Bevis: The Story of a Boy

by Richard Jefferies

the means, they stopped atthis.

  They did not like to think that perhaps Bevis's governor and mamma, whowere so kind, would be miserable with anxiety on finding that they haddisappeared. Mark, too, was anxious about his Jolly Old Moke. With theusual contradiction of the mind they earnestly set about to deceivetheir friends, and were equally anxious not to give them any pain.After all their trouble, it really seemed as if this would prevent therealisation of their plans. A whole day they walked about and wonderedwhat they could do, and got quite angry with each other from simpleirritation.

  At last they settled that they must arrange with some one so as to know,for if there was any trouble about them they meant to returnimmediately. Both agreed that little Charlie was the best they couldchoose; he was as quick as lightning, and as true as steel.

  "Just remember," said Bevis, "how he fetched up Cecil in the battle."

  "That just made all the difference," said Mark. "Now I'll manage itwith him; don't you come, you leave him to me; you're so soft--"

  "Soft!--Well, I like that."

  "No; I don't mean stupid--so easy. There, don't look like that. Youtell me--you think what Charlie must do--and I'll manage him."

  Bevis thought and considered that Charlie must give them a signal--wavea handkerchief. Charlie must stand on some conspicuous place visiblefrom New Formosa; by the quarry would be the very place, at a certainfixed time every day, and wave a white handkerchief, and they could lookthrough the telescope and see him. If anything was wrong, he could takehis hat off and wave that instead. Mark thought it would do very well,and set out to find and arrange with Charlie.

  Being very much offended because he had not been taken for a sail,Charlie was at first very off-hand, and not at all disposed to doanything. But when shrewd Mark let out as a great secret that he andBevis were going to live in the wood at the end of the New Sea for awhile like savages, Charlie began to relent, for all his sympathies wentwith the idea.

  Mark promised him faithfully that when he and Bevis had done it first,he should come too if he would help them. Charlie gave in and agreed,but on condition that he should be taken for a sail first. Eager asMark was for the island, it was no good trying to persuade Charlie, headhered to his stipulation, and Mark had to yield. However, hereflected that if they took Charlie for a sail he would be certain to doas he promised, and besides that it would make Val jealous, and he andCharlie would quarrel, and so they would not be always watching.

  So it was settled--Charlie to have a sail, and then every afternoon atfour o'clock he was to stand just above the quarry and wave a whitehandkerchief if all was right. If Bevis and Mark were missed he was totake off his hat, and wave that. As he had no watch, Charlie was tojudge the time by the calling of the cows to be milked--the milkers makea great hullabaloo and shouting, which can be heard a long distance off.

  "I said we were going to live in the wood," Mark told Bevis when he cameback. "Then he won't think we're on the island. If he plays us anytrick he'll go and try and find us in the wood."

  While Mark was gone about the signal, Bevis, thinking everything over,remembered the letter he had promised to write home. To post the letterone or other of them must go on the mainland, if by day some one wouldvery likely see them and mention it, and then the question would arisewhy they came near without going home? Bevis went up to the cottage,and told Loo to listen every evening at ten o'clock out of her window,which looked over the field at the back, and if she heard anybodywhistle three notes, "Foo-tootle-too," to slip out, as it would be them.

  "That I will," said Loo, delighted. "I'll come in a minute."

  Charlie had his sail next morning, but they took care not to go near theisland. Knowing how sharp his eyes were, they tacked to and fro inMozambique and Fir-Tree Gulf. Charlie learned to manage the foresail infive minutes, then the tiller, and to please him the more they let himact as captain for a while. He promised most faithfully to make thesignal every day, and they knew he would do it.

