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Fire Island, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 20. Strange Sport |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY. STRANGE SPORT Those were exciting moments, especially for Oliver Lane, who, as he lay there with arm outstretched, was very slowly and painfully dragged over the coral rock toward the sea. Every one's attention was so taken up by the great canoe, that for the moment he was forgotten, and, in spite of his suffering, he felt that he must not yell out for help, for fear of being heard. But just as his position was growing dangerous as well as exciting, Smith saw his peril, and throwing out one hand, took a grip of the line. "Hadn't I better cut him adrift, sir?" he whispered, huskily. "No, no, hold on fast," replied Oliver. "That's better. I'll hold, as well." For the help relieved his wrist from the strain that was cutting into the flesh. "Don't you leave go, sir," said Smith, hoarsely. "I can't hold him all alone." "Silence there!" said the mate. "Sound travels across the water." "I don't see that it matters much," said Panton, softly. "They must see us, for they're evidently coming straight for this opening into the lagoon." "I don't know," replied the mate. "If they are, they may be friendly, but if they are not, we haven't so much as a gun with us, and these mop-headed beggars are a terribly bloodthirsty lot. They think nothing of knocking a man on the head, and eating him." "Raw?" said Panton. "No, no, they make a kind of stone oven, and roast him first." "Oh, murder!" sighed Wriggs. "Just as if a man was a pig." "Will you be silent, sir, and lie still? You too, Mr Lane, and that man with you. What is the matter?" "We're being dragged overboard, sir," grumbled Smith. "Got a whale, or some'at o' that kind;" for Oliver was silent, his teeth were set, and he had all his work to do holding on to the line. "Don't speak and don't move more than you can help," whispered the mate. "I want you all to lie here as if you were so much of the coral reef. Now then, Smith, get your knife out and cut the line." "What, and let that there critter go, sir? He's a fine 'un, maybe it's salmon." "Silence. Out with your knife." "Can't, sir. If I let's go with one hand, it'll take Mr Lane out to sea. It's all we can do to hold on." "Mr Drew, you're nearest. Keep flat down and crawl to where you can reach the line and cut it through." Drew made no reply, but as he lay there flat on his face, he took out his knife, opened it, and began to creep along the dozen yards or so toward where Lane and Smith lay perspiring in the sunshine, now getting a few moments' rest, now fighting hard to hold the great fish as it tugged and dragged vigorously in its efforts to escape. "Sims a pity, sims a pity," muttered Smith. "Better take a hold, too. Phew! Look at that!" For there was a tremendous whirlpool-like swirl in the disturbed water, and a jerk that promised to dislocate their arms. At the same moment Drew was reaching out to cut the line, but, just as his blade touched the stout cord in front of Lane's hand, the tension ceased. "He's coming in shore to see who it is has got hold of the line," whispered Smith. "No: gone. Broke away," said Lane, huskily, and then they lay motionless, watching the on-coming canoe, as it rushed over the sea a couple of hundred yards or so from where the great billows curled over upon the coral reef. Now it would be plainly visible with the dancing outrigger, upon which the nearly naked blacks were seated, riding up and down as if upon a see-saw, now it would be hidden by a crest of sparkling spray, which flew up as a larger wave than ordinary struck the reef. The speed at which it was going was tremendous, and so clear was the view at times that the little party on the rocks could make out the great gummed heads of the savages, and see the water glance from the paddles of those who steered. Freed entirely from the strain of the fish dragging at the line, Oliver Lane now had leisure to watch the great canoe, and he at once began to count the number of the enemy, making them to be either thirty-nine or forty powerful-looking blacks, several of whom had ugly-looking clubs, while others bore spears or bows and arrows. On they came toward the opening in the great reef; and as they approached, the canoe was steered farther out, evidently so that she could be headed for the passage and sail through. And as Oliver Lane watched he began to wonder what would be his next adventure--whether the savages would be friendly, or if they would attack the small party who were unarmed. They were not long in doubt, for at the speed at which the canoe sailed, she was soon in a position for heading in, and all the time the party on the rock lay wondering that the savages made no sign. Some of them, if they had seen the party, would certainly have gesticulated, pointed, or made some show of being surprised, but they sailed on just at the edge of the troubled water, made a sweep round, and then, just as Lane felt sure that the enemy would come rushing through the opening with the fierce tide, and float on into the calm water of the lagoon, the mate exclaimed,-- "It was to keep from being swept in by the rush of