FIGHTING IN EARNEST.
"And now Frank," said Fred, as the _Island Queen_ stretched away out
into the more open sea, and the round moon was rising and casting its
silvery rays athwart the waves, "everything depends upon the wind
holding. If we get becalmed we'll be boarded by swarms of those
savages, in spite of all we can do."
"I don't think," replied Frank, "that there is much fear of a calm
taking place. Why, the wind seems to increase every minute since we
have left the shore."
"How thankful I am though that we dared all! Ah, Frank, old man!
there is nothing like a bit of dash."
"No; dash does it. I've always thought so. First feel yourself fit,
and then do a dash."
"That's it, Frank."
The poor fellows who had been delivered from slavery on the island of
savages had eaten a hearty supper, and were now one and all fast
asleep. Even the Yankee skipper had gone to sleep, with a quid in
his mouth.
The breeze in two hours' time had increased to quite half a gale, and
Fred began to grow seriously uneasy. The little craft was very much
deeper in the water now, for the addition of ten men made a vast
difference in so small a ship.
She pitched and rolled to a tremendous extent--she took in water over
the bows, she shivered and shook like an old clothes basket when on
the top of a wave, and wallowed when in the trough of the seas. In
fact she did not behave at all prettily now she was put fairly on her
mettle.
By-and-by Fred found it necessary to batten down, although he had to
leave a portion of one hatchway open, in order to let those below
have a sufficiency of fresh air.
Frank relieved Fred about four o'clock, or eight bells in the middle
watch, and feeling completely exhausted, Fred lashed himself to the
mast, covered himself up as well he could with a piece of canvas, and
was soon fast asleep.
He never stirred, nor, knowing his condition, did Fred permit him to
be disturbed until two bells in the forenoon watch.
Though he pretended to be cross with Frank for having allowed him to
oversleep himself, he knew that his friend Had done all for the best.
The wind was still roaring through the rigging; but had veered round
several points, and the yacht was now close hauled. Far away astern
were the green islands they had left on the previous night.
"Whither away, mate?" said Fred.
"'Pon my honour, captain, I haven't the ghost of a notion."
"But you've been steering for the east?"
"Yes, all the watch."
"And I guess that's about as near right as a toucher," said Silas the
skipper. "'Cause don't you see we're bound to come among islands o'
some kind, and shiver me if they can be a bit worse than those we've
left."
"True enough," said Frank.
About five bells that forenoon a heavy sea struck the _Island Queen_
on the weather quarter, and almost laid her on her beam ends.
She slowly righted, however, but hardly was she once more on an even
keel than there was a shout from the men below.
"We've sprung a leak!"
Fred handed the tiller to Silas, and rushed down. It was only too
true. The water was coming pouring in, in three different places at
the bows.
"All hands to bail her out," cried Fred.
And the men set merrily enough to work. Those below filled
calabashes, and handed them to others on deck to be emptied overboard.
They kept the water under for a while. But it was soon evident
enough she could not float for any length of time.
The question now arose, What was best to be done? and a consultation
was held.
"I see nothing for it, young men, except put about and just run back
for them same islands," said Silas.
"And beach her?"
"Aye, aye, but look you here, Frank," continued Silas. "I've no
great inclination to be crucified alive, and eaten afterwards. I'd
rather drown, and be done with it. So we better beach her at the
little island to the nor'ard. There is only one landing, and we can
hold that again' all the savages in creation."
The skipper's advice was certainly good. So the _Island Queen_ was
put about.
It was sad, disheartening work, but there was no other chance of
life, so Fred never uttered one single complaining word, and
"Heigho!" was all that Frank said.
Towards sundown the savages in Ota's isle must have been considerably
surprised to see the white man's little ship standing in again
towards the land. But she disappeared all at once, and in all
probability they imagined she had sunk with all hands.
The fact is the _Island Queen_ had got in behind the island, and was
now in comparatively calm water. But the poor wee ship that our
castaways had been so proud of was settling down fast.
It was an anxious half hour.
Every minute they expected she would take the fatal plunge, and the
boat was all ready on deck to launch, if indeed they were not sucked
down with the yacht. The land had almost taken the wind out of their
sails.
But at long last the clear sandy bottom became visible all around
them, and a big rolling wave carried them far up on the beach,
receded, and left them almost high and dry.
They were safe for one night. That at least was certain, for no
canoe could live in the sea that was running outside.
Safe for a night. Yes, perhaps safe for a week; but as soon as the
wind should change, and the waves dash into the little land-locked
bay, the _Island Queen_ would break up.
So no one thought of sleep to-night. They worked in the dark by
pandanus torch and lantern light, and even before the moon rose they
had landed all the arms and ammunition, and all the stores as well.
The boat was now hauled well up, and the shipwrecked crew at once set
about fortifying their position. It was a curious little bay, and a
curious little beach, not thirty yards in width, and flanked at each
side by dark frowning rocks, fifty feet high at least. Away into the
interior the island was densely wooded, and the land rose into quite
a mountain peak, while all around, with the exception of the little
bay, the cliffs rose sheer up out of the deep, dark sea.
A barrier of sand and gravel was speedily thrown up across the bay
just beyond reach of the waves, and over this they commenced to build
a rampart, with a front that was almost inaccessible towards the sea.
