A TERRIBLE ORDEAL
FOR the next four or five days the work on the hull of the ill-fated
"San Philipo" proceeded apace; for, as the announcement had been made
that all hands would be entitled to a share in the proceeds, the crew
loyally assisted in the operations, working long hours, in spite of
the terrific heat, to bring about the ultimate success of the
undertaking.
The natives of the island were very attentive in their visits, and
they gave no signs of animosity, but, on the contrary, seemed more
like curious children than the savages who had attempted to board the
"Fortuna." Although we bore in mind the warning given in nautical
works against the treachery of the inhabitants of these islands, we
came to the conclusion that these were too thoroughly overawed by our
armed strength to attempt to molest us further; so excursions were
frequently made on shore without observing any cause or symptoms of
aggression. Nevertheless, none of us ever set foot on the island
without being armed.
"The watering party are going ashore this afternoon," remarked Dr.
Conolly to me on the fifth day after our arrival off the island. "I
think I'll have a run up to the village. Would you like to come with
me?"
"Rather!" I replied enthusiastically.
"Then ask your father if he has any objection."
"By all means go," replied the pater, when I mentioned the matter;
"but, mind you, no skylarking. Take your sporting rifle with you, but
on no account shoot at anything, for the natives have peculiar
notions, regarding certain animals with almost religious veneration;
and should you shoot one of their pet pigs--almost the only animals
on these islands--you may bring the whole tribe of savages about your
ears."
So that afternoon we went ashore, and, leaving the men with the
water-breakers, the doctor and I, accompanied by Yadillah, made our
way towards the village, followed, as usual, by a throng of curious
natives.
As we passed through the coco-nut grove swarms of pigs and fowls
crossed our path, while overhead we saw numerous brilliantly
feathered birds, which, curiously enough, were songless. Presently we
came to the part of the road where the little stream babbled by the
side of the path.
"I wonder where that brook runs to," remarked Dr. Conolly, glancing
towards the thicket into which it plunged. "I don't remember seeing
the spot where it joins the sea."
"It will be a hard matter to follow it," I replied, pointing to the
dense clusters of prickly shrub that formed a formidable barrier over
its course. "But surely it must reach the sea somewhere."
"Not necessarily; but, if it does, its outlet must be on the shore
off which the 'Fortuna' is lying, otherwise it must defy the laws of
gravity and climb the hill on our right. My impression is, however,
that it falls into a vast chasm, and the basaltic nature of the rocks
strengthens my conviction."
"That sounds interesting."
"It does. As the island is composed largely of basalt, and shows
signs of volcanic action, there can be no doubt as to its origin.
Thousands of years ago a mighty earthquake must have shot this and
hundreds of other islands above the surface, and from the floor of
the vast submarine plateau the coral builders are doing their work of
making new ground."
"Shall we try to trace the course of this stream, then? Yadillah has
a large knife, so that we can clear a path through the scrub."
"Well, there's no harm in attempting it. Yadillah, you black imp!"
"Yas, sahib."
"Cut a path for us through this stuff." The Arab attacked the
undergrowth vigorously, and, working as he went, disappeared in the
tunnel that he had cut above the stream. Presently he returned with
the information that the thicket extended only a short way, and that
the brook ran through a dense coco-nut grove.
"Lead on, then, Yadillah," exclaimed the doctor. "You follow, Reggie,
and I'll bring up the rear."
"Clear off, you niggers," he added, speaking authoritatively to the
natives, who were regarding our movements with ill-concealed
excitement. The doctor's words and actions had the desired effect,
for the crowd of followers stood back, jabbering incessantly, save a
few who made off towards the village.
Although we kept our thick water-tight boots on, the water was
deliciously cool as we waded down the stream, bending low to escape
the rough tendrils that overhung the low tunnel that the Arab had cut
for us. A few steps brought us to the other side of the vegetable
barrier, and, as Yadillah had said, the brook flowed through a fairly
dense palm-grove, its bed being composed of hard, slippery rock.
After we had proceeded a few hundred yards the doctor suddenly
exclaimed--
"Hullo! This looks interesting. There's a well-worn path here. I
suppose it leads to the village."
"But why interesting?"
"For one reason, there is no actual necessity for the natives to make
a well-worn path to the brook, as plenty of water can be had in the
village; for another, I think we have stumbled on some secret place
where these savages hold their religious ceremonies. I am not sure,
mind you, but the circumstances point that way."
The path descended abruptly into what appeared to be a vast circular
hollow, though the dense clusters of trees and bushes prevented us
from seeing the opposite side of the rock-bound circle. The stream
now became a rushing torrent, leaping from rock to rock in a series
of spray-fringed cascades, and the only sound that broke the silence
of the spot was the noise of the falling water.
"This must have been the crater of an active volcano at one time,"
said the doctor in a low tone, as if influenced by the solitude of
the spot. "I think we'll find I am right about the outlet of the
stream."
