The Voyages of the Ranger and Crusader Part 19

While they remained in the neighbourhood Paul, however, could not help looking round every now and then, expecting to see Tippo Sahib charging out of the wood towards him.

On returning to the sh.o.r.e, they found young Broke by the side of the cows. "Look here," he exclaimed, "the creatures have got first-rate milk. If I had a bowl now, I might carry some for little Bessy. I should not be surprised but what it would set her all to rights."

"Well, then, boy, you run back and get the women to give you a couple of cans, and tell four or five of the men to come along and take the seals'

flesh to the village, while we three remain here fishing."

Young Broke ran off in high glee; and as the Miss Morleys came out of their cottage in the morning, he appeared with a bowl of fresh milk in his hands.

"Where have you got that, my boy?" asked f.a.n.n.y.

"Please, miss, we killed some cows this morning, and I have brought it for little Bessy," answered the boy.

"Some cows!" exclaimed Mrs Twopenny, who had just joined her friends.

"I had no idea there were any on the island. And could the men have been so foolish as to kill them?"

"They are not real cows, please, marm," answered young Broke, "but those fish sort of creatures. The doctor has tasted the milk, and he says it is much better than goats' milk, and will do the little girl a great deal of good. There's more than she can want, and I hope that you ladies will take the rest. I must be off again, because I have to bring some fish for Mrs Rumbelow to cook for your breakfast."

Without waiting to receive the thanks of the ladies, the lad hurried away.

Mrs Rumbelow boiled some of the seals' milk, of which there was a good supply, with sugar, in order to preserve it. So beneficial was its effect on the children, with the a.s.sistance of the fish, that the doctor was now able to commence his proposed exploring expedition. He and Captain Twopenny, carrying their guns, set out at daybreak the next morning, accompanied by w.i.l.l.y and Peter, with axes in their belts, and Tom Wall and d.i.c.k Sharp, the two latter taking their clubs to do battle with any seals they might encounter. The doctor had also a wooden spade with a sharp point which he had manufactured, and carried like a sword by a belt round his waist. w.i.l.l.y had a similar implement, which he had made after the doctor's model.

"If I mistake not, Dicey, we shall find our tools of as much value as our guns," observed the doctor. "By their means we may discover the treasures hidden beneath the soil, and which we can at all times obtain; whereas the birds may fly away, and the beasts, if any exist besides seals, may not always be found."

The explorers soon began to climb the steep sides of a mountain which rose beyond the harbour. "Why, surely this country must be inhabited,"

exclaimed w.i.l.l.y, as they got into a pathway which led up the mountain.

"It is very evident that such is the case, but we have already made acquaintance with the inhabitants," said the doctor. "This is a seals'-track; and, see, there are others leading up from the water. The creatures are fond of travelling inland, though I should not have supposed they would have made their way up the mountains."

They followed the track for a considerable distance, and still it continued, till they calculated that they were at least four miles from the sh.o.r.e. They were struck by the evergreen appearance of the trees and the herbage generally. Some of the trees were in blossom.

"Here, here," cried w.i.l.l.y. "Look at these red berries. They seem quite ripe, and I saw several birds perched on the tree eating them."

The doctor hastened up, and nibbled one of the berries in a cautious manner, to ascertain its nature.

"Ah, yes, a subacid flavour; they are wholesome, I should think. Peter, just eat a handful, and we will judge whether or not they are poisonous."

"But suppose they prove the latter?" asked Peter.

"Why, then you will have the honour of suffering for the benefit of science," answered the doctor, laughing. "But you need not be alarmed; I will set you an example."

The doctor tasted another berry. Peter then ate nearly a handful, acknowledging that, though the flavour was pleasant, they were very acid.

"We will mark the spot," said the doctor, "and on our way back carry a load down to Mrs Rumbelow to preserve."

"But where is the sugar to come from, doctor?" asked w.i.l.l.y; "we have but a small stock remaining."

"Perhaps we may find some on our journey," said the doctor. "Numerous roots possess saccharine qualities, and from the flavour of one I dug up just now I have hopes that we may manufacture sugar from it. At all events, it will form a valuable addition to our daily fare. What do you think of this?" The doctor produced a good-sized root, which resembled, on being cut open, something between a potato and a turnip, but of rather a drier character than either. "This will serve us for bread, if we cannot find anything better;" and the doctor tasted it two or three times.

"Yes, there is an abundance of saccharine in it," he observed, "and I have little doubt also that we can manufacture beer from it, which will suit the tastes of the men better than cold water, and serve instead of tea for all of us when our store runs short. If we find nothing else during our expedition, we should be well satisfied. But remember that, however insignificant a plant may look, we should examine it thoroughly to ascertain its character."

