CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
BOAT-BUILDING EXTRAORDINARY--PETERKIN TRIES HIS HAND AT COOKERY, ANDFAILS MOST SIGNALLY--THE BOAT FINISHED--CURIOUS CONVERSATION WITH THECAT, AND OTHER MATTERS.
For many days after this, Jack applied himself with unremittingassiduity to the construction of our boat, which at length began to looksomething like one. But those only who have had the thing to do canentertain a right idea of the difficulty involved in such anundertaking, with no other implements than an axe, a bit of hoop-iron, asail-needle, and a broken penknife. But Jack did it. He was of thatdisposition which _will_ not be conquered. When he believed himself tobe acting rightly, he overcame all obstacles. I have seen Jack, whendoubtful whether what he was about to do were right or wrong, as timidand vacillating as a little girl; and I honour him for it!
As this boat was a curiosity in its way, a few words here relative tothe manner of its construction may not be amiss.
I have already mentioned the chestnut-tree with its wonderful buttressesor planks. This tree, then, furnished us with the chief part of ourmaterial. First of all, Jack sought out a limb of a tree of such a formand size as, while it should form the keel, a bend at either end shouldform the stem and stern-posts. Such a piece, however, was not easy toobtain; but at last he procured it by rooting up a small tree which hada branch growing at the proper angle about ten feet up its stem, withtwo strong roots growing in such a form as enabled him to make aflat-sterned boat. This placed, he procured three branching roots ofsuitable size, which he fitted to the keel at equal distances, thusforming three strong ribs. Now the squaring and shaping of these, andthe cutting of the grooves in the keel, was an easy enough matter, as itwas all work for the axe, in the use of which Jack was becomewonderfully expert; but it was quite a different affair when he came tonailing the ribs to the keel, for we had no instrument capable of boringa large hole, and no nails to fasten them with. We were, indeed, muchperplexed here; but Jack at length devised an instrument that servedvery well. He took the remainder of our hoop-iron and beat it into theform of a pipe or cylinder, about as thick as a man's finger. This hedid by means of our axe and the old rusty axe we had found at the houseof the poor man at the other side of the island. This, when made redhot, bored slowly through the timbers; and the better to retain theheat, Jack shut up one end of it and filled it with sand. True, thework was very slowly done; but it mattered not--we had little else todo. Two holes were bored in each timber, about an inch and a halfapart, and also down into the keel, but not quite through. Into thesewere placed stout pegs made of a tree called iron-wood, and when theywere hammered well home, the timbers were as firmly fixed as if they hadbeen nailed with iron. The gunwales, which were very stout, were fixedin a similar manner. But besides the wooden nails, they were firmlylashed to the stem and stern-posts and ribs by means of a species ofcordage which we had contrived to make out of the fibrous husk of thecocoa-nut. This husk was very tough, and when a number of the threadswere joined together they formed excellent cordage. At first we tiedthe different lengths together; but this was such a clumsy and awkwardcomplication of knots that we contrived, by careful interlacing of theends together before twisting, to make good cordage of any size orlength we chose. Of course it cost us much time and infinite labour;but Jack kept up our spirits when we grew weary, and so all that werequired was at last constructed.
Planks were now cut off the chestnut-trees of about an inch thick.These were dressed with the axe--but clumsily, for an axe is ill-adaptedfor such work. Five of these planks on each side were sufficient; andwe formed the boat in a very rounded, barrel-like shape, in order tohave as little twisting of the planks as possible, for although we couldeasily bend them, we could not easily twist them. Having no nails torivet the planks with, we threw aside the ordinary fashion ofboat-building and adopted one of our own. The planks were thereforeplaced on each other's edges, and sewed together with the tough cordagealready mentioned; they were also thus sewed to the stem, the stern, andthe keel. Each stitch or tie was six inches apart, and was formed thus:Three holes were bored in the upper plank and three in the lower, theholes being above each other--that is, in a vertical line. Throughthese holes the cord was passed, and when tied, formed a powerful stitchof three-ply. Besides this, we placed between the edges of the plankslayers of cocoa-nut fibre, which, as it swelled when wetted, would, wehoped, make our little vessel water-tight. But in order further tosecure this end, we collected a large quantity of pitch from thebread-fruit tree, with which, when boiled in our old iron pot, we paidthe whole of the inside of the boat, and while it was yet hot, placedlarge pieces of cocoa-nut cloth on it, and then gave it another coatabove that. Thus the interior was covered with a tough, water-tightmaterial; while the exterior, being uncovered, and so exposed to theswelling action of the water, was, we hoped, likely to keep the boatquite dry. I may add that our hopes were not disappointed.
