‘Act!’ cried Jack, raising himself, and tossing back his hair wildly; ‘it is mockery to talk of acting when one is bound hand and foot. How can I act? I cannot fight a whole nation of savages single-handed. Yes,’ he said, with a bitter smile, ‘I can fight them, but I cannot conquer them, or save Avatea.’
‘Patience, my friend; your spirit is not a good one just now. You cannot expect that blessing which alone can ensure success, unless you are more submissive. I will tell you my plans if you will listen.’
‘Listen!’ cried Jack, eagerly, ‘of course I will, my good fellow; I did not know you had any plans. Out with them. I only hope you will show me how I can get the girl on board of this schooner, and I'd up anchor and away in no time. But proceed with your plans.’
The teacher smiled sadly: ‘Ah! my friend, if one fathom of your anchor chain were to rattle, as you drew it in, a thousand warriors would be standing on your deck. No, no, that could not be done. Even now, your ship would be taken from you were it not that Tararo has some feeling of gratitude towards you. But I know Tararo well. He is a man of falsehood, as all the unconverted savages are. The chief to whom he has promised this girl is very powerful, and Tararo must fulfil his promise. He has told you that he would do nothing to the girl for three days; but that is because the party who are to take her away will not be ready to start for three days. Still, as he might have made you a prisoner during those three days, I say that God has given them to us.’
‘Well, but what do you propose to do?’ said Jack, impatiently.
‘My plan involves much danger, but I see no other, and I think you have courage to brave it. It is this: there is an island about fifty miles to the south of this, the natives of which are Christians, and have been so for two years or more, and the principal chief is Avatea's lover. Once there, Avatea would be safe. Now, I suggest that you should abandon your schooner. Do you think that you can make so great a sacrifice?’
‘Friend,’ replied Jack, ‘when I make up my mind to go through with a thing of importance, I can make any sacrifice.’
The teacher smiled. ‘Well, then, the savages could not conceive it possible that, for the sake of a girl, you would voluntarily lose your fine vessel; therefore as long as she lies here they think they have you all safe: so I suggest that we get a quantity of stores conveyed to a sequestered part of the shore, provide a small canoe, put Avatea on board, and you three would paddle to the Christian island.’
‘Bravo!’ cried Peterkin, springing up and seizing the teacher's hand. ‘Missionary, you're a regular brick. I didn't think you had so much in you.’
‘As for me,’ continued the teacher, ‘I will remain on board till they discover that you are gone. Then they will ask me where you are gone to, and will refuse to tell.’
‘And what'll be the result of that?’ inquired Jack.
‘I know not. Perhaps they will kill me; but,’ he added, looking at Jack with a peculiar smile, ‘I too am not afraid to die in a good cause!’
‘But how are we to get hold of Avatea?’ inquired Jack.
‘I have arranged with her to meet us at a particular spot, to which I will guide you tonight. We shall then arrange about it. She will easily manage to elude her keepers, who are not very strict in watching her, thinking it impossible that she could escape from the island. Indeed, I am sure that such an idea will never enter their heads. But as I have said, you run great danger. Fifty miles in a small canoe, on the open sea, is a great voyage to make. You may miss the island, too, in which case there is no other in that direction for a hundred miles or more; and if you lose your way and fall among other heathens, you know the law of Feejee - a castaway who gains the shore is doomed to die. You must count the cost, my young friend.’
‘I have counted it,’ replied Jack. ‘If Avatea consents to run the risk, most certainly I will; and so will my comrades also. Besides,’ added Jack, looking seriously into the teacher's face, ‘your Bible – our Bible – tells of One who delivers those who call on Him in the time of trouble; who holds the winds in His fists and the waters in the hollow of His hand.’
We now set about active preparations for the intended voyage; collected together such things as we should require, and laid out on the deck provisions sufficient to maintain us for several weeks, purposing to load the canoe with as much as she could hold consistently with speed and safety. These we covered with a tarpaulin, intending to convey them to the canoe only a few hours before starting. When night spread her sable curtain over the scene, we prepared to land; but, first, kneeling along with the natives and the teacher, the latter implored a blessing on our enterprise. Then we rowed quietly to the shore and followed our sable guide, who led us by a long detour, in order to avoid the village, to the place of rendezvous. We had not stood more than five minutes under the gloomy shade of the thick foliage when a dark figure glided noiselessly up to us.
