After his last remark, Eric, silent for a little while, as if buried in
deep thought, followed behind his brother to the garden patch, which was
found in the most flourishing state.
The potatoes were all in full flower and the haulms of sturdy growth
promised well for the crop of tubers beneath, some indeed being already
half withered, as if fit for digging; while pods were thick on the two
rows of peas planted, and the scarlet runners were a mass of bloom and
brilliancy.
At such a glorious sight, Eric could remain silent no longer.
"This is capital," he exclaimed in high delight; "why, we've got a
regular harvest, brother!"
"Yes, the great Mother Earth has rewarded our exertions," said Fritz
thoughtfully. "It is wonderful how she yields to those who cultivate
her properly! I can see that we'll have bushels of potatoes--enough to
last us through the winter."
"Aye, and peas and beans, too," chorussed Eric. "Look, here, at this
lot, Fritz! I believe we can have a dish of them to-day."
"What, to keep up the festival with?" said his brother, smiling. "I see
you are still thinking of that; but, methinks, green peas at Christmas
will be rather an anachronism!"
"Hang the what-do-you-call-it--oh, anachronism!" cried the lad
impulsively. "When we're at Rome we must do as Rome does."
"I don't remember, though, that the citizens of `The city on the seven
hills' ate peas in December, as far as my reading of the classics go,"
remarked Fritz ironically.
He liked to "pick up" his brother sometimes in fun.
"Ah, that was because they were pagans, and didn't keep up our Christmas
ceremonies!" cried Eric triumphantly. "Still, Romans or no Romans, I
declare we'll have a rare banquet to-day, brother, eh!"
"No roast beef, I hope!"
"Oh no, bother it--something better than that! You just let me alone
and you'll see bye-and-bye!"
"All right, laddie, I don't mind leaving the cooking in your hands,
now," said Fritz kindly, wishing to blot out the recollection of his
last remark. "You have had experience since your first memorable
attempt, which I must say was perhaps excusable under the
circumstances."
"You are a brick, old fellow," responded Eric, much pleased at this
speech. "Only trust matters to my hands and, I promise you I'll not let
you have any opportunity to find fault with me a second time!"
"Very good; that's agreed," said Fritz; and, after thus settling
matters, the two then went about the garden, gathering its produce--the
elder digging up some new potatoes for trial, while Eric picked all the
early peas that seemed fit, quite filling a good-sized basket which he
had brought with him; although Fritz, who had not been so thoughtful,
had to put his potatoes in a handkerchief.
On their way home, the brothers passed through the deserted penguin
rookery, with never a bark or a grumble from the whilom excited birds as
they tramped the well-worn paths which they had made from the thicket to
the beach.
The inhabitants of the feathered colony were now educating their little
ones in the art of fishing; and, the scene in front of the bay was quite
enlivening as the birds swam about gracefully in curves, losing in the
sea that ungainliness and ugly, awkward appearance which seemed
inseparable from them on land, and prosecuting their task, without any
of the noise that had distinguished them while breeding.
Birds were darting about--here, there, and everywhere in the water;
some, swimming after each other as if in a race, like a shoal of fish;
others, again, chasing one another on the surface, on which they seemed
to run, using the ends of their wings, or flappers, to propel them like
oars, for they dipped in the tips of their pinions and scattered the
spray in their progress. To add to the charm, the calm expanse of sea
reflected the pure ultramarine blue of the sky above, being illumined at
the same time by the bright sunlight, which brought out in strong relief
the twin headlands embracing the little bay with their outstretching
arms.
Nothing, indeed, could be more unlike the crusoes' old associations of
Christmas and Christmas-tide than this prospect presented, nothing less
suggestive of: home; and yet, standing there, on the shore of their
lonely sea-girt and cliff-embattled island home, gazing across the ocean
that spanned the horizon, the thoughts of both strayed away to their
little native town on the Baltic--where, probably, the housetops were
then covered with snow and the waters bound in chains of ice; but where,
also, troops of children were singing Christmas hymns and Christmas
bells were ringing, while prayers were no doubt being offered up for
them, so distant and yet so near in spirit!
Eric, however, was not long pensive. The day was too bright and fine
for him to be sorrowful or reflective for any length of time; so, after
staying by the side of Fritz for a short while on the shore, sharing his
thoughts about the dear ones far away--although neither uttered a word
on the subject the one to the other--his impulsive nature quickly
asserted itself, as usual.
"I'm off, old fellow," said the young sailor, slinging the basket of
freshly picked peas on his arm and leaving the bundle of potatoes for
Fritz to carry. "It is getting near the noonday hour, and time for me
to be thinking of preparing dinner!"
"All right, laddie, go on and I will follow you soon," replied the
other, but, still, without making any move from his seat on the shingle.
"Mind, and don't forget the potatoes," cried Eric, who was already half-
way towards their hut. "I shall want them soon!"