While Jack was thus engaged, Peterkin and I sometimes assisted him; butas our assistance was not much required, we more frequently wenta-hunting on the extensive mud-flats at the entrance of the long valleywhich lay nearest to our bower. Here we found large flocks of ducks ofvarious kinds, some of them bearing so much resemblance to the wildducks of our own country that I think they must have been the same. Onthese occasions we took the bow and the sling, with both of which wewere often successful, though I must confess that I was the least so.Our suppers were thus pleasantly varied, and sometimes we had such aprofusion spread out before us that we frequently knew not with which ofthe dainties to begin.
I must also add that the poor old cat which we had brought home hadalways a liberal share of our good things; and so well was it lookedafter, especially by Peterkin, that it recovered much of its formerstrength, and seemed to improve in sight as well as hearing.
The large flat stone, or rock of coral, which stood just in front of theentrance to our bower, was our table. On this rock we had spread outthe few articles we possessed the day we were shipwrecked; and on thesame rock, during many a day afterwards, we spread out the bountifulsupply with which we had been blessed on our Coral Island. Sometimes wesat down at this table to a feast consisting of hot rolls--as Peterkincalled the newly baked bread-fruit--a roast pig, roast duck, boiled androasted yams, cocoa-nuts, taro, and sweet potatoes; which we followed upwith a dessert of plums, apples, and plantains--the last being alarge-sized and delightful fruit, which grew on a large shrub or treenot more than twelve feet high, with light-green leaves of enormouslength and breadth. These luxurious feasts were usually washed downwith cocoa-nut lemonade.
Occasionally Peterkin tried to devise some new dish--"a conglomerate,"as he used to say; but these generally turned out such atrociouscompounds that he was ultimately induced to give up his attempts inextreme disgust--not forgetting, however, to point out to Jack that hisfailure was a direct contradiction to the proverb which he (Jack) wasconstantly thrusting down his throat--namely, that "where there's a willthere's a way." For he had a great will to become a cook, but could byno means find a way to accomplish that end.
One day, while Peterkin and I were seated beside our table, on whichdinner was spread, Jack came up from the beach, and flinging down hisaxe, exclaimed:
"There, lads, the boat's finished at last! So we've nothing to do nowbut shape two pair of oars, and then we may put to sea as soon as welike."
This piece of news threw us into a state of great joy; for although wewere aware that the boat had been gradually getting near its completion,it had taken so long that we did not expect it to be quite ready for atleast two or three weeks. But Jack had wrought hard and said nothing,in order to surprise us.
"My dear fellow," cried Peterkin, "you're a perfect trump! But why didyou not tell us it was so nearly ready? Won't we have a jolly sailto-morrow, eh?"
"Don't talk so much, Peterkin," said Jack; "and, pray, hand me a bit ofthat pig."
"Certainly, my dear," cried Peterkin, seizing the axe. "What part willyou have?
A leg, or a wing, or a piece of the breast--which?"
"A hind leg, if you please," answered Jack; "and, pray, be so good as toinclude the tail."
"With all my heart," said Peterkin, exchanging the axe for his hoop-ironknife, with which he cut off the desired portion. "I'm only too glad,my dear boy, to see that your appetite is so wholesale, and there's nochance whatever of its dwindling down into re-tail again--at least, inso far as this pig is concerned.--Ralph, lad, why don't you laugh, eh?"he added, turning suddenly to me with a severe look of inquiry.
"Laugh!" said I. "What at, Peterkin? Why should I laugh?"
Both Jack and Peterkin answered this inquiry by themselves laughing soimmoderately that I was induced to believe I had missed noticing somegood joke, so I begged that it might be explained to me; but as thisonly produced repeated roars of laughter, I smiled and helped myself toanother slice of plantain.
"Well, but," continued Peterkin, "I was talking of a sail to-morrow.Can't we have one, Jack?"