  In the afternoon they thought and thought to see if there was anythingthey had forgotten, and to try and call things to mind, wandered allover the house, but only recollected one thing--the gridiron. Therewere several in the kitchen. They took an old one, much burnt, whichwas not used. With this and Bevis's books they visited New Formosa,rowing up towards evening, and upon their return unshipped the mast, andtook it and the sails home, else perhaps Val or some one would launchthe Pinta and try to sail in their absence. They meant to padlock theboat with a chain, but if the sails were in her it would be a temptationto break the lock. There was now nothing to take but Pan, and they wereso eager for the morning that it was past midnight before they could goto sleep.

  The morning of the 3rd of August--the very day Columbus sailed--the longdesired day, was beautifully fine, calm, and cloudless. They were insuch haste to start they could hardly say "Good-bye."

  "Good-bye," said Polly the dairymaid.

  "Don't want to see you," said Bevis. Polly was not yet forgiven for thepart she had taken in hustling Mark into the cellar. They had got outinto the meadow with Pan, when Bevis's mother came running after.

  "Have you any money?" she asked, with her purse in her hand.

  They laughed, for the thought instantly struck them that they could notspend money on New Formosa, but they did not say they did not want any.She gave them five shillings each, and kissed them again. She watchedthem till they went through the gateway with Pan, and were hidden fromsight.

  Pan leaped on board after them, and they rowed to the island. It was sostill, the surface was like glass. The spaniel ran about inside thestockade, and sniffed knowingly at the coats on the bedstead, but he didnot wag his tail or look so happy when Bevis suddenly drew his collarthree holes tighter and buckled it. Bevis knew very well if his collarwas not as tight as possible Pan would work his head out. They fastenedhim securely to the post at the gateway in the palisade, and hastenedaway.

  When Pan realised that they were really gone, and heard the sound of theoars, he went quite frantic. He tugged, he whined, he choked, he rolledover, he scratched, and bit, and shook, and whimpered; the tears randown his eyes, his ears were pulled over his head by the collar, againstwhich he strained. But he strained in vain. They heard his dismalhowls almost down to the Mozambique.

  "Poor Pan!" said Bevis. "He shall have a feast the first thing weshoot."

  They had left their stockings on the island, and everything else theycould take off so as not to have very large bundles on their backs whilepaddling, and took their pocket-knives out of their trouser's pocketsand left them, knowing things are apt to drop out of the pockets. ThePinta was drawn up as far as she would come on the shore at the harbour,and then fastened with a chain, which they had ready, to a staple andpadlocked. Mark had thought of this, so that no one could go rowinground, and he had a piece of string on the key with which he fastened itto a button-hole of his waistcoat that it might not be lost.

  This done, they got through the hedge, and retraced the way they hadcome home on the night of the battle, through the meadows, thecornfields, and lastly across the wild waste pasture or common. Fromthere they scrambled through the hedges and the immense bramblethickets, and regained the shore opposite their island.

  They went down the marshy level to the bank, and along it to the beds ofsedges, where, on the verge of the sea, they had hidden the catamarans.There they undressed, and made their clothes and boots into bundles, andslung them over their shoulders with cord. Then they hauled theircatamarans down to the water.

  Volume Two, Chapter XIV.

  NEW FORMOSA.

  Splash!

  "Is it deep?"

  "Not yet."

  Bevis had got his catamaran in and ran out with it some way, as thewater was shallow, till it deepened, when he sat astride and paddled."Come on," he shouted. Splash! "I'm coming."

  Mark ran in with his in the same manner, and sitting astride paddledabout ten yards behind.

  "We
eds," said Bevis, feeling the long rough stalks like string draggingagainst his feet. "Where? I can't see."

  "Under water. They will not hurt."

  "There goes a flapper," (a young wild duck). "I hope we shan't see themagic wave."

  "Pooh!"

  "My bundle is slipping."

  "Pull it up again."

  "It's all right now."

  "Holloa! Land," said Bevis, suddenly standing up.

  He had reached a shallow where the water was no deeper than his knees.

  "A jack struck. There," said Mark, as he too stood up, and drew hiscatamaran along with his hand.

