THE DRAGON OFF THE BONINS--A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TOM ROGERS AND ARCHIE
GORDON--GERALD DESMOND ON THE SICK-LIST--THREATENINGS OF A TYPHOON--IT
STRIKES THE SHIP--SHE RUNS BEFORE IT--THE SHIP HOVE TO--THE BOWSPRIT
CARRIED AWAY--A MARINE WILL-O'-THE-WISP--ENTER A BAY IN ONE OF THE BONIN
ISLANDS--TOM, GERALD, AND BILLY GET LEAVE TO VISIT THE SHORE--A
BEAUTIFUL CAVERN--LAND ON THE ISLAND--THEIR DISCOVERIES--FISHING--
INTERRUPTED BY SHARKS--A PICNIC--BOAT DRIFTS AWAY FROM THE SHORE--TOM
SWIMS OFF--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A SHARK--SEE THE SHIP IN THE OFFING--PULL
AFTER HER--A HURRICANE COMING ON--FEARFUL DANGER WHEN RE-ENTERING THE
HARBOUR.
Her Majesty's corvette _Dragon_, lately commanded by our old friend Jack
Rogers, who had been superseded by Commander Rawson, was on her passage
across the wide Pacific, bound for Esquimault harbour, Vancouver's
Island, from Japan, to which she had been sent with despatches.
The wind being fair, the screw was at rest, and she was under all sail,
looking as trim and taunt a little man-of-war as a sailor's heart could
desire. Her stay in Japan had been short, so that no leave had been
granted, and even the officers had seen little of the country and
people; though, as they hoped to return before long, that did not much
matter. As it was of no great importance that the _Dragon_ should soon
get back to Vancouver's Island, Commander Rawson had received directions
to visit the Ladrone Islands, somewhat to the southward of his course,
in order to obtain particulars of an outrage, said to have been
committed on an English subject by some of the mongrel inhabitants of
those islands, which have for some centuries belonged to Spain.
The smooth sea shone brightly in the rays of the sun, undimmed by cloud
or mist. In all directions the snowy wings of sea fowl could be seen,
now dipping towards the ocean, now rising into the blue ether, showing
that land was at no great distance. As the wind was from the northward,
the air was cool, though the shady side of the ship was generally sought
for by the watch on deck, except by a few whose heads seemed impervious
to the hot rays of a tropical sun.
Two midshipmen were slowly pacing the port side of the quarter-deck,
where a few feet of shade afforded them shelter from the heat. The one,
a somewhat short, well-knit lad, with open countenance, well tanned, and
blue laughing eyes, his whole appearance giving promise of strength and
activity; the other, a tall youth with sandy hair, and pleasant features
well freckled. Though tall, he was too well built to be called lanky,
and showed that he possessed both strength and activity.
"I say, Archie, I do envy those fellows of the _Eolus_ going on to
China; they will see all sorts of fun, for the Celestials are sure not
to give in in a hurry. The _Eoluses_ will have the same sort of work
that my brother Jack and your cousin Murray went through in the last
Chinese war, when they were midshipmen."
The speaker was Tom Rogers, the youngest brother of Captain Jack Rogers;
his companion was Archie Gordon, Captain Alick Murray's cousin.
"Gerald was dreadfully cut up at not being able to remain on board the
_Eolus_, and having instead to come back with us to return home; but
Captain Adair's letter was peremptory, and, as the newspapers say, I
hope that he will hear of something to his advantage. Gerald would have
been better pleased had his uncle let him know why he was sent for."
"He has no great cause to complain, seeing that the climate of China is
none of the most delectable, and he would have run the risk of being
shot into the bargain," observed Archie. "I wish that I had the chance
of going home, and finding myself the possessor of a tidy fortune with a
title."
"But then there's the honour and glory, and the fun, and the pig-tails
to be captured, and the loot, and the chance of serving in a naval
brigade and seeing some work on shore, just as the _Shannon's_ people
did in India, with a fair prospect of promotion at the end of it."
"If a body happens not to be shot, ye ken," observed Archie, who, though
every bit as eager as Tom for the sort of work he described, took a
pleasure in differing in opinion from him whenever he could.
"We will not, however, bother poor Desmond about the subject until he is
well again," said Tom. "I really believe that he fell sick through
vexation, though he was happy enough to be with us once more."
"He is much better to-day," remarked Archie, "and I hope by to-morrow
that the doctor will let him come on deck again, although he may not be
fit for duty for a day or two more."
Mr Mildmay, the first lieutenant, who was officer of the watch, paced
the deck, spyglass in hand, now and then going on to the bridge and
sweeping the horizon with his glass, while he frequently called to the
look-outs on the forecastle and fore-yardarm to keep their eyes open.
Jos Green, the master, was also continually there, or else consulting
the chart in his cabin, for that part of the ocean was comparatively
little known, and cruel reefs might exist, not marked down.
"The first lieutenant and the master seem very fidgety," remarked Tom.
"So would we be, I suspect, if the responsibility of navigating the ship
rested with us," answered Archie. "After all, no one suffers by being
sufficiently careful; that's the rule my cousin gave me when I first
came to sea."
"And a very good rule it is, too, no doubt about that," observed Tom.
"My brother Jack is as careful of his ship, and everything connected
with her, as an old lady is of her best silk gown on a Sunday morning,
though any one, to hear him talk, would suppose that he was the most
harum-scarum fellow alive, always excepting his old shipmate, Captain
Adair. He is, however, staid and steady enough in reality. I was very
glad to hear that he got his post rank at the same time as my brother
Jack did; and now the three old messmates, as they delight to call
themselves, are post-captains, and will some day, I hope, be admirals.
I wish, however, that they had not to wait so long. Your grave cousin
Murray is as fit to be an admiral now as he will be twenty years hence,
and, unless not a few fine fellows die off, it will take the best part
of that time for any of them to get their flag."
"It is encouragement for us, though," observed Archie; "for if they have
all been posted without any great amount of interest, we may hope to get
promoted in consequence of our good conduct."
"Yes, but then remember that they have seen a great deal of service, and
should the piping times of peace return, we may find it a hard matter to
get employed and be able to exhibit our good conduct."
"Weel, mon, we'll hope for the best, and may be some other nation will
kindly think fit to come to fisticuffs with old England, and give us
something to do," said Archie.
