Jack at Sea Part 74

"Yes, of course. I hope we may never see or hear anything of them again. And perhaps they're waiting on the mountain side to seize us as soon as we go out of this cave."

"Then we mustn't go out till they're gone, sir. Clothes pretty dry, sir?"

"Yes, Ned, they seem quite dry; but I want to bathe."

"What, again, sir? I got washed enough last night to last me for a bit.

Fine place this would be to bring a cargo of umbrellas, if there was any one to buy 'em. I never saw it rain like that."

"Oh, Ned--Ned, do try and talk sensibly," cried Jack. "How can you make jokes when we are in such danger?"

"I dunno about being in danger now, sir. We're pretty safe at present.

I say, sir, this must be the way down into the kitchen," continued Ned, as he went on dressing, and trying to peer into the darkness of the cavernous place. "My word, can't you smell the black beadles?"

"I do smell something," replied Jack thoughtfully. "It must be volcanic."

"Beadly, sir. There, it's quite strong." At that moment from farther in a fluttering and squealing sound was heard, and Ned started back.

"There, sir, I said so. Mice and rats too."

"Nonsense; it is the great fruit bats."

"What, those we see of a night, sir, bigger than pigeons?"

"Yes; this is one of their roosting-places."

"And do they smell like beadles, sir?"

"Yes; very much like. But now, Ned, what shall we do next?"

"Well, sir, if I did what I liked I should choose a good breakfast; but as I can't, what do you say to going a bit farther in here to see what it's like?"

"Not now. I want to make out whereabouts we are, and whether the blacks are on the look-out for us still; and then I want to communicate with my father; he must be horribly anxious about us, Ned."

"Yes; I expect he thinks we've gone down some hole, sir, and it strikes me he'll be saying something to the doctor for going and leaving us behind."

"I'm afraid that it was our fault, Ned, for not keeping up."

"Well, sir, we can't help it now. Next best thing is to get back to the yacht, so as soon as you're ready we'll make a start; but I'm afraid it will be a long walk before breakfast."

"Terribly long, I'm afraid."

"But there's always a good side to everything, sir, even if it's a looking-gla.s.s," continued Ned philosophically. "We're better off than you might think."

"I can't see it, Ned."

"Why, we've got no guns, nor wallets, nor cartridges to carry, sir. Now then, will you lead?"

"Yes; be cautious. We don't know but what some of the blacks may be near."

"That's true, sir. First thing I s'pose is to get what old Lenny calls our bearings."

"Yes; we must find out where we face," said Jack, and he advanced cautiously to the cavern's entrance, and began to peer round warily for danger.

But there was no sign of any. They were very high up, the morning was clear, the sun was gilding the vapours which rose from the rifts and valleys, and the sea glittered gloriously. Far below they obtained glimpses of the reef with its fringe of foam; but not a murmur of the beating waves reached them, while overhead, partially hidden in clouds, the crater of the volcano showed some of its craggy slopes, and the forest beneath seemed to be less dense.

"I can't make out where we are, Ned," said Jack at last. "Yes, I can; we have worked round more to the south, and must have done nothing but get farther and farther away from the yacht."

"Think so, sir? Let's see; we anch.o.r.ed east side first, then we went round and anch.o.r.ed west, and you say we've been travelling south. Well, I dare say you're right, and that means we must keep to the west again.

Why, those black fellows must have taken us out of that little valley and put us in another one. I must say it's rather puzzling, sir. But you lead, and I'll follow, for it's of no use for me to pretend to be able to steer."

Jack made no reply, but stood looking downward, seeing nothing of the glorious prospect below, his mind being taken up with thoughts of trying to hit the head of the ravine up which they had travelled, for he knew the difficulties attendant upon going down another, to be led right to the edge of the lagoon, with the puzzle before him of not knowing whether to travel to right or left.

"There's that flock of shriekers coming along below there, Mr Jack, sir," said the man, breaking in upon the lad's reverie. "No, it ain't: it's pigs. I can see 'em, sir; there they go. My word, I wish I had a gun, and they came within reach; I'd have a shot at one of 'em, and before long it would be roast pork for breakfast. See 'em, sir? There they go."

They were plain enough to see at times, a drove of twenty or so, of all sizes, down to quite small porkers, as they raced along over the open patches, and then disappeared in amongst the trees, to re-appear once more as they made for the denser portions of the forest.

"Why, there's one left behind, Ned," said Jack suddenly. "It looks as if it was lame."

"Why, it has broken down. Look, sir, how it keeps limping. I say, we must have him. We can't let a chance like that go when we're starving.

Keep your eye on the spot, sir, while I try and hit off some mark to know him by."

Jack's response, as Ned moved to get into a better position for observation, was to leap upon the man and drag him back into the entrance of the cavern.

"What did you do that for, sir?" he cried angrily.

"Couldn't you see what was coming?"

"No, sir," cried Ned surlily; "could you?"

"Go down on hands and knees to that block of stone lying there, and peep over cautiously."

Ned obeyed in an ill-used fashion, and dropped down again to crawl back into the cavern.

"Oh, I say, Mr Jack, seven or eight of them."

"I only saw two."

"Quite what I said, sir. They must have been hunting the drove, and speared the one that hung behind. Now, then, they'll be stopping to cook and have another feast. Suppose they come in here to make this their kitchen? Hadn't we better slip out at once and make a run for it?"

"Run for it?" cried Jack. "How can we up here, where it is all slow climb? No, we must keep in hiding."

"But suppose they choose this place and come here?"

"Not likely, Ned. If they do we must go farther into its depths."

"Ugh!" cried the man with a shudder. "I want to get out of the hole.

It's hot and steamy, and unnatural. I believe some of the melted stuff came out this way."

"What, the molten lava? Of course," said Jack coolly. "I don't understand much about it, but it's plain enough that this was all liquid molten matter once, and that it ran out along here."