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Menhardoc: A Story of Cornish Nets and Mines, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 31. A Trip To The Seal's Zorn, And A Chip At Metals |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. A TRIP TO THE SEAL'S ZORN, AND A CHIP AT METALS The boat was ready when they returned to the little pier, and the unloading in full swing. Every now and then scraps of damaged fish were thrown overboard to wash about the harbour, but which Josh intimated would have some effect by and by. "Just you wait till the tide comes and washes them bits o' pilchar' all away about the place. You'll have the fish coming up from sea after 'em, and the whole place 'most alive--eh, Will?" "Yes," said the latter, who was rowing steadily away. "Some good fishing might be had to-night if the young gentlemen liked to try." It was decided that if they were not too tired they would try for a few fish after tea. "Wouldn't the young gents like to go drifting--means all night?" said Josh; "but while the nets is out there's some haking to be done." "I don't know about that, boys," said Mr Temple; "but I think a good daylight sail with the trawler would be enjoyable. I should like it myself." "Then jus' you go an' speak to Tom Purnowen, Will, lad," said Josh; "he'll be glad enough to take the gentlemen and pick you out a good day." They were bound for the seal-cave, but all the same, in spite of the coming excitement, Dick had not forgotten a fishing-line, while Will had ready for him, in a finely-woven basket, a couple of score of silvery sand-eels, which were kept alive by the basket being dragged astern in the sea. These bright little fellows proved to be a most attractive bait, mackerel, pollack, and bass being taken, only one of the latter, however, which fell to Arthur's share, it being his turn to hold the line; but he did not care to let Will unhook it, and with the usual luck that followed his obstinacy he managed to get a sharp prick from one of the spikes. Eight or nine fair-sized fish had been placed in the basket before Josh suggested that it would be better to leave off fishing, as the boat was now about to be taken close inshore, and the hooks would be fouled in the floating and anchored weed. Mr Temple had indicated that he would like to examine the rocks here and there, and hence it was that the boat was taken so far in, where the rowing was more arduous, and the risks greater of being overturned upon some rock that was one minute submerged, the next level with the water. Josh was too clever a boatman, though, for any such accident to occur, and he ran the little craft here and there most cleverly among the rocks; and, clearing the broken water, backing in for Mr Temple and Dick to land, and rowing out again till they were ready to leap on board once more. For though, to use Josh's expression, the sea was "like ile" fifty yards out, it was fretting and working incessantly amongst the rocks, and running up rifts and chasms to come back in foam. One landing of this kind seemed to excite a desire for more, and, hammer in hand, Mr Temple was as busy as could be breaking "the gashly rocks," as Josh expressed it in rather a pitying tone of voice to Will. So search after search was made, Dick scrambling up the most difficult places he could see, and seeming to find the most intense enjoyment in perching upon some narrow ledge, with his feet dangling over the side, though what the pleasure was he would have found it hard to say. "There," said Mr Temple at last, as he and Dick leaped on board once more, "go on, or we shall see no seals to-day. It is not fair to you boys." "Oh! I like scrambling about the rocks, father," cried Dick; "it's poor Taff who misses the fun." "I can enjoy seeing you climb," said Arthur sedately. "Yes," said his father shortly, "I have no doubt it is pleasant to look on; but is it not rather too ladylike a pursuit for a boy like you?" Arthur coloured highly, and glanced forward to see if the rowers had heard; but he was relieved, for it was evident that they were too much occupied in circumventing the submerged rocks to pay any heed to the conversation, and the lad heaved a sigh full of content. A couple of hours' hard rowing brought them to the mouth of the seal-cave, which, as they approached, looked far larger than it had seemed before when the sea was higher, for it generally nearly covered it, and at certain times completely closed it in. "So now we are to see some seals?" said Dick excitedly. "I don't know," said Will quietly. "This is the cave they are in sometimes; but one don't know whether there are any here." "I think I see a little one drop off the rock as we come in sight," said Josh quietly. "Might have been a shag; but there was something on yonder rock; we shall see." "It looks a rum place," said Dick. "Why, the water goes right in. We shall have to wait till it's dry." "Then we shall never go in, sir," said Will smiling. "It is never dry, and the water is deep." "What are we going to do, then?" said Dick. "Row in--I mean push the boat in. The entrance is wide enough for that." "What! Are we going to pass right in there?" said Arthur rather excitedly. "I suppose so," said his father quietly. "Are you afraid?" "No, I'm not afraid," said Arthur quickly, but colouring a little the while; "only--only it seems so queer--such an awkward place to go in." "Yes, it will be awkward," said Mr Temple dryly. "There's lots of room, sir," said Josh. "No fear o' knocking your head. You see, there wouldn't be anything to be afraid of round our coast if there were no rocks." "I say, Josh, where shall we find the seals?" said