"There's every chance of that, I should think," said Tom. Just then
seven bells struck in the afternoon watch. "I'll go and see how Gerald
is getting on, before I have to come on deck again; it's dull work for
him lying all by himself."
Tom found his old messmate, whose cot was slung a little way outside the
berth, so that he might have the advantage of the air coming down the
after-hatchway, sucking lustily at an orange which he grasped in one
hand, while he held a book in the other. He was so absorbed in its
perusal that he did not notice Tom. Suddenly he burst into a loud fit
of laughter.
"Capital fun; I should have liked to have seen it!" he exclaimed;
"soused over head and ears a second time. Ah, ah, ah!"
"What's the joke?" asked Tom.
"I've just got to where old Peregrine Wiffle tumbles into the water a
second time, when he is showing how he saw the small fish playing under
the wharf, and was picked up with a boat-hook." Tom and Gerald had a
good laugh together.
"You don't seem very bad," observed Tom.
"No; the fever, or whatever it was, that had got hold of me, has cut its
stick, though I don't feel quite as nimble as I ought to be," answered
Gerald. "I believe that the disappointment of not going to China, and
the thinking over what my uncle Terence can want me home for, had more
to do with it than the climate, the hot sun, or anything else, and I
intend to ask the doctor to let me go on deck to-morrow, by which time I
shall have finished my book, and I want to have a look at any of the
islands we may happen to pass. There are some curious shaped ones, I am
told."
"Yes; we have sighted some. One seemed to rise three or four hundred
feet in a pointed peak, right out of the water, and it was not, I should
say, an eighth of a mile in circumference. It is marked on the chart as
Lot's wife. A solitary existence she must lead all by herself."
"Whereabouts are we?" asked Desmond.
"At noon, when we were passing that curious rock, our latitude was 29
degrees north, and our longitude 14 degrees east. We shall next sight
the Bonin Islands, or Rosario, which is another lofty island, little
more than a rock, standing up out of the sea."
"Do ask the doctor if I may get up, Tom; I should be sorry to pass these
places without having a look at them," exclaimed Desmond. "I can finish
my book by-and-by."
Just then the officer spoken of, Mr Hussey, came out from the gun-room.
He was a short, somewhat stout gentleman, with a good-natured
expression of countenance, and a merry twinkle in the eye, which showed
that he could enjoy a joke, and was likely to utter many a one himself.
His naturally florid complexion was deepened into a still more ruddy hue
by exposure to the hot suns of the tropics.
"Do, doctor, let me get up; your physic has done me an immense deal of
good, and I feel quite well already," said Desmond.
The doctor felt his pulse. "You get up!" he exclaimed. "What do you
think yourself made of?" trying to look grave.
"Arrah, shure, sugar and spice and all that's nice! that's what
midshipmen are made of. But shure, doctor dear, you will not keep me
here, stewing by myself, when I might be enjoying the pure air of
heaven?--for I really am well, doctor."
"You mean to say that you have finished your book, and have got tired of
lying in bed," was the reply. "Well, if you promise to be a good boy
and keep in the shade, you may dress and go on deck, but I cannot
undertake to scratch you off the sick-list yet."
"Thank you, sir," said Desmond; "I will do everything you tell me, and
take as much medicine as you think fit to prescribe. I do not want to
do duty yet, as I've got a hundred pages more of `Tom Cringle's Log' to
read, and I cannot gallop over a book as some people do."
"Well, well, possibly the ship may manage to take care of itself without
you," said the doctor, as he passed on.
Whereupon Desmond began to put on his clothes, a task which he
accomplished with Tom's assistance. He felt himself, however, much
weaker than he had expected, as he made his way upon deck, though he
tried hard to show that he was himself again. He received a friendly
greeting from his messmates, and Mr Mildmay congratulated him on being
able once more to make his appearance.
There was plenty to amuse those who had a taste for natural history even
when no land was in sight, and the doctor, who was a great naturalist,
was constantly on the _qui vive_, for the sea teemed with squid,
medusae, polypi, and flying-fish. Several of the latter came through
the ports, when there was a general scramble for them, the midshipmen,
who were on the watch and the most active, coming in for the largest
share. A short time afterwards the unhappy fish made an appearance,
well fried, on their mess-table. Whales, too, were sporting in all
directions, tempted to the locality by the abundance of food which the
before-named creatures afforded. Several old whalers among the crew
could scarcely restrain their impatience, and, could they have obtained
leave, would have gone off with such gear as they could have prepared to
attack the monsters of the deep.
Since the _Dragon_ had left Japan, the weather had been remarkably fine,
with calms and light winds. But the calms lasted scarcely long enough
to have the fires lighted before the ship was again under sail. That
evening, however, a long heavy swell began to come from the north-east;
the undulations rapidly increasing in size, making the ship roll from
side to side, until her chains touched the water. Desmond, in common
with two or three of his messmates, and most of the ship's boys and
marines, began to feel very uncomfortable.
"What's going to happen?" he asked; "I'm mighty quare about the region
of the stomach."
"I suppose we are going to have a gale of wind, as a change," answered
Tom, who had never been ill since he first came to sea. "We shall have
to shorten sail, I've a notion, before long, to be prepared for
blustering Boreas, when he thinks fit to visit us."
The whole appearance of the sky and sea quickly changed. The wildfowl,
which had been hovering around the ship, winged their flight to the
nearest islands where shelter could be found. The atmosphere was
pervaded with a peculiar glare by the rays of the sun coming through the
clouds of a dull ochreous red, giving the ocean, the ship, her canvas
and sides, the same unnatural tint.
As the summits of the swells, till now as smooth as glass, rose higher
and higher, they formed crests of foam, which sparkled in the ruddy
light, like masses of jewels. Hitherto there had not been sufficient
wind to steady the ship as she made her way amid the heaving billows.
Mr Jay, the second lieutenant, was now the officer of the watch; he
made a sign to Tom.
"Rogers," he said, "go and tell the commander that the weather is
getting much worse."
"Be quick about it, too," exclaimed Green; "there is no time to lose."
Commander Rawson was quickly on deck. After taking a rapid glance
round, he shouted out, "All hands shorten sail."
The watch below came tumbling up on deck. The topsails were lowered,
and the topmen, like bees, swiftly swarmed aloft, laying out on the
yardarms.
