Swiss Family Robinson Part 45

I got the other boat out, that my wife might see we were ready to go to his a.s.sistance the moment it became necessary.

The cajack was launched from a convenient shelving point, and floated lightly on the sea-green ocean mirror. Fritz with his paddles then began to practise all manner of evolutions: darting along with arrowy swiftness, wheeling to the right, then to the left; and at last, flinging himself quite on his side, while his mother uttered a shriek of terror, he showed that the tiny craft would neither capsize nor sink. Then, recovering his balance, he sped securely on his further way.

Encouraged by our shouts of approbation, he now boldly ventured into the strong current of Jackal River, and was rapidly carried out to sea.

This being more than I had bargained for, I lost no time in giving chase in the boat, with Ernest and Jack; my wife, urging us to greater speed, and declaring that some accident could not fail to happen to 'that horrid soap-bubble'.

We soon arrived outside the bay, at the rocks where formerly lay the wreck, and gazed in all directions for signs of the runaway.

After a time we saw, at a considerable distance, a faint puff of smoke, followed by the crack of a pistol. Upon this we fired a signal shot, which was presently answered by another, and, steering in the direction of the sound, we soon heard the boy's cheery halloo; the cajack darted from behind a point of land, and we quickly joined company.

'Come to this rocky beach,' cried Fritz, 'I have something to show you.'

With blank amazement we beheld a fine well-grown young walrus, harpooned and quite dead.

'Did you kill this creature, my dear Fritz?' I exclaimed, looking round in some anxiety, and half expecting to see a naked savage come to claim the prize.

'To be sure, father! Don't you see my harpoon? Why do you doubt it?'

'Well, I scarcely know,' replied I, laughing, 'but success so speedy, so unexpected, and so appropriate, to an amateur Greenlander, took me by surprise. I congratulate you, my boy! But I must tell you that you have alarmed us by making this long trip. You should not have gone out of the bay. I left your mother in grievous trouble.'

'Indeed, father, I had no idea of pa.s.sing out of sight, but once in the current, I was carried along, and could not help myself. Then I came on a herd of walruses, and I did so long to make a prize of one that I forgot everything else, and made chase after them when beyond the influence of the current, until I got near enough to harpoon this fine fellow. He swam more slowly, and I struck him a second time; then he sought refuge among these rocks, and expired. I landed, and scrambled to where he lay; but I took care to give him the contents of my pistol before going close up, having a salutary recollection of the big serpent's parting fling at you, Jack.'

'You ran a very great risk,' said I. 'The walrus is an inoffensive creature; but when attacked and wounded, it often becomes furious and, turning upon its pursuer, can destroy, with its long tusks, a strongly built whale boat. However, thank G.o.d for your safety! I value that above a thousand such creatures. Now what's to be done with him? He must be quite fourteen feet long, although not full grown.'

'I am very glad you followed me, father,' said Fritz, 'but our united strength will not move this prodigious weight from among these rocks; only do let me carry away the head, with these grand snow-white tusks!

I should so like to fasten it on the prow of the cajack, and name it the Sea-horse.'

'We must certainly carry away the beautiful ivory tusks,' said I, 'but make haste! The air feels so excessively close and sultry, I think a storm is brewing.'

'But the head! The head! we must have the whole head,' cried Jack, 'just think how splendid it will look on the cajack!'

'And how splendid it will smell too, when it begins to putrefy,' added Ernest. 'What a treat for the steersman!'

'Oh, we will prepare for that,' said Fritz. 'It shall be soaked and cleaned, and dried till it is as hard as a wooden model; it shall not offend your delicate nose in the least, Ernest!'

'I supposed the walrus to be an animal peculiar to the Arctic regions,' remarked Ernest.

'And so it is,' I replied, 'though they may occasionally be seen elsewhere; these may have wandered from the Antarctic seas. I know that on the eastern coast of Africa is found a smaller species of walrus called the dugong: it has long incisor teeth, but not tusks; and certainly resembles a seal rather than a walrus.'

While thus speaking, we were actively engaged in the decapitation of the walrus, and in cutting off long strips of its skin. This took some time, as we had not the proper implements, and Fritz remarked, that in future the cajack must be provided with a hunting-knife and a hatchet; adding that he should like to have a small compa.s.s, in a box with a gla.s.s top, fixed in front of the hole where the steersman sits. I saw the necessity of this and I promised it should be done.

Our work being accomplished, we were ready to go, and I proposed to take Fritz and the canoe on board our boat, so that we might all arrive together; but I yielded to his earnest wish to return alone as he came; he longed to act as our avant-courier, and announce our approach to his mother; so he was soon skimming away over the surface of the water, while we followed at slower rate.

Black clouds meanwhile gathered thick and fast around us, and a tremendous storm came on. Fritz was out of sight and beyond our reach.

