CHAPTER FORTY THREE.
FAREWELL TO A FRIEND.
"Don't you feel disappointed, Nat?" said my uncle smiling. "We shallnot be able to finish our boat."
"I shall get over it, uncle," I said. "Hallo! what's the matter withEbo?"
For before he had half finished eating he jumped up and made signs to uswhich we did not understand, and then began to drag one of the chestsdown towards the boat.
"I see, Nat; he means it is not safe to stay," said my uncle; andsetting to work we got all our treasures safely on board, with such foodand fruit as we had ready, filled the water barrel, and then paused.
But Ebo was not satisfied; he chattered excitedly and signed to us tolaunch the boat.
"I'll take his advice," said my uncle. "He means that the savages maybe in pursuit."
So, pushing off, the sail was hoisted, and in the bright starlight ofthe glorious night we sailed away, carefully avoiding the reef, wherethe rollers were breaking heavily, and before we were half a mile fromthe shore Ebo pressed my arm and pointed.
"Only just in time, Nat," said my uncle.
"What an escape!"
For there, stealing cautiously along between us and the white sandyshore, we counted five large canoes, whose occupants were paddlingsoftly so as to make no noise, and but for Ebo's sharp eyes they wouldhave passed us unseen.
We had no doubt that they were going after our boat, and had they beenhalf an hour sooner our fate would have been sealed. As it was they didnot see the tall sail that swept us swiftly along, and by the time thesun rose brightly over the sea we were far enough away from danger tolook upon it as another trouble passed.
We ran in two or three times where we found that there were noinhabitants and obtained a few birds and some fruit; but this was sodangerous a task that we afterwards contented ourselves with fish, whichwe cooked upon some sandy spot or reef where the coast was clear, and wecould have seen the savages at a great distance, so as to leave plentyof time for escape.
My uncle turned the boat's head south very reluctantly at last, forthere was a mystery and temptation about the vast isle of New Guineathat was very attractive. The birds and insects we had collected therewere, some of them, quite new to science, and he used to say that if hecould have stayed there long enough our specimens would have beeninvaluable.
Still it was impossible, for the danger was too great, and besides, ashe said, we should have been nearly three years away from home by thetime we reached England, and it would be our wisest course to make sureof what we had obtained.
In due time we sailed to Ebo's island, where we found that the captainof the prahu on board which we had come, had been, and sailed once more,so that it would be months before we could see him again.
Under these circumstances, and to Ebo's great delight, we left ourchests of specimens sealed up in a hut, where we felt that they would bequite safe, and then, with Ebo for guide, we sailed to Ceram, a largeisland, where we were able to purchase stores, and from there to theMoluccas, where we did better.
At both of these places we made many expeditions, collecting both birdsand insects, some of them being very lovely; but there was a want ofnovelty about them, my uncle said, the ground having been so oftenvisited before. And at last we sailed south again to Ebo's island,finding all our stores and specimens quite safe and sound, and spendinga few days in sunning and repacking them.
By that time the captain of the prahu had arrived, ready to welcome uswarmly, for he had been afraid that ill had befallen us.
He could not stay long, so our chests were placed on board, and at lastthere was nothing to do but to take farewell of Ebo, the true-heartedfellow, whose dejected look went to my heart.
He cheered up a little as my uncle gave him four new axes, as manypocket-knives, the residue of our beads and brass wire, and theremaining odds and ends that we had bought to barter; but above all, thegift that sent him off into a fit of dancing was that of the boat, allcomplete as it was.
At first he seemed to think that he was to give us something inexchange, and consequently he began to fetch all sorts of treasures, ashe considered them. When at last, though, he knew it was a present, hisdelight knew no bounds, and he danced and sang for joy.
The next morning we said good-bye, and the last I saw of poor Ebo was ashe stood in his boat watching us and waving his spear, and I'm notashamed to say that the tears stood in my eyes as I wondered whether Ishould ever see that true, generous fellow again.
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.
HOME AGAIN.
It was on a bright sunny day in July that my uncle and I jumped into acab and bade the man drive us to the old house, where I had passed somany happy as well as unhappy days.
"We will not stop to go and see barbers or to dress, Nat, but go andtake them by surprise," said my uncle; and for the first time I began towonder whether I had altered.
"Am I very much more sunburnt than I used to be?" I said suddenly, aswe drew near the door.
"Well, you are not quite black," he said laughing, "but you havealtered, Nat, since they saw you last."
How my heart beat as we walked up to the front door, where the maid, astranger, stared at us, and said that her mistress was out, and lookedsuspiciously at us, evidently, as she afterwards owned, taking us forsailor fellows with parrots and silk things for sale.
"Where's Uncle Joseph?" I said sharply.
"Oh, please, sir, are you Master Nathaniel, who's far away at sea?" shecried.
"I am Nathaniel," I said laughing, "but I'm not far away at sea.Where's Uncle Joe?"
"He's down the garden, sir, smoking his pipe in the tool-house," saidthe girl smiling; and I dashed through the drawing-room, jumped down thesteps, and ran to the well-remembered spot, to find dear old Uncle Joesitting there with all my treasures carefully dusted but otherwiseuntouched; and as I stood behind him and clapped my hands over his eyes,there was he with poor old Humpty Dumpty before him.
"Who--who's that?" he cried.
"Guess!" I shouted.
"I--I can't guess," he said. "I don't know you. Let go or I shall callfor help."
"Why, Uncle Joe!" I cried, taking away my hands and clasping his.
He stared at me from top to toe, and at last said in a trembling voice:
"You're not my boy Nat?"
"But indeed I am, uncle," I cried.
"My boy Nat _was a boy_," he said nervously, "not a big six-foot fellowwith a gruff voice, and--my dear Dick. Why, then, it is Nat after all."
The old man hugged me in his arms, and was ready to shed weak tears, forUncle Dick had followed me and was looking on.
"Why, why, why--what have you been doing to him, Dick?" cried Uncle Joeexcitedly. "Here, he can't be our Nat, and he has got a man's voice,and he is bigger than me, and he is nearly black. Why, here's Sophy--Sophy, dear, who's this?"
I caught her in my arms and kissed her, and she too stared at me insurprise, for I suppose I had altered wonderfully, though in my busylife of travel I had taken little note of the change.
It was very pleasant to settle down once more in quiet and sort ourspecimens, or tell Uncle Joe of all our dangers by land and sea; butafter a time, although Aunt Sophia was now very kind and different towhat she had been of old, there came a strong feeling upon me at timesthat I should once more like to be wandering amidst the beautifulislands of the Eastern Seas, watching the wondrous beauties of the worldbeneath the shallow waters, or the glorious greens of the trees upon thetropic shores. The boy who loves nature goes on loving nature to theend, for I may say that Uncle Dick spoke the truth when he said that Iought to be called Nat the Naturalist, for I feel that I am Nat theNaturalist still.
"Uncle Dick," I said one day, "shall we ever have another trip togethercollecting birds?"
"Time proves all things, my boy," he said; "wait and see."
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Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern Seas Page 43