The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane

by Frank Barrett

  CHAPTER LVII.

  THE RAINY SEASON SETS IN WITH A VENGEANCE, AND WE ARE PUT TO SORRY SHIFTTO KEEP FROM DROWNING.

  For five weeks we traveled down that great river, and if I set about itI could give a good account of every day; for 'twas my pleasure when Ilay down at night to review the incidents of the day, since every hourdid yield some precious food for rumination. Assuredly there wereaccidents, mishaps, and perils in that journey (as notably an assault byhostile savages, which made us mindful to trust them not thereafter);but in overcoming these difficulties and helping each other, my dearlady and I were knit more closely together, seeing that we had fared butmiserably alone; and trouble, I take it, is like salt, which of itselfis an abomination, but mingled sparingly with one's daily bread doesgive it good savor, and serves as a zest to the appetite.

  But not to weary the reader with a tedious detail of my happiness, Iwill cut this matter short, and come to that time when the rainy seasonset in, and I knew no comfort day or night for concern on my dear lady'saccount. And over this business I will not linger neither, for surely noone with a feeling heart will care to hear of my misery.

  At first we counted that the rain would give over at the end of the day,and that we might yet go a little further before taking refuge for theseason; but we soon found our mistake, for in these parts it does notrain in showers, but comes down cats and dogs, as you may say, forspitefulness, a whole month without ceasing. So when we perceived howmatters stood, having not a dry thread on us, and no means to lie downbut in a bath, we resolved to stop at the next convenient spot we cameto. And coming at length to a part of the river where the waters spreadout into a kind of lake, we spied, standing up out of it on its southside, a very fair high island, which I then made for, as we deemed itwould be more proper to our purpose than elsewhere. And a very good sortof island we found it--about fifty acres in extent, well furnished withtrees, and of a sandy soil; and we were well pleased to find abundanceof holes in the higher part, which I knew at once for the burrows ofacutis,[4] which, boiled or roast, make as good a dish as any man couldhave. Here, having settled to make our dwelling on the highest part ofthe island, as being the best drained, we drew our canoe ashore, andhauled it up thither. I say we, for my lady did haul with all herstrength bravely, for she shrank from no helpful service, and well sheaided me, bless her good heart!

  [Footnote 4: These acutis are a kind of conies that dress themselves ontheir hind-quarters and feed with their fore-paws in the manner of ajack-squirrel.--B. P.]

  Then with a couple of lianes that had served us for mooring our boat, wemade a shift to sling up our canoe bottom upwards between two treesabout seven feet from the ground; and, this done, we went to thewater-side and cut a fair stack of cane-reeds, that grew abundantlythere, and with a good deal of labor carried them up to our canoe. Andnow we set about planting our canes the length of the canoe, but a goodbit wider at the base, and inclining them in such sort that they joinedat the top within the boat, so that no wet could enter that way; indeed,we set these canes so close together, and so thickly all round and aboutsave a little opening at the leeward end for our door, that not a dropof rain came through anywhere. Thus by nightfall had we made forourselves a very decent little cottage, which I divided in two byhanging my mat across midway of its length, in order that my lady shouldhave a chamber to herself.

  Miserable as our estate may appear to those who have never sufferedadversity, and are frighted out of their wits if they be but caught inan April shower, we were, I protest, heartily well content with ourshelter, taking mighty satisfaction to ourselves because no wet leakedthrough our walls; that the ground, by being sandy, absorbed the water,so that there was no mud or beastliness on our floor; that, though ourclothes were sodden, yet we felt no discomfort of cold, etc. Nay, weeven made merry in getting our supper, because we were nearly choked byour fire of damp nuts, which set us coughing like any sick of aphthisic. But the true reason of our cheerfulness was that we were eachminded to make the best of a bad job for the sake of the other, and inthat way looked over the defects in our condition in spying out itsadvantages; and sure I am that the less we study our personal happiness,the less we find to be discontented with in our lot.

  When we had been here three weeks I began to grow uneasy, for in allthis time the rain had not ceased to fall, I verily believe, half anhour, whereby the waters were swelled to such a prodigious extent thatmore than half our island was flooded (and that the steeper part), sothat I foresaw we could stay there not above another week unless achange in the weather came about; but sign of change was there none, therain pouring down as though it would never have done. Yet where on earthwe were to go, or what to do for the best, I could no way imagine. Foras our island lay under water, so did the land by the river-side. Topass afoot amidst the trees in quest of higher ground was not lessimpossible than to get thither with the canoe--the trees about therebeing as close together as nine-pins, and the water pretty nigh a coupleof fathoms high amongst them.

  At length, seeing my anxiety, Lady Biddy accused me of keeping a secretfrom her against the spirit of true friendship. Whereupon I told her ofmy fears, and the perplexity they threw me into.

  "I did think you had this matter on your mind, Benet," says she, "and Iown I have noticed the rising of the waters with mistrust. Indeed," addsshe, "you and I are not alone in this apprehension."

  "Why, who else is there here to heed such matters?" says I.

  "Look," says she, pointing before her through the opening as we sat inour hut.

  Casting my eyes as she directed, I noticed a troop of acutis with theirheads to the ground and their ears cast back.

  "They have been driven from their holes by the water," says she, "andare so subdued by fear that they have let me take them up in my arms."

  "They know they are safe here; which we may take for our own assurance,"says I.

  "So I think," says she. "A change must come ere long. Indeed, the airfeels different already."

  And a change did come the very next night; but such as we had notbargained for. About midnight there broke over us the most terrificstorm of thunder and lightning I ever knew, and with it the rain camedown in such torrents that I thought the weight of it must burst thelianes and bring our shelter down about our ears. This continued all thenight, and I could not sleep a wink for thinking that mayhap the end ofthe world was at hand, and we were to be drowned by a second flood,despite the rainbow.

  About daybreak Lady Biddy called to me.

  "Benet," says she, "here's one of those poor acutis crept right into myarms."

  Upon that I sprang to my feet and went outside, fearing the worst. Andthere, in the half-light, the whole of the ground about me was alivewith the poor acutis, all so numbed with the wet and terror that theyhad not the sense to move out of my way; nor did they even cry out whenI trod upon them. I had not gone a score of paces when I felt the sandyielding beneath me, and caught sight of water amidst the trees.

  "Cousin," says I, running back, "we must prepare to go at once."

  "I am dressed, Benet," says she cheerfully; "what can I do?"

  I could not at once reply for admiring of the helpful, ready characterof that dear woman (thus revealed), but paused to gaze on her in wonderand love; however, this was no time for long delay, so we presently gotall the things out of the hut and placed them ready to our hand; andthen I unfastened the lianes that held up our canoe, and we had now buta short distance to haul it ere we reached the water. Then we stowed allour poor possessions in their place, and launched the canoe amidst thetrees. When it lay fairly afloat I begged my lady to get in. But shehesitated, with a mournful look behind her.

  "Benet," says she, "if it won't make your labor of rowing moredifficult, I should like to take some of those poor dear conies away.'Tis so pitiful to leave them here to die."

  I helped her with a willing and ready heart to carry as many of thehalf-dead acutis to the canoe as we could take, and then we got in, andI pushed my way through
the trees out into the stream.