'“Now,” said Peterkin, in a tremendous voice, “swim with me as near to the edge of the hole as you can before you dive, then let me take a long breath, and, as I shan't be able to speak after I've taken it, you'll watch my face, and the moment you see me wink – dive! And oh!” he added, earnestly, “pray don't be long!”
'I promised to pay the strictest attention to his wishes, and swam with him to the outlet of the cave. Here I paused. “Now then,” said I, “pull away at the wind, lad.”
'Peterkin drew in a breath so long that I could not help thinking of the frog in the fable, that wanted to swell itself as big as the ox. Then I looked into his face earnestly. Slap went the lid of his right eye; down went my head, and up went my heels. We shot through the passage like an arrow, and rose to the surface of the open sea before you could count twenty!
‘After this happy deliverance, we immediately began our search for your dead body, Ralph, and you have no idea how low our hearts sank as we set off, day after day, to examine the valleys and mountain sides with the utmost care. In about three weeks we completed the survey of the whole island, and had at least the satisfaction of knowing that you had not been killed. But it occurred to us that you might have been thrown into the sea, so we examined the sands and the lagoon carefully, and afterwards went all round the outer reef. One day, while we were upon the reef, Peterkin espied a small dark object lying among the rocks, which seemed to be quite different from the surrounding stones. We hastened towards the spot, and found it to be a small keg. On knocking out the head we discovered that it was gunpowder.’
‘It was I who sent you that, Jack,’ said I, with a smile.
‘Fork out!’ cried Peterkin, energetically, starting to his feet and extending his open hand to Jack. ‘Down with the money, sir, else I'll have you shut up for life in a debtor's prison the moment we return to England!’
‘I'll give you an IOU in the meantime,’ returned Jack, laughing, ‘so sit down and be quiet. The fact is, Ralph, when we discovered this keg of powder, Peter-kin immediately took me a bet of a thousand pounds that you had something to do with it, and I took him a bet of ten thousand that you had not.’
‘Peterkin was right then,’ said I, explaining how the thing had occurred.
'Well, we found it very useful,' continued Jack; 'although some of it had got a little damp; and we furbished up the old pistol, with which Peterkin is a crack shot now. But, to continue. We did not find any other vestige of you on the reef, and, finally, gave up all hope of ever seeing you again. After this the island became a dreary place to us, and we began to long for a ship to heave in sight and take us off. But now that you're back again, my dear fellow, it looks as bright and cheerful as it used to do, and I love it as much as ever.
‘And now,’ continued Jack, ‘I have a great desire to visit some of the other islands of the South Seas. Here we have a first-rate schooner at our disposal, so I don't see what should hinder us.’
‘Just the very thing I was going to propose,’ cried Peterkin; ‘I vote for starting at once.’
‘Well, then,’ said Jack, ‘it seems to me that we could not do better than shape our course for the island on which Avatea lives, and endeavour to persuade Tararo to let her marry the black fellow to whom she is engaged, instead of making a long pig of her. If he has a spark of gratitude in him he'll do it. Besides, having become champions for this girl once before, it behoves us, as true knights, not to rest until we set her free; at least, all the heroes in all the story-books I have ever read would count it foul disgrace to leave such a work unfinished.’
‘I'm sure I don't know, or care, what your knights in story-books would do,’ said Peterkin, ‘but I'm certain that it would be capital fun, so I'm your man whenever you want me.’
This plan of Jack's was quite in accordance with his romantic, impulsive nature; and, having made up his mind to save this black girl, he could not rest until the thing was commenced.
‘But there may be great danger in this attempt,’ he said, at the end of a long consultation on the subject; ‘will you lads go with me in spite of this?’
‘Go with you?’ we repeated in the same breath.
‘Can you doubt it?’ said I.
‘For a moment?’ added Peterkin.
