Un capitaine de quinze ans. English Page 15

  CHAPTER XIV.

  ASHORE.

  Thus, after a voyage of seventy-four days, the "Pilgrim" had stranded.Mrs. Weldon and her fellow-voyagers joined in thanksgiving to the kindProvidence that had brought them ashore, not upon one of the solitaryislands of Polynesia, but upon a solid continent, from almost any partof which there would be no difficulty in getting home.

  The ship was totally lost. She was lying in the surf a hopeless wreck,and few must be the hours that would elapse before she would be brokenup in scattered fragments; it was impossible to save her.Notwithstanding that Dick Sands bewailed the loss of a valuable shipand her cargo to the owner, he had the satisfaction of knowing that hehad been instrumental in saving what was far more precious, the livesof the owner's wife and son.

  It was impossible to do more than hazard a conjecture as to the part ofthe South American coast on which the "Pilgrim" had been cast. Dickimagined that it must be somewhere on the coast of Peru; after sightingEaster Island, he knew that the united action of the equatorial currentand the brisk wind must have had the effect of driving the schooner farnorthward, and he formed his conclusion accordingly. Be the trueposition, however, what it might, it was all important that it shouldbe accurately ascertained as soon as possible. If it were really inPeru, he would not be long in finding his way to one of the numerousports and villages that lie along the coast.

  But the shore here was quite a desert. A narrow strip of beach, strewnwith boulders, was enclosed by a cliff of no great height, in which, atirregular intervals, deep funnels appeared as chasms in the rock. Hereand there a gentle slope led to the top.

  About a quarter of a mile to the north was the mouth of a little riverwhich had not been visible from the sea. Its banks were overhung by anumber of "rhizophora," a species of mangrove entirely distinct fromthat indigenous to India. It was soon ascertained that the summit ofthe cliff was clothed by a dense forest, extending far away inundulations of verdure to the mountains in the background. Had CousinBenedict been a botanist, he could not have failed to find a new andinteresting field for his researches; there were lofty baobabs (towhich an extraordinary longevity has often been erroneously ascribed),with bark resembling Egyptian syenite; there were white pines,tamarinds, pepper-plants of peculiar species, and numerous other plantsunfamiliar to the eye of a native of the North; but, strange to say,there was not a single specimen of the extensive family of palms, ofwhich more than a thousand varieties are scattered in profusion in somany quarters of the globe.

  Above the shore hovered a large number of screeching birds, mostly ofthe swallow tribe, their black plumage shot with steelly blue, andshading off to a light brown at the top of the head. Now and then a fewpartridges of a greyish colour rose on wing, their necks entirely bareof feathers: the fearless manner in which the various birds all allowedthemselves to be approached made Mrs. Weldon and Dick both wonder ifthe shores upon which they had been thrown were not so deserted thatthe sound of fire-arms was not known.

  On the edge of the reefs some pelicans (of the species known as_pelicanus minor_) were busily filling their pouches with tiny fish,and some gulls coming in from the open sea began to circle round thewreck: with these exceptions not a living creature appeared in sight.Benedict, no doubt, could have discovered many entomological noveltiesamongst the foliage, but these could give no more information than thebirds as to the name of their habitat. Neither north, nor south, nortowards the forest, was there trace of rising smoke, or any footprintor other sign to indicate the presence of a human being.

  Dick's surprise was very great. He knew that the proximity of a nativewould have made Dingo bark aloud; but the dog gave no warning; he wasrunning backwards and forwards, his tail lowered and his nose close tothe ground; now and again he uttered a deep growl.

  "Look at Dingo!" said Mrs. Weldon; "how strange he is! he seems to betrying to discover a lost scent."

  After watching the dog for a time, she spoke again:--

  "Look, too, at Negoro! he and the dog seem to be on the same purpose!"

  "As to Negoro," said Dick, "I cannot concern myself with him now; hemust do as he pleases; I have no further control over him; his serviceexpires with the loss of the ship."

  Negoro was in fact walking to and fro, surveying the shore with the airof a man who was trying to recall some past experience to hisrecollection. His dogged taciturnity was too well known for any one tothink of questioning him; every one was accustomed to let him go hisown way, and when Dick noticed that he had gone towards the littleriver, and had disappeared behind the cliff, he thought no more abouthim. Dingo likewise had quite forgotten his enemy, and desisted fromhis growling.

