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Mother Carey's Chicken: Her Voyage to the Unknown Isle, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 27. How Mark Encountered A Savage |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. HOW MARK ENCOUNTERED A SAVAGE "We were beginning to think you long," said the captain as they reached the cocoa-nut grove, having found that though there were signs of palm leaves and young trees having been cut by the mouth of the stream this had not been selected as the site of the huts. "We've been a long way," said the major. "Not empty-handed, you see." "Splendid," cried the captain; "but you need not have stopped to pick them." "Thereby hangs a tale," said the major, laughing. "How's Morgan?" "Much better, and sitting up. There, you see, we've not been idle." He pointed to a large low hut formed in the cocoa-nut grove by utilising six growing trees as corners and centre-posts, and binding to these thin horizontal poles, freshly cut down for eaves and ridge. Others formed gables, being fixed by the sailors with their customary deftness, thin rattans being used as binding cords. Then other poles had been bound together for the roof, and over these an abundant thatching of palm leaves had been laid and laced on with rattan till there was a water-tight roof, and in addition one end was furnished with palm-leaf walls. "That will keep us dry if the rain comes," said the captain, after due praise had been awarded for the energy displayed. "But now, quick: have a wash, and we'll dine. Every one is hungry." Mark's eyes twinkled as he saw the preparations. Palm leaves were spread in two places, but the food supply was the same for all; and if they were going to feed as well during their stay on the island, they felt that they would not have much cause to complain. Food is so important a matter in our everyday life that, even without being sybarites, one may pause to give an account of the savage banquet prepared in the rock kitchen by the captain's and major's wives, aided by Mary O'Halloran, whilst the rest were busy hunting and building. There was another fish secured by Small, similar to the one Mark had caught, about two dozen little roast cockatoos, and an ample supply of baked shell-fish. These delicacies were supplemented by plenty of cocoa-nut milk and wild fruit, some of which was delicious. "I never had a better dinner in my life," said the major. "It has been so good that I never once remembered our heavy fat Goura pigeons, which I had reckoned upon having for a treat." "I think we ought to compliment the cooks," said the captain. "Poor Morgan quite enjoyed his fish, and Brown says he didn't know cockatoos could taste so good." "I think we've fallen into a kind of Eden," said Gregory pleasantly. "If we could find some tea-trees or coffee-bushes, and a wheat-field and windmill, we shouldn't want anything more." "Ah!" said the captain gravely; "we should want a great deal more than those to make up for the loss of civilisation; but let's try and do our best under the circumstances." "Why, we are doing it," said Mrs O'Halloran with a smile. "True, madam; and I thank you for your brave, true womanly help, both for the wounded and for my men." "Thank your wife too, captain," said Mrs O'Halloran gravely. "She does not need it, madam," said Captain Strong. "It is her duty." That night passed quite peacefully, the watch hearing nothing of the strange roar. The next day busy hands were at work making a second hut for the men, every one working his best so as to be prepared for the tropical showers, which have a habit of coming on nearly daily; but this day broke gloriously fine, and palm leaves were cut and carried, bamboos discovered and cut down for poles and rafters, and the men worked with such good heart that the second hut towards afternoon began to assume shape. The ladies were as busy as ever, undertaking the nursing and cooking; but Morgan relieved them of half the former by getting up to seat himself under a shady tree and watch the progress made. Mark and the major were told off for their former task of finding provisions; and, nothing loth, they started in good time, choosing another route--that is to say, they struck off to the east--going beyond the cooking place among the rocks, meaning to see if any of the great grey pigeons were to be found in that direction by some other pass into the interior. Their walk was glorious; with the beautiful lagoon on one side, evidently crowded with fish, and the fringe of cocoa-nut trees on their left; while from time to time, as the groves opened, they obtained glimpses of the volcanic cone. Bruff and Jack took it as a matter of course that they were to belong to the foraging party, and trotted along over the sand, the one eagerly on the search for something that