The Island Home Part 26

It was some twenty yards wide; but I could not see how far inland it ran, on account of the immense trees that overhung it on every side, springing up in great numbers just behind the low border of mangroves.

Holding fast by one of these bushes, I was leaning forward over the water, looking hard into the gloom, to gain, if possible, some notion of the extent of the inlet and the distance round it, when Morton grasped my arm suddenly--

"What is that, under the trees on the opposite sh.o.r.e?" whispered he; "is it not a boat?"

Looking in the direction in which he pointed, I could distinguish some object on the opposite side of the inlet, that might from its size and shape be a boat of some kind, as he supposed, and, continuing to gaze steadily, I made out quite plainly, against the dark ma.s.ses of foliage on the further sh.o.r.e, what appeared to be a white mast. A profound silence reigned all around us, and while I was still peering into the heavy shadow of the trees, I heard a sound which resembled a deep, and long-drawn sigh, followed by an exclamation, as of a person in bodily pain.

"We must get round to the other side," whispered Morton, "and see what this means."

We backed out of the mangroves with the utmost caution, and inch by inch: when we had got to such a distance as to render this extreme circ.u.mspection no longer necessary, we commenced a wide circuit around the inlet, which proved to be only a small cove, or indentation in the sh.o.r.e, extending less than a hundred yards inland. In approaching it again on the opposite side, we resumed all our former stealthiness of movement, feeling that our lives in all probability depended upon our caution.

When, at last, we had got, as we supposed, quite near the place where we had seen the boat, we proceeded, by creeping on our hands and knees through the bushes for short distances, and then rising and looking about, to ascertain our position.

It was so dark, and the undergrowth was so dense--the moonlight scarcely penetrating the thick foliage--that nothing could be distinguished at the distance even of a few yards, and there was some danger that we might come suddenly, and before we were aware, upon those whom we supposed to be already so near us. While thus blindly groping our way towards the edge of the inlet, I heard a voice almost beside me, which said--

"Will they never come back?--Are they going to leave us here to starve?"

The voice was that of Johnny's beyond the possibility of mistake.

Turning in the direction from which it proceeded, I saw a little to the right three figures upon the ground at the foot of a large casuarina.

Another voice, as familiar, almost immediately answered--

"I only fear that they will return too soon: have patience! in a little while I shall have gnawed through this rope, and then I do not despair of being able to get my hands free also."

This was enough to show how matters stood.

"Are you alone?" said I, in a low voice, but loud enough to be heard by those beneath the casuarina.

There was an exclamation of joyful surprise from Johnny; then Arthur answered, "If that is you, Archer, come and help us, for we are tied hand and foot. You have nothing to fear; our captors have left us quite alone."

We now came forward without further hesitation. They were all bound fast, their hands being tied behind them, in addition to which, each was fastened to the tree by a rope of sennit. It would be difficult to say which party seemed most rejoiced at this sudden meeting. As soon as they were liberated, we embraced one another with tears of joy.

"Let us leave this place as fast as possible," said Arthur, as soon as he became a little composed, "I expect the return of the natives every moment,--and we have more to dread from them than you can guess. But I find I am so stiff after lying bound here all day, that I can hardly walk. Now, Johnny, take my hand, and try to get along. How is it with you, Eiulo--do you feel able to travel fast?"

The latter appeared to understand the drift of the question, and answered by frisking and jumping about in exultation at his recovered liberty.

Instead of returning by the way by which we had come, along the sh.o.r.e, we pushed on in a straight line, in the supposed direction of the islet, in order to avoid the risk of meeting the natives. After toiling for an hour through the woods, we emerged into the open country to the east of the rocky ridge that traversed the course of the stream. During this time, we had been too fully occupied in picking our way with the necessary caution, besides the constant apprehension of suddenly encountering the natives, to ask for any explanations. But now we began to feel somewhat rea.s.sured, and as we hastened on towards the islet, Arthur very briefly informed us, that they had yesterday been suddenly surprised by a party of six natives, soon after leaving us at the islet, and hurried off to the sh.o.r.e: that they had been left by their captors this morning, secured as we had found them, and had remained in that condition until released by us. He added that he had more to communicate by-and-bye.

The joy of Browne and Max at our return, accompanied by the lost ones, may be imagined--but it can scarcely be described. In fact, I am obliged to confess that we were such children, as to enact quite "a scene," at this unexpected meeting. Heartfelt and sincere were the thanksgivings we that night rendered to Him, who had kept us in perfect safety, and reunited us, after a separation made so distressing by our uncertainty as to each other's fate.

After Arthur, Eiulo, and Johnny, had appeased their hunger with the scanty remains of our supply of provisions, the two latter lay down upon a bed of ferns beneath the Aoa, and were soon sleeping as soundly and peacefully, as though all our troubles and dangers were now at an end.

How easily they put in practice the philosophy that vexes itself not about the future! Exercising the happy privilege of childhood, they cast upon others, in whom they placed implicit confidence, the responsibility of thinking and planning for them--free from all care and anxiety themselves.

Arthur now gave us a more detailed account of what had occurred since our separation.

"Do you remember," said he, when he had finished, "hearing Eiulo, in talking of affairs at Tewa, make mention of a person named Atollo?"

