The Voyages of the Ranger and Crusader Part 20

"Exactly so," said the doctor. "Our feathered friends will be much obliged to me for killing it. Should these creatures increase and multiply, they will in time nearly depopulate the island of its most attractive inhabitants."

The explorers now proceeded onwards for some way over very rough and uneven ground. As they were anxious to obtain a view of the whole island, they climbed to the highest point in sight, which the doctor calculated was about a thousand feet above the sea. Hence they could look around in all directions. On every side appeared rocky and barren heights, thrown up into all possible variety of shapes, while beyond was the ocean, now blue and calm, and shining in the rays of the bright sun.

The cold, however, was considerable, and all the places usually rendered soft by springs were frozen hard. This enabled them to proceed over spots they could not otherwise have crossed.

The scene was full of wild and rugged grandeur. Here and there perpendicular precipices and chasms, several hundred feet in depth, were visible, while the summit of the central mountain was crowned by a ridge of rock, which, from its appearance at a distance, they called the Giant's Coffin.

As the atmosphere was remarkably clear, the whole group could be seen, extending for about thirty-five miles in length from north to south, and fifteen miles at the broadest part from east to west. Several deep indentations forming harbours were observed, while a number of reefs, over which, even on that calm day, the surf broke violently, extended from the sh.o.r.e to a distance of ten miles. In the far north an island of some size could be seen, while several smaller islands appeared close to the rocky coast. The sh.o.r.es everywhere appeared clothed with scrub and stunted timber, but on some of the hills the trees were of respectable height and size.

"See," cried w.i.l.l.y, pointing to the north-east. "Is that smoke? Can it be a burning mountain?"

All the party looked, and though their eyes were not so keen as w.i.l.l.y's, they also distinguished a thick wreath of smoke ascending in the clear air. Though it was at a considerable distance off, yet, eager to ascertain its cause, they determined to make their way towards it.

After descending the mountain for some time, hunger compelled them to stop, as they had eaten nothing since daybreak. A fire was soon lighted, and their seal-steaks were soon spitted on sticks before it; while the doctor, after sc.r.a.ping several of the roots which he had just discovered, put them into the hot ashes. On being raked out, they were found to be tolerably well done, though somewhat hard and dry; but to people who had eaten neither bread nor vegetables for many weeks they were very welcome.

"We shall find a better way of cooking them by-and-by," observed the doctor. "We will try how they answer sc.r.a.ped or pounded; and though they may not be very palatable, they will a.s.sist materially in keeping us in health. Well, Peter, do you feel any uncomfortable sensations."

"I hope not," answered the midshipman, surprised at the question.

"We may then venture to make our desert on the berries," said the doctor, laughing. "We are much obliged to you for having proved them not to be poisonous, but I had my doubts, I confess."

"What a shame!" cried Peter. "Suppose I had died, what would you have said?"

"Oh, there was no fear of that," answered the doctor. "In case of accidents I brought some antidotes in my pocket, and should soon have got you round again."

"The next time, please make your experiments on Dicey," cried Peter.

"It is not fair that I should be the only one to run the risk of being poisoned. Suppose your antidotes had failed?"

"The doctor fixed on you, Peter, as the least likely to be missed of the party," said w.i.l.l.y. "You know you have never done anything for the common good." Peter had, in truth, generally preferred wandering about the harbour, and scrambling over the rocks, to working.

"But I found the roots, and could have got any quant.i.ty," he exclaimed.

"Yes, but you dug none up, and told no one of them," rejoined w.i.l.l.y.

"Well, you shall see that I can be of as much use as you are, Master Dicey," exclaimed Peter, bristling up.

"Come, boys, no quarrelling," cried the doctor. "It's time we were moving."

Refreshed by their frugal repast, the explorers proceeded on their way.

They found the road far more difficult than they had expected, and soon came to the edge of a steep precipice, down which it was impossible to get; and they had, therefore, to scramble a mile or more before they found a practicable path into the valley. They went along it for a considerable distance, hoping to be able to climb up the cliff; but the sides were perfectly perpendicular, and at last they determined to turn back and make their way by the sh.o.r.e. Just then w.i.l.l.y, who had run on ahead, shouted out, "I see a break in the cliff, and very possibly we may get up by it." His advice was followed, and a.s.sisting each other, they succeeded at length in reaching the higher ground. Another high and steep hill appeared before them; but they, hoping to find the ground beyond more easy for travelling over, commenced the ascent. It was, however, steep and difficult, and in some places they came to perpendicular precipices, down which a fall would have proved fatal to any one who had happened to slip.

