John Frewen, South Sea Whaler Part 13

"He told me," concluded the boy, "that although I shall have to cook for every one on board, I was to be your servant, and that I was to always sleep in the cabin. And he himself is going to sleep in the deck house behind the galley, for I saw that he has a lamp in there, and all his things, and he asked me to bring him some writing paper, and ink, and pens. Where shall I get them?"

Mrs. Marston found the articles for him, and Lilo at once took them to Villari, who was at the wheel.

"Put them in the deck-house," he said, "and tell one of the men to come aft, and take the wheel. Then go below again and remain there. If any one puts foot in the cabin, you can shoot him with the pistol I gave to Serena."

"Ami," said the boy anxiously, when he retained, "he is _vale_ (mad), for his eyes are the eyes of one who is mad. The land is now far astern, and the ship is speeding fast away from it. What doth this mean?"

"I cannot tell thee, Lilo," she replied, speaking in Samoan, "but as thou sayest, he is mad. Let us trust in G.o.d to protect us."

She rose and went into the main cabin, and looked at the tell-tale compa.s.s, which swung over the table, and saw that the schooner was heading south-west, which would be the course for New Caledonia.

All that night the _Lupetea_ swept steadily and swiftly along over a smooth sea, and then at daylight, Mrs. Marston, who had fallen asleep, was aroused by a loud cry of alarm from Lilo.

She sprang from her berth, and saw that the boy was kneeling beside Villari, who was lying dead at the foot of the companion, with a pistol in his hand.

"He hath killed himself, Ami," said the boy. "As I sat here watching, I heard two shots on deck, and then the ship came to the wind, and as I was about to go on deck, Villari came down, and standing there, put the pistol to his head and killed himself."

"Come on deck," she cried, "and see what has become of the men."

Her fears that Villari had killed the two seamen were verified--they were both lying dead, one beside the wheel, and the other on the main deck. In the deckhouse was a wildly-incoherent and unfinished letter, to her containing expressions of the most pa.s.sionate devotion, and begging her to pray for his soul.

The first thing to be done was to consider how to dispose of the bodies of poor Villari and the unfortunate seamen. The land was now fifty miles distant, and Lilo, pointing to the eastern horizon, a.s.sured Mrs. Marston that bad weather was coming on, and that sail should be taken in as quickly as possible.

"Let Serena and I cast the dead men overboard," he said; "'tis better than that we should keep them on board, for we know not how long it may be ere we get to land again."

Mrs. Marston shuddered.

"As you will, Lilo. When it is done, I will come on deck again and help with the sails."

An hour later the schooner was racing under close-reefed canvas before a half-gale from the eastward.

"Let us steer to the westward," Lilo had said to his mistress. "We cannot beat back to Samoa against such a wind as this, which may last many days. And straight to the west lieth Uea, on which live some white men who will succour us."

There was no general chart on board, but Mrs. Marston knew that Uea (Wallis Island) was due west from Samoa, and distant about two or three hundred miles.

For twelve hours the _Lupetea_ ran swiftly before a rapidly increasing sea, and by night time Lilo was so exhausted in trying to keep her from broaching to, that Serena came to his a.s.sistance. Neither he nor Mrs.

Marston knew how to heave-to the vessel; but, fearful of running past Wallis Island in the night, they did the very thing they should not have done--lowered and made fast both mainsail and foresail, and let the vessel drive under bare poles.

Worn out with his exertions, Lilo still stuck manfully to his steering, when, looking behind him, he saw a black, towering sea sweeping down upon the schooner. Uttering a cry of alarm, he let go the wheel, and darted into the cabin after Mrs. Marston, who had just left the deck.

Then came a tremendous crash, and the _Lupetea_ shook and quivered in every timber, as the mighty avalanche of water fell upon and buried her; smashing the wheel to splinters, snapping off the rudder head, and sweeping the deck clean of everything movable.

A month later the vessel drifted ash.o.r.e on Anouda Island, just as Mrs.

Marston was beginning to despair.

CHAPTER XIX

Darkness had fallen upon the little island, as with the girl Serena and her infant charge, Mrs. Man-ton was walking back to the house. Lilo had not yet returned, but as they emerged from the breadfruit grove, they heard the sound of many voices, and then came a cry that made their hearts thrill--

"_Te vaka nui, Te vaka nui!_" ("A ship! a ship!") and almost at the same moment Lilo and a score of natives came rushing along the path in search of the white lady.