  Splash!

  Bevis was off again, paddling in deeper water. Mark was now closebehind.

  "There's a coot; he's gone into the sedges."

  "Parrots," said Mark, as two wood-pigeons passed over.

  "Which is the right channel?" said Bevis, pausing.

  They had now reached the great mass of weeds which came to the surface,and through which it was impossible to move. There were two channels,one appeared to lead straight to the island, the other wound about tothe right.

  "Which did we come down in the Pinta, when we hid the catamarans?" saidMark.

  "Stupe, that's just what I want to know."

  "Go straight on," said Mark; "that looks clearest."

  So it did, and Bevis went straight on; but when they had paddled fiftyyards they both saw at once that they could not go much farther thatway, for the channel curved sharply, and was blocked with weeds.

  "We must go back," said Mark.

  "We can't turn round."

  "We can't paddle backwards. There I'm in the weeds."

  "Turn round on the plank."

  "Perhaps I shall fall off."

  "Sit sideways first."

  "The plank tips."

  "Very well, I'll do it first," said Bevis.

  He turned sideways to try and get astride, looking the other way. Theplank immediately tipped and pitched him into the water, bundle and all.

  "Ah!" said Mark. "Thought you could do it so easy; didn't you?"

  Bevis threw his right arm over the plank, and tried to get on it; butevery time he attempted to lift his knee over, the catamaran gave wayunder him. His paddle floated away. The bundle of clothes on his back,soaked and heavy, kept him down.

  Mark paddled towards him, and tried to lift him with one hand, butnearly upset himself. Bevis struggled hard to get on, and so pushed theplank sideways to the edge of the weeds. He felt the rough stringsagain winding round his feet.

  "You'll be in the weeds," said Mark, growing alarmed. "Come on myplank. Try. I'll throw my bundle off." He began to take it from hisback. "Then it will just keep you up. O!"

  Bevis put his hands up, and immediately sank under the surface, but hehad done it purposely, to free himself from his bundle. The bundlefloated, and the cord slipped over his head. Bringing his hands downBevis as instantly rose to the surface, bumping his head against thecatamaran.

  "Now I can do it," he said, blowing the water from his nostrils.

  He seized the plank, and laid almost all along in the water, so as topress very lightly on it, his weight being supported by the water, thenhe got his knee over and sat up.

  "Hurrah!"

  The bundle was slowly settling down when Mark seized it.

  "Never mind about the things being wet," he said. "Sit still; I'llfetch your paddle."

  Dragging the bundle in the water by the cord, Mark went after, andrecovered Bevis's paddle. To come back he had to back water, and foundit very awkward even for so short a distance. The catamaran would notgo straight.

  "O! what a stupe I was," said Bevis. "I've got on the same way again."

  In his hurry he had forgotten his object, and got astride facing theisland as before.

  "Well, I never," said Mark. "Stop--don't."

  Bevis slipped off his catamaran again, but this time not beingencumbered with the bundle he was up on it again in half a minute, andfaced the mainland.

  "There," said he. "Now you can come close. That's it. Now give meyour bundle."

  Mark did so. Afterwards Bevis took the cord of his own bundle, whichbeing in the water was not at all heavy. "Now you can turn."

  Mark slipped off, but managed so that his chest was still on the plank.In that position he worked himself round and got astride the other way.

  "Done very well," said Bevis; "ever so much better than I did. Here."

  Mark slung his bundle, and they paddled back to the shallow water, Bevistowing his soaked dress. They stood up in the shallow and rested a fewminutes, and Bevis fastened his bundle to his plank just in front ofwhere he sat.

  "Come on." Off he went again, following the other channel this time.It wound round a bank grown with sedges, and then led straight into abroader and open channel, the same they had come down in the boat. Theyrecognised it directly, and paddled faster.

  "Hark! there's Pan," said Mark.

  As they came near the island, Pan either scented them or heard asplashing, for he set up his bark again. He had choked himself silentbefore.