I need scarcely say that, having made up our minds to go on this enterprise, we lost no time in making preparations to quit the island; and as the schooner was well laden with stores of every kind for a long cruise, we had little to do except to add to our abundant supply a quantity of coconuts, bread-fruit, taro, yams, plums, and potatoes, chiefly with the view of carrying the fragrance of our dear island along with us as long as we could.
When all was ready, we paid a farewell visit to the different familiar spots where most of our time had been spent. We ascended the mountain-top, and gazed for the last time at the rich green foliage in the valleys, the white sandy beach, the placid lagoon, and the barrier coral-reef with its crested breakers. Then we descended to Spouting Cliff, and looked down at the pale-green monster which we had made such fruitless efforts to spear in days gone by. From this we hurried to the Water Garden and took a last dive into its clear waters, and a last gambol amongst its coral groves. I hurried out before my companions, and dressed in haste, in order to have a long examination of my tank, which Peterkin, in the fullness of his heart, had tended with the utmost care, as being a vivid remembrancer of me, rather than out of love for natural history. It was in superb condition – the water as clear and pellucid as crystal; the red and green seaweed of the most brilliant hues; the red, purple, yellow, green, and striped anemones fully expanded, and stretching out their arms as if to welcome and embrace their former master; the starfish, zoophytes, sea-pens, and other innumerable marine insects, looking fresh and beautiful; and the crabs, as Peterkin said, looking as wide awake, impertinent, rampant, and pugnacious as ever. It was indeed so lovely and so interesting that I would scarcely allow myself to be torn away from it.
Last of all, we returned to the bower and collected the few articles we possessed, such as the axe, the pencil-case, the broken telescope, the penknife, the hook made from the brass ring, and the sail-needle, with which we had landed on the island – also, the long boots and the pistol, besides several curious articles of costume which we had manufactured from time to time.
These we conveyed on board in our little boat, after having carved our names on a chip of iron-wood, thus:
JACK MARTIN,
RALPH ROVER,
PETERKIN GAY,
which we fixed up inside of the bower. The boat was then hoisted on board and the anchor weighed; which latter operation cost us great labour and much time, as the anchor was so heavy that we could not move it without the aid of my complex machinery of blocks and pulleys. A steady breeze was blowing off-shore when we set sail, at a little before sunset. It swept us quickly past the reef and out to sea. The shore grew rapidly more indistinct as the shades of evening fell, while our clipper bark bounded lightly over the waves. Slowly the mountain-top sank on the horizon, until it became a mere speck. In another moment the sun and the Coral Island sank together into the broad bosom of the Pacific.
30
Our voyage during the next two weeks was most interesting and prosperous. The breeze continued generally fair, and at all times enabled us to lie our course; for being, as I have said before, clipper built, the pirate schooner could lie very close to the wind, and made little leeway. We had no difficulty now in managing our sails, for Jack was heavy and powerful, while Peterkin was active as a kitten. Still, however, we were a very insufficient crew for such a vessel, and if anyone had proposed to us to make such a voyage in it before we had been forced to go through so many hardships from necessity, we would have turned away with pity from the individual making such proposal as from a madman.
Although, therefore, we could now manage our sails easily, we nevertheless found that my pulleys were of much service to us in some things; though Jack did laugh heartily at the
uncouth arrangement of ropes and blocks, which had, to a sailor's eye, a very lumbering and clumsy appearance. But I will not drag my reader through the details of this voyage. Suffice it to say, that, after an agreeable sail of about three weeks, we arrived off the island of Mango, which I recognized at once from the description that the pirate, Bill, had given me of it during one of our conversations.
As soon as we came within sight of it we hove the ship to, and held a council of war.
‘Now, boys,’ said Jack, as we seated ourselves beside him on the cabin skylight, ‘before we go farther in this business, we must go over the pros and cons of it; for, although you have so generously consented to stick by me through thick and thin, it would be unfair did I not see that you thoroughly understand the danger of what we are about to attempt.’
