The Secret of the Sands Part 22

We soon had our canvas furled, and, whilst Ella busied herself with the preparations for tea. Bob and I got our "boat" on deck, and set about putting her together.

Whilst thus engaged, my companion remarked, "Well, Harry, I must say I didn't like the looks of things, for a minute or two, whilst we was running down upon the reef outside; but you piloted us in in capital style. Did ye happen to think, however, how we're going to get out ag'in, now that we're here?"

"Certainly I did," replied I. "You surely do not imagine that I would run in here, without being satisfied beforehand that we could get out again all right. There was no time for explanation whilst I was aloft; but, just before I caught sight of the channel through which we entered, I distinctly saw one on _this_ side of the island, through which we could have beaten the little craft without much difficulty. It appeared to have only two reaches, and I think we might have laid up one of them on the port tack, and the other on the starboard tack; and as to getting out, it will be a run with the wind free all the way. But what do you think of our berth?"

"Snug and comfortable as heart could wish," responded he, with an accent of keen enjoyment; "and I _do_ hope as you'll give us all, and the little craft, a holiday of a day or two, now we're here. 'Twon't do any of us any harm; and I really feels as though I could go ash.o.r.e and lie down under the shade of them trees all day, and do nothing but just enjoy the rest and the coolness, and ease my old eyes by looking up at the beautiful green leaves, with the clear blue sky peeping between 'em here and there."

I had a very similar feeling; for, though the island had nothing very specially attractive about it, to us who had looked on nothing but sky and sea for so long, it appeared but little short of a paradise. So I very readily acquiesced in his proposal, the more so as I felt that our health would be very greatly benefited by the change.

By the time that we had our boat put together and hanging astern by her painter, tea was ready; so, after a comfortable ablution, by way of bringing the day's work to a close, we all seated ourselves at the small cabin-table, and discussed our meal with a luxurious enjoyment of the perfect steadiness of the cutter, and of the absence of all anxiety of every kind, which was quite a novelty. We finished the meal by lamplight, and then adjourned to the deck, where, as was our regular custom. Bob and I smoked our evening pipes.

Those only who have endured the monotony of a long sea-voyage can understand the pleasure with which we regarded our surroundings, and compared them with those of many an evening past. The night had completely closed in, and the deep, unclouded, purple vault above was thickly studded with stars, which, unlike those in the northern hemisphere, instead of _glittering_ spark-like and cold, beamed with the deep, mellow l.u.s.tre of the softest lamps, each being clearly reflected in the mirror-like surface of the unruffled lagoon.

We were, as I believe I have said before, on the western or lee-side of the island, so completely sheltered from the wind by the thick-cl.u.s.tering trees and shrubs which covered its surface, that only the faintest zephyr could approach us, though it swept briskly through the topmost branches of the cocoa-nuts, gently agitating their leaves, and producing a soft rustling sound, above which the loud roar of the surf beating on the reef to windward could be distinctly heard.

Mingling with this, there issued from the sh.o.r.e a continuous chirping and singing from innumerable mult.i.tudes of insects, which, swelling shrill and high, merged into one vast wave of sound, which completely filled the air. Tens of thousands of fire-flies flitted to and fro, their tiny sparks gleaming brilliantly against the dark background of dense foliage; and, if we looked over the side for a moment, we saw the deep obscurity of the tranquil ocean constantly flashing into sudden brightness, as a long trail of pale phosph.o.r.escent sparks, or a momentary halo, betrayed the movement of some finny denizen of the deep.

We remained on deck until nearly midnight, when, having observed nothing whatever to excite the slightest apprehension as to our absolute safety, we resolved to dispense with the formality of a watch and therefore all retired below, with an understanding that the morrow was to be observed as a strict holiday by all hands.

Volume Two, Chapter III.

AT CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A SHARK.

