Swiss Family Robinson Part 9

We could not take our boat very close in, but we managed to effect a landing at a short distance from the festive scene; and, securing the raft by casting a rope round a large stone, we cautiously drew near the object of interest.

It proved to be a monstrous fish, on whose flesh these mult.i.tudes of birds were ravenously feeding; and it was extraordinary to watch the ferocity, the envy, the gluttony, and all manner of evil pa.s.sions, exhibited among the guests at this banquet.

'There was nothing on this sandy beach when we pa.s.sed yesterday, I am certain, father,' said Fritz. 'It seems strange to see this creature stranded here.'

'Why, Fritz!' cried Ernest, 'it must be the shark! Your shark, you know! I believe I can see where you hit him in the head.'

'You are right, I do believe, Ernest,' said I, 'though I think your imagination only can distinguish the gunshot wounds among all the pecking and tearing of the voracious birds there. Just look, boys, at those terrific jaws, beneath the strangely projecting snout. See the rows upon rows of murderous teeth, and thank G.o.d we were delivered from them! Let us try if we can induce these greedy birds to spare us a bit of the shark's skin; it is extremely rough, and when dry may be used like a file.'

Ernest drew the ramrod from his gun, and charged so manfully into the crowd, that striking right and left he speedily killed several, whilst most of the others took to flight. Fritz detached some broad strips of skin with his knife, and we returned towards the boat.

Perceiving with satisfaction that the sh.o.r.e was strewn with just the sort of boards and planks I wanted, I lost no time in collecting them; and, forming a raft to tow after us, we were in a short time able to direct our course homeward, without visiting the wreck at all.

As we sailed along, extremely well pleased with our good fortune, Fritz, by my direction, nailed part of the shark's skin flat on boards to dry in the sun and the rest on the rounded mast.

'Will that be a good idea, father?' inquired he, 'it will be quite bent and crooked when it hardens.'

'That is just what I want it to be,' said I, 'we may happen to find it useful in that form as well as flat. It would be beautiful s.h.a.green*

with which we could smooth and polish wood.'

* Rough leather used like sandpaper

'I thought,' remarked Ernest, 'that s.h.a.green was made from a.s.ses'

hides.'

'And you thought rightly,' said I. 'The best s.h.a.green is prepared in Turkey, Persia, and Tartary, from the skins of horses and a.s.ses. In these skins, the roughness is produced artificially; while the skin is newly flayed and still soft, hard grains of corn are spread on the under surface, and pressed into it as it dries. These grains are afterward removed, and the roughness imparted to the appearance of the skin remains indelibly; s.h.a.green is useful in polishing joiners' work, and it is made in France from the rough skin of a hideous creature called the angel-fish.'

'Angel-fish!' exclaimed Fritz; 'what a name to give to anything "hideous," father!'

'There are bad angels as well as good ones,' observed Ernest, in his dry, quiet way; 'it is better to leave people to see for themselves which is meant.'

By this time we were close in sh.o.r.e; and, lowering the sail, we soon had our craft with the raft in tow, safely moored to the bank.

No one was in sight, not a sound to be heard, so with united voice we gave a loud cheery halloo, which after a while was answered in shrill tones, and my wife with her two boys came running from behind the high rocks between us and the stream, each carrying a small bundle in a handkerchief, while little Franz held aloft a landing-net.

Our return so soon was quite unexpected, and they anxiously inquired the reason, which we soon explained; and then the mysterious bundles were opened, and a great number of fine crawfish displayed; whose efforts to escape by scuttling away in every direction, directly they were placed in a heap on the ground, caused immense fun and laughter as the boys pursued and brought them back, only to find others scrambling off in a dozen different ways.

'Now, father, have we not done well, today!' cried Jack, 'did you ever see such a splendid crawfish? Oh, there were thousands of them, and I am sure we have got two hundred here at least. Just look at their claws!'

'No doubt you were the discoverer of these fine crabs, eh, Jack?' said I.

'No! Fancy young Franz being the lucky man!' answered he. 'He and I went towards the stream while mother was busy, just to look for a good place for the bridge. Franz was picking up pebbles and alabasters, some because they were so pretty, some to strike sparks with in the dark, and some he insisted were "gold."

'"Jack! Jack!" cried he presently, "come and see the crabs on Fritz's jackal!" You know we threw it away there, and to be sure it was swarming with these creatures. Are you glad we have found them, father?

Will they be good to eat?'

'Very excellent, my boy, and we may be thankful that food for our wants is thus provided day by day.'

When each party had related the day's adventures, and while my wife was cooking the crawfish, we went to bring our store of planks to land.

Even this apparently simple operation required thought, and I had to improvise rope-harness for the cow and the donkey, by which we could make them drag each board separately from the water's edge to the margin of the stream.

Jack showed me where he thought the bridge should be, and I certainly saw no better place, as the banks were at that point tolerably close to one another, steep, and of about equal height.