‘Ah! here you are,’ said Jack, as Avatea approached. ‘Now, then, tell her what we've come about, and don't waste time.’
‘I understan' leetl English,’ said Avatea, in a low voice.
‘Why, where did you pick up English?’ exclaimed Jack, in amazement; ‘you were dumb as a stone when I saw you last.’
‘She has learned all she knows of it from me,’ said the teacher, ‘since she came to the island.’
We now gave Avatea a full explanation of our plans, entering into all the details, and concealing none of the danger, so that she might be fully aware of the risk she ran. As we had anticipated, she was too glad of the opportunity thus afforded her to escape from her persecutors to think of the danger or risk.
‘Then you're willing to go with us, are you?’ said Jack.
‘Yis, I am willing to go.’
‘And you're not afraid to trust yourself out on the deep sea so far?’
‘No, I not 'fraid to go. Safe with Christian.’
After some further consultation, the teacher suggested that it was time to return, so we bade Avatea good night, and having appointed to meet at the cliff where the canoe lay, on the following night, just after dark, we hastened away – we to row on board the schooner with muffled oars, Avatea to glide back to her prison hut among the Mango savages.
33
As the time for our meditated flight drew near, we became naturally very fearful lest our purpose should be discovered, and we spent the whole of the following day in a state of nervous anxiety. We resolved to go ashore and ramble about the village, as if to observe the habits and dwellings of the people, as we thought that an air of affected indifference to the events of the previous day would be more likely than any other course of conduct to avert suspicion as to our intentions. While we were thus occupied, the teacher remained on board with the Christian natives, whose powerful voices reached us ever and anon as they engaged in singing hymns or in prayer.
At last the long and tedious day came to a close, the sun sank into the sea, and the short-lived twilight of those regions, to which I have already referred, ended abruptly in a dark night. Hastily throwing a few blankets into our little boat, we stepped into it, and, whispering farewell to the natives in the schooner, rowed gently over the lagoon, taking care to keep as near to the beach as possible. We rowed in the utmost silence and with muffled oars, so that had any one observed us at the distance of a few yards, he might have almost taken us for a phantom boat or a shadow on the dark water. Not a breath of air was stirring; but fortunately the gentle ripple of the sea upon the shore, mingled with the soft roar of the breaker on the distant reef, effectually drowned the slight plash that we unavoidably made in the water by the dipping of our oars.
Quarter of an hour sufficed to bring us to the overhanging cliff under whose black shadow our little canoe lay, with her bow in the water ready to be launched, and most of her cargo already stowed away. As the keel of our little boat grated on the sand, a hand was laid upon the bow, and a dim form was seen.
‘Ha!’ said Peterkin in a whisper, as he stepped upon the beach, ‘is that you, Avatea?’
‘Yis, it am me,’ was the reply.
‘All right! Now, then, gently. Help me to shove off the canoe,’ whispered Jack to the teacher; ‘and, Peterkin, do you shove these blankets aboard, we may want them before long. Avatea, step into the middle – that's right.’
‘Is all ready?’ whispered the teacher.
‘Not quite,’ replied Peterkin. ‘Here, Ralph, lay hold o' this pair of oars, and stow them away if you can. I don't like paddles. After we're safe away I'll try to rig up rollicks for them.’
‘Now, then, in with you and shove off.’
One more earnest squeeze of the kind teacher's hand, and, with his whispered blessing yet sounding in our ears, we shot like an arrow from the shore, sped over the still waters of the lagoon, and paddled as swiftly as strong arms and willing hearts could urge us over the long swell of the open sea.