I awoke soon after sunrise the next morning, and, calling Bob, in accordance with an arrangement made overnight, we both jumped on board the boat, and, pulling to the opposite side of a tiny headland about a mile away, stripped and plunged overboard, where we swam and dived, and wallowed about in the deliciously cool element for a good half-hour, enjoying our bath as thoroughly as though we were a couple of school-boys playing truant. We were strongly tempted to make a small preliminary exploring excursion inland after this, but Miss Ella had solemnly bound us both down not to do so without her; so we returned to the _Water Lily_ instead, wonderfully refreshed and invigorated by our dip, and quite ready for the early breakfast which was to form the first regular feature in the programme for the day.

As we rowed back to the cutter, I embraced the opportunity to pa.s.s once more over the spot where I thought I had observed the oyster-bed and, on reaching it, and peering down in the shadow of the boat, I found I was right there lay beneath us a bed of several yards extent of what I felt sure were oysters.

We described a short circuit round our little craft before stepping on board again; and I felt so ashamed of her dingy, weather-beaten appearance, that I resolved she should have a fresh coat of paint before she went outside again. This we decided she should receive next day, I undertaking to wield the paintbrush whilst Bob employed himself in overhauling the rigging and examining the spars.

Breakfast was soon disposed of, as we were all equally eager to stand once more on mother earth; and then, Bob providing himself with a few biscuits, whilst I did the same, adding a few knick-knacks for my fair companion, we jumped into the boat, and in a very few minutes reached the sh.o.r.e.

The painter was made fast to the stem of a stout shrub which grew close to the water's edge; and then Bob went straight towards the widest patch of shade, and the softest turf he could find, and flung himself forthwith upon the ground, a.s.serting that it was his fixed intention to remain there for the rest of the day, and enjoy his holiday in accordance with his own peculiar notions.

After a few vain attempts to persuade him that he would find it much more pleasant to accompany us in a ramble over the island, we gave him up to his own devices; and, Ella accepting the support of my arm, we strolled slowly away.

Our steps were directed, in the first instance, towards the northern end of the island; our path being sometimes over the short tender gra.s.s with which the ground was thickly clad, and at others along the sandy beach, to which we were occasionally compelled to diverge in consequence of the dense undergrowth, through which it would have been impossible for my companion to force her way.

We picked up several very beautiful sh.e.l.ls on the beach, and Ella promised herself a long ramble before leaving the island, expressly for the purpose of collecting a few of the choicest varieties.

I was rather disappointed to find such a scarcity of fruit, there being none, as far as we could discover, beyond the cocoa-nuts and a few wild figs the latter rather insipid to the taste, though still a welcome change after the food we had all been accustomed to.

Ella very thoughtfully collected a little of this fruit for Bob, when we chanced to meet with a tree bearing figs of a superior flavour to the average, and I promised her that on our return I would secure a few cocoa-nuts, and treat her to a draught of the delightfully refreshing cool new milk. We found walking to be far more fatiguing than we had expected, after being pent up so long on shipboard, and I think I found it even more so than my companion, she having had until recently the comparatively wide range of a ship's deck upon which to take exercise; whilst we of the _Water Lily_ could only boast of "a fisherman's walk, two steps, and overboard."

I kept a sharp look-out for fresh water, intending to entirely refill our tank and casks; and Ella was equally anxious for such a discovery, as she gave me notice that she intended to hold a grand wash; desiring me, at the same time, to make up a bundle of all my soiled linen, etc., and deliver it over to her. This I, of course, flatly refused to do, a.s.suring her that I was fully equal to the task of doing my own washing, and that I never would consent to her descending to the performance of so menial a task for me.

"What!" said she, releasing my arm to speak with the greater energy, "not allow me to wash a few shirts and socks for you, and your pocket-handkerchiefs? Indeed, but you _must_; it is woman's peculiar province to wash clothes. Men never wash properly: they either half do it or else beat to pieces whatever they may be washing in the vain endeavour to properly purify it. Now you _must_ let me have my own way just this once, please."

