The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER IX.

  Prepare for a journey round the island--Sagacious reflections--Mysteriousappearances and startling occurrences.

  Scarcely had the sun shot its first ray across the bosom of the broadPacific, when Jack sprang to his feet, and, hallooing in Peterkin's earto awaken him, ran down the beach to take his customary dip in the sea.We did not, as was our wont, bathe that morning in our Water Garden, but,in order to save time, refreshed ourselves in the shallow water justopposite the bower. Our breakfast was also despatched without loss oftime, and in less than an hour afterwards all our preparations for thejourney were completed.

  In addition to his ordinary dress, Jack tied a belt of cocoa-nut clothround his waist, into which he thrust the axe. I was also advised to puton a belt and carry a short cudgel or bludgeon in it; for, as Jack trulyremarked, the sling would be of little use if we should chance to come toclose quarters with any wild animal. As for Peterkin, notwithstandingthat he carried such a long, and I must add, frightful-looking spear overhis shoulder, we could not prevail on him to leave his club behind;"for," said he, "a spear at close quarters is not worth a button." Imust say that it seemed to me that the club was, to use his own style oflanguage, not worth a button-hole; for it was all knotted over at thehead, something like the club which I remember to have observed inpicture-books of Jack the Giant Killer, besides being so heavy that herequired to grasp it with both hands in order to wield it at all.However, he took it with him, and, in this manner we set out upon ourtravels.

  We did not consider it necessary to carry any food with us, as we knewthat wherever we went we should be certain to fall in with cocoa-nuttrees; having which, we were amply supplied, as Peterkin said, with meatand drink and pocket-handkerchiefs! I took the precaution, however, toput the burning-glass into my pocket, lest we should want fire.

  The morning was exceeding lovely. It was one of that very still andpeaceful sort which made the few noises that we heard seem to be _quiet_noises. I know no other way of expressing this idea. Noises which sofar from interrupting the universal tranquillity of earth, sea, andsky--rather tended to reveal to us how quiet the world around us reallywas. Such sounds as I refer to were, the peculiarly melancholy--yet, itseemed to me, cheerful--plaint of sea-birds floating on the glassy water,or sailing in the sky, also the subdued twittering of little birds amongthe bushes, the faint ripples on the beach, and the solemn boom of thesurf upon the distant coral reef. We felt very glad in our hearts as wewalked along the sands side by side. For my part, I felt so deeplyoverjoyed, that I was surprised at my own sensations, and fell into areverie upon the causes of happiness. I came to the conclusion that astate of profound peace and repose, both in regard to outward objects andwithin the soul, is the happiest condition in which man can be placed;for, although I had many a time been most joyful and happy when engagedin bustling, energetic, active pursuits or amusements, I never found thatsuch joy or satisfaction was so deep or so pleasant to reflect upon asthat which I now experienced. And I was the more confirmed in thisopinion when I observed, and, indeed, was told by himself, thatPeterkin's happiness was also very great; yet he did not express this bydancing, as was his wont, nor did he give so much as a single shout, butwalked quietly between us with his eye sparkling, and a joyful smile uponhis countenance. My reader must not suppose that I thought all this inthe clear and methodical manner in which I have set it down here. Thesethoughts did, indeed, pass through my mind, but they did so in a veryconfused and indefinite manner, for I was young at that time, and notmuch given to deep reflections. Neither did I consider that the peacewhereof I write is not to be found in this world--at least in itsperfection, although I have since learned that by religion a man mayattain to a very great degree of it.

  I have said that Peterkin walked along the sands between us. We had twoways of walking together about our island. When we travelled through thewoods, we always did so in single file, as by this method we advancedwith greater facility, the one treading in the other's footsteps. Insuch cases Jack always took the lead, Peterkin followed, and I brought upthe rear. But when we travelled along the sands, which extended almostin an unbroken line of glistening white round the island, we marchedabreast, as we found this method more sociable, and every way morepleasant. Jack, being the tallest, walked next the sea, and Peterkinmarched between us, as by this arrangement either of us could talk to himor he to us, while if Jack and I happened to wish to converse together,we could conveniently do so over Peterkin's head. Peterkin used to say,in reference to this arrangement, that had he been as tall as either ofus, our order of march might have been the same, for, as Jack often usedto scold him for letting everything we said to him pass in at one ear andout at the other, his head could of course form no interruption to ourdiscourse.

  We were now fairly started. Half a mile's walk conveyed us round a bendin the land which shut out our bower from view, and for some time weadvanced at a brisk pace without speaking, though our eyes were not idle,but noted everything, in the woods, on the shore, or in the sea, that wasinteresting. After passing the ridge of land that formed one side of ourvalley--the Valley of the Wreck--we beheld another small vale lyingbefore us in all the luxuriant loveliness of tropical vegetation. Wehad, indeed, seen it before from the mountain-top, but we had no ideathat it would turn out to be so much more lovely when we were close toit. We were about to commence the exploration of this valley, whenPeterkin stopped us, and directed our attention to a very remarkableappearance in advance along the shore.

