believe it's quieter."
"It does seem so," said Bevis.
The still water glittered under the sun as the light south-east air drewover it, and they could hear a single lark singing on the mainland,somewhere out of sight.
"Somehow we can swim ever so much better here than we used to at home,"said Mark, as they were dressing again.
"Ever so much," said Bevis; "twice as far." This was a fact, whetherfrom the continuous outdoor life, or from greater confidence now theywere entirely alone.
"How I should like to punch somebody!" said Mark, hitting out his fist.
"My muscles are like iron," said Bevis, holding out his arm.
"Well, they are hard," said Mark, feeling Bevis's arm. So were his own.
"It's living on an island," said Bevis. "There's no bother, and nobodysays you're not to do anything."
"Only there's the potatoes to clean. What a nuisance they are!"
They began to dimly perceive that, perhaps, after all, women might be ofsome use on the earth. They had to go back to the hut to get the dinnerready.
"The rats have been at the potatoes," said Bevis. "Just look!"
Mark came, and saw where something had gnawed the potatoes.
"And lots are gone," he said. "I'm sure there's a lot gone sinceyesterday."
"Pan, why don't you kill the rats?" cried Bevis. Pan looked up, as muchas to say, "Teach me my business, indeed."
"Bother!" said Mark.
"Bother!" said Bevis.
"Hateful!"
"Yah!" They flung down knives and potatoes.
"Would the raft be wrong on Sunday?"
"Not if it was only a little bit," said Bevis.
"Just to Pearl Island?"
"No--that wouldn't hurt."
"Let the cooking stop."
"Come on."
Away they ran to the raft, and pushed off, making Pan come with them,that he should not disturb the rabbits again. The spaniel was so lazy,he would not even follow them till he was compelled. He sat gravely onthe raft by the chest, or locker, while they poled along the shore, forit was too deep to pole in the middle of the channel. But at thesouthern end of New Formosa the water shoaled, and they could leave theshore. One standing one side, and one the other, they thrust the raftalong out among the islets, till they reached Pearl Island, easilydistinguished by the glittering mussel shells.
A summer snipe left the islet as they came near, circled round, andapproached again, but finding they were still there, sought anotherstrand. Pan ran round the islet, sniffing at the water's edge, andthen, finding nothing, returned to the raft and sat down on hishaunches. The water on one side of Pearl Island was not more than fouror five inches deep a long way out, and it was from this shelving sandthat the crows got the mussels. They carried them up on the bank andleft the shells, which fell over open, and the wind blew the sand intothem. They found one very large shell, a span long, and took it asspoil.
There was nothing else but a few small fossils like coiled snakes turnedto stone. Next they poled across to the islet off the extremity ofSerendib, where Pan had made such a noise. To get there they had to gosome distance round, as it was so shallow. They poled the raft in amongthe reed-mace or bamboos, which rose above their heads out of the waterbesides that part of the stalk under the surface. The reed-mace is likea bulrush, but three times as tall, and larger. They cut a number ofthese as spoils, and then landed. Pan showed a little more activityhere, but not much. He sniffed round the water's edge, but soonreturned and stretched himself on the raft.
"He can't smell anything here to-day," said Bevis. "There's a halcyon."
A kingfisher went by, straight for New Formosa. The marks of moorhens'feet were numerous on the shore and just under water, showing how calmit had been lately, for waves would have washed up the bottom andcovered them. The islet was very small, merely the ridge of a bank, sothey pushed off again. Passing the bamboos, they paused and looked atthem--the tall stalks rose up around as if they were really in a thicketof bamboo.
"Hark!"
They spoke together. It was the stern and solemn note of a belltolling. It startled them in the silence of the New Sea. The soundcame from the hills, and they knew at once it was the bell at the churchbig Jack went to. The chimes, thin perhaps and weak, had been lost inthe hills, but the continuous toll of the five minutes bell penetratedthrough miles of air. So in the bush men call each other by constantlyrepeating the same hollow note, "Cooing," and in that way the humanvoice can be heard at an extraordinary distance. Each wave of sounddrives on its predecessor, and is driven by the wave that follows, tillthe widening circle strikes the shore of the distant ear.
"Ship's bell," said Bevis presently, as they listened. "In theselatitudes the air is so clear you hear ships' bells a hundred miles."
"Pirates?"
"No; pirates would not make a noise."
"Frigate?"
"Most likely."
"Any chance of our being taken off and rescued?"
"Not the least," said Bevis. "These islands are not down on any chart.She'll be two hundred miles away by tea-time. Bound for Kerguelen,perhaps."
"We shall never be found," said Mark. "No hope for us."
"No hope at all," said Bevis. They poled towards Serendib, intending tocircumnavigate that island. By the time they had gone half-way, thebell ceased.
"Now listen," said Mark. "Isn't it still?"
They had lifted their poles from the water, and there was not a sound(the lark had long finished), nothing but the drip, drip of the dropsfrom the poles, and the slight rustle as the heavy raft dragged over aweed. They could almost hear the silence, as in the quiet nightsometimes, if listening intently, you may hear a faint rushing, thesound of your own blood reverberating in the hollow of the ear; in theday it needs a shell to collect it.
"It is very curious," said Bevis. "But we have not heard a sound ofanybody till that bell."
"No more we have."
There had been sounds quite audible, but absorbed in their island lifethey had not heard them. To-day they were not busy. The recognition ofthe silence which the bell had caused seemed to widen the distancebetween them and home.
"We are a long way from home--really," said Bevis.
"Awful long way."
"But really?"
"Of course--really. It feels farther to-day."
They could touch the bottom with their poles all the way round Serendib,but as before, in crossing to New Formosa, had to give a stronger pushon the edge of the deep channel, to carry them over to the shallowerwater. It was too late now to cook the moorhens, and they resolved tobe contented with rashers, and see if they could not get some moremushrooms. Directly they got near the hut, Pan rushed inside the fenceand began barking. When they reached the place he was sniffing round,and every now and then giving a sharp short bark, as if he knew therewas something, but could not make it out.
"Rats," said Mark, "and they've taken the bacon bits Pan left outsidethe gate."
Pan did not trouble any more when they came in. After preparing therashers, and looking at the sun-dial, by which it was noon, Bevis wentto look for mushrooms on the knoll, while Mark managed the dinner.Bevis had to go round to get to the knoll, and not wishing to disturbthe rabbits more than necessary, made Pan keep close to his heels.
But when he reached the open glade, Pan broke away, and rushing towardsthe ivy-clad oak, set up a barking. Bevis angrily called him, but Panwould not come, so he picked up a stick, but instead of returning toheel, Pan dashed into the underwood, and Bevis could hear him barking along way across the island. He thought it was the squirrels, and lookedabout for mushrooms. There were plenty, and he soon filled hishandkerchief. As he approached the hut, Mark came to meet him, and saidthat happening to look on the shelf he had missed the piece of cookedbacon left there,--had Bevis moved it?
Volume Three, Chapter IV.
NEW FORMOSA--SOMETHING HAS BEEN TO THE HUT.
; "No," said Bevis. "I left it there last night; don't you remember I cuta piece for Pan, and he would not eat it?"
"Yes; well, it's gone. Come and see." They went to the shelf--thecooked bacon was certainly gone; nor was it on the ground or in anyother part of the hut or cave.
"Pan must have dragged it down," said Bevis; "and yet it's too high, andbesides, he didn't care for it."
"He could not jump so high," said Mark. "Besides, he has been with usall the time."
"So he has." They had kept Pan close by them, ever since he disturbedthe
Bevis: The Story of a Boy Page 70