"All right," replied the other, but the mention of the potatoes, which
had been an anxious consideration with Fritz all along, seemed to have
the effect of banishing his sad reflections; for, in another minute, he,
with his bundle on arm, followed Eric up the incline that led to the
cottage.
Considering all things, the two had a capital Christmas dinner. Indeed,
Eric, the cook, so greatly distinguished himself on this occasion that
he blotted out all recollection of his previous mishaps when undertaking
a similar role.
What say you to a splendid ham, one of those given them by Captain
Brown; green peas, fresh and tender and dressed to perfection; and, new
potatoes?
Many a person might have a worse meal on a warm summer day, like it was
this anniversary of the festival on Inaccessible Island!
Nor was this all; for, after the more substantial portion of the feast,
Eric introduced a wonderfully savoury compound in the confectionery
line, which he had manufactured with some care. This consisted of flour
and sugar made into a thick paste, with some of those very preserved
peaches which had figured so prominently in the despised stew that had
been Eric's first essay in cooking, placed within the envelope, the
compound being then boiled in a saucepan until thoroughly done.
During the early months of the new year, the brothers had little to do
save attending to their garden, digging up the remaining potatoes when
ripe, and then storing them in a corner of their hut. They also cleared
some more land and planted out the little seedling cabbages in long
rows, so that in time they had a fine show of this vegetable, which was
especially valuable as an antiscorbutic to the continuous use of salt
meat,--now their main nutriment with the exception of a few birds which
Fritz brought down occasionally with his fowling piece.
Once or twice they went round the promontory in their boat, in pursuit
of stray single seals; but, the animals were so shy that only a long
shot could be had at them. This made it a risky and almost needless
task to waste gunpowder in their pursuit; for, in the event of the
animals being merely wounded and not killed right out at once, they
invariably slipped off the rocks, disappearing in deep water before the
brothers had time to row up to them and haul them into the boat.
Under these circumstances, therefore, although they expended a
considerable number of bullets, they had only two more sealskins to show
in return to add to their great hauls at the commencement of the season;
so, after a third unsuccessful expedition early in the new year, they
made up their minds to leave the animals alone until the following
summer. Then, they determined to begin their campaign before the
Tristaners should forestall them, hoping to secure a large number by a
newly-organised system of capture--Eric assailing them from the shore by
way of the descent from the tableland on the western coast, while Fritz
attacked them by sea in the boat.
"Talking of expeditions," said Eric, while the two were thus planning
together their future seal campaign--"we haven't been up on the cliffs
for a long time now; suppose we ascend the plateau and see how the pigs
and goats are getting on, eh?"
"That's a very good idea," replied his brother. "The garden is in good
order now, needing nothing further to be done to it for some time;
while, as for reading, I'm sure I have devoured every book in our little
library, including Shakespeare, which I know by heart--so, there's
nothing to occupy my mind with."
"I'm in the same position precisely," said Eric. "You therefore agree
to our hunting expedition, eh?"
"Yes; the more especially as I wish to try and pot that old billy-goat.
He is such an artful old fellow that he always keeps just out of range
of my weapon, as if he knows the distance it carries. He will thus
offer good sport. That other kid too, that we saw, must be grown up by
now."
"He shall be my prey," cried Eric, proceeding immediately to polish his
rifle, so as to be ready for the excursion.
A day or two afterwards, the two ascended the cliff by the now familiar
tussock-grass ladder; but, although Eric could almost have gone up
blindfold this time, the ascent was quite as difficult as it had been at
first to Fritz, who had never climbed it once since the day he sprained
his ankle in coming down, having left the look-out department entirely
to the sailor lad, on account, as he said, of its "being more in his
line!"
As he had not, therefore, seen it for so long, Fritz noticed a
considerable change on going up.
The grass had grown very much taller, while the trees appeared more
bushy; but, besides these alterations, the inhabitants of the plateau
had become changed and more varied.
The droves of wild hogs had increased considerably; while the goats,
headed by the old billy, who looked as lively and venerable as ever, had
diminished--of course, through the ravages of the Tristaners, as
mentioned before.
Still, not even the loss of these latter animals specially attracted his
attention; what he particularly observed was, that the prairie tableland
had a fresh class of visitors, which must have arrived with the new
year, for they had not been there when he had previously ascended the
cliff.
Eric was too much taken up with looking for seals to notice them, for he
certainly never mentioned them on his return below to the hut; and, so,
Fritz was doubly surprised now at seeing them.
These newcomers were the wandering albatross--the "Diomedia exulans," as
naturalists term it--which sailors believe to float constantly in the
upper air, never alighting on land or sea, but living perpetually on the
wing!
Eric was firmly convinced of this from what he had been told when on
board the _Pilot's Bride_; but Fritz, of course, expressed doubts of the
bird having any such fabulous existence when it was pointed out to him
while illustrating "flight without motion," as its graceful movement
through the air might be described. Now, he had ocular demonstration of
the fact that the albatross not only rests its weary feet on solid earth
sometimes, but that it also builds a nest, and, marvellous to relate,
actually lays eggs!