Dick as they slowly approached the low arch in the face of the cliff, the boat being backed in so that its rowers could pull strongly away should a dangerous wave come in and threaten to dash them against the rocks--a mishap that occurred sometimes on the calmest days. "Oh! if there be any, Master Dick, sir, they'll keep going farther and farther away, right into the end of the cave, where it be so small you can't follow unless you wade." "Will seals bite, Josh?" cried Dick. "Well, sir, they say they will, and fine and sharp, and fight too; but I never see 'em do it. Only thing I ever see a seal do was try to get away as fast as she could; that's all I ever see." "But have you ever seen seals in here?" said Arthur, who, in spite of himself, looked rather white. "Six or seven times, sir," replied Josh. "I've been with gentlemen as come shooting seals, and with a couple of gentlemen who went right in with clubs to kill 'em." "And did they shoot and kill any?" said Dick eagerly. "No, sir; not as I see," replied Josh. "One of 'em shot at a seal out on a rock, but I don't think he hit her, for she only looked up at us like a human being and then dived into the water and--but, look!" Josh, who was about thirty yards from the entrance, ceased rowing; and as Dick and his father followed the direction of his eyes, and Will's pointing hand, they saw a curious, grey-looking creature rise up out of the water and begin to scramble up on to one of the rocks by the cave entrance, but on seeing the boat it gave a wallow, something like a fish, and turning, dived off the rock with a dull plash into the deep water. "She's gone in," said Josh, propelling the boat towards the rugged arch. "We've seen one. P'r'aps we shall see more seals to-day." "But won't it be dark?" "Will's brought the big lantern, sir," said Josh. "And I," said Mr Temple, "have brought some magnesium wire." A good-sized wave came in just then, carrying the boat forward upon its swell right up to the archway; and then, as the wave retired, Josh managed to give a touch here and a touch there with his oars, and the next minute the sunshine seemed to have gone, and they glided in beneath a fringe of ferns and into a dark grotto, where the trickling drip of falling water came musically upon the ears. It was a wonderful change--from the brilliant light outside, to the soft, greenish obscurity of the cave, whose floor was of pellucid water, that looked black beneath the boat, and softly green where some rock came near the surface. It was of no great size as to width, resembling more a rugged passage or subterranean canal made by nature, regardless of direction or size, than a cavern; but to the boys it was a weird, strange place, full of awe and mystery. Every time oar or boat-hook touched the rocky side, there was a strange, echoing noise. Now and then the keel of the boat grated on some unseen rock, or was lifted by the water and dropped softly, as it were, upon some portion of the stony bottom as the water rose and fell. The opening was left behind, and it seemed horrible to Arthur that calm coolness with which his father sat still and allowed Josh to thrust the boat along farther and farther till it became too dark for them to see, and Josh laid his boat-hook down. As he did so there was a silence for a few moments, in the midst of which, heard beneath the dripping musical tones of the falling water, came a curious hissing, whispering sound from beyond them farther in the cave. "What's that?" said Arthur in a low voice as he spasmodically caught at his brother's arm. Truth to tell, the mystery of the place had impressed Dick, who suffered from a half self-confessed desire to get out into the daylight once more; but now came this evident display of dread on his brother's part, and its effect was to string him up at once. Laughing at Arthur meant laughing at himself, and he snatched at the opportunity as Arthur whispered once more, "Dick--Dick--what's that?" "That?" said Dick in the same low tone. "That's the bogle-booby breathing. He's asleep now, but when he wakes he'll roll about so that he'll fill the place with foam." "Don't you take any notice of him, Master Arthur," said Will gently. "He's making fun of you. That whispering noise is made by the water as it runs gurgling up the cracks of the rock and comes back again." "Cr-r-r-ack!" Arthur uttered a shrill cry, and Dick burst out laughing. "Why, it was only a noisy match, Taff," he exclaimed, as, after a loud cracking scratch, there was a flash of light, and then a clear glow was shed around by the lantern, whose lamp Josh had just lit, its rays showing dimly the rugged walls of granite, all wet with trickling water, while the shadows of the boat and its occupants were cast here and there. "Now, Master Dick, if you'll take the lantern and hold it up I'll send the boat farther in, so as if there be any seals you'll have a chance of seeing 'em." "You think there are some then?" said Mr Temple. "Ay, I do, sir. They won't have got out either. The only way, you see, would be under the boat, and they won't try that way yet so long as there's plenty of room forward." Dick took the lantern, and as the light spread about the boat and glimmered on the surface of wet rock and water Arthur made a brave effort to master his dread; but all the same he gazed doubtfully forward as the boat was thrust more and more along the waterway among the rocks. "I don't hear any seals yet," said Mr Temple. "Oh, you won't hear 'em p'r'aps, sir," said Josh, "till we are close on to them, and then there'll be a splash and a rush. If there be any of 'em they're huddled up together, wondering what this here lantern