As we emerged from our cabin one morning, we found that the schooner was
standing toward what appeared to be a fleet of vessels at anchor.
"Why, we shall soon be among a whole squadron of buccaneers!" exclaimed
Jerry, in a tone of despair. "We shall be separated, Harry--turned into
cabin boys, and never have a chance of escape. O dear! O dear! My
poor father!--what will he do?"
"Why, Jerry, I am not quite so certain that those are vessels," I
remarked; "just observe them attentively. Hillo! they have disappeared!
Stay, we shall soon rise to the top of the swell again. There they
are! They are as steady as church steeples. Those are not the masts of
vessels. They are cocoa-nut and palm-trees, depend on that. They are
growing on one of those coral islands which abound in these latitudes.
Watch again. On we go." (Here I caught sight of the glittering, white,
sandy beach.) "How the surf breaks on the reef outside it! How bright
and clear it appears, rising out of the deep ocean! How green the
ground looks under those tall trees, and how intensely blue the lagoon
in the centre! It is a lovely-looking spot--quite a fairy land. I hope
that we shall be put on shore there, though I would rather have a few
hills and valleys to diversify the scene, if we are to remain there
long."
While we were talking we were rapidly approaching the coral island. The
doctor joined us, and was watching it also. The schooner stood on, and
we thought she was going to pass it. The doctor, though not less
anxious to leave the vessel than we were, did not appear to agree with
our wish to be set on shore there. "It is dreadfully hot there, without
shelter from sun or wind. There is also but little variety of food; and
green as the ground looks from hence, we should find nothing to be
compared to a green lawn when once we set foot on it," he remarked.
Still Jerry and I were ready enough to run the risk, hoping that, at all
events, we might soon find the means of getting away. When, however, we
had abandoned all hopes of landing there, the schooner was once more
hauled up close to the wind. We found that she had stood on to clear a
reef. She stood in under the lee of the land, and hove-to close to
where an opening appeared in the reef.
Our hearts beat quick, for now we felt certain that something or other
was going to happen, though nobody had said anything to us. It seemed
strange that we could have lived so long surrounded by our
fellow-creatures, and yet so entirely alone. A boat was lowered. A
cask of bread, and another of salted meat, and some hatchets, and a few
old sails, and, indeed, more things than I can here enumerate, were put
into her. The doctor was summoned into the captain's cabin. He
remained a short time, and when he re-appeared he looked happier than he
had done for many days. Jerry and I were then ordered into the boat;
the doctor, to our great satisfaction, followed. Old Surley, as may be
supposed, would not consent willingly to be left behind, and, watching
his opportunity, he sprang in after us, and, as if he thought he might
be carried back again if perceived, immediately hid himself under the
seats between our legs. We were delighted to have the old fellow, and
trembled lest the pirates, among some of whom he was a favourite, might
insist on keeping him. It was with great satisfaction, therefore, that
we found the boat shoved off from the schooner's side.
Four of the pirates formed the crew of the boat, and taking the oars,
they pulled towards the shore. We did not leave the pirate ship with
any regret, though few people would desire to be landed on a desert
island in the middle of the Pacific. Tom Congo, the black cook, was the
only person who wished us good-bye. He was evidently sorry to lose us.
We had no means of showing our gratitude to him, except by a few hurried
words. We saw his good-natured black visage grinning at us over the
bulwarks, as we left the vessel's side. Suddenly he started back.
There was some violent disturbance on deck. Shouts, and cries, and
pistol-shots were heard. The outbreak we had anticipated was taking
place. There was a mutiny. Some of the crew had risen against the
captain; there could be no doubt about that. Some of the men in the
boat wanted to go back to join in the fray, but an old man among them
shook his head and said, "No! Let the fools fight it out. When we go
back we shall know which side to join." The rest saw the worldly wisdom
of the advice, and calming down their eagerness, they pulled on to the
shore.