"Hold on by your teeth and eyelids, Billy," said Tom to his old friend
Billy Blueblazes, as he sprang up to his station in the main-top. The
canvas was speedily reduced to closely-reefed fore and main-topsails and
fore-staysail. It was hard work to hold on, for the ship rolled even
more violently than before. The wind, however, did not come as soon as
was expected, but it was impossible to say at what moment it might
strike her. That it would come with no ordinary strength, and without
further warning, there was every reason to believe.
The crew, having performed their task, were called down on deck. There
was something in the appearance of the sea and sky, and the heaviness of
the atmosphere, which made even the toughest old seaman feel an
extraordinary depression of spirits, though he might not have suspected
the cause.
"Faith! I'm sorry I did not remain quietly in my cot," said Desmond;
"it seems to me as if the world were coming to an end. I should not be
surprised to see flames spouting up out of the sea. It looks as if some
big fires were burning away under it."
"Don't you ken, Gerald, that the water would be putting the fire out,"
observed Archie; "though from the appearance of some of those islands
there has been fire enough below them at one time or other. They have
all been raised up out of the ocean by volcanic agency."
"I am not disposed to dispute the truth of your remark," said Desmond;
"I only wish the sea would get quiet, and let us glide comfortably over
it, instead of kicking up such a disturbance."
While the midshipmen were speaking, the ship had continued her uneasy
course, slowly rising to the summit of a huge billow and then gliding
down into the deep trough.
Suddenly a loud roar was heard, and it seemed as if some mighty monster
of the deep had struck a prodigious blow on the side of the ship. Over
she heeled until the water rushed in at her lee ports.
"Up with the helm. Furl the main-topsail. Take another reef in the
fore-topsail. We must run before it," cried the commander, hoping to
steer clear of any islands or reefs which might be ahead.
The ship quickly rose to an even keel, and dashed forward amid the
foaming seas, rolling, however, even more violently than before. So
rapidly did the waves follow, that many struck her stern; not, however,
before her dead lights had been closed. So tremendous were some of the
blows, that it seemed as if her masts would be shaken out of her. The
doctor and purser, who were sitting in the gun room, were thrown off
their seats sprawling under the table, fully believing that the ship had
struck a rock, and that all hands would soon be struggling for their
lives.
As soon as things could be got to rights, Tom helped Desmond below, and
he was glad enough to again turn into his hammock, which he had before
been so anxious to quit.
"Shure we have got Harry Cane aboard of us, Mr Rogers," observed Tim
Nolan, who was in Tom's watch, and took the liberty of an old shipmate
to address his officer with a freedom on which others would not have
ventured. They were both stationed together on the forecastle, looking
out ahead.
"I wish that the gentleman would be good enough to take himself off,
then," answered Tom, "or he may be playing us a scurvy trick, by sending
our craft on some of the ugly reefs which abound hereabouts."
"We'll be after keeping a bright look-out for that, sir," said Tim.
"We may be on a reef before we can see it," observed Tom. "For my part,
if I did not believe that Providence was steering us, I should not be at
all comfortable."
The ship continued to drive on before the gale. The second lieutenant
came forward, but he had to confess that his eyes were of little value
to pierce the dark gloom ahead. The foam-crested waves could alone be
seen, rapidly rising and falling. Tom's eyes ached. He was not sorry
when he was relieved. Still, neither he nor any one else felt inclined
to go below; no one could tell what might happen. The thick clouds hung
down like a dark canopy, apparently just above the masts' heads. The
thunder, which had been rumbling in the distance, now began to roar
loudly, while flashes of forked lightning came zig-zagging through the
air, threatening every instant to strike the ship. But, though they
played round on all sides, none touched her. The commander had ordered
the fires to be got up, so that the ship might be under steam, ready for
any emergency.
Hour after hour the typhoon continued to howl even more fiercely than at
first. Frequently a blast would strike the ship, making her tremble as
if some solid mass had been hurled against her. Then there would come a
lull for a few seconds, then another blast would suddenly strike her in
a way that made every plank shake throughout her frame. Even the most
hardy on board wished for day. The morning light brought no abatement
of the gale.
Onward went the ship, now plunging into a vast hollow, which threatened
to engulf her; now she rose rapidly to the top of another sea, while on
either side they appeared to be vying with each other, which could leap
the highest and accomplish her destruction.
The officers were gathered aft, the men in the waist, holding on firmly
to the stanchions, or anything to which they could secure themselves.
Each time that the ship plunged her head into the seas, the masts bent,
as if every moment they would go by the board. At length a lull came,
and the commander, having consulted with Green, fearing dangers ahead,
determined to bring the ship to, an operation attended by considerable
risk, as a sea striking her at the moment might sweep her deck. A
favourable opportunity was waited for. The crew stood ready to lower
the fore-topsail and hoist the main-topsail, which had been closely
reefed. Both tasks were accomplished; the officers were anxiously
watching the seas as the ship rode over them, but happily she was safely
rounded to, and now lay with her main-topsail to the mast, though
scarcely had she got into that position, than a fierce foam-crested sea,
roaring up, struck her bows and deluged her decks, but shaking herself
clear, like a thing of life, she sprang forward, while the water rushed
through the ports. The lull continued, and many hoped that the gale was
breaking; but in less than an hour another furious squall struck the
ship, and nearly laid her over on her beam ends. Once more she rose,
her stout canvas having stood the severe trial to which it had been put,
and she rode with comparative ease for a few minutes.
The seas, however, seemed to become more broken than ever. A prodigious
one came roaring towards the weather bow. The _Dragon_ appeared to see
her danger, and struggled to avoid it, but the next instant she pitched
headlong into a deep hollow, when another monstrous wave, rising
apparently half as high as the foretop, fell completely down on her
deck. For a few seconds, her commander and his officers feared that she
would never again rise. No orders could be issued, and nothing could be
done. The crew stood silently at their stations, not uttering a word,
or showing that they felt the fearful predicament in which they were
placed.
The ship remained, as it were, fixed in the sea; then with a sudden jerk
she burst her way through it, but her stout bowsprit was broken short
off, and the next sea threw the wreck of it across the forecastle. The
commander's voice was now heard in tones vying with the howling of the
gale. The crew, obedient to his orders, rushed forward to secure the
bowsprit with lashings; while the boatswain, with another gang, lost not
a moment in setting up fresh stays, to prevent the foremast being
carried away.
