CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
ERIC'S COOKERY.
To throw down his spade a second time and rush off in the direction fromwhence his brother's cries for assistance proceeded was but the work ofan instant for Fritz; and when he had succeeded in pushing his waythrough the tangled tussock-grass, which grew matted as thick as a cane-brake, he found the lad in a terrible plight.
At first, the strong ammoniacal smell of the guano was so overpowering,combined with the fearful noise the penguins made--all screaming andchattering together, as if the denizens of the monkey house at theZoological Gardens, which Fritz had once visited when in London, hadbeen suddenly let loose amongst the parrots in the same establishment--that his senses were too confused to distinguish anything, especially asthe thicket was enveloped in semi-darkness from the overhanging stems ofthe long grass which shut out the sunlight; but, after a brief interval,Fritz was able to comprehend the situation and see his brother. PoorEric was lying face downwards, half-suffocated amidst the mass of birdrefuse, with the wheelbarrow, which had got turned over in somemysterious way or other, lying over him and preventing him from rising.Really, but for Fritz's speedy arrival, the lad might have lost his lifein so strange a fashion, for he was quite speechless and his breath gonewhen his brother lifted him up.
Nor was this the worst either.
The penguins had made such a determined onslaught on Eric with theirheavy beaks and flapping wings, and possibly too with their webbed feetwhen he was down struggling amongst them, that his clothes were all tornto rags; while his legs and body were bleeding profusely from the bitesand scratches he had received. His face alone escaped injury, from thefact of its being buried in the guano debris.
Fritz took hold of him, after pulling away the wheelbarrow, and luggedhim outside the penguin colony; when the lad, recovering presently, wasable to tell the incidents of the adventure, laughing subsequently atits ridiculous aspect. It seemed funny, he explained, that he, a sailorwho had battled with the storms of the ocean and feared nothing, shouldbe ignominiously beaten back by a flock of birds that were more stupidthan geese!
He had thought it easy enough to get the guano for the garden, he said,but he had overrated his ability or rather, underrated the obstacles inhis way; for, no sooner had he left the level ground which they hadselected for their little clearing, than he found that the tussock-grass, which appeared as light and graceful in the distance as wavingcorn, grew into a nearly-impenetrable jungle.
The root-clumps, or "tussocks" of the grass--whence its name--were twoor three feet in width, and grew into a mound about a foot high, thespaces intervening between, which the penguins utilised for their nests,averaging about eighteen inches apart, as if the grass had been almostplanted in mathematical order.
It would have been hard enough to wheel in the wheelbarrow between theclumps, Eric remarked, if all else had been plain sailing; but since, ashe pointed out and as Fritz indeed could see for himself, the stems ofthe thick grass raised themselves up to the height of seven or eightfeet from the roots, besides interweaving their blades with those ofadjoining clumps, the difficulty of passing through the thicket wasincreased tenfold. He had, he said, to bend himself double in stoopingso as to push along the wheelbarrow into the birds' breeding-place,which he did, thinking his path would become more open the farther hegot in.
So, not to be daunted, Eric trundled along the little vehicle right intothe heart of the birds' colony, beating down the grass as he advancedand crushing hundreds of eggs in his progress, as well as wheeling overthose birds that could not, or stupidly would not, get out of his way;when, as he was beginning to load up the wheelbarrow with a mass of thefiner sort of guano which he had scraped up, the penguins, which hadbeen all the while grumbling terribly at the intruder who was thusdesolating their domain--waiting to "get up steam," as the lad expressedit--made a concerted rush upon him all together, just in the same manneras they appeared always to enter and leave the water.
"In a moment," Eric said, "the wheelbarrow got bowsed over, when Imanaged, worse luck, to fall underneath; and then, finding I couldn'tget up again, I hailed you, brother."
"I came at once," interposed Fritz, "the moment I heard you call out."