'How shall we find out if our planks are long enough to reach across?'

said I. 'A surveyor's table would be useful now.'

'What do you say to a ball of string, father?' said Ernest. 'Tie one end to a stone, throw it across, then draw it back, and measure the line!'

Adopting my son's idea, we speedily ascertained the distance across to be eighteen feet. Then allowing three feet more at each side, I calculated twenty-four feet as the necessary length of the boards.

The question as to how the planks were to be laid across was a difficult one. We resolved to discuss it during dinner, to which we were now summoned. And my wife, as we sat resting, displayed to me her needlework. With hard labour had she made two large canvas bags for the a.s.s to carry. Having no suitable needle, she had been obliged to bore the hole for each st.i.tch with a nail, and gained great praise for her ingenuity and patience.

Dinner was quickly dispatched, as we were all eager to continue our engineering work. A scheme had occurred to me for conveying one end of a plank across the water, and I set about it in this way.

There fortunately were one or two trees close to the stream on either side; I attached a rope pretty near one end of a beam, and slung it loosely to the tree beside us; then, fastening a long rope to the other end, I crossed with it by means of broken rocks and stones, and having a pulley and block, I soon arranged the rope on a strong limb of the opposite tree, again returning with the end to our own side.

Now putting my idea to the proof, I brought the a.s.s and the cow, and fastening this rope to the harness I had previously contrived for them, I drove them steadily away from the bank. To my great satisfaction, and the surprise and delight of the boys, the end of the plank which had been laid alongside the stream began gently to move, rose higher, turned, and soon projecting over the water continued to advance, until, having described the segment of a circle, it reached the opposite bank.

I stopped my team, the plank rested on the ground, the bridge was made! So at least thought Fritz and Jack, who in a moment were lightly running across the narrow way, shouting joyfully as they sprang to the other side.

Our work was now comparatively easy. A second and third plank were laid beside the first; and when these were carefully secured at each end to the ground and to the trees, we very quickly laid short boards side by side across the beams, the boys nailing them lightly down as I sawed them in lengths; and when this was done, our bridge was p.r.o.nounced complete.

Nothing could exceed the excitement of the children. They danced to and fro on the wonderful structure, singing, shouting and cutting the wildest capers. I must confess I heartily sympathized with their triumphant feelings.

Now that the work was done, we began to feel how much we were fatigued, and gladly returned to our tent for refreshment and repose.

Next morning, while we breakfasted, I made a little speech to my sons on the subject of the important move we were about to make, wishing to impress them with a sense of the absolute necessity of great caution.

'Remember,' said I, 'that, although you all begin to feel very much at your ease here, we are yet complete strangers to a variety of dangers which may surprise us unawares. I charge you, therefore, to maintain good order, and keep together on the march. No darting off into bye-ways, Jack. No lingering behind to philosophize, Ernest. And now all hands to work.'

The greatest activity instantly prevailed in our camp. Some collected provisions, others packed kitchen utensils, tools, ropes, and hammocks, arranging them as burdens for the cow and a.s.s.

My wife pleaded for a seat on the latter for her little Franz, and a.s.suring me likewise that she could not possibly leave the poultry, even for a night, nor exist an hour without her magic bag, I agreed to do my best to please her, without downright cruelty to animals.

Away ran the children to catch the c.o.c.ks and hens. Great chasing, fluttering and cackling ensued; but with no success whatever, until my wife recalled her panting sons, and, scattering some handfuls of grain within the open tent, soon decoyed the fowls and pigeons into the enclosure; where, when the curtain was dropped, they were easily caught, tied together, and placed on the cow.

This amiable and phlegmatic animal had stood calmly chewing the cud, while package after package was disposed on her broad back, nor did she now object even to this noisy addition to her load. I placed a couple of half-hoops over all; and, spreading sailcloth on them, put the fowls in darkness, and they rapidly became quiet; and the cow, with the appearance of having a small waggon on her back, was ready to start.

Franz was firmly seated on the a.s.s, amidst bags and bundles of all sorts and sizes; they rose about him like cushions and pillows, and his curly head rested on the precious magic bag, which surmounted all the rest. Having filled the tent with the things we left behind, closing it carefully, and ranging chests and casks around it, we were finally ready to be off, each well equipped and in the highest spirits.

Fritz and his mother led the van. Franz (the young cavalier), and the sober-minded cow followed them closely.

Jack conducted the goats; one of these had also a rider, for Knips the monkey was seated on his foster-mother, whose patience was sorely tried by his restlessness and playful tricks.

The sheep were under Ernest's care, and I brought up the rear of this patriarchal band, while the two dogs kept constantly running backwards and forwards in the character of aides-de-camp.

'We seem delightfully like those simple and pastoral tribes I have read of,' said Ernest, as we proceeded, 'whose whole lives are spent in shifting from place to place, without any wish to settle.'