This, with the loss of one of the boats, and the forepart of the
bulwarks stove in, were the chief damages hitherto received by the
_Dragon_ during the gale. It was not over, however. Again the sun set,
and the wind continued to rage with unabated fury. The watch below had
been ordered to turn in, but few of the officers had done so, and,
though tired out, still remained on deck. Tom and Archie were standing
aft, close together, when the latter suddenly grasped Tom by the arm.
"Oh, mon! what's that?" he exclaimed, pointing to the main-topmast head,
which appeared crowned by a ball of pale fire.
"It has a curious appearance; though I never saw it before, my brother
Jack has told me about it. It is a sort of Jack-o'-lantern, or
Will-o'-the-wisp, or, as Gerald once called it, `Saint Vitus' dance.' I
believe he meant to say Saint Elmo's fire."
While the midshipmen were gazing up, the flame descended rapidly down
the mast, running first along the main topgallant yardarm, then
returning, down it came, to the main-topsail yard, where it glided out
to the extreme end. Here it rested for some seconds, as if it had not
made up its mind what next to do. Presently back it came to the mast,
and darted out to the lee yardarm. It had not yet finished its journey.
Once more gliding back, it ascended the mast, when it made its way by
the main-topmast stay, on to the foremast and there went gliding
backwards and forwards along the yard.
"I wish it would come down on deck, and then we might have a chance of
catching it," said Tom. "I have read somewhere that a man going aloft
with a bucket, clapped it over the light, and brought it down a
prisoner. It is a sort of gas which is driven about through the air
until it finds something to rest on. Why it goes moving up and down in
that curious way I don't know, nor does anybody else, I believe. I wish
the doctor were on deck,--he would tell us."
"Shall I call him?" asked Archie.
"I don't think he would thank you," said Tom. "Let him rest in quiet;
perhaps before he can get on his clothes the fire will have
disappeared."
Tom was right. In another minute the luminous ball, gathering itself
into a point, shot upwards and vanished.
"That's a good sign," they heard Green observe to the first lieutenant;
"we shall have the gale breaking before long."
Before the watch was out the hurricane had sensibly decreased, showing
that the master was right in his prognostication. The sea continued,
however, to tumble the ship about terribly until the morning dawned,
when the clouds began to disperse, and as the sun rose they appeared to
fly before his burning rays. By noon the sky was perfectly clear, when,
an observation having been taken, the commander determined to run under
the lee of one of the Bonin Islands, which were sighted shortly
afterwards. Steam had been got up, and the vessel made rapid way,
though she continued to roll considerably, moved by the now glass-like
swell, which still came in from the north-east, showing that, although a
calm rested on the waters where she was, a storm raged in another part
of the ocean.
Several islands were now seen rising out of the water on the port bow,
and as the _Dragon_ drew near trees could be distinguished on the hills,
showing that they were not as barren as they appeared to be at a
distance. Rounding the southern end of one of them, she went on at half
speed, feeling her way with the lead until she opened a sheltered bay
between two high projecting points. Running in she brought up within a
quarter of a mile from the shore in perfectly still water. Everybody
was glad enough to be at rest after the tumbling about they had had
during the last few days. They were not allowed, however, to enjoy many
minutes' quiet; all hands were speedily set to work to repair damages.
"We should be thankful that we have escaped so easily," observed Archie
Gordon, who had been surveying the shore through his telescope. "Look
there, Tom, at those tall trees stretched on the ground with their roots
in the air; it must have taken a pretty hard blow to break them down. I
can see some stumps sticking up, showing that others have been snapped
off by the wind. It is a mercy that we weathered it out as well as we
did."
Tom took the glass. "I should have been sorry to have been under them,"
he answered, "and I only hope that no poor fellows were living on shore,
or they would have run great risk of being crushed. It makes me think
of the old song--
"`A strong nor'-wester's blowing, Bill;
Hark I don't ye hear it roar now?
Lord help 'em, how I pities them
Unhappy folks on shore now!'
"I hope the commander will let us take a run on shore, however, before
we sail."
In the course of a couple of days the repairs were nearly finished, but
as there was a good deal of painting to be done, the commander resolved
to remain at anchor another day. Green and the second lieutenant had
been employed during the time in surveying the island, but their surveys
were not complete.
"I say, Gerald, we must get our trip some way or other," said Tom to
Desmond. "You'd be the better for a run ashore, and I'm sure, if you
suggested the idea to the doctor, he will say so, and get Mr Mildmay to
let us have a boat."
Gerald followed Tom's advice.
"Of course, my boy," answered the good-natured doctor; "if you find
anything curious, remember to bring it off for me."
"That I will, sir," said Tom.
The doctor having spoken to the first lieutenant, Tom went up boldly and
asked for the use of the jolly-boat.
"You can have her; but remember you must be on board again in good
time," answered Mr Mildmay.
Tom and his party were quickly ready, carrying some fishing-lines, as
well as some baskets to bring off any wild fruit they might happen to
find. Tom and Gerald were below making their preparations, when Billy
Blueblazes came out of the gun-room.
"Holloa!" he exclaimed; "I've got leave to go with you. I suppose
you'll take some grub?"
"We'll be afther finding that on shore," answered Desmond; "game, or
fish, and fruit. I propose we carry a couple of muskets; we shall be
sure to find something or other."
"Elephants or rhinoceroses," suggested Billy.
"Not quite such big beasts as they are," answered Tom. "We should find
them rather too cumbrous to stow away in our game-bags."
"But we'll take some bread, and rum, and some cold beef--they are not
likely to grow on the island, at all events; or potatoes either, or a
pot to boil them in," remarked Desmond.
The articles they fancied would be required were quickly collected.
"Shure, if we haven't forgotten the powder and shot!" exclaimed Desmond,
as they were committing the things to the charge of Tim Nolan, who was
to accompany them, that he might stow them away in the boat. Pat Casey,
the other Irishman who had been saved from the savages, with Jerry Bird,
formed the crew of the boat. Bird and Nolan were tried, steady men.
Casey, who was accustomed to a savage life, might be useful in searching
for fruits or any animals which might be found in the island. He was
also a first-rate fisherman, having had plenty of experience during his
residence with the Indians.
The party shoved off soon after the second lieutenant and master had
left the ship.
