The Swiss Family Robinson Part 13

It would have been impossible to return to land that same evening, for we were thoroughly fatigued by our labors, and had eaten only the light refreshment we had brought in our wallets, scarcely desisting a moment from our work.

Rejoicing that we were not expected home, we now made an excellent supper from the ship's provisions, and then rested for the night on spring mattresses, a perfect luxury to us, after our hard and narrow hammocks.

Next morning we actively set about loading the raft and boat: first carrying off the entire contents of our own cabins; and pa.s.sing on to the captain's room, we removed the furniture, as well as the doors and window-frames, with their bolts, bars, and locks. We next took the officers' chests, and those belonging to the carpenter and gunsmith; the contents of these latter we had to remove in portions, as their weight was far beyond our strength.

One large chest was filled with an a.s.sortment of fancy goods, and reminded us of a jeweler's shop, so glittering was the display of gold and silver watches, snuff-boxes, buckles, studs, chains, rings, and all manner of trinkets; these, and a box of money, drew our attention for a time; but more useful to us at present was a case of common knives and forks, which I was glad to find, as more suited to us than the smart silver ones we had previously taken on sh.o.r.e. To my delight we found, most carefully packed, a number of young fruit trees: and we read on the tickets attached to them the names, so pleasant to European ears, of the apple, pear, chestnut, orange, almond, peach, apricot, plum, cherry, and vine.

The cargo, which had been destined for the supply of a distant colony, proved, in fact, a rich and almost inexhaustible treasure to us.

Ironmongery, plumber's tools, lead, paint, grindstones, cart wheels, and all that was necessary for the work of a smith's forge, spades and plowshares, sacks of maize, peas, oats, and wheat, a hand-mill, and also the parts of a saw-mill so carefully numbered that, were we strong enough, it would be easy to put it up, had been stowed away.

So bewildered were we by the wealth around us that for some time we were at a loss as to what to remove to the raft. It would be impossible to take everything; yet the first storm would complete the destruction of the ship, and we should lose all we left behind. Selecting a number of the most useful articles, however, including of course the grain and the fruit trees, we gradually loaded our raft. Fishing lines, reels, cordage, and a couple of harpoons were put on board, as well as a mariner's compa.s.s.

Fritz, recollecting our encounter with the shark, placed the harpoons in readiness; and amused me by seeming to picture himself a whaler, flourishing his harpoon in most approved fashion.

Early in the afternoon, both our crafts were heavily laden, and we were ready to make for the sh.o.r.e. The voyage was begun with considerable anxiety, as, with the raft in tow, there was some danger of an accident.

But the sea being calm and the wind favorable, we found we could spread the sail, and our progress was very satisfactory.

Presently, Fritz asked me for the telescope, as he had observed something curious floating at a distance. Then handing it back, he begged me to examine the object; which I soon discovered to be a turtle asleep on the water, and of course unconscious of our approach.

"Do, father, steer toward it!" exclaimed he.

I accordingly did so, that he might have a nearer look at the creature.

Little did I suspect what was to follow. The lad's back was turned to me, and the broad sail was between us, so that I could not perceive his actions; when, all of a sudden, I experienced a shock, and the thrill of line running through a reel. Before I had time to call out, a second shock, and the sensation of the boat being rapidly drawn through the water, alarmed me.

"Fritz, what are you about?" cried I, "you are sending us to the bottom."

"I have him, hurrah! I have him safe!" shouted he, in eager excitement.

To my amazement, I perceived that he really had struck the tortoise with a harpoon; a rope was attached to it, and the creature was running away with us.

Lowering the sail and seizing my hatchet, I hastened forward, in order to cut the line, and cast adrift at once turtle and harpoon.

"Father! do wait!" pleaded the boy, "there is no danger just yet? I promise to cut the line myself the instant it is necessary! Let us catch this turtle if we possibly can."

"My dear boy, the turtle will be a very dear bargain, if he upsets all our goods into the sea, even if he does not drown us too. For Heaven's sake be careful! I will wait a few minutes, but the minute there is danger, cut the line."

As the turtle began to make for the open sea, I hoisted the sail again; and, finding the opposition too much for it, the creature again directed its course landward, drawing us rapidly after it. The part of the sh.o.r.e for which the turtle was making was considerably to the left of our usual landing place. The beach there shelved very gradually, and at some distance from land we grounded with a sharp shock, but fortunately without a capsize.

The turtle was evidently greatly exhausted, and no wonder, since it had been acting the part of a steam tug, and had been dragging, at full speed, a couple of heavily laden vessels. Its intention was to escape to land; but I leaped into the water, and wading up to it, dispatched it with my ax. Such was its tenacity of life, however, that it did not cease its struggles, until I had actually severed its head from its body.

As we were by no means far from Falconhurst, Fritz gave notice of our approach by firing off his gun, as well as shouting loudly in his glee; and, while we were yet engaged in securing our boats and getting the turtle on sh.o.r.e, the whole family appeared in the distance, hastening eagerly toward us; and our new prize, together with the well-laden boat and raft, excited the liveliest interest; my wife's chief pleasure, however, consisted in seeing us back, as our night's absence had disturbed her, and she was horrified by the description of our dangerous run in the wake of the fugitive turtle.

Being anxious to remove some of our goods before night, the boys ran off to fetch the sledge; while I, having no anchor, contrived to moor the boats by means of some of the heavy blocks of iron we had brought.

It required our united strength to get the turtle hoisted on to the sledge, its weight being prodigious; we found it, indeed, with the addition of the sapling fruit trees, quite a sufficient load.