"I have seen plenty of those leaves at no great distance from the village," said Peter Patch; "but I had no idea that there were roots under them."

"Ah! so much the better; we shall have a supply of food at our doors, and when we return you shall go out and dig them up, Peter," said the doctor, who perhaps, rather doubted the correctness of the midshipman's a.s.sertion.

w.i.l.l.y and Peter in their eagerness frequently went ahead of the rest of the party. The latter was a little in advance of his companion, when he uttered a loud cry. "Oh! there is another of those horrid brutes." At that instant a fierce bellow was heard, and a huge tiger bull-seal started up and gazed fiercely at the midshipmen. They grasped their axes to attack the seal; but the animal, rushing forward, warned them that "discretion was the best part of valour." With such short weapons they could not hope to strike it without the risk of being seized by its formidable tusks.

"Run, Dicey, run," cried Peter; and w.i.l.l.y, brave as he was, felt that it was prudent to follow Peter's example. The seal came after them at full speed, bellowing loudly. His voice and their shouts brought the seamen to their a.s.sistance; but the animal, seeing fresh foes in front, turned aside, and before the men could reach it, dashed at a rapid rate through the bush.

The doctor and captain now joined the chase, and away they all went, the seal bellowing and the men shouting and laughing. The doctor, who was not so active as the rest of the party, was soon distanced. The captain in vain attempted to get a shot at the animal's head; he knew that a wound in any other part of the body would produce no effect. On went the seal, down the side of the mountain, following a well-marked track.

"Where he goes we can follow," cried w.i.l.l.y; "come on, come on." The seal soon showed that he could not only run for a short distance faster than they could, but that he could keep at the same speed for a longer time.

"This beats coursing," cried Peter Patch. "The creature will give us as good a chase as a hare. If we had but some dogs it would be fine fun.

We must have run a couple of miles already."

"We may have to run a couple more before we catch him," said w.i.l.l.y, "and it won't do to give it up."

They were approaching the sh.o.r.e, or, rather, the head of a gulf which ran up from it. Should the seal reach the water he would be lost. The party doubled their speed, when the animal, then about fifty yards ahead, suddenly disappeared. w.i.l.l.y and Peter could with difficulty stop, and save themselves from falling into a deep narrow gully with perpendicular sides which appeared before them. They leaned over the edge. It was thirty or forty feet deep, a stream of water running at the bottom. Had they gone over, they would probably have broken their necks.

"He will escape by the end of the gully," cried w.i.l.l.y. "Sharp and Wall, run round to the beach and try and stop him."

The men did as they were directed; while w.i.l.l.y and Peter scrambled down with the a.s.sistance of some bushes which grew in the sides to the bottom of the gully. On making their way towards the sea, they found that the gully was arched over, and they now entered a s.p.a.cious cavern, down the centre of which the stream made its way. It was separated into two parts by the stream; each part was about fifty feet long and fully twenty wide, while the roof appeared to be nearly thirty feet above their heads. A flood of light came through a round hole in the centre of the roof, and enabled them to survey the cavern. The walls and ground were perfectly dry, and they agreed that it would not be a bad place to live in, provided the wind did not set through it. As they were proceeding on, they heard the captain's voice shouting to them, he wondering where they had got to. Looking up, they caught sight of his head appearing through the hole.

"Here we are, all right," said w.i.l.l.y.

"Why, boys, how could you get down there?"

w.i.l.l.y told him.

"What has become of the seal?" asked the captain.

"I suppose he is somewhere not far off, if he hasn't reached the sea,"

answered Peter. "Yes, sure enough, and there he comes."

The seal at that moment appeared, rushing back, having encountered the men at the outlet.

"Run, Dicey, run," cried Peter, "or he'll be upon us."

The midshipmen were caught in a trap. It was more easy to climb down the side of the gully than to get up again. The monster came rushing towards them with open mouth. w.i.l.l.y this time determined not to fly, but, flourishing his axe, stood on the defensive. The consequences might have been serious had not the captain, getting sight of the animal at that moment, fired. The bullet struck it on the head, and though it did not stop its course altogether, w.i.l.l.y was enabled to spring out of its way, and Tom and d.i.c.k, coming up, despatched it with their clubs.

As no seals had been killed for several days, the meat was very acceptable.

"We may have some seal-steaks for dinner, at all events," said Peter, as the men prepared to cut up the animal.

Having performed their task, they were directed to carry the remainder of the seal's flesh to the village, while the captain and midshipmen, with a good supply of steaks, made their way up the side of the mountain. Following the seal-track, they at length found the doctor, who was sitting down, waiting their return.

"See, our island produces one species of ferae which I did not expect to find," he exclaimed, holding up an animal by the legs.

"Why, it's a cat," cried w.i.l.l.y.