The fact that our beloved island was subject to earthquakes disturbed us
considerably. Storms we began to think quite common, hurricanes nothing,
rain but another mode for enjoyment; but to be swallowed up by the
earth, by the very land that had proved a haven to us when storm-beset
and wave-tossed, seemed an infliction not to be got over.
For some time we imagined every noise a rumbling earthquake, the swift
running feet of the children as if the house was coming down, the noisy
thumping of the washing stones as indicative of the rocks falling over
us. This induced us to think, much to Schillie's horror, of seeking a
new abode during the very hot weather on a smooth plain where no rocks
could cover us, nor trees fall on us, though we could not prevent the
earth opening her mouth and swallowing us up.
In one of our exploring parties for this purpose we came upon the site
and signs of an old habitation, evidently having been a substantial and
large dwelling, with remains of garden and palisade. We know not how it
escaped the observation of our kind captain, unless from the fact that
it lay on the open plain, and just before it was a plantation of trees,
so that, unless you walked across the plain, and went behind the trees,
you would see nothing of it; and they being able to see all across,
doubtless thought it labour lost to investigate what seemed open before
them.
Here we fancied had been the lair of the great serpent, from the close
smell and other circumstances about the place; but it was with feelings
rather akin to awe that we investigated a place built by other hands
than our own. Feeling so assured, as we did, that no mortal was on the
island, or apparently had been, but ourselves, we had begun to think
really that it was our own, risen out of the sea for us alone, so that
Schillie was for a time the only one who took a matter-of-fact view of
this appearance to us "Robinson Crusoes" of "Friday's foot." She
declared it had been deserted twenty years and more, and that the roof
was a very bad one at the very beginning of it, and not on such a good
plan as ours; that certainly she descried a new lichen on the walls,
which she went to fetch, and proved herself correct; finally, that there
might be some lock-up place within, giving us a clue to the former
inhabitants. We accordingly searched, and found various articles of
clothing and furniture, evidently of foreign manufacture. Everything was
covered some inches thick with a fine sand, which caused insufferable
choking and sneezing to those who were heedless. It seemed very apparent
that the house had been quitted suddenly, or that something had caused
great disorder and confusion. After wasting a great deal of time,
talking, thinking, and conjecturing, we at last came to the conclusion
that, with some trouble, we might make it a very tidy house, and that we
would proceed systematically to clean it, and make it fit for the use of
such august people as we were; and, being governed by the soul of
honour, every article looking like private property was carefully put
away, in case the real owners should arrive, though there was many a
thing that would have been rather useful to us. Some books in the
Spanish language we kept, as the girls and I thought to amuse ourselves
during the next rainy season in teaching ourselves Spanish. "Mighty
silly," says Schillie, "taking such unnecessary trouble, as who knows
but that there may be nobody to talk to ere long even in English." This
old house was very low, and full of rents and holes; also, we discovered
that, though on a plain, it was so contrived nobody could perceive it
was a habitation unless close to it. From two sides it was quite hidden
by trees, though not close to them, from the third side it looked like
part of the plantation, and from the fourth side it seemed to be part
and parcel of a mound and clump of rocks close by. It had five rooms in
it, two not much bigger than closets. Altogether we agreed our new abode
had not the open, frank, handsome air of our own home, with its
wide-spread doorless entrance, but looked rather like the covered den of
people wishing to keep themselves concealed and out of sight. However,
we used it in all openness and fairness, and whatever might have been
the character of its last inhabitants, we kept open house, never closing
the great iron-plated door or the barred shutters; also, we misdoubted
they could have been good people, as there was nothing feminine to be
found about the place. Nevertheless, we lived in great comfort, and
every evening somebody told a new romance as to what had been the fate
of the lost and gone, until we wove a history about them, equal to any
fairy story ever told, winding up with one from Felix, who, after giving
various touching descriptions as to their numerous qualities and
perfections, declared that they died one by one. "How?" said the little
girls, looking aghast at such an abrupt conclusion. "They disappeared,"
said Felix, "one every night." "But that's no story, how did they
disappear?" "Oh, you must guess, my story is a riddle." So they guessed
and guessed, but, becoming no wiser, they clamourously called on him to
tell. "But if you don't guess," said Felix, "how can I tell, for not one
of them was left alive." "You are a stupid boy," said Lilly, "and tell a
very bad story." "Yours was a much badderer, and you are a stupid girl
not to guess that the big snake eat them all up." "Well done, well
done," said everybody, "a very good idea. I dare say it did happen." So
then we fell upon conjecturing what we should have done to save
ourselves under similar circumstances, which gave rise to so many
bloody-minded schemes and horrible intentions of torture, that no
respectable snake would have ventured near us.