he might hunt, the other with his little restless eyes watching for fruit. But neither met with any reward. Picking out the firm sand where the tide had gone down the hunters found good walking, and were able to leave the encampment several miles behind without feeling any fatigue, but the game-bags which they had this time slung over their shoulders, remained empty, and the guns seemed to increase in weight. "I wish we could get right round and prove that this is an island," said the major; "but we must not attempt it to-day. Are these cocoa-nut palms never coming to an end?" "Let's go through them, and try to reach the foot of the mountain," said Mark at last. "I want to get a supply of something to eat, but I should like to see the mountain close to." "And go up it and peep in at the crater, eh?" "Indeed I should, sir." "Ah, well! we'll see about that; but work first, Mark. We must get a load of birds or a pig." "Think there are pigs, sir?" "Can't say. I haven't seen a sign of one yet. If it is a part of some great island we may find deer." They tramped on, hoping to find a stream, but another two miles were traversed before they came upon a rushing rivulet, gurgling down from among piled-up masses of blackish vesicular rock, which the major at once dubbed scoria. "Now for a good drink," he said. "I'm thirsty;" and they both lay down to drink from a pool of the loveliest nature, so clear was the water, so beautiful the ferns and other growth that overhung. But at the first mouthful both rose, spitting it out, and ready to express their disgust. "Why, it's bitter, and salt, and physicky as a mineral spring," said the major. "And it's quite hot," said Mark. "Ugh! what stuff!" It was disappointing, for they were both suffering from thirst; but it was evident that to penetrate the jungle from where they stood would be next to impossible, so craggy and rocky was the ground, while, as after struggling on for about a couple of hundred yards, they found the water grown already so hot that it was almost too much for their hands, they concluded that if they persevered they would find it boiling--an interesting fact for a student of the wonders of nature, but an unsatisfactory matter for a thirsty man. "What a place for a botanist!" cried the major. "We could fill our bags with wonders; but a good patch of Indian corn would be the greatest discovery we could find now, for, Mark, my lad, we shall find that we want flour in some form." "Is Indian corn likely to grow here?" "If some kind friend who has visited this shore has been good enough to plant some--not without." They stood gazing for a few minutes at the wondrously fertile growth of the plants whose roots found their way to the warm stream, and whose leaves received the steamy moisture, and then climbed slowly back. "We must explore inland some day, Mark, and see if we can find a hot spring of good water fit to cook in. I must say I should not like my cabbage boiled in that." "That's better," said Mark as they reached the sand once more, and stood panting. "Yes; the other's 'pad for the poots,' as a Welsh friend of mine used to say. Now, then, forward to find fresh water and birds. We'll go another mile, and if we don't find a stream we must try for some fruit." The dog trotted on a little ahead, and, to their great delight, they came to the end of the monotonous fringe of cocoa-nuts and found that quite a different class of vegetation came down close to the shore, which now grew more rocky, and it was not long before they were able to slake their thirst on the pleasant sub-acid fruit of a kind of passion-flower. A few hundred yards further and Bruff began to trot, breaking into a canter of two legs after one, and suddenly turned into the jungle, to come back barking. They soon reached the spot, to find that quite a fount of pure-looking water was welling up out of a rock basin, trickling over and losing itself in the sand, while upon a tree close at hand were at least a hundred tiny parrots not larger than sparrows, fluttering, piping, and whistling as they rifled the tree of its fruit. "Too small for food unless we were starving," said the major. "We shall have to fill our bags with what answer here to cockles and mussels, Mark. We must not go home empty-handed." "Shall I try the water first?" said Mark. "No need," said the major, pointing to where, at a lesser pool, Bruff and Jack were slaking their thirst. The example set by the two animals was followed, and deep draughts taken of the delicious water, which was as cool and sweet as the other spring had been nauseous and hot. "Now, then; forward once more," said the major. "Just one more mile, and then back, though I believe we could get round, for we must have come so that the huts are quite to the south. Yes; we're travelling north-west now, and when we