They had got about halfway down the mountain when a thick mist was seen sweeping over the sea from the southward. It came on so rapidly that before they could decide what path to follow they were entirely enveloped in it. They could now only venture to move with the greatest caution; any moment they might arrive at the edge of some frightful precipice similar to those they had before pa.s.sed. Anxious, however, to escape the cold and damp to which they were exposed on the mountain side, they descended by the only practicable route they could find. The mist every instant grew thicker, and the short day was drawing to a close. In what direction they were going they could not with any certainty tell. At last the captain declared that he would proceed no further. The doctor agreed with him. Just then they saw before them the edge of the forest, which reached up the mountain side to a considerable distance from the sh.o.r.e. They agreed that it would be wise to camp here for the night; and while w.i.l.l.y and Peter cut down some boughs to form a hut, and wood for fuel, the doctor and the captain endeavoured to shoot a few birds for supper. They could hear them singing in the woods in great numbers, but the mist shrouded them from their view till they were close upon them. The birds were, however, so tame that they succeeded in killing a few; and these, with some of the roots which the doctor dug up close at hand, gave them a sufficient meal.

As night came on, they made up their fire and crept into their leafy bower for shelter.

"I suppose, doctor, we ought, to keep watch," said w.i.l.l.y. "We may have a big tiger-seal poking his nose in among us, or there may be other wild beasts, though we have not seen them."

The doctor agreed to the wisdom of this, and when supper was over they drew lots as to who should keep the first watch. It fell upon w.i.l.l.y.

After they had sat up some time, the rest of the party went to sleep.

w.i.l.l.y had some difficulty in performing his duty, but by running out every now and then to throw a log on the fire he managed to keep his eyes open. As he did so on one occasion, he saw an animal scamper by him. "It looked very like a wolf," he said to himself. He got the doctor's gun to have a shot at it, should it again appear. There was no use, he thought, in waking up his companions. In a short time afterwards he heard a loud bark. He listened. The bark was repeated.

"Why, it's a dog. I wonder if there are people in the neighbourhood,"

he said to himself. "If there are, they will find us out; but they are not likely to be otherwise than friendly. However, when I call the captain I'll tell him to keep a sharp lookout." When at length his watch was over, he roused up Captain Twopenny and told him what had occurred.

"Perhaps there may be natives on the island, after all," observed the captain. "Depend upon it, I will not be taken by surprise."

w.i.l.l.y, who was longing to go to sleep, lay down, and before another minute had pa.s.sed was far away in the land of dreams. He was awoke by Peter Patch, who had had the last watch. Daylight was already breaking; the dogs had been heard barking during the night, and Peter said he had seen two or three creatures, which seemed from their movements to be like cats, stealing by; but each time, before he could get a shot, they had disappeared. Nothing else had occurred.

As the sun rose the mist cleared off; and as soon as they had breakfasted the doctor proposed that they should once more climb the mountain, in order to ascertain what direction to take. They had not gone far when some footmarks were observed on the soft ground over which they were crossing. The doctor examined them. "Hogs," he exclaimed.

"We shall have pork for dinner soon, I hope. They, at all events, are always in season, and will not take their departure like the seals and wild-fowl. We shall not starve here if like wise men we exert our wits.

Cats and dogs may serve us at a pinch; I prefer bacon. Captain, I daresay you will manage to shoot a porker before long."

This discovery put the whole party in spirits, the doctor was so positive about the matter. w.i.l.l.y had gone on as usual some way ahead, when, looking out in the direction the smoke had been seen, he caught sight of a large vessel hove to close to the sh.o.r.e. He could scarcely believe his eyes. He rubbed them again and again. There was no doubt about it. He waved to his companions, who made their way up to the rock on which he was standing. He pointed in the direction of the vessel.

"She is a long way off from this," observed the doctor, after looking at her for some moments. "We must get down to the beach as fast as we can."

"What has brought her in here, I wonder?" said Captain Twopenny.

"Probably the smoke we saw yesterday may have something to do with the matter," observed the doctor. "At all events, there is no time to be lost."

He gazed as he spoke over the intervening country. There were deep valleys to be pa.s.sed, and steep hills, with rugged rocks and precipices, to be scaled. Having taken the bearings of the vessel, they set out.

