The Island of Gold Part 35

"Savages," said Nelda. "Please say savages."

"Well, dear, savages I suppose I must call them. They were almost naked, and many of the elder warriors were tattooed on cheeks, chest, and arms. All had bushy heads of hair, and were armed with bows and arrows, spears and clubs, and tomahawks.

"But," he added, "it was generally with the natives of those islands from which we had already obtained volunteers that we had the greatest trouble. The ship I used to sail in, Tandy, was as honest as it is possible for such a ship to be, and I never saw natives ill-treated by any of our crew, though more than once we had to fight in self-defence.

The reason was this. Many ships that had agreed to bring the blacks back home, broke their promise, which, perhaps, they had never intended to keep. When they returned to the islands, therefore, to obtain more recruits, bloodshed was almost certain to ensue. If one white man was killed, then the revenge taken was fearful. At a safe distance the whites would bring their rifles and guns to bear upon the poor savages, and the slaughter would be too dreadful to contemplate. If the unhappy wretches took shelter in their woods or jungles, these would be set on fire, till at last a hundred or more of them would fling their arms away, hold up the palms of their hands in token of submission, or as on appeal for mercy, and huddle together in a corner like fowls, and just as helpless. The whites could then pick and choose volunteers as they pleased, and it is needless to tell you there was nothing given in exchange.

"Our trouble took place when we returned to an island, having found it impossible to bring the natives we had taken off back with us. This they looked upon as cheating, and they would rush to arms, compelling us to fire upon them in self-defence.

"Well, we were constantly on the search for new islands. The natives on these might threaten us for a time, but the 'call-crows' soon pacified them. The beads and presents we distributed, coupled with the glowing accounts of life in Queensland which the 'crows' gave these poor heathen, did all the rest, and we soon had a cargo."

"And this species of trade was, or is, called black-birding, I think,"

said Tandy.

"It was, and _is_ now, _sub rosa_.

"But I was going to tell you of a volcanic eruption. Before I do so, however, I propose that we order the main-brace to be spliced. For this is an auspicious night, you know, and I have not heard a jovial song on board the _Sea Flower_ for many and many a day.

"Janeira!"

"Yes, sah. I'se not fah away, sah."

And Janeira entered, smiling as usual, and as daintily dressed as a stage waiting-maid.

"Pa.s.s the word for Fitz, Janeira, like a good girl."

"Oh, he's neah too, sah. At you' service, sah!"

Fitz had been in the pantry eating plum-duff, or whatever else came handy. The pantry was a favourite resort with Lord Fitzmantle, and Janeira never failed to put after-dinner t.i.t-bits away in a corner for his especial delectation.

"Now, Jane, you shall draw some rum, and, Fitz, you must take it for'ard. Here is the key, Jane; and, Fitz, just tell them for'ard to drink the healths of those aft, and sing as much as they choose to-night."

"Far away then, Tandy and Nelda," said Halcott, resuming his narrative, "to the west of this island, farther away almost than the imagination can grasp, so solitary and wide is this great ocean, there used to be a small island called Saint Queeba. Who first found it out, or named it, I cannot tell you, Tandy, but I believe our own brig was the first that ever visited it in a black-birding expedition.

"The population seemed to be about three thousand, and of these we took away at least one hundred and fifty. The poor creatures appeared to have no fear of white men, and so we concealed our revolvers and entered into friendly intercourse with them.

"The island was a long way from any other, and this probably accounted for its never having been black-birded before.

"We returned from Australia almost immediately again after landing our recruits, and I for one felt sure the natives would welcome us.

"So we brought extra-showy cloth and the brightest beads we could procure.

"They did welcome us, and we soon had about half a cargo of real volunteers.

"We were only waiting for others to come from the interior; for the wind was fair just then, and we were all anxious to proceed to sea.

"The very evening before the arrival of the blacks, however, the wind went suddenly down, although, strangely enough, at a great alt.i.tude we could see scores of small black clouds scurrying across the sky.

Finally, some of these circled round and round, and combined to form a dark blue canopy that gradually lowered itself towards the island.

"Soon the sun went down, a blood-red ball in the west, and darkness quickly followed. It was just then that we observed a fitful gleam arise from the one and only mountain the island possessed. Over this a ball of cloud had hung all day long, but we had taken little notice of it.