"The only thing I'm sorry for is that Archie is not with us," said Tom.
"However, we are sure to have plenty of fun of some sort or other."
At the further end of the bay was a small piece of sandy beach, towards
which Tom steered the boat. As there was no surf, they ran her up on
it, and stepped out without difficulty. A nearer acquaintance, however,
showed them that the country was not of so tempting a character as they
had at first supposed. There were a few trees close to the beach, some
of which had been broken in two by the storm, and now lay prostrate on
the ground. Even larger trees, a species of mahogany, lay uprooted in
all directions, so that they found it very difficult to make their way
among them. Still, by dint of climbing over the fallen trunks, and
cutting a road through the brushwood, they had made some progress, when
they discovered a circle of rocky hills, in many places almost
precipitous. It seemed almost hopeless to attempt climbing over them,
especially as Desmond acknowledged that he "did not feel very well up to
that sort of work," and they would have had likewise to carry their
muskets, provisions and cooking utensils.
"As we have not much time to lose, I propose that we go back to the
boat, and try and find another landing-place further along the coast,"
said Tom.
His plan was agreed to; and launching the boat, they again took to their
oars. After rounding a rocky point, which formed the eastern side of
the bay, they pulled along for some distance in the hopes of finding
another landing-place, from whence they could make their way into the
interior. As there was no surf, and the sea was perfectly smooth, they
kept close in with the land. In many places high cliffs rose
precipitously out of the water. As they pulled along at the foot of one
of these cliffs, Tom shouted out--
"Holloa! there's a big cavern directly ahead of us; the water seems to
run right up into it, and I should not be surprised if we could get up
some distance in the boat."
They stopped rowing, to survey the mouth of the cavern. It appeared to
be upwards of thirty feet in height and almost of the same width.
Everybody, of course, was eager to explore the cavern; and rowing
gently, that no risk might be run of knocking the bows of the boat
against a rock, they made their way into the cavern. By just keeping
the oars moving, the boat glided on. Ahead, all was darkness, so that
it was impossible to ascertain how far the cave penetrated into the
land. As soon as their eyes got accustomed to the subdued light which
existed at a distance of thirty or forty feet from the entrance, the
beauties of the grotto began to dawn on their sight. Glittering
stalactites, of a thousand fantastic forms, hung down from the high and
vaulted roof, while at either side appeared columns and arches like
those of some ancient temple, tinted with numberless delicate hues, the
extreme points of the stalactites glittering like bright gems as they
were reached by the reflected rays of the sun, which penetrated far down
into the depths beneath, illuminating every object below its glassy
surface. So beautifully clear was the water, that when the party in the
boat looked over the sides, they could see right down to the bottom of
the cavern, which appeared to consist of masses of rock, forming caves
and hollows, covered with the richest marine vegetation. Here were
corals of various tints, blue and yellow, red and white: amid them the
ocean fan expanded its vast leaves; from the lowest depths sprang up the
sea-green stems of the fucus, twining round columns which sank far down,
and afforded them support. Here feathery tufts of green vegetables
floated upwards in the clear water, while others of various strange
shapes and hues formed recesses and arches, twisted and knotted in a
variety of ways. Fish, of varied forms and brilliant colours, darted in
and out among the openings, some rising close up to the boat, as if
curious to ascertain the character of the visitors to their submarine
palace.
"I wish the doctor were here to tell us their names," exclaimed Tom.
"Look there, at those odd creatures. What can they be?" The fish at
which he pointed were flat, of an oval form, and of a rich silvery
colour, delicately striped downwards with azure bands. They swam in a
perpendicular position, aided by two long and slender fins, one curving
upwards from the back, of a considerable length, and the other curving
downwards from the opposite side. There were many others differing in
form, but all of the most beautiful colours, darting and gliding in and
out, but, being apparently of a less curious or more timid disposition
than those which had excited Tom's astonishment, did not venture near
the boat. There were cray-fish, too, of large size, and enormous crabs,
and star-fish, and sea-urchins, and bivalves of various sorts clinging
to the rocks, with open mouths, to catch any unwary creatures coming
within their reach.
After enjoying the scene for some time, by giving a few strokes with
their oars the midshipmen allowed the boat to proceed further up the
cavern. Most of the party were hanging over the water with their noses
just above the surface, some with their hands trying to catch any of the
fish which might venture near, when a cry from Tim made them spring up.
"Shure, he'll be afther catching some of us, if we don't look out,"
exclaimed the Irishman, and at that moment they saw rising out of the
far depths of the cavern an enormous shark, his eyes glaring like two
glowing coals, as with open jaws he came nearer and nearer the boat.
"He'll be after swallowing the whole of us," cried Tim. "Back water!
back water!" To the Irishman the shark probably appeared much larger
than it really was.
"He won't do us any harm; but just keep the oars out of the water," said
Tom, who was, of course, obeyed, and the shark glided alongside the
boat, which he kept eyeing with suspicious glances.
"Would you be afther wishing to have one of us?" asked Desmond. "Then I
hope you'll be mistaken; unless, Billy, you wish to be kind to the
baste, and let him have your arm as a treat."
"Thank you," said Billy; "I'd rather not. It wouldn't give him much
trouble to bite it off, though."
"We must not be disappointed in our expectation of exploring the cavern
by a brute like that," exclaimed Tom. "Hand me the boat-hook."
Standing up, he struck the point with all his might against the nose of
the monster, which at that instant sank with a suddenness which made Tom
lose his balance, and had not Desmond and Billy seized him he would have
been overboard.
"He's more afraid of us than we are of him," said Tom. "Now let us get
as far up the cavern as we can."
They pulled cautiously on, Tim standing up in the bows, and feeling
ahead with the boat-hook. The mouth of the cavern seemed to grow
smaller and smaller, until only a point of light remained. Suddenly Pat
Casey, who was pulling with Jerry Bird, declared that he felt something
seize the blade of his oar.
"It's the shark, perhaps," said Tom. "We have the muskets ready. I'll
give him a shot, and that will make him keep his distance. Wait until
he tries it again."
Tom took the musket, and stood up ready to fire.
"There! he's got my oar in his jaws," cried Pat.
