Journeys Through Bookland Volume Iii Part 15

Early in the afternoon both our crafts were heavily laden, and we were ready to make for the sh.o.r.e. The voyage was begun with considerable anxiety, as, with the raft in tow, there was some danger of an accident.

But the sea being calm and the wind favorable, we found we could spread the sail, and our progress was very satisfactory.

Presently, Fritz asked me for the telescope, as he had observed something curious floating at a distance. Then handing it back, he begged me to examine the object; which I soon discovered to be a turtle asleep on the water, and of course unconscious of our approach.

"Do, father, steer toward it!" exclaimed he.

I accordingly did so, that he might have a nearer look at the creature. Little did I suspect what was to follow. The lad's back was turned to me, and the broad sail was between us, so that I could not perceive his actions; when, all of a sudden, I experienced a shock, and the thrill as of line running through a reel. Before I had time to call out, a second shock, and the sensation of the boat being rapidly drawn through the water, alarmed me.

"Fritz, what are you about?" cried I. "You are sending us to the bottom."

"I have him, hurrah! I have him safe!" shouted he, in eager excitement.

To my amazement, I perceived that he really had struck the tortoise with a harpoon; a rope was attached to it, and the creature was running away with us.

Lowering the sail and seizing my hatchet, I hastened forward, in order to cut the line, and cast adrift at once turtle and harpoon.

"Father! do wait!" pleaded the boy; "there is no danger just yet. I promise to cut the line myself the instant it is necessary! Let us catch this turtle if we possibly can."

"My dear boy, the turtle will be a very dear bargain, if he upsets all our goods into the sea, even if he does not drown us too. For Heaven's sake, be careful! I will wait a few minutes, but the minute there is danger, cut the line."

[Ill.u.s.tration: OVERTURNING THE TURTLE]

As the turtle began to make for the open sea, I hoisted the sail again; and, finding the opposition too much for it, the creature again directed its course landward, drawing us rapidly after it. The part of the sh.o.r.e for which the turtle was making was considerably to the left of our usual landing place. The beach there shelved very gradually, and at some distance from land we grounded with a sharp shock, but fortunately without a capsize.

The turtle was evidently greatly exhausted, and no wonder, since it had been acting the part of a steam tug, and had been dragging, at full speed, a couple of heavily laden vessels. Its intention was to escape to land; but I leaped into the water, and wading up to it, dispatched it with my ax. Such was its tenacity of life, however, that it did not cease its struggles until I had actually severed its head from its body.

As we were by no means far from Falconhurst, Fritz gave notice of our approach by firing off his gun, as well as shouting loudly in his glee; and, while we were yet engaged in securing our boats and getting the turtle on sh.o.r.e, the whole family appeared in the distance, hastening eagerly toward us; and our new prize, together with the well-laden boat and raft, excited the liveliest interest; my wife's chief pleasure, however, consisted in seeing us back, as our night's absence had disturbed her, and she was horrified by the description of our dangerous run in the wake of the fugitive turtle. Being anxious to remove some of our goods before night, the boys ran off to fetch the sledge; while I, having no anchor, contrived to moor the boats by means of the heavy blocks of iron we had brought.

It required our united strength to get the turtle hoisted onto the sledge, its weight being prodigious; we found it, indeed, with the addition of the sapling fruit trees, quite a sufficient load.

We then made the best of our way home, chatting merrily about our various adventures. The first thing to be done on arriving was to obtain some of the turtle's flesh and cook it for supper. To my wife this appeared necessarily a work of time, as well as of difficulty; but I turned the beast on its back, and soon detached a portion of the meat from the breast with a hatchet, by breaking the lower sh.e.l.l; and I then directed that it should be cooked, with a little salt, sh.e.l.l and all.

"But let me first cut away this disgusting green fat," said my wife, with a little shudder, "See how it sticks all over the meat. No one could eat anything so nasty."

"Leave the fat, whatever you do!" exclaimed I. "Why, my dear, that is the very best part, and the delight of the epicure. If there be really too much, cut some off--it can be used as lard; and let the dogs make a supper of the refuse."

"And the handsome sh.e.l.l!" cried Fritz; "I should like to make a water trough of that, to stand near the brook, and be kept always full of clear water. How useful it would be!"

"That is a capital idea," I replied, "and we may manage it easily, if we can find clay so as to make a firm foundation on which to place it."

I arose early the next morning, as I had some doubts about the safety of my vessels on the open sh.o.r.e. The dogs were delighted when I descended the ladder, and bounded to meet me; the c.o.c.ks crowed and flapped their wings; two pretty kids gamboled around; all was life and energy; the a.s.s alone seemed disinclined to begin the day, and as I especially required his services, this was unfortunate. I put his morning dreams to flight, however, and harnessed him to the sledge; the cow, as she had not been milked, enjoyed the privilege of further repose, and, with the rest of the family, I left her dozing.

My fears as to the safety of the boats were soon dispelled, for they were all right; and, being in haste to return, the load I collected from their freight was but a light one, and the donkey willingly trotted home with it, he, as well as I, being uncommonly ready for breakfast. As I approached the tree, not a sound was to be heard, not a soul was to be seen, although it was broad day; and great was my good wife's surprise, when, roused by the clatter and hullabaloo I made, she started up, and became aware of the late hour.

