Fire Island Part 53

As for the two sailors, they were as pleased as schoolboys, and had to be kept back from plunging into the forest and complicating matters by losing themselves. They had not gone far before Smith uttered a shout, and on the party hurrying up he was ready to point in the direction of a piled-up clump of rocks.

"What is it?" cried Oliver.

"Deer, sir, two on 'em! They was just by that bit o' green stone nibbling away at the gra.s.s; but as soon as I hailed you they just lifted up their heads, looked at me, and then they were gone."

"Of course," said Oliver, quietly. "Next time draw back so that they can't see you, and come and tell us quietly."

"Right, sir, if you think that's the best way, only t'other takes least time. They might be gone before I could get to you and back again."

"Perhaps so; but you see they are sure to be gone if you shout."

The deer were missed; but a couple of bush turkey were soon after secured, and followed by the successful stalk of a wire-tailed bird of Paradise and a couple of gorgeously plumaged paroquets. Then followed the capture of beetles in armour of violet, green and gold, a couple of metallic-looking lizards, and a snake that seemed particularly venomous, but proved to be of quite a harmless nature.

So interesting was the walk that, in spite of the heat, no one felt tired, and they wandered on and on, forgetful of time or distance. The part traversed was perfectly new to them all, and when, at last, they had been walking for a couple of hours, and with one consent sat down to rest and partake of the lunch provided for the occasion, it was felt that, though they could not see it, they must be near to the sea on that side; so after a brief halt it was decided to push on along the side of the opening for another half-hour, and try whether they could reach the coast.

"But it's for you to decide," said Drew.

"It ain't far, sir," interposed Wriggs.

"Let us decide, please," said Drew, rather stiffly.

"Certeny, sir."

"But what makes you think we are so near the coast?" said Oliver. "It is so flat we can see nothing."

"No, sir, you can't; but me and Tommy Smith have been at it for some time, whenever we gets a puff o' wind."

"Been at what?"

"Sniffin', sir. Every now and then you gets it a smellin' o' hysters.

Next minute it's mussels, and directly after it's c.o.c.kles all alive o'!"

"And sea-weed, Billy Wriggs."

"So it is, messmate, but I didn't say nowt, cause sea-weed's such common stuff."

"Yes, he's right," said Drew. "I can smell the sea quite plainly."

"Like mussels, sir?" said Smith.

"No," replied Drew, smiling. "It's more like sea-weed to me, my lad."

"That's it, sir. All the same," growled Smith. "Means as we're close to the sh.o.r.e, anyhow. I kept on a-listening, 'specting to hear the sea go _boom, boom_ on the reef; sir, and thinking about the sharp rocks going through the bottom of a ship."

_Wark, wark, wok, wok, wok_!

The now familiar cawing cry of the paradise bird came from close at hand, and, with his eyes glistening, Oliver made a sign to the rest to remain where they were. Then, softly c.o.c.king his piece, he stole in through the thick bush-like tangle which extended for a few yards before the tall forest tree-trunks rose up to spread branches which effectually shut out the sun and checked all undergrowth while they turned their leaves and flowers to the sun, a hundred and fifty or two hundred feet in the air.

"Hadn't I better foller him, sir?" said Smith.

"No; he is more likely to get a specimen alone," replied Drew. "We'll go on round that corner where the forest edge seems to bend away to the south, and wait for him there."

He indicated a spot about a hundred yards farther on, and the party walked slowly along till the bend was reached, when as they caught a puff of the soft warm air from which they had been sheltered, Smith suddenly threw up his head, expanded his nostrils, as he drew in a deep breath and exclaimed,--

"Hysters!"

"Nay, lad," cried Wriggs, who had followed his example.

"Mussels!"

"It's both on 'em, matey," cried Smith. "Hear that?"

Everyone did hear "that"--the deep, heavy, dull, booming thud of a roller, as in imagination they saw it come running in like a wall of water to strike on the reef; curl over in a brilliant, many-hued arch, and break in thousands of sheaves of diamond spray.

"It can't be more than a mile away," said Drew, quickly, as he began to look about for a spot where he could throw himself down and rest while they waited.

"No," said Panton; "the wave must have swept along here and spread off a little to the south, clearing the forest away to the edge of the lagoon.

Yonder's the still water; I can just catch the gleam of it and the long roll of the breakers farther away. Hah it's nice here. How fresh the sea air smells!"

"Salt," said Drew, quietly.

"Any objection to me and Billy Wriggs going and having a dip, sir?" said Smith, respectfully.

"Yes--now," said Panton. "Mr Lane may be back directly, and we had better keep together; perhaps we shall all go down to the sea when he joins us."

"Thank-ye, sir, all the same," said the sailor--"whether we gets what we wants and whether we doesn't," he added to himself; as he walked away.

Then aloud,--"Billy, my lad, it aren't no go, and we've got to stop dirty till we all goes down to the sea together. So let's you and me, matey, begin to look for cooriosities. How do we know as we mayn't find dymons and precious stones, pearls, and silver and gold, all a-lying about waiting to be picked up and put in your pockets."

"Gammon! I wants a bit o' pig-tail, matey," replied Wriggs. "Let's go along here to that there bit o' stone, where we can sit down and talk without their hearin' on us. Come on."

He led the way, and, in a few yards, the beautiful lagoon, hidden before by an irregularity, lay spread out before them like a sheet of blue and silver, spreading for miles along the western sh.o.r.e.

"Smell the mussels now, my lad?" cried Wriggs triumphantly.

"Hysters, I tells yer!" cried Smith, excitedly, as, with a leap like a panther, he sprang right upon his messmate's back, sending him down heavily upon his breast with Smith lying flat upon him.

Wriggs screwed his head round to look in his companion's face, which was only a few inches away.

"Whatcher do that there for?" he asked, plaintively.

"Can't you see, stoopid?" growled Smith. "Look."

He pointed straight away to where, about half a mile distant, a couple of large canoes, crowded with men, were coming swiftly along the smooth waters of the lagoon, their occupants apparently aiming for a point opposite to where the two sailors lay.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.