"A ship! aship!" shouted Lilo, who was almost frantic with excitement, "your ship--your own ship! The ship that came to Samatau!"

"How know you, Lilo?" cried Mrs. Marston tremblingly. "How can you tell it is my ship? And where is it?"

As soon as the boy was able to make himself heard through the clamour of his companions, he told Mrs. Marston that whilst he was engaged in fishing along the sh.o.r.e of an unfrequented little bay on the north end of the island, he was startled by the sudden appearance of a large ship, which he instantly recognised as the _Esmeralda_. She came around a headland with a number of her hands aloft taking in sail, and dropped anchor about half a mile from the land. Lilo waited some time to see if a boat would come on sh.o.r.e, and also ran out to the edge of the reef, and tried to attract the attention of the people on board, but no notice was taken of him. Then, as darkness was coming on, he set off for the village at a run to tell his mistress.

"We must hasten on board, Lilo," said Mrs. Marston, as she walked hurriedly along beside him to the house. "Run quickly to the old white man, and ask him to send his boat here for me."

But Manning had already heard the news, and his boat had not only been launched, but, manned by half a dozen stalwart Anoudans, was at that moment coming down inside the reef. The old trader's half-caste son Joe was steering, and the moment the boat touched the beach, he sprang out and ran up to the house.

"Father sent me for you, Mrs. Marston. The old man is nearly off his head with excitement. He has sent a native out on the reef to burn a blue light so that it can be seen by the people on board the ship, who will then know that there are white people here."

"Thank you, Joe," she said, as, kissing her little Marie, and bidding Serena take her to Manning's house, and there await her return from the ship, she ran swiftly to the boat, which at once pushed off, accompanied by twenty or thirty canoes--all crowded with natives.

"Look!" cried Joe Manning, "there is the blue light!"

Half a mile away, on a projecting horn of the reef, the blue flame was shedding its brilliant light, and clearly revealing the all but nude figure of the man who held it.

"Father said, Mrs. Marston, when he took those three blue lights ash.o.r.e from the wreck of the _Lupetea_, that they might come in useful some night----" and then he uttered a yell of delight as a great rocket shot high up in air and burst; the ship had seen the blue light and was answering it!

"Hurrah! she sees the blue light!" he cried, and then with voice and gesture he urged his crew to greater exertions. They responded with a will, and then, as a second rocket shot upward, a deep "_Aue!_" of admiration was chorused forth by the occupants of the canoes, which were trying hard to keep pace with the swift whale-boat.

"We'll see her as soon as we get round the north end, ma'am," said the half-caste, as he swung the boat's head towards a pa.s.sage through the surrounding reef. Mrs. Marston made no reply; she was too excited to speak, as with parted lips and eager eyes she sat gazing straight ahead.

Ten minutes pa.s.sed, and only the _swish, swish_ of the canoe paddles and the boat's oars broke the silence; then the high north point of the island was rounded, and the _Esmeralda_ lay before them, so close, that even though it was dark, figures could be seen moving about her decks, which were well lit up.

Bidding his men cease pulling, and the natives in the canoes to keep silent for a moment, the burly half-caste hailed.

"Ship ahoy!"

"Hallo, there!" cried Prewen's well-remembered voice, "we see you. Come round on the port side."

"Ay, ay, sir," shouted Manning, and then, unable to restrain himself, he expanded his mighty chest and bawled out--

"MRS. MARSTON IS HERE!"

In a moment or two there came an outburst of cheering from the ship, and then amidst the shouts and yells of the Anouda natives the boat dashed alongside, and Mrs. Marston ascended the ladder. A crowd of men were at the gangway, and almost ere her foot had touched the deck Frewen had grasped her hand.

"Thank G.o.d, we have found you at last, Mrs. Marston!"

She tried to speak, and then would have fallen, had not Randall Cheyne sprung forward and caught her.

"Carry her to the cabin, Randall," said Frewen, "the poor little woman has fainted."

Half an hour later, the chief officer ran up on the p.o.o.p-deck and called out--