CHAPTER NINETEEN.
OUR VERY BLACK FRIEND.
The reason for my exclamation was that our visitor suddenly began todrag the chest we had used for a table into the hut, and after this hecarried in the kettle, and two or three other things that we had hadout, the rifle included; after which, as we watched him, he patted usboth on the chest to call our attention to what he was going to do, and,picking up his spear, he thrust it down into the ground close up to thedoorway, its point standing up above the thatch.
"What does he mean by that, uncle?" I asked.
"I think I know, Nat," he replied; "but wait a minute. This fellow isno fool."
For after calling our attention to what he was going to do, he ran offinto the jungle; and as we watched the spot where he had disappeared, hepeered at us from behind a tree trunk, then from another, and another,popping up in all sorts of out-of-the-way places where we least expectedto see him, and then suddenly creeping out on hands and knees from amongsome bushes, raising his head every now and then as if looking to see ifhe was watched, and again crawling on towards the hut.
Just in the midst of the pantomime he became aware of what we had seenbefore, about a dozen boys coming cautiously through the forest, when,jumping up in a rage, he dashed at them, and they disappeared, he afterthem, to come back panting and continue his performance, hiding andcreeping out again, and going nearer and nearer to the hut.
"I say, uncle, isn't this all nonsense?" I said.
"No, my boy. He can't talk to us to make us understand, so he is tryingto show us something by signs."
As he spoke the black crept on and on, rising to his knees and peeringround to see if he was watched, and at last, having arrived within halfa dozen yards of the hut, he rose and made a dash for the door, makingbelieve to see the spear, stuck up there like a sentry, for the firsttime, and then stopping short, uttering a howl of dread, and shiveringall over as he crept crouching away, holding out his hands behind him asif to ward off a blow.
Then suddenly springing up, he ceased acting, looked at us, and laughed.
"Why, what does he mean, uncle?" I said.
"I know," said Uncle Dick quickly; and pointing to some of the savagesdown on the shore he went up to the door of the hut, and made as if togo in, but stopped and pointed again to the savages at a distance.
The black nodded and laughed, danced about with delight, and thenpointing to the savages himself he ran to the door, and came shiveringand crouching away once more as if too much alarmed to go in.
"It is all right, Nat," said my uncle; "he is evidently a chief, and hemeans that no one will dare go into the hut while his spear is stuckthere. We have made a friend."
All this time the savage was looking sharply from one to the other, asif to make sure that we comprehended him; and then, seeing that we did,he made signs for us to follow him, talking excitedly the while.
We walked with him to a grove of cocoa-nut trees, passing a number ofthe people as we passed through, but no one attempted to follow us; andafter about a quarter of an hour's walk he led us to a roughly-builtpalm-thatched shed, where we could hear the sounds of chopping andhammering, and on entering we found, to our surprise, that the shed wasfar larger than we had expected, and that in it were four men busy atwork making a boat similar to one that lay there evidently but latelybuilt.
Our new friend pointed to the finished boat, and we looked it over atonce to find that it was beautifully made and perfect, with its oars,anchor, mast, and sail, and finished with such neatness that I began towonder what tools the man must use, while my wonder was increased uponmy uncle pointing out to me the fact that there was not a single nail inthe whole boat, which was entirely put together by means of wooden pegs,and fastened with thin bands of rattan cane.
The black noticed our appreciation of the boat, and had we felt anydoubt before of his power, it was silenced at once, for, giving hisorders, the boat was half carried, half run down over the soft sand outinto the pure blue water, when he signed to us to enter, leaped inafterwards, and we were run right out by the men.
The breeze was light, but strong enough for the boat, and the sail beinghoisted, away we went upon the long rollers, rising and falling soeasily that I could not help thinking how clever these islanders mustbe.
"Why, Nat," said my uncle, "we ought to have waited until we came here,for this boat is worth a dozen of the one I bought. It is so light andbuoyant, and suited to the seas we are on. It will hold quite as muchas our own, and be stronger and far easier to manage."
All this time the black was watching him intently, striving tounderstand his words, but shaking his head in a disappointed manner fromtime to time.
We had a fair trial of the boat, and became each minute bettersatisfied. Sometimes my uncle steered, sometimes I, and always to findthat the light vessel went over the roughest rollers like a cork, andwithout shipping a drop of water.
My uncle managed as well that we should run along the coast, so as tosee something of the country, with the result that I grew quite excitedby my desire to land and see some of the wonders of the place; and atlast the boat's head was put about and we ran back.
Now, however, the black chief took the rudder in hand, and ran us ashoreon the top of a great roller, which left us high and dry upon the softwhite sand, our companion jumping out and pulling us beyond reach of thenext wave with the greatest ease.
The spot he had chosen was close to the boat we had brought fromSingapore, up to which our companion had walked, kicking it with a lookof contempt; and I must say that I could not help feeling ashamed of therough, common, clumsy-looking thing, after our ride in that from whichwe had just disembarked.
Just then our companion shouted, and half a dozen blacks came racing andclattering to our side, taking charge of the boat, while we walked up tothe hut, not without some misgivings as to the state of its contents.
It was quite evident, though, that no one had been near it, and ourcompanion, with a look of consequence that was very comical in a nakedsavage, took up his spear and stood aside while we entered and obtainedour guns and ammunition.
At this, however, he made signs indicative of his displeasure, shakinghis head and pointing to the boat and then to our stores.
"I shall have to trade for the boat," said my uncle; "and to tell thetruth, Nat, I don't feel at all unwilling."
So setting to, there was a long pantomime scene, in which my uncleoffered the black chief our heavy, clumsy boat for the new, light,canoe-like vessel we had tried.
The offer was refused with a show of disgust, but not so great as Iexpected; for, as I afterwards found, there were iron and copperfittings in our boat that were looked upon by the islanders as a greatacquisition. So then my uncle proceeded to lay in the boat a bit at atime the additions that he would give in exchange, his offeringsconsisting of showy cloth, brass wire, and axes, till the chief wassatisfied and the boat was our own, after which he made signs for us toget our guns, and we started inland for our first shooting expedition, Iwith my pulses throbbing, and every nerve in a state of tension as Iwondered what would be the first gloriously feathered trophy that Ishould secure.
Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern Seas Page 19