  "What's yon, think you?" said he, levelling his spear, as if he expectedan immediate attack from the object in question, though it was full halfa mile distant.

  As he spoke, there appeared a white column above the rocks, as if ofsteam or spray. It rose upwards to a height of several feet, and thendisappeared. Had this been near the sea, we would not have been sogreatly surprised, as it might in that case have been the surf, for atthis part of the coast the coral reef approached so near to the islandthat in some parts it almost joined it. There was therefore no lagoonbetween, and the heavy surf of the ocean beat almost up to the rocks. Butthis white column appeared about fifty yards inland. The rocks at theplace were rugged, and they stretched across the sandy beach into thesea. Scarce had we ceased expressing our surprise at this sight, whenanother column flew upwards for a few seconds, not far from the spotwhere the first had been seen, and disappeared; and so, at long irregularintervals, these strange sights recurred. We were now quite sure thatthe columns were watery or composed of spray, but what caused them wecould not guess, so we determined to go and see.

  In a few minutes we gained the spot, which was very rugged andprecipitous, and, moreover, quite damp with the falling of the spray. Wehad much ado to pass over dry-shod. The ground also was full of holeshere and there. Now, while we stood anxiously waiting for there-appearance of these water-spouts, we heard a low, rumbling sound nearus, which quickly increased to a gargling and hissing noise, and a momentafterwards a thick spout of water burst upwards from a hole in the rock,and spouted into the air with much violence, and so close to where Jackand I were standing that it nearly touched us. We sprang to one side,but not before a cloud of spray descended, and drenched us both to theskin.

  Peterkin, who was standing farther off, escaped with a few drops, andburst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter on beholding our miserableplight.

  "Mind your eye!" he shouted eagerly, "there goes another!" The wordswere scarcely out of his mouth when there came up a spout from anotherhole, which served us exactly in the same manner as before.

  Peterkin now shrieked with laughter; but his merriment was abruptly put astop to by the gurgling noise occurring close to where he stood.

  "Where'll it spout this time, I wonder?" he said, looking about with someanxiety, and preparing to run. Suddenly there came a loud hiss or snort;a fierce spout of water burst up between Peterkin's legs, blew him offhis feet, enveloped him in its spray, and hurled him to the grou
nd. Hefell with so much violence that we feared he must have broken some of hisbones, and ran anxiously to his assistance; but fortunately he had fallenon a clump of tangled herbage, in which he lay sprawling in a mostdeplorable condition.

  It was now our turn to laugh; but as we were not yet quite sure that hewas unhurt, and as we knew not when or where the next spout might arise,we assisted him hastily to jump up and hurry from the spot.

  I may here add, that although I am quite certain that the spout of waterwas very strong, and that it blew Peterkin completely off his legs, I amnot quite certain of the exact height to which it lifted him, beingsomewhat startled by the event, and blinded partially by the spray, sothat my power of observation was somewhat impaired for the moment.

  "What's to be done now?" inquired Peterkin ruefully.

  "Make a fire, lad, and dry ourselves," replied Jack.

  "And here is material ready to our hand," said I, picking up a driedbranch of a tree, as we hurried up to the woods.

  In about an hour after this mishap our clothes were again dried. Whilethey were hanging up before the fire, we walked down to the beach, andsoon observed that these curious spouts took place immediately after thefall of a huge wave, never before it; and, moreover, that the spouts didnot take place excepting when the billow was an extremely large one. Fromthis we concluded that there must be a subterraneous channel in the rockinto which the water was driven by the larger waves, and finding no wayof escape except through these small holes, was thus forced up violentlythrough them. At any rate, we could not conceive any other reason forthese strange water-spouts, and as this seemed a very simple and probableone, we forthwith adopted it.

  "I say, Ralph, what's that in the water? is it a shark?" said Jack, justas we were about to quit the place.

  I immediately ran to the overhanging ledge of rock, from which he waslooking down into the sea, and bent over it. There I saw a very faintpale object of a greenish colour, which seemed to move slightly while Ilooked at it.

  "It's like a fish of some sort," said I.

  "Hallo, Peterkin!" cried Jack, "fetch your spear; here's work for it."

  But when we tried to reach the object, the spear proved to be too short.

  "There, now," said Peterkin with a sneer, "you were always telling me itwas too long."

  Jack now drove the spear forcibly towards the object, and let go hishold; but, although it seemed to be well aimed, he must have missed, forthe handle soon rose again; and when the spear was drawn up, there wasthe pale green object in exactly the same spot, slowly moving its tail.

  "Very odd," said Jack.

  But although it was undoubtedly very odd, and, although Jack and all ofus plunged the spear at it repeatedly, we could neither hit it nor driveit away, so we were compelled to continue our journey without discoveringwhat it was. I was very much perplexed at this strange appearance in thewater, and could not get it out of my mind for a long time afterwards.However, I quieted myself by resolving that I would pay a visit to itagain at some more convenient season.