We quickly passed through the reef, and the boat grounded on the beach,
which we found was composed of broken corals and shells, and rose some
ten feet out of the water. Had it not been for the disturbance on
board, the boat would probably have returned as soon as the stores
intended for our use had been landed; but, as an excuse for remaining,
the crew offered to carry them up to any place we might select under the
trees where to pitch a tent. We selected one to leeward of a heap of
coral, where, several trees also growing close together, some shelter
might be obtained. Near it was a pure spring of water bubbling up
through the hard rock, and flowing into a basin some five feet in
diameter, but of its depth we could not judge. The water was so clear
that, as we looked into it, it appeared but a shallow pool. Jerry,
being very thirsty, stooped down to drink from it, and, baring his arm,
intended to rest his hand at the bottom to support himself while he
stooped over. Down he went on his knees, but he got more water than he
had bargained for. Suddenly over head and heels he went, and was
floundering about in the pool, which must have been nearly three feet
deep. Sad as was our condition, the doctor and I could not help
laughing heartily at his surprised countenance as he popped his head up
again after his summerset, and we assisted to haul him out. Even the
saturnine pirates joined in the laugh. As the sun was very hot, his
clothes quickly again dried, and he was in no way the worse for his
ducking.
Surley had not mended matters by jumping into the pool and swimming
about in its cool waters. As soon as he was out, off he set scampering
about the island, scaring the wild-fowl, whisking his tail, and barking
with delight at finding himself free after his long imprisonment on
board ship. I felt very much inclined to follow his example, and to run
about after him shouting at the top of my voice. I restrained myself,
however, as the state of affairs was too serious to allow me to indulge
in any such exuberance of spirits.
We thanked the pirates, with as good a grace as we could command, for
helping us to carry up the stores. "Oh, no need of thanks, mates," was
the answer. "You won't find it very pleasant here, perhaps; but there's
many an honest fellow worse off than you are, and there are not many who
come aboard us who get away as well as you have done."
We had too much reason to believe this assertion true to hazard a reply.
Perhaps Jerry's tumble into the water had put them in good-humour; but
whatever was the cause, they seemed inclined to help us, and volunteered
to assist in cutting down some trees to build our hut, which the canvas
would make tolerably comfortable. While so employed, however, they kept
looking up constantly towards the schooner.
"I say, Tom, don't you think that there is a chance of her making sail,
and leaving us here?" observed one of them to the old pirate Tom
Roguish.
"No fear of that, mate," answered old Tom, shaking his head. "They know
our value too well to do that. I've watched what has been going on for
some time, and it's my belief Silva's party will find that they have
made a mistake. The captain has been too wide awake to be taken by
surprise, depend on that."
"Hillo! what are they about now?" exclaimed another of the men. The
schooner, which had stood still closer in towards the shore, had lowered
another boat, at the same time firing a gun as a signal to recall the
one which had brought us. We all ran down as fast as we could to the
spot nearest to her, and we could see that several persons were being
lowered into the boat.
"Well, good-bye, mates; a pleasant residence to you," exclaimed old Tom,
insisting on shaking hands with us; and then he and his companions
stepped into the boat and shoved off from the shore. We were not sorry,
however, to see their no very pleasant visages grow less and less
distinct, till they were lost in the distance. They stopped rowing as
they passed the other boat, and exchanging a few words, again pulled on.
We anxiously watched the approach of the other boat, to ascertain what
it contained. One of the chief mates was steering. Silva, also, to our
surprise, was in the boat. His head was bent down, and, from his
attitude, it appeared as if his hands were lashed behind him. But there
were two other people. We looked, and looked again. "Why," exclaimed
Jerry, in a joyful tone, "it's Mr Brand, and no other than Ben Yool!
How fortunate! Now we shall go all right." I at the same time, with no
less surprise and satisfaction, recognised my kind cousin and old Ben.
Mr McRitchie did not appear to be as surprised as we were. He all the
time, we found, had known that they were on board, but had been directed
not to mention it to us. He told us that, as far as he could make out,
Silva had been the means of saving the lives of Cousin Silas and Ben, as
he had saved ours, but that the pirates had kept them below, that they
might not discover whereabout they were landed; and, for the same
reason, had prevented them communicating with us. Silva had another
reason also for consenting to this arrangement, for he was afraid that
their appearance might excite the anger of the pirates, and that they
might perhaps throw us all overboard together. Indeed, it was owing to
a happy combination of circumstances that our lives had been spared by
that gang of bloodthirsty and cruel desperadoes. Even now, we were not
quite certain that they might not take it into their heads to shoot us
all, and we longed to see them making sail and clear away. The
provisions, however, they had left with us, showed that the intentions
of some of them had been kinder than the conduct of the crew in general
would have led us to expect.
