Jack at Sea Part 84

"Why, of course. Why not?"

"Been waste of so much water. Let it soak in gradual, sir. You'll want every drop by and by. You wait till we get out in the sun. Just think of how we were yesterday."

Ten minutes after they were seated beneath a tree, discussing their potatoes, eating away with a glorious appet.i.te till about half of one sleeve-full had been demolished, when Jack cried, "Hold!"

"Why, you ain't had enough yet, sir?"

"No, but we will keep these till by and by when we are hungry again."

"But I'm hungry now, sir," cried Ned; "and they'll be so much easier to carry after we've eat 'em--we shall have got rid of the skins."

"Never mind, don't let's be improvident."

"But I'm pretty sure to spear or shoot a pig to-day for supper, sir."

"Then the potatoes will come in all the more useful as we have no bread," said Jack, smiling. "Let's go now, and climb to that little basin, to have a good draught of water."

"All right, sir; what you say's best, but it's hard work leaving those beautiful little 'taters. They make you feel as if you could go on browsing like all day long."

But the rest were carefully tied up in the sleeve, a good hearty draught of the cool refreshing water taken, and they descended once more to the natural road.

"The breakfast makes one feel different, Ned. I am not nearly so low-spirited this morning."

"Low-spirited, sir? Why, I could run and shout _Hooray_, I feel so well. Look at that arm, sir! Who's going to feel mis'rable when he's got his strength back like that. Ready, sir?"

"Ready? Yes," cried Jack. "Now then, we must make up our minds to get back to the yacht to-day."

"That's it, sir; but if you see me run mad-like, and go off with my spear, you come and help me, for it means pig."

They started once more, following the course of the lava-stream, with its steady ascent, and at every turn Jack looked back longingly, feeling as he did that they were going away, but knowing that the longest might prove in the end the shortest road. They kept on, waiting for the time when they found that the great flow of fiery molten stone had encountered an inequality which had made it divide into two streams, the further of which might lead them down to the sands somewhere far from the yacht.

But mid-day with its burning sun had come, and the intense heat compelled them to stop and rest beneath a clump of trees, which struck them both as being more dwarfed in appearance, though their growth was luxuriant and beautiful. The forest, too, had become more open, there were glades here and there, and it was possible, if they had been so disposed, to have left the stony road and threaded their way among the bushes.

"Why, if we are forced to keep on like this much longer, Ned, we shall reach the crater."

"Well, why not do it, sir? Once up there we can look all over the island, and choose our way down straight to the yacht."

"I should like to do it now we are so high," said Jack; "but we must only think of getting back."

"And getting our suppers, sir," whispered Ned, as he pointed toward a rocky ridge high up above the lava-stream to the left, where seen against the sky-line, as they browsed on the herbage among the rocks, there was a group of about half-a-dozen goats, two of which were evidently kids, while one was a patriarch with enormous curved horns.

"Now, Mr Jack," whispered Ned; "we had some practice with our bows and arrows yesterday; this time we must do it at any cost."

"Yes, Ned," whispered back the lad excitedly. "It may mean the strength to escape."

The next minute, bow and arrow in one hand, spear in the other, they were carefully stalking the herd by creeping upward among the trees and blocks of tumbled-together volcanic stone, which gave them the opportunity of climbing up within easy shot unseen.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

IN SPITE OF ALL.

They were too close to the goats to venture upon much whispering, and the decision was soon arrived at that they were to divide, and each make the best of his way up the ridge till there was an opportunity for a close easy shot; then without waiting that shot was to be sent whizzing from the bow, the probability being that as there was no report, the goats would not be much alarmed, and another chance might be afforded.

"Think we must have one this time, Mr Jack," whispered Ned, and they started from behind the great block which now sheltered them, each taking his own side.

From that moment Jack had no eyes for his companion, his attention was centred upon the great father of the herd, to the left of which the two half-grown kids were browsing upon the tender young shoots of the bush-like growth.

