By the time we had made a hearty meal Ebo pointed with triumph to the
faint hazy speck in the distance, now growing minute by minute plainer
to our eyes.
Ebo watched our countenances very intently, and then suddenly broke out
with:
"Bird--shoot--bird."
"He seems to have brought us here under the impression that it is a good
place, Nat, and I trust it will prove so," said my uncle. "I hope there
will be no unpleasant savages to hinder our work."
As we drew nearer the glass was frequently brought to bear, but neither
my uncle nor I could detect any sign of habitation, not even when we
were within a quarter of a mile of the shore; but, to Uncle Dick's great
delight, the place proved to be densely wooded in some parts, while the
lofty hills looked green and park-like, with the large trees dotted here
and there.
The beach was a soft white sand, upon which the waves curled gently
over; and not twenty yards from the highest marks made by the tide, the
tall palms, loaded with fruit, drooped their great feathery leaves.
As far as we could see the island was not large, but the interior was
very mountainous, the green hills running up to a great height, for the
most part well-clothed with wood; and to our great delight, as we ran
the boat cautiously upon the sand, we could hear the screams of parrots
and the whistling and twittering of innumerable birds.
"We may as well be prepared against danger," said Uncle Dick, loading
his gun, and I followed suit; but Ebo began to chatter and expostulate
with us for leaving the boat, and signed to us to help him run it up on
the next wave well ashore, so that a rope could be made fast round the
nearest palm stem.
This we did, and the black's next movement was to collect wood for a
fire.
To humour him we waited about while he lit the fire, but kept making
little incursions amongst the openings to see if we could spy out any
signs of human habitation.
But look where we would we saw nothing, and it soon became evident that
we were the only occupants of that part of the island.
Ebo seemed so satisfied and contented that it was very evident that
there was nothing to fear; so we obeyed his signs after we had helped
him to make a good fire, and followed him through an open park-like
piece of the country till we were about half a mile from the sea, when
his object in guiding us was plain enough, for he pointed out a little
flock of half a dozen pigeons, as big, it seemed to me, as ordinary
fowls, and getting within range we fired together, and shot four.
Ebo rushed forward in triumph, and I followed, to regret that I had not
attended to Uncle Dick's instructions about reloading, for I could have
obtained a specimen of a curious great black parrot or cockatoo, I could
not quite see which, as it flew across an opening.
But we secured the birds we had shot, and going back my uncle and I set
to and skinned them, handing over the bodies to Ebo to cook, while we
carefully preserved the skins, admiring them all the while.
For they were of a rich warm slate colour, and each bird bore a delicate
grey crest upon his head, which gave him a noble look, making each bird
seem a very prince among pigeons.
Handsome as was the appearance of the birds, they were none the less
delicious in the eating. No doubt our open-air life had a good deal to
do with the keen enjoyment we had in eating the birds we shot; but
feeding as these pigeons did on spices, nuts, and other sweet food, the
flavour given to their flesh was very fine.
Dinner over, we were for an expedition; but Ebo protested loudly.
Taking an axe and beckoning us to follow we accompanied him to a patch
of bamboo, and helped him to cut down a good selection of stout pieces,
and after them a number of lengths of rattan cane, which grew here in a
wonderful way. I had seen it growing before, but never to such
perfection; for it seemed to run up one tree and down another, running
along over the bushes for a short distance and then ascending another,
till Uncle Dick computed that some of these canes were quite a hundred
yards long.
It was very evident what Ebo meant, and he was telling us all the time,
though not a word could we understand, as we helped him.
"As we are to make a hut for shelter, Nat, I suppose he expects us to
stay here for some time, which is a good sign, for he evidently knows
that there are plenty of specimens to be had."
"Do you think any naturalist has been here before, uncle?" I said.
"I hardly dare think such a thing, Nat," he replied; "but I cannot help
feeling hopeful. As I judge it this seems to be an island to which he
and his fellows have sailed some time or another, and it is possible
that European foot has never trodden here before."
"Let's hope it is so, uncle," I said; "and then, what a collection we
shall get!"
"You will make me as sanguine as you are yourself, Nat," he said
laughing; and then we began to be too hot and busy to talk much, for
after carrying the bamboos and rattans to the edge of the forest, just
beneath a widely spreading tree, in whose branches every now and then
some beautiful lory came and perched, but only to fly off screaming, Ebo
began to build. Sharpening four stout bamboos and forcing them into the
soft sandy soil for the four corners of the hut, he very soon bound as
many more to them horizontally about five feet from the ground, tying
them in the cleverest way with the cane.
Then he tied a couple more across at each end, and laid a long stout
bamboo in the forks they made for a ridge-pole, binding all as strongly
as could be with an ingenious twist, and after that making rafters of
smaller bamboos, so that in a couple of hours he had made the rough
framework.
Towards the latter part of the time, in obedience to his instructions,
which were given by word of mouth and wave of hand, Uncle Dick and I cut
a great number of palm leaves of a very large size, with which Ebo
rapidly thatched the hut, making by the time it was dark a very rough
but very efficient shelter, where we lay down to sleep that night upon a
pile of soft dry grass, of which there was any quantity naturally made
into hay and close at hand.
We were so tired out that night that we did not trouble ourselves about
there being no sides to the hut, being only too glad to have a roof to
keep off the dew, and, trusting to there being no dangerous wild beasts,
we followed Ebo's example, lying down and sleeping soundly till the sun
was once more above the sea.