We then made the best of our way home, chatting merrily about our various adventures. The first thing to be done on arriving was to obtain some of the turtle's flesh and cook it for supper. To my wife this appeared necessarily a work of time, as well as of difficulty; but I turned the beast on its back, and soon detached a portion of the meat from the breast with a hatchet, by breaking the lower sh.e.l.l: and I then directed that it should be cooked, with a little salt, sh.e.l.l and all.

"But let me first cut away this disgusting green fat," said my wife, with a little shudder. "See how it sticks all over the meat. No one could eat anything so nasty."

"Leave that fat, whatever you do!" exclaimed I. "Why, my dear, that is the very best part, and the delight of the epicure. If there be really too much, cut some off--it can be used as lard, and let the dogs make a supper of the refuse."

"And the handsome sh.e.l.l!" cried Fritz; "I should like to make a water-trough of that, to stand near the brook, and be kept always full of clear water. How useful it would be!"

"That is a capital idea," I replied, "and we may manage it easily, if we can find clay so as to make a firm foundation on which to place it."

"Oh, as to clay," said Jack, "I have a grand lump of clay there under that root."

"Well done, my lad! when did you find it?"

"He found a bed of clay near the river this morning," said his mother, "and came home in such a mess, I had regularly to sc.r.a.pe his clothes and wash him thoroughly!"

"Well, mother, I can only tell you I should never in all my days have found the clay, if I had not slipped and fallen among it."

"That I can well believe," returned his mother; "only, to hear your talk this morning, one would have thought your discovery of clay the result of very arduous search indeed."

"When you have ended the question of the clay and the turtle sh.e.l.l,"

said Ernest, "I should like to show you some roots I found to-day; they are getting rather dry now. They look something like radishes, although the plant itself was almost a bush; but I have not ventured to taste them, although our old sow was devouring them at a great rate."

"In that you did wisely, my boy. Swine eat many things injurious to men.

Let me see your roots. How did you discover them?"

"I was rambling in the wood this morning, and came upon the sow, very busy grubbing under a small bush, and eating something ravenously; so I drove her away, and found a number of these roots, which I brought for you to see."

"Indeed, Ernest," I exclaimed, after taking the roots in my hand and considering them attentively, "I am inclined to believe that you have really made a brilliant discovery! If this proves to be, as I expect, the manioc root, we might lose every other eatable we possess, and yet not starve. In the West Indies, cakes called ca.s.sava bread are made from it; and, already having potatoes, we shall be very independent if we can succeed in preparing flour from these roots. Great care must be taken in the manufacture to express the juice, otherwise the flour may be injurious and even poisonous.

"If we can collect a sufficient quant.i.ty, we will attempt bread-making.

I think I know how to set about it."

Finding there was still time to make another trip with the sledge, I went off with the elder boys, leaving Franz with his mother; and we all looked forward with satisfaction to the prospect of the princely supper they were to have ready for us, for our day's work had been none of the lightest.

"I have been thinking about my turtle, father," said Fritz, as we went along; "is not the sh.e.l.l very valuable? Surely beautiful combs, boxes, and a number of ornamental things are made of tortoise sh.e.l.l, and if so, it seems a pity to use it for a water trough."

"Your turtle, Fritz, is only fit for eating, its sh.e.l.l is worthless as regards ornament; whereas the species whose sh.e.l.l is prized so much is unfit for food. Tortoise sh.e.l.l is subjected to the action of the heat, the outer layer peels off, leaving a beautifully marked, semi-transparent surface, which is susceptible of a very high polish."

The sledge quickly received its second load from the raft. Chests, four cart-wheels, and the hand-mill were placed on it, with all manner of smaller articles, and we lost no time in returning to Falconhurst.

The mother welcomed us joyfully, for she said we had been regularly overworked during the last two days. "However, now you are come home to rest," said she, "and you little think what refreshment awaits you here in the shade. Come and see my cellar!" and she smilingly exhibited a small cask, half sunk in the ground, and well sheltered with leaves and branches.

"Ah! you wonder where this came from," continued the mother; "well, I found it myself on the sands, to-day, while you were all absent; and fancying it was wine of some sort, I got it up here on purpose to be ready for you. The boys are most anxious to know what sort of wine it will prove to be."

As the simplest method of ascertaining this, I inserted a straw at the vent-hole, and presently announced, that in all my life I had never enjoyed a more delicious draught of Canary sack. The mother was immediately pleased to find that her exertions in my behalf had not been thrown away, and the boys pressed around me, armed with straws and begging for a taste.

After so strongly expressing my own enjoyment of the wine, it seemed unreasonable to deny them this, and I let them come in turns, but was speedily obliged to call a halt; for the rogues got so eager and excited that I had to reprove them for their greediness, and warn them of the risk they ran of being intoxicated. In fact, I blamed myself for allowing them to have this strong wine as a beverage at all. They were wholly unaccustomed to it, and were, besides, fatigued and very hungry.

Supper was more to the purpose; and, as the turtle proved delicious, it was heartily enjoyed, and gave us strength to haul the mattresses we had brought from the ship up into our sleeping rooms, so that very refreshing slumbers closed the day.

Early next morning I got up without rousing any of the others, intending to pay a visit to the beach; for I had my doubts about the safety of my vessels on the open sh.o.r.e. The dogs were delighted when I descended the ladder, and bounded to meet me; the c.o.c.ks crowed and flapped their wings; two pretty kids gamboled around; all was life and energy; the a.s.s alone seemed disinclined to begin the day, and as I especially required his services, this was unfortunate. I put his morning dreams to flight, however, and harnessed him to the sledge; the cow, as she had not been milked, enjoyed the privilege of further repose, and, with the rest of the family, I left her dozing.