"Well, I suppose you did, old fellow," said Eric; "but whether you didor didn't, in another five minutes I believe it would have been all upwith me, for I felt as if I were strangled, lying down there on my facein that beastly stuff. It seemed to have a sort of take-away-your-breath feeling, like smelling-salts; and, besides, the penguins kickedup such a hideous row all the while that I thought I would go mad. Inever heard such a racket in my life anywhere before, I declare!"
"But they've bitten you, too, awfully," remarked Fritz sympathisingly."Look, your poor legs are all bleeding."
"Oh, hang my legs, brother!" replied the other. "They'll soon comeright, never fear, when they have had a good wash in salt water. It wasthe noise of the blessed birds that bothered me more than all theirpecking; and, I can say truly of them, as of an old dog, that their barkis worse than their bite!"
So chuckling, the lad appeared to think no more of it; albeit he had notescaped scathless, and had been really in imminent peril a momentbefore. "The penguins do bark, don't they, Fritz?" he presently askedwhen he had stopped laughing.
"Yes," said his brother, "I don't think we can describe the sounds theymake as anything else than barking. Talking of dogs, I wish I had myold Gelert here; he would soon have made a diversion in your favour androuted the penguins!"
"Would he?" exclaimed Eric in a doubting tone, still rather sore in hismind at having been forced to beat a retreat before his featheredassailants. "I fancy the best dog in the world would have been cowed bythose vicious brutes; for, if he didn't turn tail, he would be pecked todeath in a minute!"
Eric was not far wrong, as a fine setter, belonging to one of theofficers of HMS _Challenger_, when that vessel was engaged in surveyingthe islands of the South Atlantic, during her scientific voyage in 1874,was torn to pieces by the penguins in the same way that Eric wasassailed, before it could be rescued.
"Never mind," said Fritz, "I wish dear old Gelert were here all thesame."
"So do I," chorussed Eric, jumping up on his legs and shaking himself,to see whether his bones might not have received some damage in theaffray. "We should have rare fun setting him at the penguins andinterrupting their triumphant marches up and down the beach!" And heraised his fist threateningly at his late foes.
"Do you know," observed Fritz, who had been cogitating awhile, "I thinkI see the reason for their methodical habit of going to and from thewater."
"Indeed?" said Eric.
"Yes. Don't you recollect how an equal number seem always to come outfrom the rookery and proceed down the beach when the other batches landfrom the sea, just as if they took it in rotation to go fishing?"
"Of course. Why, Captain Brown specially pointed that out to us."
"Well," said Fritz, "the reason for that is, that the males and femalesmind the nests in turn, just as you sailors keep watch on board ship.First, let us say, the gentlemen penguins go off to the sea to have aswim, and see what they can catch; and then, at the expiration of afixed time, these return to the shore and take charge of the nests,sitting on the eggs while their wives, whom they thus relieve for aspell, have a spell off, so as to get a mouthful of fresh air--"
"Water, you mean," interposed Eric, jokingly.
"All right, water then, and perhaps a fish or two as well; after whichthey come back to attend to their own legitimate department. Look nowat that group there, just in front of us?"
Eric glanced towards the spot where his brother directed his attention,and noticed a party of penguins returning from the sea. These separatedas soon as they approached the line of nests, different individualssidling up to the sitting birds and giving their partners a peck withtheir beaks, by way of a hint, barking out some word of explanation atthe same time. In another moment, the home-coming penguin had
wedgeditself into the place of the other, which struggling on to its feet thenproceeded outside the thicket, where, being joined by others whose guardhad been thus similarly relieved, the fresh group proceeded together, ina hurried, scrambling sort of run, to the beach, whence they shortlyplunged into the sea, having, however, their usual gabbling colloquyfirst in concert before taking to the water.
"They're a funny lot," said Eric; "still, they're not going to get thebetter of me, for I intend to load the wheelbarrow with their guano,whether they like it or not!"
"I wouldn't disturb them again, if I were you," observed Fritz. "Theyseem to have quieted down, and do not mind our presence now."
"I won't trouble them, for I shall not go inside their rookery," saidEric. "I only intend to skirt round the place, and see what I can pickup outside."