Tom fired. The flash revealed for an instant the sides and roof of the
cavern, which seemed to glitter as if studded with thousands of jewels,
while ahead all was pitchy darkness, showing that they had not yet got
to the extremity. The sound of the report, greatly increased in
loudness, went echoing amid the arches and pillars, until it died away
in the far distance, proving the great extent of the cavern.
Whether the shark was hit or not, it was impossible to say; but the
bullet tore off the point of Pat's oar, showing that Tom had taken good
aim.
Jerry Bird now suggested to the midshipmen that it would be prudent to
pull back, as without torches they could not see where they were going.
There might be, for what they could tell to the contrary, some big sea
monster squatting up at the further end, who might crunch them up
without ceremony.
Though Tom had no apprehensions on that score, he agreed to return,
proposing, should the _Dragon_ remain at anchor another day, to explore
the cave with a supply of torches. The boat was accordingly cautiously
pulled round, and made her way towards the mouth. It was curious to
watch the arch growing higher and higher, and the light gradually
increasing. They had almost reached the entrance, when, on either side,
not one, but several sharks, came gliding up. One, bolder and bigger
than the rest, seized the blade of an oar, crunching off the end; and
the other men had to keep a watchful eye to save theirs from being
destroyed. Tom fired the other musket, and declared that the bullet
went through the shark's head. As the monster did not appear the worse
for it, Desmond and Billy doubted the fact. Not until Tom had fired
several times, and the boat had got to a considerable distance from the
cavern, did the sharks leave her.
"There's one thing certain: that's not a place to bathe in, nor would it
be pleasant to tumble overboard hereabouts," observed Tom, gravely. "I
never can see those black monsters, with their wicked eyes, floating
near and looking up at one, without feeling uncomfortable."
They had to row farther than they expected. At last they saw a narrow
opening in a reef of rocks, within which they made out a small bay, with
a sandy shore, where they could land with ease and draw up the boat.
The country beyond, too, looked far more tempting than they had yet
seen. The water in the passage was deep, so that they had no difficulty
in making their way into the bay. As yet they had seen nothing of the
second lieutenant's and the master's boats, which, supposing the island
to be of small size, they had expected to meet coming round from the
opposite side.
"We shall probably see them if we cut directly across the island,"
observed Tom.
They were not disappointed in the bay. The beach was exactly what they
wished for. They hauled the boat up, and agreed that she could be left
without danger.
"But I hope you fellows are not going to begin a long march without some
food," observed Billy, who was noted for his excellent appetite. "We
have no game, nor have we caught any fish. It's lucky that we brought
some food, as I advised."
Wood was collected, and a fire quickly made. As they had brought cold
meat and bread with them, they had only their potatoes to cook. This
operation was superintended by Tim, while the rest of the party searched
for any other productions of the island which might add to their repast.
They had not gone far when Tom exclaimed--
"Why, there are some cocoa-nut trees, and very fine ones, too. I
thought there were none on the island."
"They are cocoa-nut trees, sure enough," said Desmond, "and with
cocoa-nuts growing on them. How to get them down is the question, for
the stems are too stout to allow us to swarm up."
"`Where there's a will there's a way'; up we must climb, some way or
other," said Tom, who never liked to be beaten.
On reaching the spot, they found not only cocoa-nut trees, but yams and
bananas, covering the ground in the wildest profusion, the latter
climbing up the surrounding branches, from which the ripe fruit hung
temptingly down.
On examining further, they discovered the remains of a fence, showing
that the ground had been enclosed, for the purpose of forming a garden,
at some probably distant period.
"Bless the man whoever planted these," said Jerry Bird; "he had a
thought for any poor fellows who might be wrecked here some day or
other. If others would do the same at all the desert islands they
visit, the lives of many castaway seamen might be saved."
The yams, from growing wild, were not likely to be worth much, but the
bananas, notwithstanding the latitude, appeared to be very fine. In
vain, however, they gazed up at the cocoa-nuts. Jerry, though an active
man, vowed that he could not attempt to reach the top unless they could
get a rope over one of the branches. While they were discussing the
matter, Pat Casey, who had been helping Tim, came up, having also caught
sight of the cocoa-nut trees from a distance.
"Bedad, I'll be afther doing it," he exclaimed; and running back to the
boat, he returned with three or four fathoms of rope. This he twisted
into a huge grummet round the tree, leaving space enough for his own
body to get in also. Then slipping it behind his waist, he began to
swarm up, shoving the rope on the opposite side of the tree each time he
moved on, as high as his shoulders. In a wonderfully short time he
reached the top of the tree.
"Stand from under," he shouted out, as he threw down a cocoa-nut, which
very nearly hit Billy, who had not attended to his warning. Several
cocoa-nuts split by their fall, but Billy, rushing forward, seized one
of them before all the milk had run out. This example was followed by
the rest: Seeing this, Pat secured several about his neck, and then
getting into his grummet he descended. That one tree gave them as many
nuts as they could require.
"We ought not to take more than we want," said Tom; "though before we
shove off, we will get a supply for the ship."
Tim now shouted out that the "taters" were cooked, and returning to the
camp-fire, the party enjoyed a very satisfactory repast with the aid of
the bananas and cocoa-nuts. After this they made their way for some
distance inland, passing large forests of tamanas, or mahogany trees,
which appeared to cover the greater part of the island. Excepting in
the deserted plantation, they could discover no other fruit-bearing
trees or roots, but they observed traces of some wild animals, which Pat
asserted must be hogs.
As there was some risk of losing themselves, and there was nothing to
induce them to continue their ramble, they returned to the boat.
Desmond, seconded by Billy, now proposed that they should set to work to
fish, that they might carry a supply with them on board.
Tom agreed, and Pat having collected a quantity of crabs which he found
among the rocks, to serve as bait, they once more embarked. They pulled
out towards the mouth of the bay, just inside of a high reef, which
completely shut out the sea from their view. Here, so clear was the
water, that although fully three fathoms deep, the bottom could be
clearly seen, covered with masses of coloured coral and sea-weeds of
various shades and tints. Amid them they observed beautiful fish of all
sizes and tints, gliding in all directions, now disappearing under some
cavern, now darting again into sight.
"As the creatures can see us and our lines, we shall have no chance of
catching any," said Tom.
"Just try, your honour," exclaimed Pat; "they're mighty hungry bastes,
and not accustomed to the look of white faces, so that they will not
know what we're afther."