means." "Then there is no other way out?" "Not for them, sir. There's a bit of a hole up towards the end, where a bird might fly out, but there's no way for the fish." All this time Josh and Will were propelling the boat along with an oar or a boat-hook, and when the way was very narrow and the rocks within reach thrusting it forward with their hands. "There, there, there's one," cried Dick, as there was a heavy rushing noise which came whispering and echoing past where they were. "Ay, that be one, Master Richard," cried Josh, mastering the boy's name for once. "She'll go right to the end and come up again." "How far is it to the end?" said Mr Temple. "Six or eight fathom," said Josh; "not more, sir. If the light was stronger you could see it." "Then we'll have a stronger light," said Mr Temple. "Open that lantern, Dick." The boy obeyed, and his father ignited the end of a piece of magnesium wire, which burst out into a brilliant white light, showing them the roof and sides of the narrow cave, flashing off the water, and, what was of greater interest still, displaying the heads of a couple of seals raised above the surface at the end of the channel, and the dark-grey shiny body of another that had crawled right into a rift but could get no farther, and was now staring timidly at them. The light sputtered and glowed, and dense white fumes floated in a cloud above their heads, while the boat was urged softly closer and closer towards the seals, the effect being that as the animals saw the light and the curious objects beneath advancing towards them the two in the water swam to the end and began to crawl out upon the rock, forcing themselves towards their companion in the rift. "Go right on, sir?" said Will in a low voice. "Yes. Close on, my lad," said Mr Temple. "Have a good look at them, boys, before they go." "You're not going to catch one, are you, father?" "Oh no! We'll have a good look at them. Wild creatures are getting far too scarce about the coast as it is." He kept manipulating the wire as he spoke, sparks and incandescent pieces falling the while with a loud hiss in the water, making Arthur start till he was prepared for what was to come. And as Mr Temple managed the light and stood up in the boat its pale dazzling rays made the cave as light as day; and at last they were within three or four yards of the seals, which suddenly, after gliding and shuffling one over the other in utter astonishment, made Arthur and Dick start back, falling over into the bottom of the boat. For, evidently frantic with dread, and helpless as far as relief was concerned, the three seals, as if moved by one idea, gave a wallowing movement, and dashed from the rocks together, seeming for the moment as if they were bent on leaping into the boat, but of course falling short and plunging into the water with a tremendous splash, which sent the spray all over those who were nearest; and at the same moment there was a hiss, and they were in total darkness. "I won't be afraid," said Arthur to himself; and he clenched his teeth as his father said loudly: "Rather startling. I did not expect that. Dropped my magnesium ribbon. Why, where's the lantern?" "It's underneath me, father," said Dick in a half-ashamed grumbling tone. "I tumbled back over it and knocked it out." "Never mind, Master Dick, I've got some matches," said Will; and after a good deal of scratching, which only resulted in long lines of pale light, for every part of the boat seemed to be wet, there was a glow of light once more, and the lantern was lit; but its rays seemed pitiful in the extreme after the brilliant glare of the magnesium. "And now where are the seals?" said Mr Temple, holding the lantern above his head. "Out to sea long enough ago, sir," said Josh. "They went under the boat, and I felt one of 'em touch the oar as they went off. You won't see no more seals, sir, to-day." "Ah well!" said Mr Temple, "we've seen some, boys, at all events. Now let's have a look round here." He held up the lantern, and as the boat was thrust onward he examined the rock here and there, taking out his little steel-headed hammer and chipping about. "Granite--quartz--gneiss--quartz," he said in a low voice, as he carefully examined each fresh fracture in the stone. "Why, boys, here's tin here," he said sharply. "This place can never have been worked." As he was speaking these latter words he held out a fragment of the stone he had broken off to Josh. "That's good tin, my man," he said. Josh growled. He had more faith in a net or a bit of rope. "What do you say to it, Will?" said Mr Temple. Will took the piece of quartz that was sparkling with tiny black crystals and turned it over several times close to the light. "Good tin ore, and well worth working," he exclaimed readily. "Yes," said Mr Temple, "you are right, my lad. It is well worth working. Let's look a little farther. Here, you come and stand up and hold the lantern. We can land here." Will obeyed, and as the boys watched, and Josh solaced himself with cutting a bit of cake tobacco to shreds, Mr Temple and Will climbed from place to place, the boys seeing the dark wet pieces of rock come out clear and sparkling as the blows fell from the hammer. Now they were here, now there, and the more Mr Temple hammered and chipped the more interested he seemed to grow. _Click, click, click, click_ rang the hammer, and _splish, splash_ went the fragments of rock that fell in the water or were thrown into it; and thus for quite two hours Mr Temple hammered away, and after giving up a fragmentary conversation Dick and Josh grew silent or only spoke at intervals. _ |
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