I still refused, and added laughingly: "It seems to me to be a part of your creed that 'it is woman's peculiar province' to do certain things for men; and that, if she is not at hand to do it, it cannot be done at all, or at all events in a satisfactory manner. I remember your urging the plea that 'it is woman's peculiar province' to cook, as a means whereby to gain my consent to your taking charge of that department; and very grateful am I to you for so doing, for we have enjoyed our meals as we never did before; but as to your doing any washing but your own, I cannot and _will_ not consent to it."

"But _why_ not?" she persisted. "Woman was created as a help-meet for man; and I am sure you will admit that our s.e.x is more thoroughly qualified for the performance of certain duties than is man; and, where that is distinctly the case, it seems to me to point naturally to the conclusion that such duties form a part of her share of the work necessary for the comfort and happiness of the race. Of course I would not offer to wash for you or for myself, if we were in a large ship and with proper servants to do such work; but in our present circ.u.mstances I see nothing whatever of a menial or degrading character in it."

"Perhaps not," I replied. "I cannot enter quite so deeply as you do into the question. I can only say that the idea is too repugnant for me to consent to any such division of the 'necessary work' so please say no more about it, for my mind is made up, and I can be as stubborn as Bob himself upon occasion."

"I quite believe you," she retorted, half playfully and half disposed to be angry, "though I do not consider Bob stubborn at all. _He_ always lets me do whatever I like; and what an original character he is. Do you know, I quite admire him. He is somewhat rough and unpolished, I admit, but he is as gentle to me as was my own dear mamma; and I hold to the opinion that a man who is gentle and courteous to women is a man of sterling worth, let his manner be as uncouth as it may. I believe that gentleness and courtesy to our s.e.x is the _first_ and most distinguishing mark of nature's n.o.bility. But why do you permit him to be so familiar and disrespectful in his manner of addressing you?"

"I do not consider him in the slightest decree disrespectful," I replied. "He is much older than I am, and a man of far wider experience, at all events in all matters connected with our profession; and that, and our long and severely-tried friendship, abundantly justifies the familiarity of his mode of address. I dislike formality with every one except strangers. It is all very well as a means of keeping at a distance those you dislike and have no desire to become intimate with, but it is a rather formidable barrier to friendship."

"So I think, responded Ella with animation. I _do_ so wish--"

"What?" I inquired. She hesitated a little and blushed a great deal, and then, apparently with some effort, replied:

"Well, I wish you would exchange the formal 'Miss Brand' for the more friendly and familiar 'Ella;' that is, if you consider me worthy of your friendship."

"I will indeed," I replied, "with very great pleasure, if you will permit me to do so; and I trust that you, in return, will call me, as I love to be called by all my friends--Harry."

"Very well," she replied gaily, "I will; that is, as long as you are good to me, and do not displease me in any way. The sign of my sovereign displeasure will be a return to the formality of 'Mr Collingwood.'"

We chatted blithely on after this upon all sorts of subjects, and I was both surprised and delighted at the depth and extent of my companion's information. She had evidently read much, and, what was more to the purpose, had selected her reading with sound judgment, storing her mind abundantly with useful facts which she always had ready for production in support of an argument, or by way of ill.u.s.tration, and she frequently graced her conversation with choice quotations, introduced in the best taste and with a manner as far as possible removed from anything like affectation or pedantry. I was charmed beyond measure, and over and over again thanked the lucky accident which had rendered it my good fortune to be put upon terms of such close intimacy with so fascinating a little creature.

At length we completed our tour of the northern end of the island, returning by way of the eastern sh.o.r.e, until we were abreast the clump of cocoa-nut trees; when we struck inland; and, after a somewhat tortuous course between the thick-growing shrubs, reached the beach on our own side once more.

Unfortunately for Ella's projected laundry operations, we had not been able to discover the slightest sign of a spring of fresh water anywhere.

When we arrived opposite the point where the _Water Lily_ rode peacefully at anchor, Bob was nowhere to be seen. The boat still remained moored to the shrub, as we had left her, so I concluded that he had grown tired of inactivity and had gone off, in the opposite direction to ourselves, for a stroll. I therefore proposed to Ella that she should rest awhile upon the soft, velvety turf, whilst I returned to the cutter for a piece of rope, to aid me in my ascent after the cocoa-nuts.