"No," replied Jack, "we can't have a sail; but I hope we shall have arow, as I intend to work hard at the oars this afternoon, and if wecan't get them finished by sunset, we'll light our candle-nuts, and turnthem out of hands before we turn into bed."
"Very good," said Peterkin, tossing a lump of pork to the cat, whoreceived it with a mew of satisfaction. "I'll help you, if I can."
"Afterwards," continued Jack, "we will make a sail out of the cocoa-nutcloth, and rig up a mast; and then we shall be able to sail to some ofthe other islands, and visit our old friends the penguins."
The prospect of being so soon in a position to extend our observationsto the other islands, and enjoy a sail over the beautiful sea, affordedus much delight, and after dinner we set about making the oars in goodearnest. Jack went into the woods and blocked them roughly out with theaxe, and I smoothed them down with the knife, while Peterkin remained inthe bower spinning, or rather twisting, some strong, thick cordage withwhich to fasten them to the boat.
We worked hard and rapidly, so that when the sun went down Jack and Ireturned to the bower with four stout oars, which required little to bedone to them save a slight degree of polishing with the knife. As wedrew near we were suddenly arrested by the sound of a voice. We werenot a little surprised at this--indeed, I may almost say alarmed; foralthough Peterkin was undoubtedly fond of talking, we had never, up tothis time, found him talking to himself. We listened intently, andstill heard the sound of a voice as if in conversation. Jack motionedme to be silent, and advancing to the bower on tiptoe, we peeped in.
The sight that met our gaze was certainly not a little amusing. On thetop of a log which we sometimes used as a table sat the black cat with avery demure expression on its countenance, and in front of it, sittingon the ground with his legs extended on either side of the log, wasPeterkin. At the moment we saw him he was gazing intently into thecat's face, with his nose about four inches from it, his hands beingthrust into his breeches pockets.
"Cat," said Peterkin, turning his head a little on one side, "I loveyou!"
There was a pause, as if Peterkin awaited a reply to this affectionatedeclaration. But the cat said nothing.
"Do you hear me?" cried Peterkin sharply. "I love you--I do! Don't youlove me?"
To this touching appeal the cat said "mew" faintly.
"Ah, that's right! You're a jolly old rascal! Why did you not speak atonce, eh?" and Peterkin put forward his mouth and kissed the cat on thenose!
"Yes," continued Peterkin after a pause, "I love you. D'you think I'dsay so if I didn't, you black villain? I love you because I've got totake care of you, and to look after you, and to think about you, and tosee that you don't die--"
"Mew, me-a-w!" said the cat.
"Very good," continued Peterkin; "quite true, I have no doubt. Butyou've no right to interrupt me, sir. Hold your tongue till I have donespeaking. Moreover, cat, I love you because you came to me the firsttime you ever saw me, and didn't seem to be afraid, and appeared to befond of me, though you didn't know that I wasn't going to kill you. Nowthat was brave, that was bold, and very jolly, old boy, and I love youfor it--I do!"
Again there was a pause of a few minutes, during which the cat lookedplacid, and Peterkin dropped his eyes upon its toes as if incontemplation. Suddenly he looked up.
"Well, cat, what are you thinking about now? Won't speak, eh? Now tellme: don't you think it's a monstrous shame that those two scoundrels,Jack and Ralph, should keep us waiting for our supper so long?"
Here the cat arose, put up its back and stretched itself, yawnedslightly, and licked the point of Peterkin's nose!
"Just so, old boy; you're a clever fellow.--I really do believe thebrute understands me!" said Peterkin, while a broad grin overspread hisface as he drew back and surveyed the cat.
At this point Jack burst into a loud fit of laughter. The cat utteredan angry fuff and fled, while Peterkin sprang up and exclaimed:
"Bad luck to you, Jack! You've nearly made the heart jump out of mybody, you have!"
"Perhaps I have," replied Jack, laughing, as we entered the bower; "butas I don't intend to keep you or the cat any longer from your supper, Ihope that you'll both forgive me."
Peterkin endeavoured to turn this affair off with a laugh. But Iobserved that he blushed very deeply at the time we discoveredourselves, and he did not seem to relish any allusion to the subjectafterwards; so we refrained from remarking on it ever after, though ittickled us not a little at the time.
After supper we retired to rest, and to dream of wonderful adventures inour little boat and distant voyages upon the sea.
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