  The first necessity for the shipwrecked party was to find a temporaryshelter where they might take some refreshment. There was no lack ofprovisions; independently of the resources of the land, the ebbing tidehad left upon the rocks the great bulk of the "Pilgrim's" stores, andthe negroes had already collected several kegs of biscuit, and a numberof cases of preserved meat, besides a variety of other supplies. Allthat they rescued they carefully piled up above high-water mark. Asnothing appeared to be injured by the sea-water, the victualling of theparty all seemed to be satisfactorily secure for the interval whichmust elapse (and they all believed it would not be long,) before theyreached one of the villages which they presumed were close at hand.Dick, moreover, took the precaution of sending Hercules to get a smallsupply of fresh water from the river hard by, and the good-naturedfellow returned carrying a whole barrel-full on his shoulder.

  Surveying the shore with the air of a man who was tryingto recall some past experience]

  Plenty of fuel was lying about, and whenever they wanted to light afire they were sure of having an abundance of dead wood and the rootsof the old mangroves. Old Tom, an inveterate smoker, always carried atinder box in his pocket; this had been too tightly fastened to beaffected by the moisture, and could always produce a spark uponoccasion.

  Still they must have a shelter. Without some rest it was impossible tostart upon a tour of exploration; accordingly, all interests weredirected towards ascertaining where the necessary repose could beobtained.

  The honour of discovering where the desired retreat could be found fellto the lot of little Jack. Trotting about at the foot of the cliff, hecame upon one of those grottoes which are constantly being foundhollowed out in the rock by the vehement action of the waves in timesof tempest.

  "Here, look here!" cried the child; "here's a place!"

  "Well done, Jack!" answered his mother; "your lucky discovery is justwhat we wanted. If we were going to stay here any time we should haveto do the same as the Swiss Family Robinson, and name the spot afteryou!"

  It was hardly more than twelve or fourteen feet square, and yet thegrotto seemed to Jack to be a gigantic cavern. But narrow as its limitswere, it was capacious enough to receive the entire party. It was agreat satisfaction to Mrs. Weldon to observe that it was perfectly dry,and as the moon was just about her first quarter there was nolikelihood of a tide rising to the foot of the cliff. At any rate, itwas resolved that they might take up their quarters there for a fewhours.

  Shortly after one o'clock the whole party were seated upon a carpet ofseaweed round a repast consisting of preserved meat, biscuit, and waterflavoured with a few drops of rum, of which Bat had saved a quartbottle from the wreck. Even Negoro had returned and joined the group;probably he had not cared to venture alone along the bank of the streaminto the forest. He sat listening, as it seemed indifferently, to thevarious plans for the future that were being discussed, and did notopen his mouth either by way of remonstrance or suggestion.

  Dingo was not forgotten, and had his share of food duly given himoutside the grotto, where he was keeping guard.

  When the meal was ended, Mrs. Weldon, passing her arms round Jack, whowas lounging half asleep with excitement and fatigue at her side, wasthe first to speak.

  "My dear Dick," she said, "in the name of us all, let me thank you forthe services you hav
e rendered us in our tedious time of difficulty. Asyou have been our captain at sea, let me beg you to be our guide uponland. We shall have perfect confidence in your judgment, and await yourinstructions as to what our next proceedings shall be."

  All eyes were turned upon Dick. Even Negoro appeared to be roused tocuriosity, as if eager to know what he had to say.

  Dick did not speak for some moments. He was manifestly pondering whatstep he should advise. After a while he said,--

  "My own impression, Mrs. Weldon, is that we have been cast ashore uponone of the least-frequented parts of the coast of Peru, and that we arenear the borders of the Pampas. In that case I should conclude that weare at a considerable distance from any village. Now, I shouldrecommend that we stay here altogether for the coming night. To-morrowmorning, two of us can start off on an exploring expedition. Ientertain but little doubt that natives will be met with within ten ora dozen miles."

  Mrs. Weldon looked doubtful. Plainly she thought unfavourably of theproject of separating the party. She reflected for a considerable time,and then asked,--

  "And who is to undertake the task of exploring?"