water. They're going right on south." "Hooroar!" muttered Wriggs. "I sha'n't be meat to-day." "They wouldn't ha' touched you, Billy," whispered Smith, softly. "Too tough." "Think they'll turn back, Mr Rimmer?" said Oliver, after a few minutes' relief from the mental strain. "I'm sure they will, sir," said the mate, harshly, "if you will persist in talking." Smith gave his mouth a pat with his open hand, and winked at Wriggs, while the mate went on more softly,-- "You do not consider how sound is carried over the water. There! did you hear the creaking of their bamboo mast and the crackling of the matting sail?" These sounds were clear enough for a few moments, but the boom of the breakers smothered them directly, and the party lay watching the canoe as it glided on rapidly south till it was quite evident there was no intention of landing, the savages shaping their course so as to pass round the great point a mile or two distant, and as if meaning to make for the west. Then by degrees the long, slight vessel with its matting sail grew more and more indistinct as it passed into the silvery haze caused by the waves breaking upon the reef; but not until he felt perfectly certain that they were safe, did the mate give the word for the fishing to begin again. "This puts another face upon our position, gentlemen," he said. "They did not see us this time, but once they know that there is a vessel ashore inland, they'll be after it like wasps at a plum, and we shall have our work cut out to keep them off." "They must come from the shore north of the volcano," said Lane. "Don't you think so, Mr Rimmer?" "No, sir, I don't, because I fancy that this must be an island, and if it is, and plays up such games as we have seen, no savages would stay upon it. But we shall see as soon as we have had our expedition." "Which we ought to have been having to-day," said Panton, "instead of coming fishing." "If we had been up north to-day, those gentlemen might have seen us," said the mate. "And if they had," said Drew, who was holding his hook for one of the men to bait, "it strikes me that we should have had no more fishing." "Well, as we have come fishing, gentlemen, let's see if we can't take back a good bagful for the hungry lads at the brig." "Ready for another go, Mr Lane, sir?" said Smith. "Oh, yes, I'm ready, but we don't want such a big one this time," replied Oliver, and once more he threw in the lead, a fresh one, for the great fish they had hooked had broken away, carrying with it hooks, snooding, and all. Three lines were soon in now, and the party of fishers waited full of expectancy for the first bite, but for some time there was no sign. "Haul in, sir, and let's see if the bait's all right," said Smith. Oliver followed the suggestion, and dragged in the hook perfectly bare. "Something's had that," he said. "Mine's gone too," cried Panton, who had followed suit, and directly after Drew found that his bait was also gone. Fresh baits were put on, and they threw into the rushing water again, watching their lines as they were swept to and fro by the coming and retiring waves. "Seems as if there only was one fish, Lane," said Panton, "and you've given him such a dose of hook and lead, that he has gone for good." The words were hardly out of the young geologist's lips, before he felt a sharp tug. "Here's one!" he cried, and beginning to haul in fast, he soon had a bright silvery fish of eight or ten pounds' weight splashing and darting about at the top of the water. "Dinner for one," said Drew. "Good for half a dozen, I should say," cried the mate, laughing. "That's right, sir, don't stop to play him. Haul him in quick." "Murder!" cried Panton. "Look at that." For as he was drawing in the fast tiring fish level with the surface, there was a sudden gleam of gold, silver, and green, a rush and a check, as a long twining creature suddenly seized the fish, and quick as lightning, wrapped itself round and round it in a knot, doubling the weight, and adding to the resistance by lashing round and round with a flattened tail, whose effect was like that of a screw propeller reversed. "Eel! Snake! Whatever is it?" came from different voices, as Panton ceased dragging on his fish. "Go on! Have him out," cried the mate. "No, no, steady," said Oliver. "I think it's a sea snake, and I believe that some of these creatures are poisonous." "But it wouldn't bite out of water," cried Drew. "I wouldn't chance it," said Oliver. "Shake and jerk your line, and it may let go." Panton followed the advice, and after a few sharp snatches he shook off the creature, but the fish was gone as well. "Taken the hook?" asked the mate. "No, that's all right." "I've got one," cried Drew, and a fresh struggle began, while Panton was busied in rebaiting. A few moments later, a bright golden-striped fish was at the top of the water. "Look here, this is something like. I mean to--Oh!" For just as he had his captive about twenty feet from where he stood, a great wide-jawed sharkish-looking creature sprang out of the water, describing an arc, seized Drew's fish, and was gone. "Oh, I say," he cried, "we shall never get a dinner like this." "Follow my example," said Oliver quietly. "I have one now, a heavy one, too. Nothing like the first