by Charles King
of ourguns and crack of our rifles will astonish and demoralise them. Not aboat shall return of their invincible Armada; perhaps not a savage willbe left alive to tell the tale hereafter."
"That would indeed be a blessing to us. And my people havehalf-promised not to make war on them again. We should therefore livein peace, and fear no more Armadas."
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Mr Hall was now brightening up again, and all the survivors of theunfortunate _Wolverine_, having something to engage their attention,became quite jolly and happy. I scarce need mention Matty. The childwas happy under all circumstances.
Ilda, too, was contented. Perhaps never more so than when taking longwalks with Reginald up the lovely valley, gathering wildflowers, orfishing in the winding river.
Ilda was really beautiful. Her beauty was almost of the classical type,and her voice was sweet to listen to. So thought Reginald.
"How charmingly brown the sun has made you, dear Ilda," said Reginald,as she leant on his arm by the riverside.
He touched her lightly on the cheek as he spoke. Her head fell lightlyon his shoulder just then, as if she were tired, and he noticed thatthere were tears in her eyes.
"No, not tired," she answered, looking up into his face.
Redder, sweeter lips surely no girl ever possessed.
For just a moment he drew her to his breast and kissed those lips.
Ah, well, Reginald Grahame was only a man.
I fear that Ilda was only a woman, and that she really loved thehandsome, brown-faced and manly doctor.
They had now been one year and two months away from Scotland, and atthis very moment the Laird Fletcher was paying all the attention in hispower to Annie o' the Banks o' Dee. He was really a modern "Auld RobinGrey."
"My mither she fell sick, An' my Jamie at the sea; Then Aold Robin Grey came a-courting me."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
A CANNIBAL BREWER AND CANNIBAL BEER.
Queen Bertha of the Isle of Flowers had industriously laboured among herpeople. It gave her pleasure to do so. She even taught them English,which all could now speak after a fashion.
Well, while Dickson and Hall were drilling a small company of blacks assoldiers, and trying to make them experts in the use of the rifle--forthey had over a score of these to spare--Reginald spent much of his timeon the hills with his gun, shooting small wild pigs, rock-rabbits,tuen-tuens, etc. He was always accompanied by Ilda, merry Matty, andOscar the Newfoundland. No matter where a wild bird fell, in river orlake, or in the bush, Oscar found it, and laid it at his master's feet.
But one day Reginald, while shooting, made a singular discovery indeed.Far up in the hills they came upon the grass hut of a very peculiar oldman indeed. Before reaching the place quite, they met three natives,and they were evidently intoxicated, staggering, laughing, singing anddancing.
The old man was seated in his doorway. Around his hut were at least adozen huge clay jars, with clay lids, and these contained beer of somesort. He was the most hideous old wretch that Reginald had yet clappedeyes on. Even Matty was terrified, and hugged the great dog round theneck as she gazed on that awful-looking and repulsive creature.
"These jars," said Reginald, "evidently contain some intoxicating drink.And the old brewer doesn't look a beauty, nor a saint either!"
Nor did he. Here he is, as I myself have seen him more than once.Squatting tailor-fashion outside the door of his dark and windowlesshut, a man with a mop of rough silvery hair, thin lips, drawn back intoa grin, so that one could see all his awful teeth--tusks they reallyseemed to be, each one filed into a pointed triangle, the better to tearhuman flesh. They were stained red. His eyes were red also, and likethose of some scared wild beast and cheeks and brow were covered withsymmetrical scars. But he was a brewer, and very busy plying his trade.Beside him were open cocoa-nuts and bunches of fragrant herbs.
"Go on," said Reginald; "don't let us interfere with business, pray."
The horrid creature put a huge lump of cocoa-nut into his mouth, thensome herbs, and chewed the lot together; then taking a mouthful of waterfrom a chatty, he spat the whole mass into a jar and proceeded asbefore. This awful mess of chewed cocoa-nut, herbs, and saliva fermentsinto a kind of spirit. This is poured off and mixed with water, and lo!the beer of the cannibal islanders!
