Bevis Part 54

"I hope the governor won't get her up yet," said Mark. "Lucky he's so busy--"

"Why?"

"Don't you see," said shrewd Mark, "while the punt's at the bottom n.o.body can come to our island to see what we're at."

"Ah!" said Bevis. "What a jolly good thing I was shipwrecked."

As they went southwards they pa.s.sed several small islands or sandbanks, and every now and then a summer snipe flew up and circled round them, just above the water, returning to the same spot.

"Those are the Coral Isles," said Bevis. "They're only just above the surface."

"Tornadoes would sweep right over them," said Mark. "That's why there are no cocoa-nut trees."

Another sandbank some way on the left they named Grey Crow Island, because a grey or hooded crow rose from it.

"Do you see any weeds?" said Mark presently. "You know that's a sign of land."

"Some," said Bevis, looking over the side into the ripples. "They are brown and under water; I suppose it's too deep for them to come to the top."

The light breeze carried them along pleasantly, though slowly.

"Swallows," said Bevis; "I can see some swallows, high up, there.

That's another sign of land."

"Heave the lead," said Mark.

"We've forgotten it; how stupid! Mind you remember it next time."

New Formosa was a long way in the rear now.

"That's Pearl Island," said Mark, pointing to a larger sandbank. "Can't you see the sh.e.l.ls glistening; it's mother-of-pearl."

"So it is."

The crows had carried the mussels up on the islet, and left the sh.e.l.ls strewn about. The inner part reflected the sunlight. If examined closely there are prismatic colours.

"There's that curious wave," said Mark, standing up and pointing to an undulation of the water on the other side of a small patch of green weeds. The undulation went away from them till they lost sight of it.

"What is it?"

"There are all sorts of curious things in the tropic seas," said Bevis.

"Some of them are not found out even yet. n.o.body can tell what it is."

"Perhaps it's magic," said Mark.

"Lots of magic goes on in the south," said Bevis. "I believe we're very nearly on the equator; just feel how hot the gunwale is,"--the wood was warm from the sunshine--"and the sun goes overhead every day, and it's so, light at night. We will bring the astrolabe and take an observation--I say!"

The Pinta brought up with a sudden jerk. They had run on a shoal.

"Wrecked!" shouted Mark joyfully. "But there are no waves. It's no good with these ripples."

Bevis pushed the Pinta off with a scull, and so feeling the bottom, told Mark to ease the tiller and sail more to the right. Two minutes afterwards they grounded again, and again pushed off. On the left, or eastern side, they saw a broad channel leading up through the weeds.

Bevis told Mark to tack up there. Mark did so, and they slowly advanced with the weeds each side. The tacks were short, and as the wind was so light they made little progress. Presently the channel turned south; then they ran faster; next it turned sharp to the east, and came back.

In trying to tack here Mark ran into the weeds.

"Stupe!" said Bevis.

"That I'm not," said Mark. "You can't do it."

"Can't I?" said Bevis contemptuously.

"Try then," said Mark, and he left the tiller. Bevis took it and managed two tacks very well. At the third he too ran into the weeds, for in fact the channel was so narrow there was no time to get weigh on the ship.

"Stupe yourself," said Mark.

He tried to row out, but every time he got a pull the wind blew them back, and they had to let the mainsail down.

"It wants a canoe," said Bevis.

"Of course it does. It's no use going on unless you're going to row."

"No; but look!" Bevis pointed to a small branch which was floating very slowly past them.

"There's a current," said Mark.

"River," said Bevis. "In the sedges somewhere."

"What is it? I know; it's the Orinoco."

"No, I don't think so."

"Amazon?"

"No."

"Hoang-Ho?"

"How can we tell, till we get the astrolabe and take an observation?

Most likely it's a new river, the biggest ever found."

"It must be a new river," said Mark. "This is the New Sea. We're drifting back a little."

"We'll come again in a canoe, or something," said Bevis.

They rowed out of the channel, set the mainsail, and sailed back, past Pearl Island, Grey Crow Island, the Coral Isles, and approached New Formosa. Mark looked over the side, and watched to see the sunken punt.

"It's a wreck," said he presently, as they pa.s.sed above the punt. "She foundered."

"It's a Spanish galley," said Bevis. "She's full of bullion, gold and silver--"