CHAPTER TEN.
I CLING TO A PART OF THE WRECK, AND AM TOSSED IN THE SEA--PETER ANDREADY ARE ALSO SAVED--I IMPROVISE A RAFT, AND GET PETER AND READYABOARD--WE REACH AN UNINHABITED ISLAND--SAM SNAG AND ANOTHER ALSO REACHLAND--FRIENDS OR FOES?--WATER! WATER!--WE LAND A CASK AND FIND ITCLARET--READY DISCOVERS A SPRING--THE MATE WANTS MEAT, AND MEANS TO EATUS.
My impulse--and I followed it--was to cling fast to the ring-bolt towhich I was holding on when the ship struck. I heard a few piercingshrieks, some faint cries followed, and then all was silent. I feltthat the vessel was breaking up, and plank after plank was torn away,till I judged that but a small portion of the wreck remained for me tohold to. I urged poor Peter to hold on tight to the last, and scarcelyhad I uttered the words than the remainder of the vessel was rentasunder, and I found myself floating alone on the plank through whichthe ring-bolt was run. I shouted to Peter--there was no answer; Icalled Ready, but, for the first time since his puppyhood, he did notreply. I felt very forlorn as I was tossed up and down in the darknessamid that raging sea, with a sensation of down-heartedness which I hadnever before experienced. The planks forming the part of the deck towhich I clung seemed to hold well together, so that I was under noexpectation of immediate destruction, and that fact gave me time tothink more of the loss of my two faithful companions.
I was convinced that daylight must soon come, and I hoped then to beable to ascertain how near to land I was. I supposed that the vesselhad struck on a coral reef, and that it formed a barrier or outside reefto some island, or islet, such as is common in those seas. I wasconfirmed in this belief from finding the sea so much calmer than it hadbeen, judging by the comparatively easy movements of my raft. I wishedand wished for day, and though the wishing did not bring it, it came atlast--a grey, cold dawn at first; but as the sun rose, the wind fell,the black vapours cleared away, the blue sky appeared, and now--the raftfloating so calmly that I was able to stand up on it--I saw, rising atno great distance above, a yellow sandy beach, a grove of cocoa-nutpalms, bananas, and other trees of the tropics. On the opposite side, aline of breakers, showing the position of the reef, outside which thesea still tossed and tumbled from the effects of the hurricane.Portions of the wreck, too, were floating about in the smooth water, andas I looked I saw that something was moving on one of them. I waved andshouted to draw attention to myself. A figure rose up and waved inreturn, and a faint bark reached my ear. Even at that distance myfaithful Ready recognised me. I was indeed thankful that Peter and hehad been thus far saved, though, as we were still some distance from theshore, we might both be starved before we could reach it. I could haveswam to it with perfect ease, but I knew too much of the black fins ofthose seas to risk myself in the water, especially as I suspected thatthe monsters must have had their thirst for blood freshened by the mealthey must have had off some of my late shipmates.
I longed to be able to communicate with poor Peter, but it seemedimpossible that I could reach him. As the sun rose the hurricanecompletely ceased, and the water inside the reef became so perfectlysmooth, that I could not only stand upright but could walk about. As Iwas doing so I saw, not far off, a boat's oar, and a little beyond itwhat I took to be a mast, with other spars, and a sail and cordagehanging to it. I was contemplating swimming towards the oar, at allevents, when, as I was about to plunge in, the fin of a shark slowlygliding by, warned me of my danger. I looked at the oar with a longingeye, and tried if I could by running on the piece of wreck urge itforward. While thus employed without any effect, I felt the breeze,which had completely fallen, fan my cheek, and as it increased I sawthat my body was acting as a sail, and the raft was approaching the oar,though very slowly. At length I was able to seize it, and giving it aflourish above my head in my satisfaction, I began to paddle towards thebroken mast with the spars and sail.
As the breeze increased, my fear was that I should be driven past it onone side, and I had to paddle with all my might to steer for it. Ishouted with satisfaction when I got up to it, and had hauled it uponthe raft. By forcing out a bull's-eye in the deck I found a stop forthe mast, and by carrying shrouds to the ring-bolts and to thesplintered ends of the planks, I was able to secure it. I next hoistedmy sail, and, infinitely to my satisfaction, found that I could directmy course for the part of the wreck to which Peter and Ready wereclinging. They saw me coming. Peter waved his hands, and shouted andcried, and Ready jumped and barked, and nearly tumbled overboard in hisagitation. I saw a shark waiting to catch him had he done so, and Ientreated Peter to hold him down in case of an accident. They both, asI got up, sprang on to my raft at the same moment. Peter could scarcelyspeak to express his joy at my preservation, and Ready tried to lick meall over to show his love, though he could scarcely have understood howgreat was the danger we had run. The breeze which had carried me thusfar, began to fail, and I feared that, after all, we should be unable toreach the shore.
