Yr Ynys Unyg Part 14

_Schillie._--"Call it what you like, so we may have some preserved. I could eat it for breakfast, dinner, and tea. Now, here are your boots and shoes growing on this Ita palm. Look, my knowing little book says the leaves are enclosed in cases, which serve for shoes, and this is the exact description of these tall fellows. Now, June, if we can only take some home to Jenny she will be as pleased as Punch, and so shall I, for I did not think your fidgetiness would end in such a fine encouraging manner."

_Mother._--"But, good lack, as you say, how are we ever to get at them; this tree must be at least a hundred feet high, and all the others seem bigger, and all the leaves are at the top; almost sky-high they look."

_Schillie._--"We must cut one down, there is no help for it. I will run home for a couple of hatchets, and mind you don't stir from hence until I return, and don't get eaten up, for your life, by anything."

_Mother._--"Suppose you bring the girls with you; we shall never cut it down ourselves without aching all over, and they will be so glad to get out of school."

_Schillie._--"I'll be bound they will. But first I shall say only those are to come out who have been good, for the pleasure of seeing Miss Gatty screw up her countenance into ineffable disgust, for I know she will have been naughty."

_Mother._--"You know you will do nothing of the sort, but, on the contrary, say that Gatty is more wanted than the others."

_Schillie._--"I confess I have a weakness for that child, she is so preposterously mischievous."

_Mother._--"Now I have a weakness for her, because she is like the knights of old, 'the soul of honour.' Now she fires up, and now she ruins her pocket handkerchiefs if anything is said derogatory to her own country or to her Queen. Did you hear or rather see her this morning while they were reading their history, when Madame praised Napoleon Buonaparte at the expense of the Duke of Wellington?"

_Schillie._--"Yes. I mis...o...b.. me that I shall find her in sad disgrace.

She will have endeavoured to soothe her wounded feelings by putting spiders on Sybil, changing Serena's book, mislaying Madame's alderman, which is neither more nor less than the name Gatty has given that great fat pencil with which Madame marks their books, and rat-ta-ta-tals them up when they are looking dull and stupid."

_Mother._--"Don't come without her, however, for she is the strongest.

It's a pity Sybil is so good as never to be in disgrace, for her little delicate fingers are of no use in such a case."

_Schillie._--"Indeed Sybil and Serena are too stupid for anything. They learn all their books, they like all their lessons, they agree to all Madame's crink.u.ms crank.u.ms, and they are so horridly good, it quite puts me out."

_Mother._--"Pooh, nonsense. If we had three Gattys here we should find the island too hot to hold us. Be content at having two of the best girls in the world to deal with."

_Schillie._--"I must say Serena is a tip-top girl, she makes Miss Gatty look about her; but I must be off."

During her absence, I sat down upon an old stump of a tree, and by and by I heard a little rustling in the bushes, out of which came a sort of animal like a large rat, but it had a flat tail, and each side of this tail was adorned with hair like fringe. It looked at me steadily, and, except its tail, was not an ugly creature. I did not choose to be frightened; but still as another and another came, and all stood steadily gazing at me, I had a sort of qualm that some rats fly at one's throat, and, though not really injured, I might perhaps get severely bitten if they attacked me. I was therefore glad to hear the merry voices in the distance coming nearer and nearer; and, as the rats heard the unusual sounds, they slunk away as if by magic, for I could hardly perceive the movement by which they disappeared.

_Schillie_ (quite breathless).--"Well, here you are quite safe. I am always so afraid when I leave you that you get into some mischief. But you have seen something, I know by your face."

_Mother._--"Then don't look as if I was injured. I have only seen some odd-looking sorts of rats with flat tails."

_Schillie._--"Then Otty must come with his gun and shoot them, for I dare say now that snake is dead the animals of all kinds will increase very much. I only wish there was a snake among the gnat tribe. Anything like the way in which I am teased by things biting me is not to be described."

The girls were delighted with the business set before them, and even Madame appeared with a hatchet in her delicate fingers, but without being able to make even an apology of a stroke.

When the tree was down, we proceeded to shoe ourselves, intent upon delighting and surprising Jenny. But we never regarded a gummy substance exuding from all parts of the tree, which plagued us for some time afterwards, destroying the stockings, and very, very difficult to get off, also blistering the skin a little, but these sheathes for the leaves of the Ita palm really made capital shoes. We had only to dry them a little in the sun. They did not however last very long, and it was no uncommon thing for the boys to want a new pair every day.

Notwithstanding there being such an abundance of these naturally-growing ready-made shoes, we were not sorry at the ingenious invention of Sybil and Serena, who, after repeated efforts, contrived to plait most excellent shoes out of gra.s.s.