The rope was soon obtained; and, returning to the sh.o.r.e, I pa.s.sed it in a loose band round the trunk of one of the trees, leaving room in the band for the introduction of my own body.

By bearing against this whilst I raised my feet and then slipping the band up the tree, I was easily and quickly enabled to reach the fruit, from which I selected an abundant supply of the finest specimens and flung them to the ground.

Whilst thus engaged Bob hove in sight, and when I reached the ground again he reported that, having soon grown tired of doing nothing, he had started away on a walk to the southward, about half an hour after we left him, and had gone to the extreme end of the island; that he had enjoyed his walk amazingly, was excessively tired, and, like ourselves, had failed to find any fresh water.

Under these circ.u.mstances poor little Ella was compelled to postpone her washing-day, I promising that she should have the necessary time allowed her at the first suitable island we happened to reach.

By this time the dinner-hour was approaching, and Ella desired to be put on board the cutter to make the few slight preparations for the meal which were necessary.

As soon as we had put her on board and whilst she was thus engaged, I took Bob away with me in the boat to try for a few oysters. We had no means of trawling for them; but I estimated that they lay in not more than about two and a half fathoms of water, and I considered myself quite diver enough to reach that distance.

As soon as we arrived at the spot I stripped and plunged in, taking down with me an old canvas clothes-bag, which I slung round my neck.

I soon found that I had been deceived, by the crystal transparency of the water, into underestimating the depth. It was fully four fathoms to the bottom; and this, together with the difficulty I experienced in keeping the mouth of the bag open, necessitated four plunges before I had obtained half the bag full. There was not time to do more just then, so I dressed, the bag was hauled up, and we returned with our prize to the cutter.

We resolved to commence dinner with a course of oysters, and I forthwith proceeded to open some, a task which gave me a very considerable amount of difficulty.

Imagine, if you can, my surprise and delight when on opening the second oyster I found that it contained several small pearls; the third was opened, and it also contained several the fourth had none, but the fifth on being opened revealed three beauties, each as large as the top of my middle finger. To be brief, I was soon satisfied that I had stumbled upon a bed of pearl-oysters, about half of the bivalves yielding when opened more or less pearls, the greater quant.i.ty being small, such as are set in rings; but several good-sized pearls were also found, and one magnificent fellow, as large as a cherry.

As may easily be imagined, we were all excitement after this; and I proposed that, as soon as dinner was over, we should move the cutter down and anchor her upon the bed, and devote the remainder of the afternoon to systematic pearl-fishing. The proposition was rapturously received, Ella declaring that she had often read of pearl-fishing, and should very much like to witness the operation.

Accordingly, dinner was no sooner over than we weighed and stood down to the spot under our jib, and having reached it the cutter was anch.o.r.ed as nearly as possible over the centre of the bed. I had hit upon a plan by which, I thought, some of my difficulties of the morning might be got over; and, as soon as we were brought up, Bob and I got our floating-anchor on deck, stretched the canvas upon it, and rigging out our spinnaker-boom, a rope was pa.s.sed through the sheave in the outer end of it, and bent to the crowfoot of the floating-anchor, which thus hung suspended, like a large tray, over the water. It was then lowered to the bottom; a small pig of ballast was got on deck and slung to another rope's-end, and I then went below and changed my dress for an old white shirt and duck trousers, buckling a belt round my waist, to which, as it happened, a strong sharp sheath-knife was attached.

Being now ready to descend I looked over the side, and satisfied myself that our floating-anchor lay all right at the bottom, and in such a manner as properly to perform its new functions as a tray. I then slipped over the side into the water, grasping firmly the rope to which the piece of ballast was attached; and, having well filled my lungs with air, I waved my disengaged hand. Bob let go the rope, and the ballast draped me swiftly to the bottom.