Fritz and Eric

by John C. Hutcheson

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

  "NEWS FROM HOME."

  For some time after the wreck, the brothers seemed to experience astrange dreariness about the place which they never felt before.

  They were now shut in entirely, being confined, as it were, to thelittle valley of the waterfall through the destruction of the tussock-grass ladder, which previously had opened the tableland on top of thecrags to them, giving greater liberty of action; although the ascent hadnot been by any means an easy matter for Fritz.

  Now, however, restricted to their scanty domain, bounded by the barecliff at the back and encompassed by lofty headlands on either side,they were prevented from wandering beyond the limits of the bay, save bytaking to their boat; and this, the strong winds which set in at thelatter end of March rendered utterly impossible of achievement.

  Consequently, they began to realise more fully their solitary condition,recognising the fact that they were crusoes indeed!

  No event of any importance happened after the episode of the bonfire andthe storm in which the crew of the brig perished, for some weeks,nothing occurring to break the monotony of the solitary life they wereleading; until, one morning, without any warning, the penguins, whichhad been their constant companions from the commencement of their self-chosen exile up to now, suddenly left the island.

  This was in the month of April.

  Never was a migration more unexpected.

  On the evening before, the birds, so long as daylight lasted, were seenstill playing about in the bay and arranging themselves in lines alongthe rough escarpment of the headlands, where they were drawn up likesoldiers on parade and apparently dressed in the old-fashioned uniformthat is sometimes still seen on the stage. Really, their black andwhite plumage exactly resembled the white buckskin breeches and blackthree-cornered hats of the whilom mousquetaires; while their droopingflappers seemed like hands down their sides in the attitude of"attention!"--the upper portions of the wings, projecting in front,representing those horrible cross-belts that used to make the men lookas if they wore stays.

  The penguins seemed so much at home on the island that it looked as ifthey never intended leaving it, albeit the brothers noticed that thebirds barked and grumbled more discordantly than they had done of late.No doubt there was something on hand, they thought; but they neverdreamt that this grand pow-wow was their leave-taking of the rookery;but, lo and behold! when Eric came out of the hut next morning to payhis customary matutinal visit to the beach, there was not a singlepenguin to be seen anywhere in the vicinity, either out in the water oron land!

  They had disappeared, as if by magic, in one single night. In theevening before, they were with them; when day dawned, they were gone!

  Fritz and Eric had got so accustomed to the birds by this time, studyingtheir habits and watching the progress of many of the adult penguinsfrom the egg to representative birdom, as they passed through thevarious gradations of hatching and moulting, that they quite missed themfor the first few days after their departure.

  The cliffs, without their presence to enliven them, appeared never sostern and bleak and bare as now; the headlands never so forbidding andimpassable; the valley never so prison-like, to the brothers, shut in asthey were and confined to the bay!

  However, the winter season coming on apace, the two soon had plenty todo in preparing for its advent. This served to distract their attentionfrom becoming morbid and dwelling on their loneliness, which was all themore dismal now from the fact of their being debarred from theirhunting-ground on the plateau--Fritz having got strong and well againafter the wreck, and being now able to start on a second expedition inpursuit of "Kaiser Billy," did he so wish, if the access to thetableland above the cliffs by way of the gully were only still open tothem.

  Goat-shooting, therefore, being denied them, the brothers busiedthemselves about other matters, as soon as the increasing coldness ofthe air and an occasional snow-storm warned them that winter would soonvisit the shores of the island.

  "I tell you what," said Fritz, when the first few flakes of snow camefluttering down one afternoon as they were standing outside the hut, thesun having set early and darkness coming on. "We're going to have someof the old weather we were accustomed to at Lubeck."

  "Ah; but, we can have no skating or slides here!" replied Eric, thinkingof the canals and frozen surface of the sea near his northern home, whenthe frost asserted its sway, ruling with a sceptre of ice everywhere.

  "No, and we don't want them either," rejoined the practical Fritz. "Iam pondering over a much more serious matter; and that is, how we shallkeep ourselves warm? My coat, unfortunately, is getting pretty nearlyworn-out!"

  "And so is mine," cried Eric, exhibiting the elbows of his reefingjacket, in which a couple of large holes showed themselves. The rest ofthe garment, also, was so patched up with pieces of different colouredcloth that it more resembled an old-clothes-man's sack than anythingelse!

  "Well, what do you think of our paying our tailor a visit?" said Fritzall at once, after cogitating a while in a brown study.

  Eric burst out into a loud fit of laughing; so hearty that he nearlydoubled himself up in the paroxysms of his mirth.

  "Ha, ha, ha, what a funny fellow you are, Fritz!" he exclaimed. "Iwonder where we are going to find a tailor here?"