We were very hungry, and as we had nothing to eat or drink, we wereanxious to reach land as soon as possible. Peter suggested that weshould make another paddle with one of the smaller spars I had pickedup. To show that it was possible to do so he forced out some nails fromthe planks, and breaking off a piece of board, secured it to the spar.By this means we were able to paddle much faster than before, and, afterconsiderable exertion, we reached the sandy beach with hearts thankfulfor our preservation.
To show his satisfaction, Ready scampered about on the sands, and thencoming to lick my hands, lay down at my feet, with his tongue out,panting for water. My heart misgave me when I saw this. Had there beenwater his instinct would have conducted him to it, I fancied. I wasalready suffering severely from thirst, and so, I saw, was Peter, but hemade no complaints. The cocoa-nuts, many of which strewed the ground,were yet too small to contain any milk, and we broke one after the otherwithout finding one with any milk, although we allayed our thirst bychewing a little of the scarcely-formed fruit. A little refreshed, weset off in search of the much-desired water, but we had not gone manyyards before the conviction forced itself on me that there was none tobe procured.
Except the narrow belt of palm which I had at first seen, not anothergreen thing was to be seen on the islet, the whole surface being littlemore than sand and coral rock.
As we stood outside the belt observing the inhospitable aspect of thecountry, I saw two objects moving along the beach in the distance. Theywere men, and there could be no doubt that they were part of the crew ofthe unfortunate _Weathercock_. I was thankful that some of the poorfellows had escaped, and we at once hurried on toward them. We had gonesome distance when Peter slackened his speed, and even Ready hung back.
"What is the matter?" I asked of the former.
"Don't you see that it's that ill-doing mate fellow?" he answered. "Nogood'll come if he's to be with us."
"Possibly the peril he has escaped may have improved his character," Iremarked, as I advanced towards the individual named, for I saw that hewas no other than Sam Snag, and that the man with him was one of themost ill-favoured of the crew--a fellow with a stolid, hang-dog, evilcountenance, who looked capable of committing any atrocity without theslightest compunction. Still, repulsive as were the two men, they werefellow-creatures, and I instinctively held out my hand to congratulatethem on escaping from the terrific dangers we had gone through, when somany of our companions had perished.
Without either of them appearing to observe the motion they scowledfiercely at me, Snag greeting me with the remark, "Oh, so you've turnedup, have you?"
"Yes, our lives have been spared as yet," I answered quietly, determinednot to give any cause of offence. "But, friends, we are sufferinggreatly from want of water. Can you tell us if any is to be found onthe island?"
"Friends! eh--well, that's as the case may be," growled Snag. "As tothe water, there may or there may not be some; but as there isn't enoughfor all, it will be for those who have it and can keep it."
The two ruffians held pieces of a spar in their
hands, and assumed somenacing an attitude that I felt that it would be hopeless to obtain thewater they had found by force, and equally hopeless to obtain it bypersuasion.
"Very well, Mr Snag, what is your own you have a right to keep," Ireplied calmly. "But I thought that a common danger escaped, would havemade us friends, and I certainly should not have treated you as you seemdisposed to treat me." Saying this I turned aside towards the belt ofpalm trees. I was very glad that he had no firearms in his hand, forfrom the look he gave me, I felt very sure that he would have shot me atthat moment, and would then probably have made Peter work for him as aslave, or have killed him also. I heard the ruffians giving way toshouts of hoarse laughter as I and Peter and Ready retired.
Such were the men who were to be my fellow islanders (I will not callthem associates or companions), till we could make our escape from theislet. Their presence would greatly increase my difficulties. It wouldhave been bad enough had I and Peter and Ready been alone. All we coulddo was to keep away from them, and to try and find something with whichto quench our thirst.
After hunting about we found some young cocoa-nuts, blown down by thehurricane. The softest part of these afforded us sufficient moisturesomewhat to allay our burning thirst. Ready shared with us, and withoutthis would I think have gone mad. We then felt very hungry, and hopingto find some shell-fish on the rocks we returned to the beach. We werenot disappointed, and were soon able to collect as many as we couldrequire. While thus engaged I saw an object floating some way off inthe lagoon. I pointed it out to Peter. He thought with me that itlooked like a cask. We were seized with the hope that it might befilled with water, and therefore resolved forthwith to put off on ourraft to try and obtain it. We had some difficulty in launching theraft, but at length getting it afloat we paddled out into the lagoon. Icannot describe the eagerness we felt as we neared what we hoped wouldprove a treasure incomparable. Only those who have been suffering fromthirst as we then were, or in an open boat in the tropics, or whentraversing the sandy deserts, can fully comprehend our sensations. Wereached the cask. As I was paddling Peter ran to the fore part of theraft and seized it.