The hooks were accordingly baited with crabs, and scarcely was the first
line let down than a big fish caught it, and was immediately hauled up.
"I told you so," cried Pat exultingly; "we shall have as many as we like
to catch."
All were now eager to get their lines overboard, and no sooner had the
hooks sunk towards the bottom than the fish, attracted by the tempting
bait, dashed forward and seized them.
"We'll mighty soon have a boat load," exclaimed Pat, as fish after fish
was hauled in.
Suddenly a change came over the scene. From out of a cavern, far down
below the reef, a huge form appeared, very similar to the monster which
had attacked the boat in the stalactite cave. Rapidly and noiselessly
it glided up, and before Billy, who just then felt a bite, saw its
approach, it had seized the fish which had bitten at his hook. Billy
gave a pull, expecting to haul up his fish, and very nearly got his
fingers cut through by his line, as the shark, finding something
tickling his throat, darted off with it. Bird, seeing what had
happened, cut the line, and away dashed the shark. The monster had put
the other fish to flight, and it was some time before they returned.
Scarcely had they assembled, and a few more had been caught, than, other
sharks appearing, the lines were immediately drawn up, to save them from
the fate Billy's had met with. As these pirates of the deep appeared,
the smaller fish darted off in all directions.
"Shure, it matters very little to them whether they are caught by one of
us or by those black brutes, excepting for the honour of the thing, and
the pleasure of tasting a crab's leg before they die," observed Desmond.
These interruptions prevented the party taking note of time. They had
got no small number of fish, still they were eager to catch a boat load;
and Tom, who ought to have looked at his watch, forgot to do so.
Thus hour after hour passed by, until they all began to get hungry, when
Desmond proposed going on shore and cooking some of their fish. The
idea was too good a one to meet with dissenting voices; and returning to
the beach, they quickly made up their fire, the embers of which had
remained burning, and soon had three or four fine fish roasting on
sticks round it, under the superintendence of Pat Casey. So busy were
they with this interesting occupation, that no one had observed the
changed appearance of the sky. The fish were, as Pat declared, "just
done to a turn," and Tom and Desmond and Billy were served, the latter
having filled his mouth with a dainty morsel, when they were startled by
the booming sound of a gun. Another followed. It was evidently fired
for their recall.
"We ought to have got back before this," exclaimed Tom, starting up and
looking seawards.
The rest followed him, carrying the cooked fish down to the beach. What
was their dismay to find, on reaching it, that the boat, which had been
hauled up, had been floated by the rapidly rising tide, while a strong
gust of wind had driven her a considerable distance from the shore, from
which she was drifting further and further off.
Not a moment was to be lost. Tom felt that he had been guilty of an act
of indiscretion in remaining so long on shore, and in not having seen
that the boat was properly secured. He had not forgotten those huge
monsters of sharks, which had been prowling about, but there was only
one way by which the boat could be regained. Somebody must swim off to
her. These thoughts rapidly passed through his mind. The swim itself
was nothing; he had often swum ten times further without fatigue. But
those sharks! He recollected the shudder which had passed through him
as he had seen them approach the boat not two hours before. Without
saying anything, he had quickly thrown off his clothes.
"Shout, all of you, as loud as you can," he exclaimed. "Good-bye,
Desmond; good-bye, Billy," he said, shaking hands. "If I am swallowed
by one of those brutes, say it happened while I was doing my duty."
Without another word, Tom plunged in, and the rest of the party, rushing
forward up to their knees, began splashing the water about, and shouting
at the top of their voices.
"I cannot let him go alone," said Jerry Bird, as soon as he saw what the
midshipman was about. Throwing off his jacket and shirt, he followed
Tom, shouting out lustily.
"I am coming, Mr Rogers," he cried; "you climb in on one side of the
boat, and I will on the other."
Tom was within a couple of fathoms of the boat, when to his horror he
saw a dark fin, just rising above the water. It was stationary,
however. Perhaps the savage brute was merely surveying the boat, and
wondering what strange creature it was.
Tom, undaunted by the sight, swam on. He might manage to scramble on
board before the shark caught sight of him.
"Do not lose heart, Bird," he cried out, for he guessed that his
companion would have seen the shark's fin; "the chances are that he
won't attack two of us."
A few strokes more, and Tom had got hold of the gunwale of the boat;
Jerry had seized that on the other side.
Tom, being in no way fatigued, easily held himself up, and, having got
his left leg over, was about to drag up the other, when Jerry threw
himself in and tilted the boat over to the side he was on. It was a
fortunate movement, for the shark ran his snout against the side,
missing Tom's foot almost by a hair's breadth. Tom felt the brute's
head strike against the boat, and well knew what had happened. It made
him draw his breath quickly; but he had work before him. Without
stopping a moment, he and Jerry, seizing the oars, rapidly pulled the
boat back to the beach. Their companions gave way to a hearty cheer as
they reached it.
"Thank Heaven, you have escaped," said Desmond. "I saw what happened;
my heart sank so low that I thought it would never get up again to its
right place. However, `a miss is as good as a mile'; now the sooner we
are away from this the better."
Tom's and Jerry's clothes having been handed into the boat, they dressed
themselves, while the rest of the party pulled down the bay.
"I vote we eat the fish while it's warm," said Billy Blueblazes, whose
appetite (as Gerald used to say of him) "no dangers could daunt."
"Just hand me a slice, and I'll eat it as I pull." This proposal was
seconded by the looks of the men, and Tom accordingly passed portions,
with some biscuit, forward. The crew ate the fish with gusto. They
were wise in so doing, as they might have a long pull before them.
Another and another gun was heard.
"Those guns were not fired in the harbour," observed Tom; "the ship must
have put to sea."
Gerald agreed with him; but as yet the reef, which ran across the mouth
of the bay, concealed her from sight. The wind had lately been blowing
from all quarters--now down the harbour, now directly across it--until
at length a heavy squall came in through the entrance.
"We shall have a strong wind in our teeth, and a pretty heavy pull,"
observed Tom to Gerald. "I wish we had not spent so much time here; and
I shall justly get the blame, if anything happens."
"It won't much matter who gets the blame if we happen to be all
drowned," answered Gerald. "However, as we were known to have gone in
this direction, the captain will probably stand along the shore to pick
us up; and the chances are that we shall be safe on board within an hour
or so."