All that night and the whole of the following day we plied our paddles in almost total silence and withouthalt, save twice to recruit our failing energies with a mouthful of food and a draught of water. Jack had taken the bearing of the island just after starting, and laying a small pocket-compass before him, kept the head of the canoe due south, for our chance of hitting the island depended very much on the faithfulness of our steersman in keeping our tiny bark exactly and constantly on its proper course. Peterkin and I paddled in the bow, and Avatea worked untiringly in the middle.
As the sun's lower limb dipped on the gilded edge of the sea Jack ceased working, threw down his paddle, and called a halt.
‘There,’ he cried, heaving a deep, long-drawn sigh, ‘we've put a considerable breadth of water between us and these black rascals, so now we'll have a hearty supper and a sound sleep.’
‘Hear, hear,’ cried Peterkin. ‘Nobly spoken, Jack. Hand me a drop of water, Ralph. Why, girl, what's wrong with you? You look just like a black owl blinking in the sunshine.’
Avatea smiled. ‘I sleepy,’ she said; and as if to prove the truth of this, she laid her head on the edge of the canoe and fell fast asleep.
Thus we lay like a shadow on the still bosom of the ocean, while the night closed in, and all around was calm, dark, and silent.
A thrilling cry of alarm from Peterkin startled us in the morning, just as the grey dawn began to glimmer in the east.
‘What's wrong?’ cried Jack, starting up.
Peterkin replied by pointing with a look of anxious dread towards the horizon; and a glance sufficed to show us that one of the largest sized war-canoes was approaching us!
With a groan of mingled despair and danger Jack seized his paddle, glanced at the compass, and, in a suppressed voice, commanded us to ‘give way’. But we did not require to be urged. Already our four paddles were glancing in the water, and the canoe bounded over the glassy sea like a dolphin, while a shout from our pursuers told that they had observed our motions.
‘I see something like land ahead,’ said Jack, in a hopeful tone. ‘It seems impossible that we could have made the island yet; still, if it is so, we may reach it before these fellows can catch us, for our canoe is light and our muscles are fresh.’
No one replied; for, to say truth, we felt that, in a long chase, we had no chance whatever with a canoe which held nearly a hundred warriors. Nevertheless, we resolved to do our utmost to escape, and paddled with a degree of vigour that kept us well in advance of our pursuers. The war-canoe was so far behind us that it seemed but a little speck on the sea, and the shouts, to which the crew occasionally gave vent, came faintly towards us on the morning breeze. We therefore hoped that we should be able to keep in advance for an hour or two, when we might, perhaps, reach the land ahead. But this hope was suddenly crushed by the supposed land, not long after, rising up into the sky, thus proving itself to be a fog-bank!
A bitter feeling of disappointment filled each heart, and was expressed on each countenance, as we beheld this termination to our hopes. When we saw that there was indeed no chance of escape, and that paddling any longer would only serve to exhaust our strength, without doing any good, we turned the side of our canoe towards the approaching enemy, and laid down our paddles.
Silently, and with a look of bitter determination on his face, Jack lifted one of the light boat-oars that we had brought with us, and, resting it on his shoulder, stood up in an attitude of bold defiance. Peterkin took the other oar and also stood up, but there was no anger visible on his countenance. When not sparkling with fun, it usually wore a mild, sad expression, which was deepened on the present occasion, as he glanced at Avatea, who sat with her face resting in her hands upon her knees. Without knowing very well what I intended to do, I also arose and grasped my paddle with both hands.
On came the large canoe like a war-horse of the deep, with the foam curling from its sharp bow, and the spearheads of the savages glancing in the beams of the rising sun. Perfect silence was maintained on both sides, and we could hear the hissing water, and see the frowning eyes of the warriors, as they came rushing on. When about twenty yards distant, five or six of the savages in the bow rose, and, laying aside their paddles, took up their spears. Jack and Peterkin raised their oars, while with a feeling of madness whirling in my brain, I grasped my paddle and prepared for the onset. But, before any of us could strike a blow, the sharp prow of the war-canoe struck us like a thunder-bolt on the side, and hurled us into the sea!
