ossaroo did not care for the "small fry."
It was the big fishes he was desirous of capturing--some of those large
fellows who had so often glided from under his arrows, and put him out
of temper by their saucy sporting.
He would see now if they would so easily escape the meshes he had so
cunningly contrived for them.
Proceeding, therefore, to the straits, he set his net across the
narrowest part, and just by the entrance to the bay. The thing was
easily accomplished, he tied the rawhide rope to a sapling on one side,
that grew down by the edge of the water. Then holding the upper edge--
so that the net would settle regularly in the water--he waded across,
carrying the line along with him, and made it secure on the other side.
Of course the sinkers did their work by dragging the lower selvage
downward, while the floats kept the upper edge from dipping below the
surface of the water.
There was a large tree upon the opposite side--so large that its great
branches spread half-way across the little strait--and when the sun was
on that side, which it always was after the hour of noon, this tree,
covered with thick foliage, quite shadowed the water, rendering it of
darkish colour, and somewhat obscure. At this hour the fish could not
be so easily seen, even against the background of the silvery sand at
the bottom.
Now Ossaroo had chosen the hour when the sun was gone behind the tree,
for he knew that in a very clear sunshine the fish would perceive the
net, and of course put about, and shy off from it. He had, therefore,
waited for the afternoon to make his first essay.
Having fastened both ends, and adjusted the whole matter to his liking,
he sat down upon the bank; and, summoning all his patience, awaited the
result.
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.
OSSAROO STUCK FAST.
For more than an hour sat the shikarree watching every ruffle upon the
water, and every motion of the floats, but no movement, either of wood
or water, seemed to indicate that there were fish in the lake. Once or
twice there appeared a little "purl" on the surface, near the line of
the floats, and Ossaroo fancied he had made a "take" of it; but, on
wading in and examining the net, not a fin could be found, and he had to
wade out again with empty hands. These "purls" were occasioned either
by very small fish passing through the meshes, or else by large ones who
came up, and touching the net with their snout, had taken the alarm and
beat a retreat back to the pools whence they had come.
Ossaroo was beginning to grow very impatient with his ill-fortune, and
was thinking, too, what a sorry figure he would cut in the eyes of his
companions, after returning to the hut. He had calculated on a great
triumph to be obtained by means of this net; and now he began to doubt
whether it might not turn out a humiliation rather than a triumph.
At this crisis, however, an idea occurred to him which promised success.
It was simply to _drive the fish into the net_, by wading into the
water, and making as much noise and commotion as he could. This was
certainly a very good plan, and Ossaroo lost no time in putting it into
execution. Having procured a long stick, with an armful of large
stones, he entered the bay above the point where the net was placed, and
then plunging through the water, at the same time beating it with his
stick, and flinging his stones into the deepest part, he succeeded in
making noise enough to have frightened all the fishes in the lake.
His plan succeeded admirably. In less than five minutes--nay, in less
than half that time--the violent shaking of the floats told to the
attentive eyes of the shikarree that one or more large fishes were in
the net and struggling within its meshes. He now gave up beating the
water and ran to make sure of the prey. On approaching the strait, he
perceived that a very large fish had been caught. It was near the
middle of the net, and Ossaroo, wading out, soon "grabbed" and secured
it. The strong creature struggled hard, and endeavoured to escape from
the grasp of its captor; but the latter put an end to its efforts, by
giving it a sharp knock on the head with one of the stones which he
still carried.
He next proceeded to release it from the meshes; but these, on account
of the desperate struggles which the fish had made, were warped and
twisted around its gills and fins, and worked into such a labyrinthine
puzzle, that Ossaroo found it no joke to get them clear. He was full
ten minutes in accomplishing this feat, but he at length succeeded, and,
holding the huge fish triumphantly in his hands above the surface of the
water, he uttered a shout of victory.
He was about to wade out to the bank with his prize, when, to his
astonishment, he found that he could not move a step! He tried to lift
first one leg and then the other, but without success. Both were held
as fast as if screwed in a vice! At first he was only puzzled and
astonished, but his astonishment soon changed to dismay, when he found
that, exert himself as he might, he could not move a limb! He at once
perceived the cause, for there was no mystery about that. He perceived
that both his legs were fast in a quicksand, into which, while engaged
with the meshes of the net, he had been gradually sinking. The surface
of the sand was already above his knees, so that he could not even bend
the joints, and there he stood as firmly as if he had been planted!
For some time he struggled to relieve himself, but his struggles were of
no avail--he could not drag out one foot or the other. The sand was
wedged around his limbs, and held him as firmly as if it had been Roman
cement. He could not stir from the spot!
At first, I have said, Ossaroo felt only astonishment, but this feeling
soon changed to dismay. It became absolute terror when he perceived
that he was _still gradually sinking_!--yes, beyond a doubt, he was
going down deeper and deeper. The sand was already up to his thighs,
and, as the water was nearly a yard in depth, his chin almost touched
the surface. Six inches more, and _he would drown_! Drown, thus
standing erect, with part of his head above the surface, and his eyes
wide open and gazing upon the light of heaven! It was an awful
situation--a fearful fate that threatened him!
It would not be true to say that Ossaroo remained silent during all this
terrible trial. He did nothing of the kind; on the contrary, as soon as
he became aware of his danger, he set up a continuous screaming, and
yelling, and shrill piping, that caused both the woods and rocks to ring
around him, to the distance of a mile at least.
Fortunately for the shikarree, Caspar chanced to be within the
circumference of that mile, wandering about with his gun. The quick ear
of the hunter caught the sounds, and knew that they were signals of
distress. Without a moment's delay, therefore, he set off; and, guided
by the cries, soon arrived upon the ground.
It was some time, however, before Ossaroo was relieved from his perilous
position, for although Caspar could wade in to his side, he was quite
unable to drag him out of the sand. In fact, Caspar himself sank so
rapidly, whenever he stood still, that he was compelled to keep
constantly moving, and changing from one foot to the other. His
strength, then, was quite unequal to the task, and both began to be
uneasy about the result.