"Atollo?" said Browne, "was not that the name of an uncle of his whom he made out to be a strange, unnatural sort of monster, even for a heathen, and who concocted a plot for the murder of his own father and brother, and afterwards attempted to kill Eiulo by rolling rocks down a precipice after him in the woods!"

"The same," answered Arthur. "I hardly supposed that you would have remembered it, as no one but myself seemed to take much interest in Eiulo's reminiscences of Tewa, the rest of you being obliged to get them at second-hand, through me as interpreter. Well, that Atollo has reached this island in some way, with a band of followers: it was by them that we were captured yesterday; it is from his power that we have just escaped."

"What is this Atollo like?" inquired Browne. "Is he a tall, large-framed man, but gaunt and spare as a half-starved hound?"

"Yes, with sharp features, and a wild, restless eye."

"Why, then," continued Browne, turning to me, "it was he, who was at the head of the second party of natives that we saw this morning by the sh.o.r.e."

We now gave Arthur an account of our rencontre with the savages; but no particular mention was made of the destruction of the canoe, or of the lion-like old man who seemed to be the leader of those who fled.

"And little Eiulo's dread of this strange uncle of his," said Browne, "is then so great, that he preferred running away to us again, to remaining with his own people?"

"Incredible as it may seem," answered Arthur, "I am convinced that his fears are not without foundation, and I even believe that this man intended to take his life, and would have done so, had we not escaped."

"Incredible, indeed!" exclaimed Browne, "and what could be the motive for so atrocious a crime?"

"I know of none that seems sufficient to account for it fully, and I am therefore almost forced to regard the man as a monomaniac."

Arthur thought that Atollo had probably made some further desperate attempt against his brother at Tewa, and, having failed in it, had fled hither with a part of his followers, among whom some quarrel had since arisen, in the prosecution of which they had been engaged, when we witnessed the flight and pursuit along the sh.o.r.e. This, however, was mere conjecture: they had talked but little in his presence, and he had not been able to learn any thing from the conversation which he had overheard, as to the cause of their coming hither. Eiulo had been questioned minutely by them, and from him they had ascertained that there were four more of us upon the island.

Morton inquired of Arthur, whether he apprehended that any serious effort would be made by the savages to find us, and what kind of treatment we should probably receive in case we should fall into their power.

"That search will be made for us," answered the latter, "I have not the slightest doubt; and I do not think that we can look for any mercy, if we fall into their hands, since to-day's affray and escape."

"This feud among themselves," said Browne, "may keep them so busy as to afford no leisure for troubling themselves about us. I have some hope that they will use those ugly-looking clubs upon one another, to such purpose, as to rid us of them altogether."

"That old giant," said Max, "who ran away, with such an awkward air, as if he wasn't at all used to it, will certainly do some mischief if they once come to blows."

"Ay," pursued Browne, "though he didn't look quite so wicked and like a warlock, as the gaunt, wild-eyed heathen that led the chase, I will warrant him his full match in fair and equal fight, man to man."

"Well," said Arthur, who during the latter part of this conversation had been apparently engaged in serious and perplexed thought, "for to-night, at least, we are in no danger. Let us now take our necessary rest, and to-morrow we shall be fresher and better prepared to decide upon the course of action to be adopted."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

THE SINGLE COMBAT.

PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE--A DEMAND AND REFUSAL--THE TWO CHAMPIONS.

"On many a b.l.o.o.d.y field before-- Man of the dark and evil heart!-- We've met--pledged enemies of yore, But now we meet no more to part-- Till to my gracious liege and lord, By thee of broad domains bereft, From thy red hand and plotting brain, No fear of future wrong is left."

The sense of surrounding danger with which we laid down that night upon our beds of fern beneath the Aoa, continued to press darkly upon our minds even in sleep, and awake us at an early hour to confront anew, the perplexities and terrors of our situation.

Arthur, in whose better understanding of the habits and character of the savages we confided, far from affording us any additional encouragement, spoke in a manner calculated to overthrow the very hopes, upon which we had been resting.

We had supposed that they could have no motive but the desire of revenge, for seeking or molesting us, and as none of their number had been killed, or in all probability even dangerously injured in the rencontre with us, we trusted that this motive would not prove strong enough to incite them to any earnest or long-continued search. But Arthur hinted at another object, more controlling in the mind of their strange leader than any desire to prosecute a petty revenge, which would impel him to seek for and pursue us, for the purpose of getting Eiulo again into his power. This enmity--so fixed and implacable--against a mere child, seemed incredible, even after all that had been said or suggested in explanation of it, and the explanations themselves were far-fetched, and almost dest.i.tute of plausibility.

And how could we hope to escape a pursuit so determined and persevering as Arthur antic.i.p.ated? Whither could we flee for safety? To think of successful resistance to Atollo and his band, if discovered by them, seemed idle. Max suggested Palm-Islet as the most secure retreat with which we were acquainted. But Arthur now broached a more startling plan. "Nowhere upon this island," said he, "can we longer consider ourselves secure. The only step that holds out any prospect of safety is to leave it in the yawl, and sail for Tewa."

"Is there any certainty," said Browne, "that we can find it? Do we even know positively where, or in what direction from this place it is; and shall we not incur the risk of getting lost again at sea?"