One day, penetrating a little farther than usual, we came to a rich little glen, running down to the sea. Here, digging up some plants, as was our usual custom, to make fresh discoveries, we found the mould of a beautiful bright red colour; this shaded off into deep chocolate or bright yellow. We could not discover any metallic substance in it, or that it tasted of anything, but it painted our fingers whenever we touched it, and when first turned up was glossy and shining. Near this place grew some sugar canes, curiously striped, and a tree or shrub, seven or eight feet high, with an oblong hairy pod; something like a chestnut, hanging to it; inside were about thirty or forty seeds, buried in a pulp of bright red colour, smelling rather fragrant. We found out afterwards that these seeds were good for fevers, and the pulp made very good red paint.

The tobacco plant we all knew very well. It grew in the most rank manner here. But one of the most lovely trees we had yet discovered was one twenty feet high, with a grey, smooth, shining trunk, apparently dest.i.tute of bark. It had beautiful dark green leaves, with an astonishing profusion of white flowers, so deliciously fragrant, that we sat to the wind side of it with the greatest delight. It had berries on it, out of which squeezed a sweet oil smelling of cloves.

We did not like the situation of our house nearly so much as on the cliffs; we had so little air, and were so much tormented by insects of all kinds. Some of the ant hills were at least three feet high; and upon merely walking near them, the angry little inhabitants came swarming out in mult.i.tudes to resent the supposed injury.

On the cactuses, which grew very large, and in a most luxuriant manner, we discovered what we supposed were the insects for making cochineal, but we did not think that a grand discovery, but, on the contrary, thought the cotton plant a much greater gift.

I had been used to spin when in Scotland, having taken a fancy to the thing. But, not all the wishes in the world could produce a spinning wheel, so I kept my desires secret until I saw some hope of accomplishment. Every day each person had to bring in their quota of discoveries and additions to our larder and stores, for, though we knew nothing about the climate we imagined ourselves looking remarkably silly, should bad weather come on, and find us unprovided.

Taking one day as a specimen for all the rest, after three hours exploring, in different parties, we produced our treasures, as follows:--Madame had gathered a number of small reeds or rushes, out of which she had concocted two very pretty and useful baskets, one of which had been immediately appropriated by a hen. For, while she was busy with the other, this hen thought she had never beheld so cosy a nest, and, therefore, laid an egg in it. This was of course given to Madame, for her supper, as a reward for her ingenuity. Schillie came dragging with her, besides innumerable other plants and curiosities, an enormous root, as thick as her waist.

_Schillie._--"Now then, young ones, come round and see what this is. You see when I cut it what milky stuff flows from it."

"Yes," said they, "we see; may we not have some to put into our own tea?

It is so nasty without milk."

_Schillie._--"For goodness sake, brats, don't be so rash, it's rank poison."

_Mother, Madame, and a whole Chorus._--"Then, what good is it to us?"

_Schillie._--"Well! don't make such a row, and you shall see. Here, Jenny, you and some of the young ladies help me to rasp or sc.r.a.pe it up, but, for your life don't let it touch the skin, or you may die, but, at all events, you may get blisters on your hands."

_Mother_ (very cross).--"How can you be so absurd, Schillie, as to bring such a dangerous thing amongst the children?"

_Schillie._--"Now, pray, keep yourself quiet until I have hurt one of them. You told me to make discoveries, and this is a superb one. Now, we have got a good heap. Fetch a cloth, Jenny, pop it in; now hold one while I hold the other, and twist and squeeze as if Master Felix's life depended thereon. And now behold."

So opening the cloth we discovered some nice white flowery-looking stuff, which she declared was tapioca, and which we discovered made most excellent bread. We really voted this discovery of the ca.s.sada root quite a grand discovery, though I was always very fidgety about the poisonous milk in it. But the loaves made from the flower were delicious. She, of course, had many more things to show us, but I will only take one from each of us. Sybil had been indefatigable in her search for hemp, and had found a species of gra.s.s, which she had beaten between two stones in the water, and it had spread into innumerable fine threads, so that hers was a most valuable discovery. Serena had found a perfect horde of turtle's eggs, besides eggs innumerable of all kinds of birds. Gatty, we all knew, could not have discovered much, for she had been running from one Mother to another, flying off again to the girls, helping the little ones in innumerable difficulties, and doing anything but minding her own duties. However, nothing undaunted, she opened an apology for a handkerchief, and out waddled a large odd crab, for which Schillie greatly applauded her, and said she would have him boiled for supper. "But I have discovered something else," said Gatty, with a mischievous twinkling of her eyes, and opening a paper box, out sprang a horrible spider, three inches round I am sure, black and hairy, faintly spotted. Madame and Sybil fled, the little ones shrieked, Schillie scolded, and in the midst of the uproar the spider bolted, and peace was restored. Zoe had discovered a beautiful species of jessamine tree, most fragrant in smell, and on which, for a wonder, there were no insects whatever, and she therefore supposed it must be something good.