Well those poor fellows knew they were working for dear life, so on
they toiled all night long, and far into the next forenoon, emulating
each other in their feats of strife, and never thinking of either
food or drink.
But the barricade was completed at last, and little Cassia-bud, with
his friend Hurricane Bob, were set to watch, while the others retired
under the shade of the trees to obtain rest and enjoy some
refreshment.
Being entirely worn out by their terrible hardships and exertions,
nearly all slept till far into the day, when, after another slight
meal, a party was detailed to spy out the resources of the island.
It was far better provisioned than they could have believed possible.
That it had been at one time inhabited was also evident, for yams
were still found growing, and several wild pigs were seen in the
woods. The wind continued to blow high all that day and next; but
towards night it fell dead calm, and early on the following morning
the enemy's fleet was reported in sight, and in full force. This was
signalled by a man on the outlook to those below.
By the time breakfast was finished the canoes were in sight. Quite a
cloud of them there were, with King Ota himself leading.
Now it suddenly occurred to Fred that the enemy could easily possess
itself of the _Island Queen_, and thus have a coign of vantage from
which to hurl their spears and other missiles at the fort. So he
called for volunteers to help him to fire the craft.
There were hardly twenty minutes to spare. Indeed, they were not
sure of even this time. Quambo sprang forward; but little Cassia-bud
was before him.
"You no go," he cried to Fred, "you no go, sah. Nobody go.
Cassia-bud fire de ship all by hisse'f."
"You can, boy?"
"Yes," he cried energetically, "I can, plenty quick." He quickly
made up a parcel of combustibles, which he tied knapsack-fashion over
his shoulders. Then, almost before they could have counted six, the
brave little fellow had scaled the ramparts and disappeared towards
the beach.
They next saw him boldly paddling through the surf, then climbing
cat-like over the vessel's bows, and so along the deck and down the
main-hatchway.
It was an anxious time now for those on the ramparts. Every eye was
turned at one moment towards the enemy's quickly approaching fleet,
that seemed to near the bay with startling rapidity, and next towards
the deck of the _Island Queen_, in momentary expectation of seeing
Cassia-bud re-appear.
It appeared a lifetime to Fred since he had gone below.
"Stand by now, lads, to give the foremost boats a volley!" he cried
presently. "Don't throw away a single shot."
Onwards swept the boats. They were not seventy yards from the stern
of the _Island Queen_ now; but look, smoke comes curling up from both
the fore and main hatchways, and then Cassia-bud himself appears.
But instead of coming straight over the bows again he rushes aft, and
waves his jacket in proud defiance at the savage fleet.
Those on the ramparts shout to him to come on. A shower of spears
flies over the decks, and Kashie is seen leaping forward. He falls!
He is killed!
No; up again, and bounding along through smoke and flames and flying
spears. Over he leaps, on through the surf, and next moment he is on
the barricade. A dozen arms are stretched towards him, and next
moment he is safe and sound.
"Thank God!" says Fred right fervently.
From stem to stern the _Island Queen_ is soon sheeted in flames, and
through the smoke which rolls slowly seaward the canoes appear.
"Give it to them now," cries Fred, "to show them we're not dead!"
A single volley had a startling effect on those sable warriors.
Instead of advancing with shouts of terror the foremost rowers threw
themselves pell-mell into the sea, and the other canoes beat a hasty
retreat.
With a rifle each, Fred, Frank, Quambo, and Mac now betake themselves
to the cliff top. They want to prove to those savages that it will
be best in future not to venture within a radius of half a mile at
least. And this they do in the most satisfactory manner imaginable.
Baffled and defeated where he had expected an easy victory, the
greatest king in all the world retires to his island home, and the
coast is once more clear.
For five days the savages made no sign, and the beleaguered garrison
occupied itself in strengthening the position.
The main anxiety would soon be want of water. Not a drop was to be
found in the island except one little trickling rill, that hardly
supplied them with a pint a day each. And even this might dry up.
There was now no moonlight, but every night sentries were placed all
along the ramparts.
Early on the morning of the sixth day there was not a canoe to be
seen anywhere on the sea, and so the men sat down to breakfast
cheerfully enough, and even the sentries, completely off their guard,
were chatting gaily together on the ramparts.
Suddenly, without a moment's warning, the whole front of the
barricade was found to be alive with swarming spear-armed savages.
Luckily every man's revolver was by his side, but the fight that now
ensued was terrific. Hand to hand they fought, savages and whites,
till the former disappeared at last in the same mysterious way they
had come, leaving their dead behind them, and spearing or clubbing
all the wounded lest the whites should torture them.
But where had they come from? This was easily explained. They had
approached the island under cover of the darkness, and arranged their
canoes close under the rocks, and thus out of sight. As soon as this
was discovered they were speedily dislodged by the simple expedient
of hurling down stones, and as soon as they had put out to sea rifles
were once more brought to bear on them.
But by placing sentinels at night here and there on the cliff top no
such ruse was again possible.
In this battle the garrison lost two men killed, and had three
wounded.
One day Cassia-bud returned from the rock with an empty calibash.
The water had given out. Then the sufferings of those unhappy men
began in earnest.
The cocoanut supply still held out, however, but the water at last
failed to quench the thirst, and the men began to fall sick.
The three wounded men died, and so weak were the others that they
could not bury them. All they could do was to drag them to the cliff
top and let them roll over into the sea--unknelled, uncoffined, and
unknown.