"What can have made us oversleep ourselves like this?" she exclaimed.

"It must be the fault of those mattresses; they are delightful, but really too lulling; see, the children are sound asleep still."

"Now for prayers and breakfast," I called, "and then off to work. I must have our cargo landed in time to get the boats off with the next tide."

By dint of downright hard work, we accomplished this, and I got on board with Fritz as soon as they were afloat; the rest turned homeward, but Jack lingered behind with such imploring looks, that I could not resist taking him with me.

My intention had been simply to take the vessels round to the harbor in Safety Bay, but the calm sea and fine weather tempted me to make another trip to the wreck. It took up more time than I expected, so that, when on board, we could only make a further examination of the cargo, collect a few portable articles, and then avail ourselves of the sea breeze, which would fail us later in the evening.

To Jack the pleasure of hunting about in the hold was novel and charming, and very soon a tremendous rattling and clattering heralded his approach with a wheelbarrow. He was in the highest spirits at his good fortune in having found such a capital thing in which to bring home potatoes.

He was followed by Fritz, whose news was still more important. He had found, carefully packed and enclosed within part.i.tions, what appeared to be the separate parts of a pinnace, with rigging and fittings complete, even to a couple of small bra.s.s guns. This was a great discovery, and I hastened to see if the lad was right. Indeed he was, but my pleasure was qualified by a sense of the arduous task it would be to put such a craft together so as to be fit for sea. For the present we had barely time to get something to eat and hurry into the boat, where were collected our new acquisitions, namely, a copper boiler, iron plates, tobacco graters, two grindstones, a small barrel of powder, and another of flints, and two wheelbarrows, besides Jack's, which he kept under his own special care.

As we drew near the sh.o.r.e, we were surprised to see a number of little figures ranged in a row along the water's edge, and apparently gazing fixedly at us. They seemed to wear dark coats and white waistcoats, and stood quite still, with their arms dropping by their sides, only every now and then one would extend them gently, as though longing to embrace us.

"Ah! here at last come the pigmy inhabitants of the country to welcome us!" cried I, laughing.

"Oh, father!" exclaimed Jack. "I hope they are Lilliputians! I once read in a book about them, so there must be such people, you know, only these look rather too large."

"You must be content to give up the Lilliputians and accept penguins, my dear Jack," said I. "We have not before seen them in such numbers, but Ernest knocked one down, if you remember, soon after we landed.

They are excellent swimmers, but helpless on land, as they can neither fly nor run."

We were gradually approaching the land as I spoke, and no sooner was the water shallow, than out sprang Jack from his tub, and wading ash.o.r.e, took the unsuspecting birds by surprise, and with his stick laid half a dozen, right and left, either stunned or dead at his feet.

The rest escaped into the water, dived and disappeared.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PENGUINS]

As these penguins are disagreeable food, on account of their strong, oily taste, I was sorry Jack had attacked them; but as we went to examine them when we landed, some of the fallen arose from their swoon, and began solemnly to waddle away, upon which we caught them, and tying their feet together with long gra.s.s, laid them on the sand to wait until we were ready to start.

The three wheelbarrows then each received a load, the live penguins, seated gravely, were trundled along by Jack, and away we went at a great rate.

The unusual noise of our approach set the dogs barking furiously, but discovering us, they rushed forward with such forcible demonstrations of delight that poor little Jack, who, as it was, could scarcely manage his barrow, was fairly upset, penguins and all. This was too much for his patience, and it was absurd to see how he started up and cuffed them soundly for their boisterous behavior.

This scene, and the examination of our burdens, caused great merriment; the tobacco grater and iron plates evidently puzzled everybody.

I sent the boys to catch some of our geese and ducks, and bade them fasten a penguin to each by the leg, thinking it was worth while to try to tame them.

My wife had exerted herself in our absence to provide a good store of potatoes, and also of manioc [Footnote: Manioc, or ca.s.sava, is a South American plant, from the roots of which tapioca is made] root. I admired her industry, and little Franz said, "Ah, father! I wonder what you will say when mother and I give you some Indian corn, and melons, and pumpkins, and cuc.u.mbers!"

"Now, you little chatterbox!" cried she, "you have let out my secret!

I was to have the pleasure of surprising your father when my plants were growing up."

"Ah, the poor disappointed little mother!" said I. "Never mind! I am charmed to hear about it. Only do tell me, where did those seeds come from?"

"Out of my magic bag, of course!" replied she. "And each time I have gone for potatoes, I have sown seeds in the ground which was dug up to get them; and I have planted potatoes also."

"Well done, you wise little woman!" I exclaimed. "Why you are a model of prudence and industry!"

"But," continued she, "I do not half like the appearance of those tobacco graters you have brought. Is it possible you are going to make snuff? Do, pray, let us make sure of abundance of food for our mouths, before we think of our noses!"

"Make your mind easy, my wife," said I. "I have not the remotest intention of introducing the dirty, ridiculous habit of snuffing into your family! Please to treat my graters with respect, however, because they are to be the means of providing you with the first fresh bread you have seen this many a long day."

"What possible connection can there be between bread and tobacco graters? I cannot imagine what you mean, and to talk of bread where there are no ovens is only tantalizing."