‘Oh! bother the danger,’ cried Peterkin; ‘I wonder to hear you, Jack, talk of danger. When a fellow begins to talk about it, he'll soon come to magnify it to such a degree that he'll not be fit to face it when it comes, no more than a suckin' baby!’
‘Nay, Peterkin,’ replied Jack, gravely, ‘I won't be jested out of it. I grant you, that, when we've once resolved to act, and have made up our minds what to do, we should think no more of danger. But, before we have so resolved, it behoves us to look at it straight in the face, and examine into it, and walk round it; for if we flinch at a distant view, we're sure to run away when the danger is near. Now, I understand from you, Ralph, that the island is inhabited by thoroughgoing, out-and-out cannibals, whose principal law is: “Might is right, and the weakest goes to the wall”?’
‘Yes,’ said I, ‘so Bill gave me to understand. He told me, however, that, at the southern side of it, the missionaries had obtained a footing amongst an insignificant tribe. A native teacher had been sent there by the Wesleyans, who had succeeded in persuading the chief at that part to embrace Christianity. But instead of that being of any advantage to our enterprise, it seems the very reverse; for the chief Tararo is a determined heathen, and persecutes the Christians – who are far too weak in numbers to offer any resistance – and looks with dislike upon all white men, whom he regards as propagators of the new faith.’
‘’is a pity,' said Jack, 'that the Christian tribe is so small, for we shall scarcely be safe under their protection, I fear. If Tararo takes it into his head to wish for our vessel, or to kill ourselves, he could take us from them by force. You say that the native missionary talks English?'
‘So I believe.’
‘Then, what I propose is this,’ said Jack. ‘We will run round to the south side of the island, and cast anchor off the Christian village. We are too far away just now to have been descried by any of the savages, so we shall get there unobserved, and have time to arrange our plans before the heathen tribes know of our presence. But, in doing this, we run the risk of being captured by the ill-disposed tribes, and being very ill-used, if not – a –’
‘Roasted alive and eaten,’ cried Peterkin. ‘Come out with it, Jack; according to your own showing, it's well to look the danger straight in the face!’
‘Well, that is the worst of it, certainly. Are you prepared, then, to take your chance of that?’
‘I've been prepared and had my mind made up long ago,’ cried Peterkin, swaggering about the deck with his hands thrust into his breeches' pockets. ‘The fact is, Jack, I don't believe that Tararo will be so ungrateful as to eat us; and I'm quite sure that he'll be too happy to grant us whatever we ask: so the sooner we go in and win the better.’
Peterkin was wrong, however, in his estimate of savage gratitude, as the sequel will show.
The schooner was now put before the wind, and, after making a long run to the south'ard, we put about and beat up for the south side of Mango, where we arrived before sunset, and hove-to off the coral reef. Here we awaited the arrival of a canoe, which immediately put off on our rounding to. When it arrived, a mild-looking native, of apparently forty years of age, came on board, and, taking off his straw hat, made us a low bow. He was clad in a respectable suit of European clothes; and the first words he uttered, as he stepped up to Jack and shook hands with him, were:
‘Good day, gentlemen; we are happy to see you at Mango – you are heartily welcome.’
After returning his salutation, Jack exclaimed: ‘You must be the native missionary teacher of whom I have heard – are you not?’
‘I am. I have the joy to be a servant of the Lord Jesus at this station.’
‘You're the very man I want to see, then,’ replied Jack; ‘that's lucky. Come down to the cabin, friend, and have a glass of wine. I wish particularly to speak with you. My men there' – pointing to peterkin and me –‘will look after your people.’
‘Thank you,’ said the teacher, as he followed Jack to the cabin, ‘I do not drink wine or any strong drink.’
‘Oh! then, there's lots of water, and you can have biscuit.’
‘Now, 'pon my word, that's cool!’ said Peterkin; ‘his men, forsooth! Well, since we are to be men, we may as well come it as strong over these black chaps as we can. Hallo, there!’ he cried to the half-dozen of natives who stood upon the deck, gazing in wonder at all they saw, ‘here's for you’; and he handed them a tray of broken biscuit and a can of water. Then thrusting his hands into his pockets, he walked up and down the deck with an enormous swagger, whistling vociferously.