Reginald, noticing a strange-looking chain hanging across the old man'sscarred and tattooed chest, begged to examine it. To his astonishment,it consisted entirely of beautiful pearls and small nuggets of gold.
"Where did this come from, my man?"
"Ugh! I catchee he plenty twick. Plenty mo'. Ver' mooch plenty."
Reginald considered for a moment. Money was no good to an old wretchlike this, but he wore around his waist a beautiful crimson sash. Thishe divested himself of, and held it up before the cannibal brewer.
"I will give you this for your chain," he said, "and another as goodto-morrow, if you will come now and show us where you find thesethings."
The old man at once threw the chain at Reginald's feet, and seized thescarf delightedly.
"I come quick--dis moment!" he cried. And he was as good as his word.
It was a long walk, and a wild one. Sometimes Reginald carried Matty;sometimes she rode on the great dog. But they arrived at last at theentrance to a gloomy defile, and here in the hillsides were openingsinnumerable, evidently not made by hands of man. Here, however, was anEl Dorado. Caves of gold! for numerous small nuggets were found on thefloors and shining in the white walls around them.
It was evident enough that it only needed digging and a little hard workto make a pile from any single one of these caves.
Next about the pearls. The old savage took the party to the riverside.He waded in, and in five minutes had thrown on shore at least a hundredpearl oysters. These, on coming to bank, he opened one by one, and tenlarge and beautiful white pearls were found, with ever so manyhalf-faced ones.
Strange and wondrous indeed was the story that Reginald Grahame had torelate in private to Mr Hall and Captain Dickson on his return to hishome by the sea.
At present the trio kept the secret to themselves. That gold was to behad for the gathering was evident enough. But to share it with six menwas another question. It might be better, at all events, if they werefirst and foremost to make their own pile. Anyhow, the men's servicesmight be required; in that case they could choose their own claims,unless Reginald claimed the whole ravine. This he was entitled to do,but he was very far indeed from being mean and greedy.
But so intricate was the way to the ravine of gold that without a guideno one could possibly find it.
For six whole weeks no gold digging was thought about. Matters of evengreater import occupied the minds of the white men.
The company of blacks was beautifully drilled by this time, and madefairly good marksmen with the rifle. They were, indeed, the boldest andbravest on the island, and many of them the Queen's own bodyguards.
Well, the bay enclosed by the reefs on one of which the _Wolverine_ hadstruck was the only landing-place in the whole island. Every other partof the shore was guarded by precipitous rocks a thousand feet high atleast, rising sheer and black out of the ocean. The Armada must comehere, then, if anywhere; and, moreover, the bay faced the enemy's ownisland, although, with the exception of a mountain peak or two, seenabove the horizon, it was far too distant to be visible.
A grass watch-tower was built on the brow of a hill, and a sentryoccupied this by night as well as by day. Only keen-eyed blacks werechosen for this important duty, and they were told that if anysuspicious sign was observed they must communicate immediately withCaptain Dickson.
And now, facing the sea, a strong palisaded fort was built, andcompletely clayed over, so as to be almost invisible from the sea. Itwas roofed over with timber, as a protection against the enemy's arrows;it was also loop-holed for rifles, and here, moreover, were mounted thetwo six-po
unders. Plenty of ammunition for both rifles and guns wasplaced at a safe distance from the ports.
One evening the sentry ran below to report that, seeing a glare in thesky, he had climbed high up the mountain side, and by aid of thenight-glass could see that fires were lighted on the brow of every lowhill on the enemy's island, and that savages in rings were wildlydancing around them. The sentry had no doubt that the attack on theIsle of Flowers would soon follow this. Dickson thanked the manheartily for his attention, gave him coffee and biscuit, and sent himback to the sentry hut. So kind was the captain, and so interested inthe welfare of the blacks, that any one of those he had trained wouldhave fought at fearful odds for him. For kindness towards, a savagesoon wins his heart, and his respect as well.
Three days more passed by--oh, so slowly and wearily! For a cloudhovered over the camp that the white men tried in vain to dispel. Therewas this fearful Armada to face and to fight,