  "Oh, I know one," said his brother coolly, in such a matter-of-fact waythat the lad was quite staggered with surprise.

  "Do you?" he asked in astonishment. "Who is he?"

  "Your humble servant," said Fritz, with a low bow. "Can I have thepleasure of measuring you for a new suit, meinherr?"

  Eric began laughing again.

  "You can measure away to your heart's content," he replied; "but, Ifancy it will puzzle even your lofty intellect to discover thewherewithal to make clothes with--that is, except sailcloth, which wouldbe rather cold wear for winter, I think, eh, Master Schneider?"

  "How about those two last sealskins we didn't salt down, or pack up withthe rest in the puncheon?" enquired Fritz with a smile.

  "O-oh!" exclaimed Eric, opening his mouth wide with wonder.

  "A-ah," rejoined his brother. "I think they'll do very well to make acouple of good coats for us; they'll be warm and serviceable."

  "Of course they will," said Eric, jumping at the idea. "And, they willbe fashionable too! Why, sealskin jackets are all the rage in Berlinand Hanover; so, we'll be regular dandies!"

  "Dandies of the first water, oh yes," replied Fritz quizzingly. "Iwonder what they would think of us at, Lubeck if they could just see usnow!"

  "Never mind, brother, we'll astonish them when we go back with ourpockets full of money," said Eric in his happy fashion; and then,without further delay, the two set to work making themselves wintergarments, as Fritz had suggested, from the sealskins.

  These had been dried, instead of being salted down with the rest, in theordinary way whalers preserve them for the furriers; so, now, all thatremained for the brothers to do was to make the skins limp and pliable.

  This they managed to effect by rubbing grease over the inner surface ofthe skins with a hard piece of lava slab selected from the volcanicdebris at the foot of the cliff, in the same way, as Eric explained,that sailors holystone the decks of a ship; and, after the pelts of theseals were subjected to this process, they underwent a species oftanning by being steeped in a decoction of tea leaves, keeping, however,the hair out of the liquor. Lastly, the outside portion of the skinswas dressed by pulling off the long fibrous exterior hairs, concealingthe soft fur below that resembled the down beneath a bird's roughfeathers.

  The skins being now thoroughly prepared, all that remained to do was tocut out the coats, a feat the crusoes accomplished by using their oldgarments for patterns; and then, by the aid of the useful littlehousewife which Celia Brown had given Eric, after an immense amount ofstitching, the brothers were able at last to clothe themselves in acouple of fur jackets. These, although they were perhaps roughly made,the good people at home coul
d not have turned up their noses at, for thearticles were certainly intrinsically worth more than the best-cutmasterpiece of the best outfitter, even if not of so perfect a fit orstyle!

  Fritz was the chief tailor in this operation; but, while he was busilyengaged with needle and thread, Eric was employed in another way,equally for the good of both.

  The hut had been found somewhat cold and damp in consequence of thesun's power beginning to wane by reason of its shifting further north,through the periodic revolution of the earth; so it was determined tobuild a fireplace within the dwelling.

  This had not been necessary before, all their cooking operations havingbeen carried on without the hut at an open-air campaigner's stovedesigned by soldier Fritz.

  Now, however, Master Eric devoted himself to the task of improving theirhousehold economy, accomplishing the feat so well that, wonderful torelate, the place never smoked once after the fire had been lit in thenew receptacle for it, excepting when the wind blew from the westward.Then, indeed, coming from over the top of the plateau above, it whirleddown the gorge, roaring through the lad's patent chimney like a cyclone.

  From May, until the end of July--during which time the extreme severityof the winter lasted--the brothers did little, save stop indoors andread, or play dominoes.

  Really, there was nothing else for them to occupy their minds with; for,it was impossible to cultivate the garden, while the weather was toorough for them to venture out in the whale-boat.

  Early in August, however, the penguins returned.

  The birds did this as suddenly as they had left; although they did notcome all together, as at the period of their migrating from the island.

  It need hardly be said that Fritz and Eric welcomed them joyfully as theearly swallows of the coming summer; for, as the summer advanced, theirlife would be more varied, and there would be plenty for them to do.

  Besides, the brothers had not forgotten Captain Brown's promise toreturn at this period and visit them with the _Pilot's Bride_, thearrival of which vessel might be expected in a couple of months or so.

  The male penguins were the first to make their reappearance in the bay,Eric returning to the hut with the news of this fact one morning inAugust.

  "I say, Fritz," he called out, when yet some distance off from theirdwelling--"I've just seen two penguins down by the sea!"

  "Have you?" exclaimed the other eagerly. "That's good news."

  "Is it?" said Eric. "I didn't think you cared about them so much."