The men had now to bend their backs to the oars to force the boat over
the heavy seas which came rolling in through the narrow entrance. Under
other circumstances, Tom would have put back and waited for an
improvement in the weather; but the signal of recall was peremptory, and
he considered it his duty to try and get on board at all risks. The
sea, which had been so calm when they pulled along the coast, was now
tossed into heavy foam-crested billows, which came rolling on in rapid
succession, bursting with loud roars against the rock-bound shore, and
casting sheets of spray over the reef.
"We must heave our cargo overboard," said Tom, when he saw the heavy
seas come tumbling in. "The lighter the boat is the better."
The fish, with which they hoped to regale their shipmates, were quickly
thrown overboard.
"Shure, a fine feast we are giving to the sharks," observed Desmond, as
he was engaged in the work. They retained, however, a dozen or so of
the cocoa-nuts, in case they might be required for food. So slow was
the progress they made against the sea and wind, that it was almost dusk
before they got clear of the land. Tom had been keeping a look-out to
the westward, the side on which he expected the ship to appear.
"There she is," he exclaimed at length; "but she is under sail, standing
to the south-east, and I see no smoke coming out of her funnel."
Gerald agreed with Tom that such was the case. They asked Jerry Bird,
the oldest seaman on board, to give his opinion.
"You're right, sir," he said; "to my mind something has happened to the
machinery. Either the shaft or the piston rod is broken, and they
cannot get the screw to work. The commander, of course, did not like to
remain in the bay, with the chance of a hurricane blowing right into it;
and so he got up the steam, and was probably standing along the shore to
look out for us, when the accident, whatever it was, happened; and the
only chance he had of saving the ship was to go about and stand on the
course he is now doing. Maybe he will come about again before long to
look for us."
Tom and Gerald were very sure that the commander would not desert them,
at the same time they felt far from comfortable at seeing the ship at so
great a distance off. The wind was rapidly increasing; the seas came
rolling in far more heavily than before, while the spray from their
foaming crests being sent over the boat, soon thoroughly wetted through
all hands. This, of course, no one cared much about; the question was
whether their small boat would live in the furious sea they were likely
to encounter before they got on board. If Jerry Bird was right, the
ship herself must endeavour to get a good offing from the island in case
a hurricane should come on. Of that there now seemed every probability.
The gloom of night had rapidly increased, and now they could only
distinguish the ship from the light which she showed over her quarter.
Was it intended for a signal to them, or had the other two boats not yet
returned to her? As the night advanced, the weather became worse and
worse.
"It's that old rascal Harry Cane at his tricks again," cried Tim; "I
wish that he had waited a bit, and let us get comfortably on board."
"Never complain, Tim," observed Pat; "maybe we shall be glad that we
haven't left the boat; we have got a harbour under our lee, and plenty
of grub on shore, and that's what many a poor fellow has wished for, and
not been able to find."
Tom and Gerald were excessively anxious to get on board, and determined
to persevere as long as they possibly could. The men strained at their
oars with hearty good will. Now the boat mounted one sea, rapidly to
descend into the trough of another. Tom steered her carefully, keeping
her head to the seas. He full well knew that at any moment one of the
heavy tops of those seas falling on board might swamp her. Bird
frequently looked over his shoulder with an anxious glance.
"Beg pardon, Mr Rogers, but it won't do," he said at length; "the
keener we put about and run back into the harbour, the better chance we
shall have of living through this night; what has happened to the ship I
cannot tell. But, while it's blowing like this, dead on shore, we
shan't get on board to-night or to-morrow either."
Tom and Gerald at length saw that Jerry Bird was right. They could no
longer distinguish the _Dragon's_ lights. Either a thick mist had
arisen, or she had got too far off for them to be seen; indeed, the
shore itself, as the boat sank into the hollow of the sea, was
invisible.
"We must look out for a smooth, and pull the boat round, lads," cried
Tom.
"Arrah! shure, that will be a hard matter to find," said Tim Nolan, as
if to himself.
Watching for an opportunity, Tom, when in the trough of the sea, got the
boat round. "Give way, lads! give way!" he shouted out. Not that there
was any necessity for saying that; the men knew well enough that their
lives depended on their pulling as hard as they could. Any moment a
sea, rolling up astern, might break over them. Tom stood up to look out
for the entrance to the harbour, which he believed they must be
approaching, but he could see nothing but one unbroken line of foam
bursting over the reef. The land rose from the shores of the bay. On
the highest part Tom recollected having observed a large clump of tamana
trees, which, as they had pulled down the harbour, he had noted as a
good land-mark for entering. In daylight it could easily be seen, but
in the darkness he could scarcely hope to make it out against the sky,
while the boat tumbled and rolled about in the way she was now doing.
Still, it was their only hope; should she strike a reef on either side
of the entrance, she must in an instant be dashed to pieces, and all
hands be washed amidst the foaming breakers.
"Now, Desmond, use your eyes as you never have before, and try and see
that clump of trees, or find out the passage."
Gerald strained his eyes. "I think I see a dark spot almost ahead," he
said at length.
"If you do, that must be the entrance," observed Tom. "I can see no
other; it is our only chance; the boat will not live long in the sea
which is now getting up."
Tom steered towards the point Gerald indicated. On sped the boat. The
loud roar of the breakers as they neared the shore almost deafened them,
and Gerald, though sitting next to Tom, had to shout to make him hear.
"That's the passage, I'm sure of it," he cried out.
"You're right," answered Tom. "Give way, lads!" The boat rushed on. A
tremendous sea, with a huge crest of foam, came roaring up astern, and
threatened to overwhelm her. The men saw it, and redoubled their
efforts. On either side rose a wall of white foam dashing directly over
the rocks beneath which they had been fishing. An instant later and the
boat would have been swamped; but on she flew, surrounded by spray, and
in another minute was floating in comparatively smooth water within the
sheltering reef. At that moment the hurricane burst forth, sending the
breakers flying in sheets over the reef, howling fearfully as it went
rushing amid the trees of the forest, tearing off huge limbs, and laying
many low, while vivid flashes of lightning were followed by peals of
rattling thunder, adding yet further to the wild uproar of the elements.
"Thank Heaven, we are safe!" exclaimed Gerald.
"We may rightly acknowledge that; but what has become of the other boats
and the old barkey?" said Tom.