Masterman Ready; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.

  But the moaning of the children was very soon after dusk drowned by theyells of the savages, who, as Ready had prognosticated, now advanced tothe night attack.

  Every part of the stockade was at once assailed, and their attempts nowmade were to climb into it; a few spears were occasionally thrown, butit was evident that the object was to obtain an entrance by dint ofnumbers. It was well that Ready had taken the precaution of nailing thedeal planks above the original stockade, or there is little doubt butthat the savages would have gained their object; as it was, before theflames of the fire, which Juno had lighted by Ready's order, gave themsufficient light, three or four savages had climbed up and had been shotby William and Mr Seagrave, as they were on the top of the stockade.

  When the fire burnt brightly, the savages outside were more easily aimedat, and a great many fell in their attempts to get over. The attackcontinued more than an hour, when at last, satisfied that they could notsucceed, the savages once more withdrew, carrying with them, as before,their dead and wounded.

  "I trust that they will now re-embark, and leave the island," said MrSeagrave.

  "I only wish they may, sir; it is not at all impossible; but there is nosaying. I have been thinking, Mr Seagrave, that we might be able toascertain their movements by making a look-out. You see, sir, thatcocoa-nut tree," continued Ready, pointing to one of those to which thepalisades were fastened, "is much taller than any of the others: now, bydriving spike-nails into the trunk at about a foot apart, we mightascend it with ease, and it would command a view of the whole bay; wethen could know what the enemy were about."

  "Yes, that is very true; but will not anyone be very much exposed if heclimbs up?"

  "No, sir; for you see the cocoa-nut trees are cut down clear of thepalisades to such a distance, that no savage could come at all nearwithout being seen by anyone on the look-out, and giving us sufficienttime to get down again before he could use his spear."

  "I believe that you are right there, Ready; but at all events I wouldnot attempt to do it before daylight, as there may be some of them stilllurking underneath the stockade."

  "Certainly there may be, sir, and therefore until daylight we will notbegin."

  Mr Seagrave then went into the house; Ready desired William to lie downand sleep for two or three hours, as he would watch. In the morning,when Mr Seagrave came out, he would have a little sleep himself.

  "I can't sleep, Ready. I'm mad with thirst," replied William.

  "Yes, sir; it's very painful--I feel it myself very much, but what mustthose poor children feel? I pity them most."

  "I pity my mother most, Ready," replied William; "it must be agony toher to witness their sufferings, and not be able to relieve them."

  "Yes, indeed, it must be terrible, William, to a mother's feelings; butperhaps these savages will be off to-morrow, and then we shall forgetour privations."

  "I trust in God that they may, Ready, but they seem very determined."

  "Yes, sir; iron is gold to them, and what will civilised men not do forgold?"

  In the meantime, Mr Seagrave had gone into the house. He found thechildren still crying for water, notwithstanding the coaxing andsoothing of Mrs Seagrave, who was shedding tears as she hung over poorlittle Albert. Little Caroline only drooped, and said nothing. MrSeagrave remained for two or three hours with his wife, assisting her inpacifying the children, and soothing her to the utmost of his power; atlast he went out and found old Ready on the watch.

  "Ready, I had rather a hundred times be attacked by these savages andhave to defend this place, than be in that house for even five minutes,and witness the sufferings of my wife and children."

  "I do not doubt it, sir," replied Ready; "but cheer up, and let us hopefor the best; I think it very probable that the savages after thissecond defeat will leave the island."

  "I wish I could think so, Ready; it would make me very happy; but I havecome out to take the watch, Ready. Will you not sleep for a while?"

  "I will, sir, if you please, take a little sleep. Call me in two hours;it will then be daylight, and I can go to work, and you can get somerepose yourself."

  "I am too anxious to sleep; I think so, at least."

  "William said he was too thirsty to sleep, sir, but, poor fellow, he isnow fast enough."

  "I trust that boy will be spared, Ready."

  "I hope so too; but we are all in the hands of the Almighty."

  Mr Seagrave took his station on the plank, and was left to his ownreflections; that they were not of the most pleasant kind may easily beimagined. He prayed earnestly and fervently that they might bedelivered from the danger and sufferings which threatened them, andbecame calm and tranquil; prepared for the worst, if the worst was tohappen, and confidently placing himself and his family under the care ofhim who orders all as he thinks best.

  At daylight Ready woke up and relieved Mr Seagrave, who did not returnto the house, but lay down on the cocoa-nut boughs, where Ready had beenlying by the side of William. As soon as Ready had got out thespike-nails and hammer, he summoned William to his assistance, and theycommenced driving them into the cocoa-nut tree, one looking out in caseof the savages approaching, while the other was at work. In less thanan hour they had gained the top of the tree close to the boughs, and hada very commanding view of the bay, as well as inland. William, who wasdriving the last dozen spikes, took a survey, and then came down toReady.

  "I can see everything, Ready: they have pulled down the old housealtogether, and are most of them lying down outside, covered up withtheir war-cloaks; some women are walking to and fro from the canoes,which are lying on the beach where they first landed."

  "They have pulled down the house to obtain the iron nails, I have nodoubt," replied Ready. "Did you see any of their dead?"

  "No; I did not look about very much, but I will go up again directly. Icame down because my hands were jarred with hammering, and the hammerwas so heavy to carry. In a minute or two I shall go up light enough.My lips are burning, Ready, and swelled; the skin is peeling off. I hadno idea that want of water would have been so dreadful. I was in hopesof finding a cocoa-nut or two on the tree, but there was not one."

  "And if you had found one, it would not have had any milk in it at thisseason of the year. However, William, if the savages do not go awayto-day, something must be done. I wish now that you would go up again,and see if they are not stirring."

  William again mounted to the top of the tree, and remained up for someminutes; when he came down, he said, "They are all up now, and swarminglike bees. I counted 260 of the men in their war-cloaks and featherhead-dresses; the women are passing to and fro from the well with water;there is nobody at the canoes except eight or ten women, who are beatingtheir heads, I think, or doing something of the kind. I could not makeit out well, but they seem all doing the same thing."

  "I know what they are about, William: they are cutting themselves withknives or other sharp instruments. It is the custom of these people.The dead are all put into the canoes, and these women are lamenting overthem; perhaps they are going away, since the dead are in the canoes, butthere is no saying."