At length we reached the bottom of the vast cavity, and in the
unaccustomed twilight caused by the foliage and the overhanging rocks
(though it was still broad daylight) we could see a large pool of
dark water, and, surrounding this lakelet, were a number of posts,
each about six feet in height, and most of them were surmounted by a
grinning skull, while a fetid atmosphere hung over the place like a
pall.
I felt the colour leave my face at the horror of the sight, and,
glancing at the doctor, I noticed that his jaw was firmly set and his
eyebrows knitted in grim determination. Yadillah, though used to
scenes of cruelty in his younger days, turned an ashy grey, and I
heard him mutter a sentence in which the word "Allah" caught my ear.
"What does it mean?" I whispered.
"They are the skulls of men killed in tribal fights, to take the
mildest view of the situation," replied Dr. Conolly. "But I should
not be surprised if this is the scene of gruesome practices of
cannibalism."
"Come on, let's get away from this horrible place," I exclaimed.
"One moment," he replied, and, picking up a piece of stone, he threw
it into the pool, which, although it obviously was fed by the stream,
was absolutely unruffled on its surface.
The ripples caused by the stone had barely reached the edge of the
pond when a loathsome head appeared above the water and a pair of
lidless eyes stared malignantly at us. Then, with an eel-like motion,
the monster began to swim towards the spot where we were standing. It
was a gigantic water-snake.
"Ugh, you brute!" shouted the doctor, and, regardless of the
consequences, he drew his Webley revolver and sent a .441-in. bullet
crashing through the monster's head. With a quick motion the reptile
turned and disappeared beneath the surface, discolouring the dark
water with its blood; but hardly had the echoes of the report died
away when the surrounding brushwood seemed alive with men, who,
uttering furious cries, made directly for us.
The surprise was complete, for before the doctor could raise his
weapon or the rest of us lift a hand in self-defence we were borne to
the ground and bound hand and foot with ropes of coco-fibre.
The next few moments seemed like a dream. I was dimly conscious of
the horde of yelling, savages, who danced around and over our
prostrate bodies with every attitude of demoniac fury. Three of their
number, evidently priests, judging by their fantastic garb and the
bizarre markings of red and white paint that concealed their faces,
stood by the edge of the pool solemnly calling upon their outraged
deity; but whether the brute was dead or only wounded I could not
ascertain, for their efforts were in vain.
At one time it seemed as if the natives would have thrown us into the
gruesome pool, but after a great deal of excited jabbering they
eventually lashed each of us to a long bamboo and, carried between
two men, we were taken towards the village, the shouting natives
following in a disorderly mob.
The path led to a gateway other than the one by which we had entered
a few days previously, but we were carried to the open space in front
of the chief's house. It was a very different reception from our last
visit that now awaited us, for the chief, after receiving a report
from the priests, stepped over to where the doctor was lying and
placed his foot on his neck. He then addressed the crowd, and at the
conclusion of his speech a mighty shout went up, and, lifted shoulder
high, we were borne into the inner stockade, the same which Dr.
Conolly had tried to investigate, and were placed side by side on a
low wicker bench.
Though tightly bound to the bamboo pole, I could move my head
slightly--just enough, in fact, to see my companions. I was lying
between them. The doctor was writhing ineffectually in his bonds, his
face red with the exertion; Yadillah's features were absolutely
impassive, the Asiatic fatalism having supreme mastery over any
emotion under which he might be labouring.
We were alone, for the priests and the crowd of natives were without
the gates, making the place ring with their blood-curdling shouts.
At last by a great effort I raised my head sufficiently to look
before me, and facing us was a huge wooden image, bedaubed with paint
and feathers, while in front was a row of skulls painted a vivid red
and an immense block of polished stone. What was behind me I could
not observe, but I knew that there was a fire burning within a few
yards of where we were lying.
"Reggie," said the doctor in a low tone that I hardly recognized, "I
am afraid we are done for. It's all my fault."
"What's going to happen?" I asked fearfully.
"I cannot say," he replied. "But unless we are rescued I doubt
whether we'll see to-morrow's sun. Idiot that I was to let fly at
that pond brute!"
"Do you think they heard the shot on board the 'Fortuna'? If so,
they'll think something is wrong and will send a search-party to look
for us."
"The distance was too great, and we were in a deep hollow. Our only
chance is that they will search for us when we do not return by
sunset. Are you hurt?"
"No, only stiff. Are you?"
"My neck is pretty sore where that brute of a chief trod on it. I
should dearly like to have the chance of settling with him. Ah! here
they come again!"
Five or six of the savages approached, bringing with them another
bound prisoner, a native, whom they placed next to Yadillah. Then,
unlashing us from the bamboos, they cut away most of our clothing and
lashed us to the block of stone in front of the idol, our arms being
extended above our heads in an excruciating position.