What occurred after this I cannot tell, for I was nearly drowned; but when I recovered from the state of insensibility into which I had been thrown, I found myself stretched on my back, bound hand and foot between Jack and Peterkin, in the bottom of the large canoe.
In this condition we lay the whole day, during which time the savages only rested one hour. When night came, they rested again for another hour, and appeared to sleep just as they sat. But we were neither unbound nor allowed to speak to each other during the voyage, nor was a morsel of food or a draught of water given to us. For food, however, we cared little; but we would have given much for a drop of water to cool our parched lips, and we would have been glad, too, had they loosened the cords that bound us, for they were tightly fastened and occasioned us much pain. The air, also, was unusually hot, so much so that I felt convinced that a storm was brewing. This also added to our sufferings. However, these were at length relieved by our arrival at the island from which we had fled.
While we were being led ashore, we caught a glimpse of Avatea, who was seated in the hinder part of the canoe. She was not fettered in any way. Our captors now drove us before them towards the hut of Tararo, at which we speedily arrived, and found the chief seated with an expression on his face that boded us no good. Our friend the teacher stood beside him, with a look of anxiety on his mild features.
‘How comes it,’ said Tararo, turning to the teacher, ‘that these youths have abused our hospitality?’
‘Tell him,’ replied Jack, ‘that we have not abused his hospitality, for his hospitality has not been extended to us. I came to the island to deliver Avatea, and my only regret is that I have failed to do so. If I get another chance, I will try to save her yet.’
The teacher shook his head. ‘Nay, my young friend, I had better not tell him that. It will only incense him.’
‘I care not,’ replied Jack. ‘If you don't tell him that, you'll tell him nothing, for I won't say anything softer.’
On hearing Jack's speech, Tararo frowned and his eye flashed with anger.
‘Go,’ he said, ‘presumptuous boy. My debt to you is cancelled. You and your companions shall die.’
As he spoke he rose and signed to several of his attendants, who seized Jack, and Peterkin, and me, violently by the collars, and, dragging us from the hut of the chief, led us through the wood to the outskirts of the village. Here they thrust us into a species of natural cave in a cliff, and, having barricaded the entrance, left us in total darkness.
After feeling about for some time – for our legs were unshackled, although our wrists were still bound with thongs – we found a low ledge of
rock running along one side of the cavern. On this we seated ourselves, and for a long time maintained unbroken silence.
At last I could restrain my feelings no longer. ‘Alas! dear Jack and Peterkin,’ said I, ‘what is to become of us? I fear that we are doomed to die.’
‘I know not,’ replied Jack, in a tremulous voice, ‘I know not; Ralph, I regret deeply the hastiness of my violent temper, which, I must confess, has been the chief cause of our being brought to this sad condition. Perhaps the teacher may do something for us. But I have little hope.’
‘Ah! no,’ said Peterkin, with a heavy sigh; ‘I am sure he can't help us. Tararo doesn't care more for him than for one of his dogs.’
‘Truly,’ said I, ‘there seems no chance of deliverance, unless the Almighty puts forth His arm to save us. Yet I must say that I have great hope, my comrades, for we have come to this dark place by no fault of ours – unless it be a fault to try to succour a woman in distress.’
I was interrupted in my remarks by a noise at the entrance to the cavern, which was caused by the removal of the barricade. Immediately after, three men entered, and, taking us by the collars of our coats, led us away through the forest. As we advanced, we heard much shouting and beating of native drums in the village, and at first we thought that our guards were conducting us to the hut of Tararo again. But in this we were mistaken. The beating of drums gradually increased, and soon after we observed a procession of the natives coming towards us. At the head of this procession we were placed, and then we all advanced together towards the temple where human victims were wont to be sacrificed!
A thrill of horror ran through my heart as I recalled to mind the awful scenes that I had before witnessed at that dreadful spot. But deliverance came suddenly from a quarter whence we little expected it. During the whole of that day there had been an unusual degree of heat in the atmosphere, and the sky assumed that lurid aspect which portends a thunderstorm. Just as we were approaching the horrid temple, a growl of thunder burst overhead and heavy drops of rain began to fall.
The Coral Island Page 23