The second boat now reached the beach. Silva was assisted out,
apparently suffering much pain, and then Cousin Silas and Ben followed
with their limbs at liberty. We ran forward to welcome them, which we
did most warmly, while they seemed very well pleased to meet us. Poor
Silva was left, wounded as he was, standing on the beach. Some more
casks and several other things were landed from the boat, and then the
crew, without addressing a word to any of us, shoved off as fast as they
could, and pulled back to the schooner.
As soon as the pirates were gone, we went up to Silva and asked him what
had occurred. His rage and indignation, added to the pain he was
suffering, almost prevented him from speaking. "Partly because I did
not like to see so much blood shed, and partly because the captain was
jealous of me, he had, I discovered, resolved to get rid of me," he
replied, stamping on the ground. "I, however, was always on my guard.
Many of the people liked me and trusted me, and I got information of all
he intended to do. He, however, it seems, had his spies, who got into
the confidence of some of my people, and the captain saw that we were
very likely to become the strongest party. Some of his allies took the
occasion of your being put on shore to accuse me of having favoured you
for my own ends. Words quickly led to blows. My friends rallied round
me, but some of those I could best trust were sent away in the boat with
you. The captain's party made a rush forward, and, wounded and
bleeding, I was seized. They would have killed me at once, but my
friends declared that if I was hurt they would blow up the vessel and
all hands together. I doubt if they would have kept their word.
However, the captain agreed to spare my life, and to put me on shore
with you, if they would not create any further disturbance. This they
very quickly agreed to, the cowards, and so, here am I, lately as free
and independent as any of them, left to share the fate of those whose
lives they considered it a great favour to have spared."
"Well, Silva, we will try and make you as comfortable as we can," said
Cousin Silas, taking his arm. "We have a doctor to tend you, which you
would not have had on board; and as we feel fully that through your
influence our lives have been preserved, we will do our best to show our
gratitude." Cousin Silas said this as we were showing the path up to
the spot where we had commenced our hut.
In one corner we quickly made a bed of leaves and dry grass. Over this
we spread a piece of canvas, and thus constructed a very good bed, on
which we placed Silva. Dr McRitchie having examined his wounds, washed
them and bound them up; but he observed that he considered his case
somewhat serious. As soon as this was done, we set to work to cut down
some more trees, so as to increase the dimensions of our habitation. We
were employed for two entire days in building our hut, for we agreed
that, as we might have to remain a considerable time on the island, and
as probably heavy gales might at times prevail, it would be wise to
construct a habitation which could not easily be blown down. To do
this, to every upright post we put another at a considerable angle, and
then secured our canvas tightly down to it. We also beat heavy lumps of
coral tight down round the thick ends of the posts, so that it was
scarcely possible for the wind to drag them out of their holes. We had
been considerately supplied by Silva with a saw, and hammer, and nails,
and other carpenter's tools; and he now most unexpectedly benefited by
his kindness to us, as we were able to put a comfortable shelter over
his head much more rapidly than we could otherwise have done. I need
scarcely say that Cousin Silas took the lead in everything. Indeed, I
suspect, without him we should have managed but badly. Whenever our
spirits flagged, he restored them by his resignation and cheerfulness;
and he reminded us that although we might think our fate a hard one, we
should be most thankful that we had escaped with our lives from the
hands of such bloodthirsty miscreants as Bruno and his associates.
So busy were we at first, that it was some time before we had an
opportunity of inquiring how it was that the pirates had not murdered
him and Ben, when they pulled alongside the schooner. "I believe that
they were so astonished at seeing two strangers on their deck, not
knowing where we had come from, that it did not occur to them to heave
us overboard again. This gave time to Silva, who at once recognised us,
to form a scheme for saving our lives. Going up to us, he welcomed us
as old comrades, hinting that we had some mysterious powers which
enabled us to go about over the ocean wherever we liked, seated on our
cloaks, or in cocoa-nut shells for aught I know. The pirates on hearing
this, received us in a very friendly way, and all of them swore that no
harm should happen to us. However, when we were required to take the
oaths of the fraternity, and steadily refused, some of them began to
suspect that Silva had been deceiving them. Our punt alongside showed
that at all events we had not come on board on our cloaks. However, as
they had sworn no harm should come to us, they kept their word, with the
intention of landing us, as they have done, on this or some other
uninhabited island. After Silva had lost his authority, I suspect that
our treatment would have been very different to what we found it at
first."
"Well, Mr Brand, we are so very glad that you and Ben have escaped.
What should we have done without you?" exclaimed Jerry.