"Very well then, I will go on digging the garden, which I have beenneglecting all this time, if you will get the manure. I should like toplant some of our potatoes to-day, before knocking off work, if we canmanage it."
"All right, fire away; I will soon come and join you," said Eric, andthe brothers separated again--Fritz proceeding back to the ground he hadbeen digging, which now began to look quite tidy; while the sailor lad,lifting up the handles of the wheelbarrow, trundled it off once morealong the edge of the tussock-grass thicket, stopping every now andagain to shovel up the guano, until he had collected a full load, whenhe wheeled his way back to where Fritz was working away still hard atthe potato patch.
A piece of ground twenty yards long by the same in breadth is not easyto dig over in a day, even to the most industrious toiler, and so Fritzfound it; for, in spite of the interruption his brother had sufferedfrom on his first start after the manure from the bird colony, the ladmanaged to cover the whole of the plot they had marked out with thefertilising compound, which he wheeled up load after load, long beforehe had accomplished half his task, although he dug away earnestly.
Fritz had been a little more sanguine than he usually was. He thoughthe could have finished the job before the middle of the day; but, whenit got late on in the afternoon and the sun gave notice as he sankbehind the western cliff that the evening was drawing nigh, there wasstill much to finish; and so, much to the elder brother's chagrin, thetask had to be abandoned for the day in an incomplete state.
"Never mind," he said to Eric--when, putting their spades and othertools into the wheelbarrow, they trundled it homeward in turn, like astheir friends the penguins practised their domestic duties--"we'll getit done by to-morrow, if we only stick to it."
"I'm sure I will do my best, brother," responded Eric; "but, really, Ido hate digging. The man who invented that horrible thing, a spade,ought to be keel-hauled; that's how I would serve him!"
"Is that anything like what the penguins did to you this morning?" askedFritz with a chuckle.
"Pretty much the same," said Eric, grinning at the allusion. "I declareI had almost forgotten all about that! However, I'll now go and get achange of clothes, and have a bath in the sea before sitting downcomfortably to our evening meal;" and, anxious to carry out this resolveat once, the lad set off running towards the hut with the wheelbarrowbefore him, he having the last turn of the little vehicle.
"There never was so impetuous a fellow as Eric," Fritz said to himself,seeing the lad start off in this fashion. "Himmel, he is a regularyoung scatter-brain, as old Lorischen used to call him!"
"Pray be quick about your bath," he called out after him. "I will getthe coffee ready by the time you come back."
"Good!" shouted Eric in return. "Mind and make it strong too; for, I'msure I shall want something to sustain me after all my exertions!"
The day terminated without any further incident; although the windhaving calmed down, the young fellows heard the penguins much moreplainly through the night than previously. Still, this did not muchaffect their rest; for in the morning they turned out fresh and heartyfor another day's experience of gardening.
But, again, they were unable to finish the plot of land properly on thissecond day, to Fritz's satisfaction, so as to begin planting theirseeds. The ground was so hard and there were such numbers of roots andweeds to remove from the soil, that it took them up to the middle of theafternoon of the third day ere their little plot could be said to beclear of all extraneous matter. Then, however, it was really ready forthe reception of their seedling potatoes and other vegetables, with theguano well dug in.
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Fritz, as he and Eric began fixing a piece of lineacross the fresh mould, so as to be able to make the furrows straightfor the potatoes, which they had ready cut in a basket, only pieces withan "eye" in them being selected, "now, we'll soon be finished at last!When we've put in the cabbage seed and onions, I think we'll have aholiday for the rest of the day."
"Right you are," said Eric, in high glee at the prospect of a littlerespite from the arduous toil they had been engaged in almost since theyhad landed. He would have struck work long before, had it not been forFritz labouring on so steadily, which made him ashamed to remain idle."I tell you what we'll do to celebrate the event, now the garden isdone. We will have a feast there."
"I don't know where that's to come from," observed Fritz in his soberway, just then beginning to place carefully the pieces of potato in thedrills prepared for them. "I don't think there's much chance of ourhaving any feasting here."