The native prisoner was on my extreme left, Yadillah between him and
me, and Dr. Conolly on the right. The priests then bent over the
native and did something which caused him to groan dismally. They
did the same to the Arab, but not a sound came from his lips; then it
was my turn. I could not see what they were doing, but in my
imagination I felt the sharp point of a knife against my bare chest,
and I could hardly forbear from shrieking aloud. However, I still
lived, and by craning my neck I saw that the priests were painting a
black spot surrounded by a white circle on the doctor's ribs
immediately over his heart. Whatever it meant, we had all been
treated in the same way; but the fact of being fastened to what was
undoubtedly an altar-stone told me that we were to be sacrificed to
the grinning idol.
At length the sun set, and the short tropical twilight gave place to
intense darkness. The village was as silent as the tomb, and,
stretched upon that awful bed, my ears were intently listening for
the faintest sound, while my eyes tried to discern the grim outlines
of the idol, expecting every moment to be my last.
Suddenly above the distant palm-covered hills the disc of the full
moon appeared, and instantly the air was filled with the shouts of
the savages, who, beating drums and clapping their hands, poured in
through the gate of the inner stockade in a compact body, till the
courtyard of the temple was filled to overflowing.
The bright lunar beams cast the shadow of the idol slightly in front
of our feet, but the priests, using some rough mechanical device,
thrust the terrible image forward so that its shade, as the moon rose
higher, would inevitably fall athwart our bodies. Into the monster's
outstretched hand was placed a long brass-hilted sword, which
overhung us in a menacing manner.
The shouting ceased as if by magic, and the priests with much
ceremony killed three fowls, holding their bodies towards the moon
and afterwards sprinkling the idol with their blood. Then, holding
the doctor's revolver in a suppliant attitude, one of the savage
officiates presented it to the idol; but as he did so he must have
touched the trigger, for the weapon exploded, sending a bullet
through the priest's arm and bringing down one of the natives in the
crowd of worshippers. Superstitious awe fell upon the multitude; but
with marvellous self-control the wounded priest picked up the
revolver and, regardless of his arm, which hung helpless at his side,
placed it at the feet of the idol.
In absolute silence the worshippers looked towards the priests, who
in turn were eagerly regarding the upward path of the satellite.
During that awful time I lay in a sort of stupor, realizing my
danger, yet filled with a complete indifference as to my fate. I was
dimly conscious of the grinning idol, the fiendish painted faces of
the priests, and the shouts of the crowd, which sounded like the
subdued roar of a number of wild beasts; but the whole time my
thoughts were fixed upon my home in peaceful Cornwall, and the
various trifling incidents of my life flashed in quick succession
through my brain.
The priests, one holding the knife in his uplifted hand, again
watched the progress of the fateful shadow as it slowly climbed the
Arab's side and approached his bare chest. In a firm voice the Moslem
made the declaration of his faith: "Walla ghalib illah Allah!" he
cried defiantly, and awaited the fatal stroke.
But it never came. The priest gave a hasty glance towards the moon,
then, with a yell of superstitious terror, he dropped the knife and
ran screeching through the crowd. The other priests followed his
example, the panic became general, and in less than a minute the
temple was deserted, save by the bound but living men, while from the
village came the terrified wailings of the demoralized savages.
I spoke to the doctor, my voice broken and feeble, but no reply came
from his lips; then I turned my head towards the Arab, who was
vigorously but ineffectually struggling with his bonds, and he, too,
had his eyes fixed on the moon.
My torpor had passed, and now I was eager to see the cause of this
sudden diversion in our favour, and, following the direction of
Yadillah's glance, I saw a dark shadow slowly creeping over the
surface of the moon, and already its light was waning.
It was an eclipse; the penumbra had extended over half the
satellite's hemisphere, and the umbra was rapidly following. To the
ignorant savages the phenomenon could have but one meaning. They had
offered sacrifices to the goddess of the night, and the goddess by
hiding her face had scorned them, and dire calamity was bound to
follow this mark of rejection.
How long I lay on that stone of sacrifice I cannot tell, but
throughout the whole of the total eclipse, when everything was as
dark as the blackest night and nature was hushed into absolute
silence, I was fully awake to the possibilities of rescue or death.
At length the umbra began to pass slowly across the moon, and a dim,
greyish light faintly played on the grim outlines of the temple. In
another two hours it would be daylight, and the savages would return
and hale us to our deaths.
But presently I heard the sound of footsteps, not the light tread of
the barefooted savage, but the tramp of booted men, and lusty voices
shouted our names. We were saved!
"This way! Here, in the temple!" I cried as loud as my exhausted
strength would permit; and as the crew of the "Fortuna," headed by my
father, rushed into the stockade my senses left me, and I fell into a
deep swoon.