"It's heavy, sir, it's heavy," he shouted. "I hope it's water by theweight."
Putting down my paddle I eagerly ran to help him. It was indeed heavy,but we at length got it safe up on the raft. Though the cask had theappearance of a water-cask, I dared not broach it till we could get itback to the shore, as while engaged in doing it we might have driftedaway from the land. Parched as were our mouths and throats, werefrained, therefore, till we reached the beach. We had then to find apiece of wood to serve as a hammer, with which I knocked a nail out ofour raft, and having sharpened the point, with this instrument managedto make a hole in the cask. It was frill of liquid, but not the purefluid we wished for--it was wine. I cannot describe my disappointment.For an instant I refrained even from tasting it, till Peter observed--
"Well, sir, sure wine ain't so bad a thing after all, is it?"
My month in a moment was at the hole. Instead of the strong wine Iexpected, it was claret. I quickly quenched my thirst, and bid Peter dothe same. Though we valued it far less than water I hoped that afterall it might serve to prolong existence if used with moderation, andkeep us in health even better than water.
Our next thought was to conceal it from the other men, for of courseshould they find it, they would take care that we should not benefit byit. I was very anxious, however, about Ready--for though claret mightkeep us alive it would certainly not suit his taste.
We were not long in digging a hole in the sand and rolling our cask intoit, and we then set to work to collect shell-fish to satisfy our hunger.Fortunately I had in my pocket a small article which I would adviseevery one travelling as I was to carry--a burning-glass--and with it weeasily lighted a fire, so that we had not to eat our shell-fish raw.While we were employed as I have described, Ready disappeared. He hadbeen absent for some time, and I began to fear that he had fallen intothe power of Snag and the other man, who I felt sure would kill him ifthey could catch him. We were too hungry to wait, so we sat down to ourmollusc meal.
While engaged in picking a shell-fish out of the ashes I felt Ready'snose poked under my arm. "You want to share our meal, and you shall,old fellow," I said, putting a full juicy mollusc into his mouth, whichwas, I felt, cool and moist, so that I had no doubt he had discoveredsome water, and taken care to avoid the villains who would not let usenjoy it. I suspected that they were either searching for food, or hadfallen asleep, and that he had sagaciously taken the opportunity ofapproaching the spring. Supposing the latter idea to be correct, Iallowed Peter to set off with Ready to try and find it, while I kept upthe fire, which when they awoke was likely to attract the two mentowards me and thus draw them away from the spring. Ready at onceunderstood our wishes, and as soon as Peter got up he ran on before himas if to show the way.
I had on a Panama straw hat, which having been secured by a lanyard hadbeen preserved. From its thick texture, it held water completely, andso I gave it to Peter to bring it back with as much as it could hold. Itold him to cry out lustily should he be attacked that I might go to hisassistance. I followed him a short distance till I could survey thegreater part of the island through the grove of trees, but I could seenothing of the two men. Having made up the fire I took my post behind atree, that I might watch for the two men. As the rock which formed theisland was very unequal, Peter and Ready were soon lost to sight. Iwaited anxiously for their return. However, as the men did not appear,I hoped that they might, as we had supposed, be fast asleep in somecave, or under the shade of some rock, and that they would not interferewith us for the present. From the spot where I stood I could command awide extent of the ocean's surface, and I eagerly scanned it in thepossibility that a sail might appear in the horizon, when I intended,should she approach the island, to signalise her, and endeavour toescape from it.
My mind was greatly relieved when Ready appeared with that jaunty,active air which a dog assumes when he is well satisfied, and he wasfollowed closely by Peter carrying my hat brimful of water. In aninstant I had my head into it almost, and had drunk up a large portionbefore I asked any questions. Peter had found a stream of pure waterbubbling up from a deft in a rock, not thirty yards from the sea, intowhich it ran in a clear rivulet, in sufficient quantity to fill anynumber of ship's casks. The landing on the beach, as far as I couldjudge from the lad's description, was very good. As he had alsoobserved the staves and hoops of some casks lying about, I had no doubtthat it was a spot frequented by vessels in those seas to obtain asupply of water, when kept out by baffling winds. Had it not thereforebeen for the presence of the mulatto mate and his associate, we shouldhave had no great cause for anxiety, as we might hope in a short time tobe rescued by some vessel visiting the spot. I must confess, however,that I dreaded what might occur before we could get away. A savagevillain is the most difficult being in creation to deal with. A lion ora tiger may be seen approaching, and be destroyed, so may a bear, oreven a mad dog, a snake may be avoided; but however strongly we maysuspect that a fellow man is plotting against our life, we may notdefend ourselves until some overt act is committed, or take his life,unless we would have the guilt of homicide or murder on our heads, tillhe attempts openly to take ours.