I got hold of though," he continued as he hauled away. "But it's a fine fellow." "Haul in as quickly as you can," said the mate. "Don't lose this one." "Just what I am doing," said Oliver between his teeth, as he hauled away rapidly, and soon had the head of another of the silvery fishes above water. "Now, Smith, be ready. Eh? Well, you, Mr Rimmer, with that hook. Now then, gaff him." "Gaffed," said the mate, for instantaneously there was another rush in the water, a splash, and Oliver drew out the head of his prize, the rest having been bitten off as cleanly as a pair of scissors would go through a sprat, just below its gills. The young man turned a comically chagrined face to his unfortunate companions. "I say, this is fishing with a vengeance," cried Panton. "Starvation sport," said the mate. "Tommy, old lad," whispered Wriggs, "I have gone fishing as a boy, and ketched all manner o' things, heels, gudgeons, roach and dace, and one day I ketched a 'normous jack, as weighed almost a pound. I ketched him with a wurrum, I did, but I never seed no fishing like this here." "Nobody never said you did, mate," growled Smith. "Well, we did not come here to catch fish for the big ones to eat," said the mate. "Have another try, and you must be sharper. Look here, Mr Lane--No, no, don't take that head off," he cried, "that will make a splendid bait. Throw it in as it is." Oliver nodded, threw out the hook and lead again, and saw that the bait must have fallen into a shoal right out in the opening, for there was a tremendous splashing instantly, a drag, and he was fast into another, evidently much larger fish. "Now then, bravo, haul away, my lad," cried the mate. "You must have this one. Ah! Gone!" "No, not yet," said Lane, who was hauling away, for a huge fish had dashed at his captive but struck it sidewise, driving it away instead of getting a good grip, and in a few moments the prisoner was close in, but followed by the enemy, which made another dash, its head and shoulders flashing out of the water, close up to the rock. Then it curved over and showed its glittering back and half-moon shaped tail, as it plunged down again, while Lane had his captive well out upon the rock, looking the strangest two-headed monster imaginable, for the hook was fast in its jaws, with the head used for a bait close up alongside, held tightly in place by the beaten-out end of the shank of the line. "Well done: a fifteen pounder," cried the mate, as the captive was secured, the sailors hurriedly getting it into the biscuit bag they had brought, for fear that it should leap from the rock back into the sea. Five minutes after Drew hooked another fish, but it was carried off by a pursuer and the hook was drawn in bare. Almost at the same moment Panton struck another and then stamped about the rock in a rage, for before he could get it to the land it was seized by a monster, there was a tug, a snap, and hook, snood, and lead were all gone. "We must rig up some different tackle, gentlemen," said the mate. "You want larger hooks, with twisted wire and swivels. Got him again, Mr Lane?" "Yes, and--ah, there's another of those sea snake things. Yes, he has carried it off. My word! How strong they are." "All right, try again, sir. Use that fish's head once more." "But it's so knocked about. Never mind: stick it on, Smith." "Stuck on it is, sir," said the man, and it was thrown in, but some minutes elapsed before it was taken, and then not until it was being dragged in, when a fish seized it, was hooked fast, and another struggle commenced, during which, as a snake dashed at it, Oliver gave the line a snatch and baulked the creature. But, quick as lightning, it was at it again, seized it with its teeth, and was in the act of constricting it, when the maddened fish made a tremendous leap out of the water, dragging the writhing snake with it, and again escaping its coils, while, as Oliver made another snatch, he drew the two right out on to the rock, running a few paces so as to get his captive right into the middle. The effect was that the snake was dislodged, and a panic set in as the creature, which was fully six feet long and thick in proportion, began to travel about over the surface of the rock with a rapid serpentine motion, everyone giving way till it reached the side and glided into the water once more. "Why didn't yer get hold of his tail, Billy?" cried Smith. "Yer might ha' stopped it. Dessay them sort's as good eating as heels." "I should, Tommy, only I thought you wanted to have a mate. But I never see no fishing like this afore." "Look here, Mr Rimmer," cried Oliver, just then, and he pointed to the large handsome fish he had taken, showing that a half-moon shaped piece had been bitten clean out of its back by the sea snake. "Do you think this will be good now." "I should not like to venture upon it," replied the mate, and, after the bitten piece had been cut thoroughly out, the rest was utilised for making attractive bait, with which they had more or less sport--enough though to enable them to take back full sixty pounds of good fish to the brig, but not until the boat had been run ashore and carefully secured and hidden in the cocoa-nut grove. _ |
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