Jack at Sea Part 41

I've come out to enjoy my trip, so have a little mercy, if you please."

They tramped on under the blazing sunshine, and where they could under the shade of trees, starting crabs running in all directions, fish which had been basking on the wet sand by the water's edge wriggling and flopping back into the lagoon, and birds of brilliant colours from the trees they pa.s.sed; all of which excited a desire in Jack to begin trying his skill with his double gun; but it was an understood thing that shooting was not to commence that day, but every hour be devoted to exploring.

Everything looked superlatively beautiful. Metallic-armoured lizards darted over the dry sand to hide amongst the scattered blocks of sun-baked coral, lovely b.u.t.terflies and other insects flitted amongst low growth, in company with tiny sun-birds which seemed clothed in brilliant burnished mail, and at every few steps larger birds, perfectly new to the visitors, took flight or hurried thrush-like to take refuge beneath the bushes.

On their left the wondrously blue lagoon glittered through the tall stems of the cocoa-nut trees which fringed the sh.o.r.e; on their right they had the open park-like stretches of land, dotted with bush and stately tree; and every here and there, through an opening, they had glimpses of the forest, which rose upward covering the flanks of the mountain.

At the end of an hour, long after--through the curving of the sh.o.r.e--the yacht had disappeared from view, they made their first halt. They stopped at a valley-like opening which ran in a sinuous manner up and up till they had a glimpse of the central mountain nearly to its highest part.

The captain, in his caution, set a man on the highest part to act as sentry and guard against a surprise, and he himself took another and walked a quarter of a mile farther in search of traces on the sands of canoes.

Jack threw himself down beneath a group of cocoa-nut trees, with the soft sand for his couch, and was delighted and puzzled at the pleasant, restful sensations he enjoyed. Sir John and the doctor sat down a little apart, and the sailors chose another group of cocoa-nut trees to indulge in a quiet chat.

Jack had just half-closed his eyes, to lie gazing through the lashes at dazzling light and rainbow-like effects seen in the mist caused by the breakers on the reef, when a rustling sound behind him made him start and find that it was their man.

"Only me, Mr Jack, sir. Hope I haven't woke you out of a nap."

"Oh no. I was not asleep, Ned."

"Tired, sir?"

"No, not a bit."

"Feet hurt you?"

"No. Why should they?"

"With the walking, sir. You see, you're not used to it."

"No, I'm not used to it, Ned; but I soon shall be."

"That's right, sir. If they had been hurting you and your boots felt tight, I was going to say, come down to the water's edge and paddle your feet a bit."

"But they're all right."

"Glad of it, sir. Mine ain't. At least they're better now. That's what I went and did, and it's lovely. Thirsty, sir?"

"Well, yes, I am thirsty."

"Then I'll get you a drink, sir, same as the men's had. Two of 'em's been up one of those trees--these trees like we're under, sir. They calls 'em cocoa-nut, but that's all nonsense. They're not nuts."

"Oh yes, these are real cocoa-nut trees, Ned."

"Well, sir, I don't like to contrad.i.c.k you; it wouldn't be my place.

But if these are real cocoanuts, them we buys--I mean I buys--at home are sham ones."

"Oh, they're all the same, Ned."

"Well, sir, 'tain't for me to contrad.i.c.k. I dessay you're quite right and they are all the same, but they're quite different. Them at home's hard sh.e.l.ls with rough s.h.a.ggy hairs on 'em, and inside they're white solid nut."

"So are these, Ned."

"Beg pardon, sir, have you tasted one? You must have seen 'em hanging here in the trees."

"Of course I've seen them."

"Yes, sir, and they're twice as large as ours, with a cover to 'em like a piece of solid door-mat."

"That's the outer husk, Ned."

"Oh, is it, sir? I thought it was something. But you ain't tasted one?"

"No."

"Well, sir, it's hard work to cut them at home with a knife, they're that hard; as for these here they're too soft to cut with a spoon. Have one, sir?"

"Oh no, I'm not disposed to eat nuts," said Jack, laughing.

"But you don't eat 'em here, sir; it's more drinking of 'em. Let me get you one, sir."

"Very well: I do feel as if I could drink something."

"Then these are the very thing, sir," said the man, and he hurried off, Jack lying back watching him till he reached the knot of sailors enjoying the shade.

Then as Jack watched quite out of hearing, a kind of pantomime began, in which the sailors seemed to be laughing, and Ned gesticulating, and holding his hand first to one and then another, slapping his knee afterward, and seeming to go on in the most absurd manner; but the next minute Jack began to grasp dimly what it all meant, and that the sailors were daring their man to do something, and telling him it could not be done.

There it all was: directly after Ned slipped off his straps and belt, pulled off his jacket, and then rapidly got rid of his boots.

Jack did not hear him say, "Now, my lads, I'll show you," but he seemed to say it, after shading his eyes and staring upward for a few moments before spitting in his hands, taking a run and a jump, and beginning to hug and climb one of the cocoa-nut trees, while the sailors all sprang up to stand clapping their hands, and evidently bantering him or urging him on.

This brought Jack into a sitting position, and the next minute he had out his gla.s.s, and was watching with the actor apparently close at hand, drawing himself up a few inches at a time, as one would mount a scaffold-pole, and his wrinkled forehead, compressed lips, and determined eyes so plain that Jack could have fancied that he heard him breathe.

"I wonder whether he'll do it," said the lad softly. "He is just one of those obstinate fellows who, if they make up their minds to do a thing, manage it somehow."

And feeling as deeply interested as the man himself, Jack felt ready to run across to the cocoa-nut grove and shout encouragement.

"Look so precious undignified if I did. But how strange it seems!

There was he only the other day in his quiet livery and white tie valeting us, and waiting at table, and now he's climbing that tree like a boy."

"Or a monkey, Jack," said the doctor, who had come up behind, and Sir John with him. "I didn't hear you," said Jack, starting. "Not likely when you were talking aloud with your ears glued to that lorgnette.

Well, eyes then. But it's the air, my lad; I feel ready to do any stupid thing of that kind. I'd challenge you to climb the two next trees if we were alone."

"_I_ hope the foolish fellow will not meet with an accident," said Sir John.

"Pooh! not he," said the doctor. "The lads have been challenging him, I suppose."

"I think that's it, but he has gone to get a cocoa-nut for me."

"You did not send him to do it, Jack?"