  Prompt was Dick's answer:--

  "Tom and I."

  "And leave us here?" suggested the lady.

  "Yes; to take care of you, there will be Hercules, Bat, Actaeon andAustin. Negoro, too, I presume, means to remain here," said Dick,glancing towards the cook.

  "Perhaps," replied Negoro, sparing as ever of his words.

  "We shall take Dingo," added Dick; "likely enough he may be useful."

  At the sound of his name the dog had entered the grotto. A short barkseemed to testify his approval of Dick's proposal.

  Mrs. Weldon was silent. She looked sad and thoughtful. It was hard toreconcile herself to the division of the party. She was aware that theseparation would not be for long, but she could not suppress a certainfeeling of nervousness. Was it not possible that some natives,attracted by the wreck, would assault them in hopes of plunder?

  Every argument he could think of, Dick brought forward to reassure thelady. He told her that the Indians were perfectly harmless, andentirely different to the savage tribes of Africa and Polynesia; therewas no reason to apprehend any mischief, even if they should chance toencounter them, which was itself extremely unlikely. No doubt theseparation would have its inconveniences, but they would beinsignificant compared with the difficulty of traversing the country_en masse_. Tom and he would have far greater freedom if they wentalone, and could make their investigations much more thoroughly.Finally he promised that if within two days they failed to discoverhuman habitation, they would return to the grotto forthwith.

  "I confess, however," he added, "that I have little expectation ofbeing able to ascertain our true position, until I have penetrated somedistance into the country."

  There was nothing in Dick's representations but what commanded Mrs.Weldon's assent as reasonable. It was simply her own nervousness, sheacknowledged, that made her hesitate; but it was only with extremereluctance that she finally yielded to the proposition.

  "And what, Mr. Benedict, is your opinion of my proposal?" said Dick,turning to the entomologist.

  "I?" answered Cousin Benedict, looking somewhat bewildered, "Oh, I amagreeable to anything. I dare say I shall find some specimens. I thinkI will go and look at once."

  "Take my advice, and don't go far away," replied Dick.

  "All right; I shall take care of myself."

  "And don't be bringing back a lot of mosquitoes," said old Tommischievously.

  With his box under his arm, the naturalist left the grotto.

  Negoro followed almost immediately. He did not take the same directionas Benedict up the cliff, but for the second time bent his stepstowards the river, and proceeded along its bank till he was out ofsight.

  It was not long before Jack's exertions told upon him, and he fell intoa sound sleep. Mrs. Weldon having gently laid him on Nan's lap,wandered out and made her way to the water's edge. She was soon joinedby Dick and the negroes, who wanted to see whether it was possible toget to the "Pilgrim," and secure any articles that might be serviceablefor future use. The reef on which the schooner had stranded was nowquite dry, and the carcase of the vessel which had been partiallycovered at high water was lying in the midst of _debris_ of the mostpromiscuous character. The wide difference between high and low-watermark caused Dick Sands no little surprise. He knew that the tides onthe shores of the Pacific were very inconsiderable; in his own mind,however, he came to the conclusion that the phenomenon was to beexplained by the unusually high wind that had been blowing on the coast.

  Not without emotion could Mrs. Weldon, or indeed any of them, beholdthe unfortunate ship upon which they had spent so many eventful days,lying dismasted on her side. But there was little time for sentiment.If they wished to visit the hull before it finally went to pieces theremust be no delay.