They first had to descend the mountain side. They soon came to a soft boggy ground, and were obliged to make a wide circuit to avoid it. Not without considerable difficulty did they at length reach the bottom of the valley. A stream was to be crossed; they waded through it, regardless of the cold. Now they came to a precipice. Considerable time was spent before they could find a way to the top. Then they were involved in a labyrinth of huge rugged rocks. The sun shining brightly enabled them to keep a tolerably correct course, otherwise it would have been difficult to determine in what direction they were going. On and on they went. The hope of obtaining relief for themselves and their friends kept up their spirits; but Peter Patch at length cried out that he could go no further. They had brought some baked roots and cooked wild-fowl with them. A stream which came trickling down the side of the hill afforded a refreshing draught of water. They would not stop to light a fire, but, taking a hurried meal, again pushed on. The doctor himself confessed that he was beginning to get knocked up; still they thought that they must soon reach a height from which they could make a signal to the ship. For the last hour or more, however, they had been unable to get sight of her.

"Had she been at anchor, I should have had more hopes of doing so," said the doctor; "but still we must not despair."

"That's the hill," cried w.i.l.l.y; "I know it by its shape. If we can get to the top of it we shall reach the sh.o.r.e in a short time."

The rest of the party thought w.i.l.l.y was right, and thus encouraged, made their way with renewed ardour. The summit of the hill was free of trees. They gained it at length. w.i.l.l.y was the first to reach the top.

A cry escaped him. "She is gone! she is gone!" he exclaimed. He waved his cap frantically; he shouted as if his voice could reach across the intervening ocean. The rest soon joined him. A ship under all sail was standing away with a fresh breeze from the land, from which she was already some three miles distant.

"The smoke of a fire might still attract the attention of those on board," said the doctor. w.i.l.l.y and Peter ran down the hill, and began hewing away at the driest bushes they could find. A fire was soon lighted. More bushes were brought; a thick column of smoke ascended in the air. How eagerly they gazed at the receding ship. Still she stood on. No attention was paid to their signal.

"They either do not see it, or think that it is the result of accident,"

observed the doctor.

More bushes were thrown on the fire, and then they hurried down the hill.

"Perhaps she may be a sealer, and landed some of the crew to catch seals from the sh.o.r.e. If so, she may return," remarked the captain.

"She does not look like one," said w.i.l.l.y.

The bottom of the hill was reached. They made their way along the beach. In a sheltered spot a hut was seen. It was rudely constructed from the wreck of a vessel. Outside there were the ashes of a fire still smouldering; within were several bedplaces covered with leaves.

Other signs showed that it had been lately occupied. Whoever the people were, they had just been taken off by the ship,--probably part of the crew of some vessel wrecked on the sh.o.r.e. They looked about in the neighbourhood, and discovered six or seven mounds which had the appearance of graves.

"Well, my friends, I am very glad that the poor fellows, whoever they were, got away; and for ourselves, we are not worse off than we should have been had we not discovered them," observed the philosophical doctor. "Don't let us be cast down. If one vessel comes, so may another; and next time we may be more fortunate. And now I advise that without loss of time we make the best of our way back to the settlement."

As the sh.o.r.e appeared for some distance tolerably free of rocks, they agreed to keep along it till compelled by the rising tide to take their way over higher ground. Still, as they walked along they could not help every now and then turning round to watch the receding ship. Gradually her hull disappeared, her courses sank beneath the horizon, the topsails followed, and then w.i.l.l.y alone could discern a small dark speck, which soon faded from view. He heaved a sigh. "I should like to have sent home news, at all events, that I was safe, and perhaps Charles and the girls may by this time have reached New Zealand. They will be very sorry when they hear that the ship has been lost, and of course they will think that I was lost in her." w.i.l.l.y seldom allowed himself to give way to thoughts like these.

The doctor was very anxious to get back that night; so, although pretty well knocked up himself, he urged his companions to proceed as fast as they were able. For several miles they continued along the beach, occasionally having to climb over high ledges of rocks which jutted out into the water, or to go round bays or small inlets. Still, after the experience they had had of the interior of the island, they considered that this road was less fatiguing than the way they had come. Seeing a succession of rocks running out into the ocean, they were at length about to strike across the country, when a small hut was discovered at the head of a little bay just below them.

"Why, perhaps, after all, there are human beings besides ourselves on the island," exclaimed w.i.l.l.y.