  "Ah, I'm looking out for their eggs," replied Fritz.

  "Why, you never seemed to fancy them last year, old fellow," said thesailor lad surprised. "What means this change of view on your part?"

  "Well, you know, when we arrived here first, the birds were alreadysitting; and, I certainly confess I did not care about the eggs then,for they would probably have been half addled! Now, however, if we lookout each day, we can get them quite fresh, when they'll be ever so muchbetter. Young Glass told us, as you ought to remember, that they tastedvery nice and not in the least fishy."

  "Oh, yes, I recollect," said Eric. "I will keep a good look-out forthem now you say they're worth looking after!"

  And he did.

  The two male birds, who first came, were succeeded on the following dayby half a dozen more, a large number coming later on the same afternoon.

  All these penguins were in their best plumage, and very fat and lazy,contenting themselves with lolling about the beach for a day or two, asif to recover from the fatigues of their journey.

  Then, after a solemn conference together close to the rookery, the birdsbegan to prepare their nests, so as to be ready for the reception of thefemales, which did not make their appearance for nearly a month afterthe first male penguins were seen.

  A fortnight later, there was in almost each nest an egg of a pale bluecolour, very round in shape and about the size of a turkey's--the sightof which much gratified Master Eric, who, fearless of consequences, madea point of investigating the tussock-grass colony every morning. Hecalled the birds habitat his "poultry yard," seeming to be quiteunmindful of his mishap there the previous year; although now, as thepenguins had not begun regularly to sit yet, they were not so noisy ortroublesome as when he then intruded on their domain. Besides, as thesailor lad argued, the eggs were uncommonly good eating, and well worthrisk getting them.

  September came; and the brother crusoes were all agog with excitement,watching for the expected coming of the old Yankee skipper.

  "Do you know what to-day is?" asked Fritz one morning, as Eric woke himup in turning out.

  "What a fellow you are for dates!" exclaimed the other. "You ought togo and live in the East, where they cultivate them, brother! No, Ican't say I recollect what day it is. Tuesday, is it not?"

  "I don't mean that," said Fritz petulantly. "I alluded to the sort ofanniversary, that's all."

  "Anniversary of what?"

  "Our landing here last year," replied Fritz.

  "Oh, I forgot that!" exclaimed Eric.

  "It strikes me you forget a good many things," said his brother in hisdry way. "Still, what I was thinking of was, that we might now reallybegin to look out for Captain Brown. What a pity it is that you can'tascend to your old signalling station on top of the gully."

  "Yes, it was all on account of the grass burning that our ladder gotspoilt and--"

  "Of course you didn't set it on fire, eh?" interposed Fritz.

  "Ah well, it's of no use our talking about that now; words will not mendmatters," said Eric. "We'll have look out from here!"

  The wind latterly had been from the east, blowing right into the bay.On account of this, the brothers could not venture out in the boat andthus get round the headland, so as to climb the plateau from the otherside of the island and scan the offing from thence.

  Still, no amount of looking out on their part--or lack of observation,whichever way the matter was put--seemed to effect the arrival of theexpected ship; for, the month passed away in daily counted days withouta trace of a sail being seen on the horizon.

  At last, just when the brothers had given up in despair all hope ofhearing from home, Eric, one morning in October, reported that there wassomething in sight to windward of the bay; although, he said, he did notthink she looked like the _Pilot's Bride_.

  Hastily jumping into his clothes--for Fritz, sad to relate, could neverpractise early rising, in which good habit day after day Eric set him apraiseworthy example--the elder followed the younger lad again to theshore of the bay; from which point, well away out to sea, and her hulljust rising from the rolling plane of water, could be seen a vessel.She was steering for the island apparently, with the wind well on herbeam.

  "It isn't Captain Brown's ship," said Eric now decisively, his sailoreye having distinguished while she was yet in the distance that thevessel was a fore-and-aft-rigged schooner, although Fritz could not thentell what sort of craft she was. "It is one of those small whalers thatply amongst the islands, such as I saw down at Kerguelen."

  "What can have become of the skipper, then?" cried Fritz, quitedisappointed. "I hope nothing has happened to him."

  "We'll soon know," replied Eric. "If I mistake not this very schooner,which is evidently going to call here, is the _Jane_. I know her bythat queer patch in her jib; and, if that's the case, she is one of theconsorts of the _Pilot's Bride_ and will be bound to be able to tell ussomething about her."

  "I sincerely hope so," said Fritz.

  The two then remained silent for some time, watching the approachingvessel; but they took the precaution to run down their whale-boat to thebeach, so as to be ready to put off as soon as the visitor should comenear enough for them to board her.