  Hoisting themselves by some loose rigging that was hanging from thedeck, Dick and several of the negroes contrived to make their way intothe interior of the hull. Dick left his men to gather together all theycould in the way of food and drink from the store-room, and himselfwent straight to the stern cabin, into which the water had notpenetrated. Here he found four excellent Purday's Remington rifles anda hundred cartridges; with these he determined to arm his party, incase they should be attacked by Indians. He also chose six of thestrongest of the cutlasses that are used for slicing up dead whales;and did not forget the little toy gun which was Jack's specialproperty. Unexpectedly he found a pocket-compass, which he was only tooglad to appropriate. What a boon it would have been had he discoveredit earlier! The ship's charts in the fore-cabin were too much injuredby water to be of any further service. Nearly everything was eitherlost or spoiled, but the misfortune was not felt very acutely becausethere was ample provision for a few days, and it seemed useless toburden themselves with more than was necessary. Dick hardly needed Mrs.Weldon's advice to secure all the money that might be on board, butafter the most diligent search he failed to discover more than fivehundred dollars. This was a subject of perplexity. Mrs. Weldon herselfhad had a considerably larger sum than this, and Captain Hull was knownalways to keep a good reserve in hand. There was but one way to solvethe mystery. Some one had been beforehand to the wreck. It could not beany of the negroes, as not one of them had for a moment left thegrotto. Suspicion naturally fell upon Negoro, who had been out aloneupon the shore. Morose and cold-blooded as the man was, Dick hardlyknew why he should suspect him of the crime of theft; nevertheless, hedetermined to cross-examine him, and, if need be, to have him searched,as soon as he came back.

  Not without emotion could Mrs. Weldon, or indeed any ofthem, behold the unfortunate ship.]

  The day wore onwards to its close. The sun was approaching the vernalequinox, and sank almost perpendicularly on to the horizon. Twilightwas very short, and the rapidity with which darkness came on confirmedDick in his belief that they had got ashore at some spot lying betweenthe tropic of Capricorn and the equator.

  They all assembled in the grotto again for the purpose of getting somesleep.

  "Another rough night coming on!" said Tom, pointing to the heavy cloudsthat hung over the horizon.

  "No doubt, Tom!" answered Dick, "and I think we may congratulateourselves on being safe out of our poor ship."

  As the night could not be otherwise than very dark, it was arrangedthat the negroes should take their turns in keeping guard at theentrance of the grotto. Dingo also would be upon the alert.

  Benedict had not yet returned. Hercules shouted his name with the fullstrength of his capacious lungs, and shortly afterwards theentomologist was seen making his way down the face of the cliff at theimminent risk of breaking his neck. He was in a great rage. He had notfound a single insect worth having, scorpions, scolopendra, and othermyriapoda were in the forest in abundance; but not one of these ofcourse could be allowed a place in his collection.

  "Have I come six thousand miles for this?" he
cried: "have I enduredstorm and shipwreck only to be cast where not a hexapod is to be seen?The country is detestable! I shall not stay in it another hour!"

  Ever gentle to his eccentricities, Mrs. Weldon soothed him as she woulda child, she told him that he had better take some rest now, and mostlikely he would have better luck to-morrow.

  Cousin Benedict had hardly been pacified when Tom remarked that Negorotoo had not returned.

  "Never mind!" said Bat, "his room is as good as his company."

  "I cannot say that I altogether think so. The man is no favourite ofmine, but I like him better under my own eye," said Mrs. Weldon.

  "Perhaps he has his own reasons for keeping away," said Dick, andtaking Mrs. Weldon aside, he communicated to her his suspicions of thefellow's dishonesty.

  He found that she coincided with him in her view of Negoro's conduct;but she did not agree with him in his proposal to have him searched atonce. If he returned, she should be convinced that he had deposited themoney in some secret spot; and as there would be no proof of his guilt,it would be better to leave him, at least for a time, uninterrogated.

  The entomologist was seen making his way down the faceof the cliff at the imminent risk of breaking his neck.]

  Dick was convinced by her representations, and promised to act upon heradvice.

  Before they resigned themselves to sleep, they had repeatedly summonedNegoro back, but he either could not or would not hear. Mrs. Weldon andDick scarcely knew what to think; unless he had lost his way; it wasunaccountable why he should be wandering about alone on a dark night ina strange country.

  Presently Dingo was heard barking furiously. He had left the opening ofthe grotto, and was evidently down at the water's edge. Imagining thatNegoro must be coming, Dick sent three of the negroes in the directionof the river to meet him; but when they reached the bank not a soulcould be seen, and as Dingo was quiet again, they made their way backto the grotto.

  Excepting the man left on watch, they now all lay down, hoping to getsome repose. Mrs. Weldon, however, could not sleep. The land for whichshe had sighed so ardently had been reached, but it had failed to giveeither the security or the comfort which she had anticipated!