"'I've never seen the like of that before, mate,' said the skipper to me, pointing at the slowly descending pall of c.u.mulus.

"'Nor I either, captain,' I replied.

"I couldn't keep my eyes off it, do what I would, for dark though the night was that strange cloud was darker. It seemed now to be sending downwards from its centre a whirling tail, or pillar, which the gleams that began to rise higher and higher from the developing volcano lit up, and tongues of fire appeared to touch.

"'It's going to be a storm of some kind, Halcott,' said my skipper.

'Oh, for a puff of wind, for, Heaven help us, lad! we are far too near the sh.o.r.e.'

"'I have it,' he cried next minute. 'Lower the boats and heave up the anchor.'

"I never saw men work more willingly in my life before. Even the blacks we had on board lent a hand, and no sooner was the anchor apeak than away went the boats, and the ship moved slowly out to sea.

"We had got about three knots off-sh.o.r.e, when, happening to look back, I saw a sight which I shall remember to my dying day.

"The black and awful whirling cloud had burst. If one ton of water came down like an avalanche, a million must have fallen, with a deafening roar like a thousand thunders.

"It seemed as if heaven and earth had gone to war and the first terrific shot had been fired.

"For a time the mountain was entirely enveloped in darkness; then up through this blackness rose high, high into the air a huge pillar of steam. This continued to rise for over an hour, with incessant thunder and lightning around the base of the hill. Rain, almost boiling hot, fell on our decks, and hissed and spluttered on the still water around the ship, compelling us to fly below or seek the shelter of tarpaulins.

"This ceased at last, and now we could see that the volcanic fire had gained the mastery; for the flames, with huge pieces of stones and rocks, were hurled five hundred feet at least into the starry sky.

"For many hours the thunderings and the lightnings over that devoted island and around the hill were such, Tandy, as I pray G.o.d I may never see or hear again. There were earthquakes, too; that was evident enough from the strange commotion in the water around us, and this was communicated to the ship. The best sailors on our brig could scarcely stand, far less walk. Towards morning it had partially cleared, although the lightning still continued to play, fork and sheet, above the base of the volcanic hill. We could now see streams of molten lava pouring down the mountain's side, green, crimson, and violet.

"Very lovely indeed they were. But ah! then I knew the fate of those unhappy inhabitants was to be a terrible one. It would be a choice of deaths, for in less than half an hour the isle was one vast conflagration. We saw but little more of it even next day, for the lava was now pouring into the sea and a cloud of steam enveloped the scene of tragedy.

"Our decks were covered with dust and scoriae, and this fell steadily all that day.

"We had managed by means of the boats to work off and away fully fifteen miles. This was undoubtedly our salvation; for presently we were struck by a terrible tornado, and it required all our skill to keep out of the vortex.

"While it was still raging around us, an explosion away on our port quarter, where the island would be just then, seemed to rend the whole earth in pieces. Many of our crew were struck deaf, and remained so for days. Our ship shook, Tandy, fore and aft, quivering like a dying rat.

She seemed to have no more stability in her then than an old orange box.

"An immense wave, such as I had never seen before, rose in the sea and swept on towards us. The marvel is that it did not swamp us.

"As it was we were carried sky-high, and our masts cracked as if they were about to go by the board. Smaller waves followed, and the gale that brought up the rear drove us far away from the scene of the terrible tragedy before the sun rose, redder than ever I had seen it before, for it was shining through the dust and debris of that broken up island.

"I left the trade soon after this, Tandy. I was tired and sick of black-birding.

"But in my own ship, two years after this, I visited the spot. The island was gone; but for more than a mile in circ.u.mference the sea was strangely rippled, and gases were constantly escaping that we were glad enough to work to windward of.

"But listen! our good little crew is singing. Well, there is something like hope in that--and in the sweet notes of Tom Wilson's violin. He's a good man that, Tandy, but he has a history, else I'm a Hottentot.

"Well, just one look at the sky, and then I'll turn in, my friend. We don't know what may be in store for us to-morrow."

And away up the companion-way went Captain Halcott.

Book 3--CHAPTER TWO.