  In a short time, bowling up before a good breeze, although it seemedhours to them, they were so anxious, the schooner lay-to off the bay,hoisting her flag as a signal that she wished to communicate. But, longbefore the bunting had been run up to the masthead, the brothers hadlaunched their boat
and were pulling out towards the vessel, which didnot anchor, for there was a heavy ground swell on--this latter, indeed,cost them, too, some trouble in getting their little craft out to sea,the rolling surge first lifting her up and then plunging her down sothat everything was hidden from them for the moment by a wall of wateron either side.

  However, they managed to get through the waves somehow; and, presently,they were alongside the schooner,--pulling in under her stern, whence arope was hove them to get on board by.

  An active-looking, slim, seamanlike young fellow advanced to them asthey scrambled on the schooner's deck; and Eric appeared to recognisehim.

  "Hullo, Captain Fuller," he said, "where's the _Pilot's Bride_ and theold skipper?"

  "I'm sorry you won't see him this trip," replied the other. "The barquegot damaged in a gale off the African coast a month ago: so, she had toput into the Cape of Good Hope for repairs, which'll take such a timethat Captain Brown couldn't manage to come along here and see you as hepromised. Howsomever, the old skipper has sent me in his stead, tobring you some letters and take home any cargo you might have ready insealskins and oil. He told me, likewise, to let you have any provisionsyou may want; but, I'm sorry to say, while coming here I helped anAmerican ship that was short, and now I only have a little flour left tospare."

  "Thank you, all the same," said Fritz, who had been waiting patientlywhile the master of the schooner gave this explanation. "I'm very sorryat not seeing Captain Brown; however, I suppose he'll come for us nextyear, as he said, won't he?"

  "Oh yes," answered the other cordially. "I'm sure he will, for itseemed a great disappointment to him not to be able to do so now. Hetold me to be certain to say that, `blow great guns and small arms ornot, he'll be at Inaccessible Island next year!' But, you must beanxious about your letters. Here they are," and the nice-looking youngfellow, whom Fritz had quite taken a fancy to, handed a little packet tohim, adding, "I am afraid I'll have to hurry you up about your returnmessages, as the wind is getting up from the eastwards and I shan't beable to remain here long."

  Fritz at once broke the seal of a thick letter, which Captain Brown hadenclosed in one of his own. This he saw came from Lubeck, although ithad the Capetown post mark on it, and he glanced hurriedly over thefront page and then at the end.

  "All right at home, thank God!" he said aloud for Eric's benefit, thelad staring at his brother with eager eyes. "And now, Captain Fuller,I'm ready to attend to you. I shall be glad of a barrel of flour if youcan spare it, but our other provisions can hold out. Will you let a manor two come ashore to help get our freight aboard?"

  "How much have you got to ship?" asked the other.

  "Thirty sealskins and twenty barrels of oil," replied Fritz at once; heand Eric had counted over their little store too often for him not tohave their tally at his fingers' ends!

  "Come now," said Captain Fuller encouragingly. "That's not bad work fora couple of novices as their first take here! Next year, you'll be ableto fill up the _Pilot's Bride_, `I reckon,' as the old skipper wouldsay."

  "Not quite that," replied Fritz, while he and Eric joined in the other'slaugh; "still, I've no doubt we'll do better than this, for we'll takecare to be beforehand with some folks!"

  The commander of the schooner looking puzzled by the latter part of thisspeech, Fritz proceeded to tell the young seaman all about Nat Slaterand the Tristaners, anent which he became very indignant.

  "I'll take care to call at the island and spoil the mean fellow's gamefor him, so that you shan't be troubled in the same way again!" criedtheir new friend, with much heartiness; "but, do, please, let these mengo ashore with you now and fetch your produce at once, or else we'llhave to be off without it! Here, Harris and Betkins," he sang out totwo of the schooner's men, "go along with these gentlemen in their boatand bring off some cargo they'll point out to you!"

  "I don't think we can stow all in one boat," said Eric.

  "Then, we must make two or three trips till we do," answered the other,equal to the occasion; and this procedure was adopted until all thebrothers' sealskins and barrels of oils were shipped in the schooner.The goods were consigned to Captain Brown, who had undertaken to disposeof all the produce of their expedition; and, when the freight was allshipped, the schooner, filling her sails, bore away from the island onher return trip to the Cape--not without a hearty farewell to Fritz andEric from those on board.

  This visit of the little craft cheered them up wonderfully, reconcilingthem cheerfully to another year's sojourn in their island home; for, hadnot the schooner brought them comfort and hope, and, above all else,what was to their longing hearts like manna to the Israelites in thewilderness, water to a dry ground, warmth to those shivering with cold--in other words, "good news from home?"

  Aye, that she had!