It was nervous work, for every now and then the old goat raised his head on high to take a long careful look round, and when he did, Jack remained motionless where he had crawled. Directly he saw the tips of the horns lowered he began to creep again, taking advantage of every tree-trunk, stone, or bush, and always getting nearer, though still far too distant to risk a shot. His hands trembled and were wet with perspiration, and again and again he felt that he must be seen, and expected to hear the beating of the animals' hoofs as they dashed off, but the great curved horns, sweeping back like those of an ibex, were still visible, and he crawled slowly on, forgetting all about Ned and his progress.

At last, after many minutes devoted to the struggle upward, he reached a spot sufficiently elevated to give him a view of the volcano whose crater rose above the ridge, and forming; a background for the big goat, which stood out plainly about forty yards away even now, and offering itself for a shot, easy enough with a rifle, but very doubtful with a bow and arrow. The lad was in a capital position, but unfortunately the slope beyond offered no cover, and to have moved from it meant to be seen at once, while, more unfortunately still, the two kids, which should have shown themselves nearer, were now completely hidden by a clump of dense growth twenty yards from where he lay.

"If I could only have got there," thought Jack, "how easy it would be."

But to have moved would have been to send the whole herd careering away, and all he could do was to wait and see if the kids would at last come from behind the shrubs.

"They may come nearer," he thought, and he softly fitted an arrow to the bowstring, and waited for his opportunity, for he could do no more.

There he rested, bow and arrow held ready, in a very awkward position for shooting, but he dared not move, for at the slightest movement even of his companions, the goat raised his head, and several times gave an angry stamp with one of his fore-feet.

"I wonder where Ned is now," thought the boy, and he hoped that he was having better fortune, and he glanced cautiously in the direction where he must be, but all was still; b.u.t.terflies were flitting about, birds darted by, and the old goat, the only one of the herd now visible, still browsed or watched.

Jack glanced away to his left to see if he could take and creep round to a better position, but there was less cover than where he was; and after waiting impatiently for what seemed to be over a quarter of an hour, the lad determined to risk all, and creep to the clump in front, if only a few inches at a time, bearing to his left in the hope of getting it between him and the old goat, and bearing still more off till he could get his shot at the young.

All at once, in the midst of the soft hum of insects and the cropping sound made by the invisible goats, Jack heard a peculiar bleating noise away to his right.

Jack looked quickly round, expecting to see an easy shot, and the big goat looked too, and took a step or two forward. Then the bleating began again and ended suddenly in a peculiar smothered way, as if the creature which uttered it had been suddenly strangled.

The big goat looked puzzled, raised his head higher, and stared in the direction of the sound, stamped angrily, and uttered an angry, defiant _ba-a-a-a-a_!

At the cry Jack's heart leaped, for a kid that he had not previously seen sprang into sight, and stood within thirty yards of the watcher, side on, offering an easy shot, while the rest of the herd trotted hurriedly up to their leader.

_Tw.a.n.g_! Jack's arrow had sped after he had drawn it to the head, and as he was in the act of springing up to see if the shaft had taken effect, something heavy pitched on to his shoulders, throwing him face forward among the thick growth, and a pair of black hands clasped his neck and throat.

It was all done so suddenly that he was half stunned. The stalker had been stalked, and as he was twisted round by the man who had leaped upon him, and who now sat upon his chest, half-a-dozen more black faces appeared, their owners grinning with triumph. Jack yelled with all his might--

"Run for it, Ned. Savages. Run!"

The warning was all in vain, for the next minute four more blacks appeared, dragging the man after them bound hand and foot, and looking purple in the face, and scratched as if he had been engaged in a severe struggle.

"There you are, Mr Jack," he panted. "They've 'most killed me. Jumped upon me just as I had a splendid chance. On my back. Five to one, the cowards. And then they come behind you, and can't hit fair. Are you hurt?"

"Not much. Oh, Ned, and I thought we had got away from them."

"Yes, but they must have been on the look-out, sir."

The blacks were standing round them, spear in hand, ready to strike if an attempt was made to escape, and Jack said so.

"Oh yes, sir, they'd let go at us if we tried to run, but it's of no use to do that, for they'd bring us down at once. There, we may as well look it straight in the face and make the best of it."