started we were going north-east." "Hist! Look!" whispered Mark; and he pointed forward. "Phew!" whistled the major. "Down, Bruff! To heel!" The dog obeyed, and cocking their guns, and keeping as close to the trees as the rocky nature of the soil would allow, the two hunters approached the game Mark had pointed out. Strange-looking birds they were, each as big as a small turkey, and, provided that they were not of the gull tribe, promising to be an admirable addition to the pot. But though they advanced cautiously, neither the major nor Mark could get within shot, the birds taking alarm and scurrying over the sand rapidly. They tried again, taking shelter, going through all the manoeuvres of a stalker; but their quarry was too wary, and went off at a tremendous rate, but only to stop when well out of reach and begin digging and scratching in the sand somewhat after the fashion of common fowls. "It's of no use," said Mark at last, throwing himself down hot and exhausted after they had followed the tempting creatures for fully a mile. "No use!" said the major. "What, give up! Do you know what Lord Lytton says in Richelieu?" "No," said Mark wearily; and then to himself--"and I don't care." "'In the bright lexicon of youth there is no such word as fail.'" "But then Lord Lytton had not been out here hungry and thirsty, toiling after these sandy jack-o'-lanterns with a heavy gun," said Mark. "Probably not," said the major. "But, never mind: we may get a shot yet. One more steady try, and then we'll go back." "Oh, Major O'Halloran, what a man you are to walk!" said Mark, rising wearily. "Yes, my lad," said the major smiling. "I belong to a marching regiment. Now, look here, Mark; I'm quite sure those birds would eat deliciously roasted, and that the ladies would each like a bit of the breast." "Let's try, then, once more," said Mark; and they went on, with Bruff dutifully trotting behind waiting for the first shot and the fall of a bird. But no; as they advanced the birds still went on, running well out of range and stopping again to scratch and feed. There were about fifteen of them, and the more they kept ahead the more eager grew their stalkers, till after this had been going on for another half-hour Bruff could stand it no longer, but dashed off at full speed, barking furiously, with the result that instead of running off like the wind the birds stopped staring for a few seconds and then all took flight. "That's done it!" cried the major angrily. "Hang that dog! No: look, Mark!" "Yes, we may get a shot now," he cried; "they're all in those trees." "Well, keep close in, and we'll have a try." They had a couple of hundred yards to go to where Bruff stood barking furiously at the birds, which kept in the moderately high boughs staring stupidly down at him, and so intent upon the beast, so novel evidently to them, that the two hunters had a chance to get close up, and taking his time from the major, Mark fixed the quivering sight of his gun on one of the birds, and drew trigger just as the major fired twice. As the smoke blew away there was a whirring of wings and three heavy thuds upon the ground. Away went the birds, but only about fifty yards more, to settle again, Bruff keeping up with them, and again taking their attention by barking furiously. The manoeuvres of approaching were again successfully gone through, and this time the major whispered: "Loaded again?" "Yes." "Then fire both barrels this time. Try and get a right and left. Fire!" Their pieces went off simultaneously the first time; then the major's second barrel rang out, and Mark's second directly afterwards, and by sheer luck--ill-luck for the birds--he brought down his first bird from the branch of the tree dead, and in his random flying shot winged one of the others so badly that it fell, and Bruff caught it before it had time to recover and race away. "Hurrah!" shouted the major as the diminished flock now flew inland over the jungle. "Seven birds, Mark: a load. And you said you couldn't shoot! Why, it's glorious!" "I'm sure it was accident, sir," said Mark with his cheeks burning. "Then bless all such accidents say I, a hungry man!" "Yah!" came faintly from a distance. "What's that?" cried the major. "Yah!" came again, or what sounded like it, for to their startled ears it was more like a savage yell. "Load quickly," cried the major, setting the example. "Savages at last. Now, the birds and a quick retreat. Wonder how heavy they are; but save them I will if I have a stand to defend them, and send you back for help." Mark caught up his heavy birds and ran back with the major to where the first they had shot lay, while from behind came another yell, and looking over his shoulder Mark saw that a spear-armed figure was coming rapidly in pursuit. _ |
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