No sooner had Fritz set foot on the plateau, after a weary climb up the
toilsome staircase which the tussock-grass and irregularities of the
cliff afforded, than he startled one of these birds. It was straddling
on the ground in a funny fashion over a little heap of rubbish, as the
pile appeared to him. The albatross was quite in the open part of the
tableland, and the reason why it selected such a spot for its resting-
place, instead of amid the brushwood and tussock-grass thickets that
spread over the plateau, was apparent at once when the bird was
disturbed; for, it had to take a short run along the bare ground before
it could get its pinions thoroughly inflated and rise in the air. Had
it been amidst the trees or long grass, Fritz would have been able to
approach it and knock it over before it could have sought safety in
flight, on account of its long wings requiring a wide space for their
expansion.
On proceeding to the little heap of rubbish, as Fritz thought it, from
which the albatross had risen, he found it to be a nest. This was
built, like that of an ostrich, about a foot high from the surface of
the ground, on the exterior side, and three feet or so in diameter;
while the interior was constructed of grass and pieces of stick woven
together with clay. There was one large egg in the centre of this nest,
a little bigger than that of a swan and quite white, with the exception
of a band of small bright red spots which encircled the larger end.
In addition to the albatross, several nests of which were scattered
about the open ground on the plateau to the number of a hundred or more,
there were lots of mollymawks and terns, or "sea swallows." These
latter were beautifully plumaged, Fritz thought, the wings and body
being delicately harmonised in white and pale grey, while tiny black
heads and red beaks and feet, further improved their dainty appearance.
After noticing these new arrivals carefully, although he would not fire
at any of them, thinking it needless destruction to kill any creatures
but such as were required for food or other purposes, such as the seals,
Fritz made after the goats. These, he soon discovered, had removed
themselves, under the leadership of "Kaiser Billy"--as his brother had
christened the big old male which had frightened them both by his shadow
on the cliff--to the further side of the tableland, placing the width of
the plateau between the brothers and themselves.
"Artful old brute!" said Fritz on noticing this.
"Ah, he doesn't intend you to come near him to-day," observed Eric.
"He's too wise to put himself within reach of your rifle."
"Is he?" replied the other, beginning to get vexed, as the goat
dexterously managed to preserve the same distance between them by
shifting round in a sidling fashion as he and Eric advanced. "I tell
you what, laddie, you go round one way, and I shall take the reverse
direction. By that means we will circumvent the cunning old gentleman."
These tactics were adopted; but, by some keen intuitive instinct which
warned him which of the brothers was most to be feared, "Kaiser Billy,"
while allowing Eric many a time to get within range, still carefully
kept out of Fritz's reach!
It was most provoking.
"Hang the old fellow!" cried the elder between his clenched teeth.
"I'll have him yet;" and, thinking to deceive the animal's wariness by
pretending to give up the chase, he sat down in one of the nests of the
albatross, whence he could command a good view around of the several
thickets of grass and brushwood, asking Eric to continue driving the
goats towards him while he lay here concealed.
This Eric did, after first shooting the plumpest-looking of the females,
which had the effect of scaring the rest and making them run in the
direction where Fritz was lying in ambush.
The goats, however, went faster than either of the brothers expected; so
Fritz, seeing them coming out of a clump of brushwood in the distance
just after Eric had brought down his selected victim, immediately
crouched down in his retreat. Hearing soon afterwards, however, the
sound of the animals' hoofs, he was afraid of raising his head to make
an observation as to their whereabouts until they should come closer,
thinking that his sudden appearance might cause them race off again in
another direction and lose him the chance of a shot.
He had not to wait long, for the goats came closer and closer--too
close, indeed, to be pleasant!
"Look out, Fritz! look out, brother! they're right on top of you,"
shouted out Eric from the distance, away behind the flock, now coming up
at a gallop, and still headed by the venerable "Kaiser Billy."
Fritz at once scrambled to his feet, rifle in hand, cocking the weapon
as he rose up; but, at the same instant that he stood on his legs, a
blow like a battering ram struck him in the small of the back, sending
him down flying to the ground again on his face and pitching the cocked
rifle out of his hands.
This was not the end of it, either; for, the weapon went off with a loud
bang as it fell beside him, the bullet penetrating his leg just below
the knee in an upward direction and narrowly escaping his head. As for
"Kaiser Billy," who had butted him as he rose up, and thus did the
damage, he galloped off with a loud "baa" of triumph, as if shouting a
paean of victory.
"Himmel! are you hurt, Fritz?" called out Eric, hastening up on hearing
the report of the rifle. He was alarmed at seeing his brother lying
motionless on the ground.
But, there was no answer; nor did Fritz even move at the sound of his
voice!