We buckled on the swimming belts, and firmly lashed ourselves to the boat, so that we might not be washed overboard by the towering seas which broke over it.

The horizon was shrouded in darkness, fearful gusts of wind lashed the ocean into foam, rain descended in torrents, while livid lightning glared athwart the gloom. Both my boys faced the danger n.o.bly; and my feelings of alarm were mingled with hope on finding how well the boat behaved.

The tempest swept on its way, and the sky began to clear as suddenly as it had been overcast; yet the stormy waves continued for a long time to threaten our frail bark with destruction, in spite of its buoyancy and steadiness.

Yet I never lost hope for ourselves--all my fears were for Fritz; in fact I gave him up for lost, and my whole agonized heart arose in prayer for strength to say, 'Thy will be done!'

At last we rounded the point, and once more entering Safety Bay, quickly drew near the little harbour.

What was our surprise--our overwhelming delight when there we saw the mother with Fritz, as well as her little boy, on their knees in prayer so earnest for our deliverance, that our approach was unperceived, until with cries of joy we attracted their notice.

Then indeed ensued a happy meeting, and we gave thanks together for the mercy which had spared our lives.

Returning joyfully to Rockburg, we changed our drenched garments for warm dry clothes; and, seated at a comfortable meal, considered and described at our ease the perils of the storm.

Afterwards, the head of the walrus was conveyed to our workshop; where it underwent such a skilful and thorough process of cleaning, embalming and drying, that ere long it was actually fixed on the prow of the cajack, and a most imposing appearance it presented!

The strips of hide, when well tanned and prepared, made valuable leather.

Much damage had been done by the late storm. The heavy rain had flooded all the streams, and injured crops which should have been housed and safe before the regular rainy season.

The bridge over Jackal River was partly broken down, and the water tanks and pipes all needed repair. So that our time was much occupied in restoring things to order.

On going to work one day near the cascade, we found a great number of dark-red berries, scattered on the ground; they were about the size of ordinary hazel-nuts, with small leafy coronets at the tip.

The boys thought them so inviting, that they tasted them at once, but angry exclamations and much spitting and spluttering followed the experiment; even Knips rejected them, and they would have been cast aside with contempt, had not the smell induced me to examine them. I decided that this was the fruit of the clove.

Some plants were immediately set in the nursery garden, and my wife was pleased to have this excellent spice wherewith to flavour her boiled rice and other dishes, in lieu of pepper--a very welcome variety to everyone.

Having a good supply of clay, brought from the bed near Falconhurst, I proposed to use it for making aqueducts; and, observing how much the recent rain had promoted the growth of our young corn, I determined to irrigate the fields with the drainage from our crushing-mill.

The fishing season was again successful. Large takes of salmon, sturgeon and herring rewarded our annual exertions, and our store-room again a.s.sumed a well-stocked appearance. Much as I wished that we could obtain a constant supply of these fish fresh, I was obliged to reject the naive proposal from Jack, that we should tether a shoal of salmon by the gills to the bottom of the bay as we had secured the turtles.

Many quiet uneventful days pa.s.sed by and I perceived that the boys, wearied by the routine of farm work at Rockburg, were longing for a cruise in the yacht or an expedition into the woods, which would refresh both mind and body.

'Father,' said Fritz at length, 'we want a quant.i.ty of hurdles, and have scarcely any more bamboos of which to make them. Had we not better get a supply from Woodlands? And you said, too, the other day, that you wished you had some more of the fine clay: we might visit the Gap at the same time.'

I had really no objection to propose; and it was shortly afterwards settled that Fritz, Jack, and Franz should start together; and that Ernest, who had no great desire to accompany his brothers, should remain with his mother and me, and a.s.sist in the construction of a sugar-mill, the erection of which I had long contemplated.

Before they started, Fritz begged some bear's meat from his mother, to make pemmican.

'And what may pemmican be?' she asked.

'It is food carried by the fur-traders of North America on their long journeys through the wild country they traverse; and consists of bear or deer's flesh, first cooked and then pounded or ground to powder. It is very portable, and nourishing.'

His mother consented 'to humour him', as she said, although without much faith in the value of the preparation; and in the course of two days a stock of pemmican, sufficient for a Polar expedition, was fabricated by our enthusiastic son.

They were ready to start, when I observed Jack quietly slip a basket, containing several pigeons, under the packages in the cart.

'Oh, oh!' thought I, 'the little fellow has his doubts about that pemmican, and thinks a tough old pigeon would be preferable.'

The weather was exquisite; and, with exhortations to prudence and caution from both me and their mother, the three lads started in the very highest spirits. Storm and Grumble, as usual, drew the cart, and were ridden by Fritz and Franz; while Hurry carried Jack swiftly across the bridge in advance of them; followed by Floss and Bruno, barking at his heels.