Such was the position in which I felt that I was placed with regard toSnag and his companion. All we could do was to be on our guard, for Ifelt sure that if they fancied it was to their interest to kill us theywould do so without the slightest scruple. We had, however, anadvantage over them in having Ready on our side, as we might sleepsecurely, depending on his awakening us on the approach of danger. Thenagain I felt certain they would try to kill him first if they wished todestroy us.
We had discovered some cocoa-nut shells, the produce of the last year,and though the fruit was dried up they were split in a way which enabledthem to hold water. These we filled with the remainder of the contentsof my hat,
which afforded us a sufficient supply for some hours. Wespent the remainder of the day in erecting a hut in which we couldshelter ourselves during the night. We passed it, contrary to myexpectations, undisturbed. The next day we several times saw ourshipmates on the shore, but they did not come near us, and as before,Peter, accompanied by Ready, accomplished the journey to the springwithout being seen by them. He told me that he was sure that from themarks he had before observed on the sand not being increased, that theyhad not been to the spring since his last visit. This, coupled withtheir quietness, made me suspect that they also had got hold of a caskof wine, and that as long as that lasted we might hope to escape anyannoyance from them.
Several days thus passed, and each day I was more confirmed in mysuspicious. At length, one day after we had seen them in the morning onthe beach, Peter proposed that he should try and discover what they wereabout.
"I can creep, creep along, Master Skipwith, for all the world like asnail; do, Mr Skipwith, do let me go."
With my permission he stole off, and Ready seemed to understand thatthis time he was not wanted. The sun had nearly reached the horizon, sothe men would probably have taken up their quarters for the night. Asbefore, I sat down in a sheltered spot, where, should the men by chancebe wandering about, they would not be likely to discover me. I waitedfor some time till I calculated that Peter ought to have returned. Thenthe stars came out in the dark sky, bright and clear like drops ofliquid fire, but still my young follower did not make his appearance.However, Ready remained perfectly quiet, and I was sure that had hefancied anything was wrong he would have shown signs of uneasiness. Atlength, despairing of seeing Peter, though I hoped he might have goneround some other way, I returned to our hut. It was empty, and I beganseriously to fear that the lad had fallen into the wretches' hands, andI regretted having let him make the expedition.
I knew so little of the island that I could not venture to go in searchof him, and all I could do, therefore, was to sit down and await hiscoming. I had fallen into an uneasy slumber when I was awoke by thesound of a voice in my ear, which I recognised as that of Peter.
"Oh sir, isn't it just lucky I went, or we'd all have been murdered andeaten by this time to-morrow evening," he said, still trembling withfear. "I heard them from beginning to end, but I'd like to make a longstory short. They said one to the other as how they'd had no food, andthat starve they wouldn't, and that they'd have the dog to eat, andafter him they'd have one of us; that would have been me, but thatwouldn't have so much mattered, may be, but they said they'd kill youtoo--indeed they did--and eat you too--yes--eat you! Oh, I felt my hairstand on end when I heard it, and was near crying out, but I didn't, andwaiting till they were talking again to each other loudly, I crept awayas I came."
I should have been inclined to doubt the truth of Peter's tale, but itwas so circumstantial that I was compelled to believe that his fancy hadnot deceived him. I cross-questioned him, and found that he had heardthe voices of the two men, and had crawled on hands and feet towardsthem, when he discovered them seated in a cave, which it was evidentthey had made their present abode. Unfortunately he had not heard themspeak of the hour they proposed to attack us. We were thus compelled tobe constantly on the watch, and to be prepared for a struggle at anymoment. I can answer for it from experience that it is excessivelytrying to the nerves to be sitting all night long in the dark, with theexpectation of being attacked by a couple of villains with heavy clubswho intend to knock out one's brains. I fully believed that Ready wouldprove faithful and watchful, but considering that my life and that ofPeter were at stake, I could not bring myself to trust altogether to hissagacity. Sleep, of course, I could not, at least so I thought. Thehours passed slowly by, the soft sighing of the wind in the trees overhead, mingled with the low murmur of the ocean as it beat on the rocks,sounded in my ears, and then there came strange noises, and shrieks, andcries, and unearthly voices in the far distance, away out over the sea,and in spite of all my anxiety and intention of keeping awake tilldaylight, I was fast asleep. I must have slept soundly, and during morehours than I had supposed it wanted to daylight, when I was effectuallyaroused by a sharp bark from Ready, and a loud cry from Peter, andstarting up I seized my staff and stood ready for action.
The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith by Land and Sea Page 10