In about half an hour Jack and the teacher came on deck, and the latter, bidding us a cheerful good evening, entered his canoe and paddled to the shore. When he was gone, Peterkin stepped up to Jack, and, touching his cap, said:
‘Well, Captain, have you any communications to make to your men?’
‘Yes,’ cried Jack; ‘ready about, mind the helm and clew up your tongue, while I con the schooner through the passage in the reef. The teacher, who seems a first-rate fellow, says it's quite deep, and good anchorage within the lagoon close to the shore.’
While the vessel was slowly advancing to her anchorage, under a light breeze, Jack explained to us that Avatea was still on the island, living amongst the heathens; that she had expressed a strong desire to join the Christians, but Tararo would not let her, and kept her constantly in close confinement.
‘Moreover,’ continued Jack, ‘I find that she belongs to one of the Samoan Islands, where Christianity had been introduced long before her capture by the heathens of a neighbouring island. The teacher tells me, too, that the poor girl has fallen in love with a Christian chief, who lives on the island some fifty miles or so to the south of this one, and that she is meditating a desperate attempt at escape. So, you see, we have come in the nick of time. I fancy that this chief is the fellow whom you heard of, Ralph, at the Island of Emo. Besides all this, the heathen savages are at war among themselves, and there's to be a battle fought the day after tomorrow, in which the principal leader is Tararo; so that we'll not be able to commence our negotiations with the rascally chief till the day after.’
On landing from our little boat, we were received with a warm welcome by the teacher and his wife; the latter being also a native, clothed in a simple European gown and straw bonnet. The shore was lined with hundreds of natives, whose persons were all more or less clothed with native cloth. Some of the men had a kind of poncho formed of this cloth, their legs being uncovered. Others wore clumsily fashioned trousers, and no upper garment except hats made of straw and cloth. Many of the dresses, both of women and men, were grotesque enough, being very bad imitations of the European garb; but all wore a dress of some sort or other. They seemed very glad to see us, and crowded round us as the teacher led the way to his dwelling, where we were entertained, in the most sumptuous manner, on baked pig and all the varieties of fruits and vegetables that the island produced. We were much annoyed, however, by the rats: they seemed to run about the house like domestic animals. As we sat at table, one of them peeped up at us over the edge of the cloth, close to Peterkin's elbow, who floored it with a blow on the snout from his knife, exclaiming as he did so:
‘I say, Mister Teacher, why don't you set traps for these brutes? Surely you are not fond of them!’
‘No,’ replied the teacher, with a smile; ‘we would be glad to get rid of them if we could; but if we were to trap all the rats on the island, it would occupy our whole time.’
‘Are they, then, so numerous?’ inquired Jack.
‘They swarm everywhere. The poor heathens on the north side eat them, and think them very sweet. So did my people formerly; but they do not eat so many now, because the missionary who was last here expressed disgust at it. The poor people asked if it was wrong to eat rats; and he told them that it was certainly not wrong, but that the people of England would be much disgusted were they asked to eat rats.’
We had not been an hour in the house of this kindhearted man when we were convinced of the truth of his statement as to their numbers, for the rats ran about the floors in dozens, and, during our meal, two men were stationed at the table to keep them off!
Next day we walked out with this interesting man, and were much entertained and instructed by his conversation, as we rambled through the cool shady groves of bananas, citrons, limes, and other trees, or sauntered among the cottages of the natives, and watched them while they laboured diligently in the taro beds, or manufactured the tapa or native cloth. To some of these Jack put questions through the medium of the missionary; and the replies were such as to surprise us at the extent of their knowledge. Indeed, Peterkin very truly remarked that ‘they seemed to know a considerable deal more than Jack himself’!
The Coral Island Page 21