"Oh, indeed," replied Eric; "am I not cook?"
"Well, laddie, I haven't noticed any great display of your skill yetsince we landed," said Fritz dryly.
"Ah, we've been too busy; you just wait till I have time, like thisafternoon. Then you shall see what you shall see!"
"No doubt," said Fritz, laughing at this sapient declaration. "However,I assure you, brother mine and most considerate of cooks, I'll not besorry to have a change of diet from the cold salt pork and biscuit onwhich we have fared all the time we've been gardening."
"How could I cook anything else, when you wanted me here?" replied Ericindignantly, handing the last piece of potato to put in the soleremaining drill. "I couldn't be up at the hut with my saucepans anddown here helping you at the same time, eh?"
"No," said Fritz, proceeding to give the plot a final rake over; afterwhich he sowed some cabbage seed and onions in a separate patch, whileEric put in the peas and scarlet runners which the skipper had givenhim. "We'll consider the past a blank, laddie. See what you can dowith your saucepans to-day; you've got the whole afternoon before you."
"All right," replied Eric. "Only, you must promise not to interferewith me, you know; mind that, old fellow!"
"What, I have the temerity to offer advice to such a grand cuisinier asthe noble ex-midshipman? no, not if I know myself."
"Thanks, Herr Lieutenant," said Eric, with a deferential bow; "I willsummon your lordship when the dinner is ready."
With this parting shot, the lad went off laughing towards the hut.Fritz proceeded down to the shore; and, in order that he might keep hispromise to Eric of not disturbing him, he determined to devote his timeto watching the penguins, so as to get up an appetite for theforthcoming banquet--although the hard work he had just gone throughrendered any stimulus to eating hardly necessary. Indeed, Fritz wouldhave been well enough satisfied to have sat down and demolished a fairquantity of the despised cold pork and biscuits long before Ericsummoned him up to the hut, which he did presently, with a hail as loudas if he were calling "all hands" at sea, in a heavy squall.
"Ahoy, Herr Lieutenant!" shouted out the lad in his funny way. "Yourgracious majesty is served!"--screeching out the words so distinctlythat, though he was on the opposite side of the valley, the portentousannouncement sounded to Fritz as if it had been bellowed in his ears.
"I'm coming," he answered; and, with no lagging footsteps, he quicklyhastened towards the left cliff, where in front of the hut he could seeMaster Eric had made the most elaborate preparations in his power forthe promised feast. The lad had even gone so far as to spread the pieceof tarpau
lin which the skipper had given them, on the ground in lieu ofa tablecloth!
Everything looked charming.
Eric had arranged some plates and a couple of dishes round the tarpaulinwith great artistic effect, and a carving knife and fork before theplace where he motioned Fritz to seat himself. The lad's own position,as host, was in front of a large mess tin which was covered with acloth. A most agreeable odour filled the air, albeit the faint smell asof burnt meat somewhat struck Fritz as Eric proceeded to take off thecovering cloth with a flourish.
"Well, Monsieur Cuisinier, what is the bill of fare?" asked the elderbrother with a gratified smile, the unaccustomed smell of a hot dinneralmost making his mouth water before he knew what he was going to have.
"Roast beef to begin with," announced Master Eric pompously.
"Himmel!" exclaimed Fritz, "roast beef! How have you managed to providethat?" His heart sank within him as he asked the almost unnecessaryquestion; for, quickly came the answer he feared.
"Oh," said Eric in an off-hand way, "I opened the cask Captain Browngave us and roasted a piece over the fire."
"But, that was salt meat!" ejaculated Fritz in consternation.
"Well, what matter?" rejoined Eric; "I suppose it was as good to roastas any other. Besides, we didn't have any fresh."
Fritz heaved a sigh of despair.
"Let us try it, anyhow," he said in a melancholy tone, and Eric having,carved off with extreme difficulty a knob--it could be called nothingelse--of the black mass in the mess tin he had before him, handed theplate containing it over to Fritz, who, sawing off a fragment,endeavoured to chew it unsuccessfully and then had finally to eject itfrom his mouth.