We found out that no ants would touch the wood, so it proved very useful to us. Winny bent and quivered under the weight of an enormous curiously-shaped gourd, and triumphantly declared her discovery was nearly as big as the little Mother's. "But it is no discovery, little one," said Serena, "for we have had gourds before." "But it is a discovery," persisted the little one, "for it is such a big fellow, and it has a growing in and a growing out, quite unlike the others." So we thanked her warmly, and Jenny said she was and had been undone to possess a gourd of that very particular shape. Lilly had discovered so many wonderful things (upon supposition) that we contented ourselves with thanking her for some large and useful sh.e.l.ls which would serve for many purposes. The boys had been so intent on manufacturing fishing lines that they had spent their time wandering vaguely about, hoping fishing lines would fall from the skies for them, but as no such thing happened, they had pulled long hairy lines from the cactuses, and they had also brought in their pockets a fruit like an apple outside, but it was full of an insipid kind of custard. Jenny had got some sand for scouring her floors and kettles, also she said she had got a plant that looked like one in an old book she had, from which they made soap. This we found correct, and it proved a most valuable discovery; it was called the soap-wort. Hargrave had contented herself with gathering the most beautiful flowers she could see, at the same time bewailing over their rapid destruction, only wishing that they were artificial ones that she might ornament the young ladies' dresses. It was on this day that my discovery consisted of the cinnamon tree. But all this will appear tedious, so I will go on to the time when we were roused from our discoveries, pretty walks, out-door amus.e.m.e.nts, and healthy exercise, by a terrific thunder storm.

CHAPTER XXV.

We had become somewhat accustomed to the storms, and, though this one was terrific, and also followed by no interval of sunshine to break us in for the wet weather, yet our condition was so greatly ameliorated, we thought but little of it. Our house was waterproof even when the rain came down like the sea itself pouring over us. The wind was furious, but the nook we had selected was most sheltered, and, but for the uproar it made among the trees, we should have hardly known the real extent of the hurricane. Sometimes the thunder cracking over our heads awoke us in the night, and we congregated together for companionship and comfort. In the day-time we were very busy; I was inventing a spinning wheel; Schillie and the girls concocting chessmen; the boys knocking up shelves, seats, and boxes; the maids labouring through a perfect hayc.o.c.k of rent clothes and damaged stockings; somebody always singing, and sometimes that somebody was everybody. In the evening, Madame played, and everybody danced for an hour by the light of one candle; when breathless and tired, stories were told, each taking it in turn. A quick and pleasant three weeks pa.s.sed, for which we daily thanked the Giver of all good.

When the sun shone once more our occupations were innumerable, leaving us no leisure from early morn, until the darkness came. What with gardening, lessons, manufacturing food and clothes, we had our hands full. It was astonishing to see how active the young ones were in turning everything to use; how quick and clever they became in all sorts of ways that belonged more to older heads. It is true there were some symptoms of fine ladyism that grumbled at washing clothes, grinding sand, and cleaning up dirty dishes; the latter was carried to so great a height that Zoe and Lilly came to me with a flat refusal to wash the breakfast plates. "Why?" said I. "Because they are so dirty," said they.

"Very well," said I, "you need not do it." But they never objected again to any work, for their dirty plates were put before them, without any remark, each day, until they washed them of their own accord; and the elder girls let slip no opportunity of commenting upon fine ladies, who expressed great anxiety to help others, but must have the plates cleaned before they could wash or wipe them, and supposed they must have people to sweep the way before them, others to hand their food to their mouths.

In fact, the irony ran so high, and was felt so sorely, that a private pet.i.tion was sent in to have it stopped. This I was most glad to do, for our meals had been rendered a little unpleasant by mortified tears bedewing the face of the gentle Zoe, while indignant sobs and haughty looks betokened the hara.s.sed feelings of the high-spirited Lilly.

As may be supposed, we had many conversations regarding our future fate, and the probability of pa.s.sing our days in this island.

_Mother._--"It is the idea which always makes me so anxious, Schillie, to retain every possible memorial of our civilized life. Should our children and their descendants remain on this island, they will live to thank the Mother who worries you so with all the spinning, weaving, and other inventions that tease you."

_Schillie._--"So you expect the children to marry, do you? Well, there will be plenty of old maids left to keep up the civilized art of scandal, seeing there are but two husbands for these six girls."

_Felix._--"Don't call me a husband, cousin Schillie, for I don't intend to marry."

_Oscar._--"I don't mind marrying Gatty, because she will go out shooting with me."

_Schillie._--"And what has set you against matrimony, you imp of mischief?"

_Felix._--"Why I don't like being called grandfather, and so I won't marry and have grandchildren."

This unfortunate announcement drew upon him the fate he wished to avoid, and, spite of his indignation, and tears, "grandfather" became his _sobriquet_ until they were tired of the joke.