  "Pan! Pan!" shouted Bevis, whistling.

  Yow--wow--wow!

  "Hurrah!"

  "Hurrah!"

  They ran up on the shore of New Formosa, and began to dance and caper,kicking up their heels.

  Yow-wow--wow-wow!

  "Pan! I'm coming," said Bevis, and began to run, but stopped suddenly.

  Thistles in the grass and trailing briars stayed him. He put on his wetboots, and then picking his way round, reached the hut. He let Panloose. The spaniel crouched at his feet and whimpered, and followedhim, crawling on the ground. Bevis patted him, but he could not leap upas usual, the desertion had quite broken his spirit for the time. Beviswent into the hut, and just as he was, with nothing on but his boots,took his journal and wrote down "Wednesday."

  "There," said he to Mark, who had now come, more slowly, for he carriedthe two bundles, "there, I've put down the day, else we shall lose ourreckoning, don't you see."

  They were soon dressed. Bevis put on the change he had provided in thestore-room, and spread his wet clothes out to dry in the sun. Pan creptfrom one to the other; he could not get enough patting, he wanted to becontinually spoken to and stroked. He would not go a yard from them.

  "What's the time?" said Bevis, "my watch has stopped." The water hadstopped it.

  "Five minutes to twelve," said Mark. "You must write down, `We landedon the island at noon.'"

  "So I will to-night. My watch won't go; the water is in it."

  "Lucky mine did not got wet too."

  "Hang yours up in the hut, else perhaps it will get stopped somehow,then we shan't know the time."

  Mark hung his watch up in the hut, and caught sight of the woodenbottle.

  "The first thing people do is to refresh themselves," he said. "Let'shave a glass of ale: splendid thing when you're shipwrecked--"

  "A libation to the gods," said Bevis. "That's the thing; you pour itout on the ground because you've escaped."

  "O!" said Mark, opening the bottle. "Now just look! And I filled it tothe brim so that I could hardly get the cork in."

  "John," said Bevis.

  "The rascal."

  "Ships' provisions are always scamped," said Bevis; "somebody stealshalf, and puts in rotten biscuits. It's quite proper. Why, there's aquart gone."

  John Young, carrying the heavy bottle, could not resist just taking outthe cork to see how full it was. And his mouth was very large.

  "Here's a mug," said Mark, who had turned over a heap of things andfound a tin cup. They each had a cupful.

  "Matchlock," said Bevis.

  "Matchlock," said Mark. For while they drank both had had their eyes ontheir gun-barrel.

  "Pliers," said Bevis, taking it up. "Here's the wire; I want thepliers."

  It was not so easy to find the pliers under such a heap of things.

  "Store-room's
in a muddle," said Mark.

  "Put it right," said the captain.

  "I've got it."

  Bevis put the barrel in the stock, and began twisting the copper wireround to fasten it on. Mark searched for the powder-horn and shot-bag.Three strands were twisted neatly and firmly round the barrel andstock--one near the breech, one half-way up, the third near the muzzle.It was then secure.

  "It looks like a real gun now," said Mark.

  "Put your finger on the touch-hole," said Bevis. Mark did so, while heblew through the barrel.

  "I can feel the air," said Mark; "the barrel is clear. Shall I measurethe powder?"

  "Yes."

  Bevis shut the pan, Mark poured out the charge from the horn andinserted a wad of paper, which Bevis rammed home with the brass ramrod.

  Bow-wow--bow-yow!

  Up jumped Pan, leaped on them, tore round the hut, stood at the doorwayand barked, ran a little way out, and came back again to the door,where, with his head over his shoulder, as if beckoning to them tofollow, he barked his loudest.

  "It's the gun," said Mark. Pan forgot his trouble at the sound of theramrod.

  Next the shot was put in, and then the priming at the pan. A piece ofmatch or cord prepared to burn slowly,