"Good heavens, Eric!" he exclaimed, "it's as hard as a brickbat, as saltas brine, and burnt up as thoroughly as a piece of coke. How could youeven think of trying to roast a bit of salt junk? Why, your ownexperience of the article on board ship should have told you better!"
"Well, I know it is tough when boiled; but I fancied it might be betterroasted for a change. I'm very sorry, old fellow, but, still, wehaven't come to the end of our resources yet; I have got another dish tosurprise you."
"I hope not in the same way!" said Fritz with a shudder. "What is theother string to your bow, eh, Mr Cook?"
"A stew," replied Eric laconically.
"Ho, that sounds better," said his brother, the complacent look whichhad stolen over his face on sitting down to the banquet now returningagain in the expectation of having something savoury at last. "A stew,eh? Why, that used to be my favourite dish at home; don't you remember,laddie?"
"Yes, I remember," responded Eric, not quite so joyously as his brotherevidently expected; "but," he added hesitatingly, "you'll find this alittle different, because, ah, you know, ah, I hadn't got all the properthings. Still, it's very nice, very nice indeed!"
The amateur cook brought out the last words with great earnestness, asif wishing to impress Fritz with the fact that, although the dish mightnot be quite what he expected, yet it would be certainly "tasty"--thatis, according to his notions!
It was; for, hardly had Fritz tasted a spoonful of it, than he spat itout again, making the most terrible faces.
"Why, this is worse than the other!" he cried rather angrily. "What onearth have you made it of. Eric?"
"Well, I put in some pork and the tinned oysters--"
"That mixture would be almost enough to settle one!" said Fritz,interrupting him. "Anything else?"
"Oh, yes. As there were only a few potatoes left from those we used forplanting in the garden I put them in; and, as I had no other vegetables,I also shook in some preserved peaches, and--"
"There, that will do," shouted Fritz, quite put out at having hisexpected dinner treat spoilt in such a fashion,--"salt pork, pickledoysters, and preserved peaches,--good heavens! The stew only wantedsome cheese to be added to make it perfect."
"I did put some in," said Eric innocently.
This naive acknowledgment quite restored Fritz's good humour, and heburst out laughing; his anger and disgust dispelled at once by thecomical confession.
"If ever I let you cook for me again," he observed presently when he wasable to speak again, "I'll--yes, I will eat a stewed penguin, there!"
Eric laughed, too, at this; although he remarked, wisely enough,"Perhaps you might have to eat worse than that, old fellow!"
"I don't know what could be," said Fritz.
"Nothing!" curtly replied Eric, the truism silencing his brother for themoment and setting him thinking; but he presently spoke again to thepoint at issue.
"Is there nothing left for us to eat?" he asked. "I'm famishing."
"There's the cheese and some raw ham if you can manage with those," saidEric sadly, quite disheartened at the failure of all his grandpreparations for giving his brother a treat.
"Capitally," replied Fritz, "fetch them out, and let us make a goodsquare meal. We can have some coffee afterwards. Next time, laddie,"he added to cheer up Eric, "I dare say you'll do better."
The lad was somewhat relieved at his brother taking the matter so good-humouredly, and quickly brought out the cheese and ham, which with somebiscuits served them very well in place of the rejected viands; and,soon, the two were chatting away together again in their oldaffectionate way as if no misunderstanding had come between them,talking of home and old familiar scenes and recollections of Lubeck.
While they were yet sitting in front of the hut, over their coffee, thesetting sun cast the shadow of the cliff right before their feet; and,at the very edge of the craggy outline, they perceived the shadow ofsomething else which was in motion.
This somewhat aroused their attention and made them look up towards theheights above the waterfall.
What was their astonishment, there, to see a large animal, which, in thestrong light behind it from the descending orb, appeared almost ofgigantic proportions.
The beast appeared to be right over their heads; and, as they looked up,it seemed as if about to jump down on them!
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