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Mother Carey's Chicken: Her Voyage to the Unknown Isle, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 29. How Jack Did Not Appreciate A Storm |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. HOW JACK DID NOT APPRECIATE A STORM The night was intensely dark, not one star shining, and before many minutes had elapsed after the major's steps had died away the face of Mark's companion was invisible, and he could not help a sensation of awe invading his breast as he felt how absolutely alone they were, and this made him realise more fully the feelings of the stowaway, wounded and faint, and believing himself entirely alone in that desert place. But the darkness seemed to trouble no one else, for after saying a few words about its being a shame and that he could never forget it, Jimpny fell off at once into a deep sleep, his hard breathing telling its own tale; while Bruff and Jacko obtained a delicious couch by scratching away some of the dry sand and making pillows of the birds. More and more, as he listened to the breathings of his companion, Mark began to suffer from the horror of thick darkness. For to quote the familiar old term he could not see his hand before his face. Out by the edge of the lagoon, where a slight ripple was phosphorescent, it might have been possible, but there, beneath the shadow of the rocks, nothing could be seen. All was wonderfully still, not so much as a whisper could be heard of night bird or animal astir. Once he thought he heard a querulous cry far out on the shallow sea-washed shore such as a wading bird might make, but it was not repeated, and at last he found himself listening, with his heart beginning to beat heavily, for the terrible roaring sound, and the more he tried not to think about it the more the thoughts would come, till at last he felt sure that he could hear something moving in the jungle. Then again all was still, and though he had been in momentary expectation of hearing the awe-inspiring roar, it did not come, and he grew a little more calm, telling himself that he had nothing to fear, and wondering why he could not lie down and rest there as peacefully as the animals by his side, who were sleeping happily enough and troubling themselves not in the least about darkness or danger. All at once, after wondering how long it would be before the party came from camp, and making up his mind to be very watchful so that they should not pass him in the darkness, there was a vivid light, which showed the sand, the glistening sea, and the distant line of breakers quite plainly, followed at the distance of time of quite a minute by a low muttering roar which seemed to make the air quiver and the earth shake. Then all was black again for a time, during which, with the sensation of drowsiness which had been slowly coming on completely driven away, Mark sat and watched for the next flash of lightning, and before long it came, displaying the shapes of the clouds which overhung the sea. It was worth watching, for anything more grand could not be conceived. One moment everything was of a velvety blackness, then in an instant came the flash, the sky seemed to be opened to display the glories beyond of golden mountain, vivid blue sea, and lambent yellow plain. In the twinkling of an eye the sky closed again, and the darkness was more dense than before, while, as Mark sat thinking of the wonderful contrast between lying in his bed at home in North London and being there, once more came the deep, booming, heavy, metallic thunder. Again a pause, with the three sleepers breathing regularly. Mark was weary, his legs and back ached, and there was a suggestion of a blister on one heel; but he felt no inclination now to sleep, and lay there upon his chest listening for the dull sound of footsteps on the sand in company with the murmur of voices. Who would come? he asked himself. Mr Gregory and two men, or Small? He came to the conclusion that it would be Small, and at times he almost fancied that he heard the distant murmur of the boatswain's deep rough voice. Then came another flash more vivid than ever. And this time it was as he turned in the direction where Jimpny lay sleeping. The result was that he saw the poor fellow's swarthy panic-stricken countenance, and the dog and the monkey snuggled up together as comfortably as they could make themselves; and they did not even start as a tremendous peal of thunder broke, seeming as if it would shake the rocks down above their heads. Then all was pitchy blackness again, and the silence by contrast was awful. Another flash, and while it was quivering in the air the thunder came with one sudden instantaneous crash as if some magazine of powder had been exploded, while after the first burst the peal rolled round and round and slowly died away, as if it were passing along vast metallic corridors to be emptied far away in space. As Mark sat listening to the dying away of the thunder and watching for the next flash, comparing the noise with that which he heard from the jungle, and wondering why the one should be looked upon as a matter of course while the other caused the most acute horror, he became aware of a strange hissing sound, apparently at a great distance, but evidently coming on rapidly. The sound increased till, from a hiss it became a rush, then by rapid degrees a tremendous roar, and then, as if in an instant the hurricane was upon them, the rain came down in sheets, the sound swept by the rocks, and as the lightning flashed Mark became aware of the fact that the air looked thick and dense and as if filled by the spray from off the sea. But the storm swept over from behind, so that though the water poured down from all round the rock beneath which they were sheltered none was driven in. To sleep was out of the question had the watcher felt disposed, for he was bound to confess that it was impossible for help to come to him in the midst of such a terrific deluge. Meanwhile as the rain came down in a veritable water-spout, hissing angrily as if a myriad of serpents were in the air, the lightning flashed and the thunder roared so incessantly that it became almost a continual peal. At the best of times, and in company, the storm would have been attended by feelings of awe; but now, comparatively speaking, alone in that solitude with the deafening din and the terrible weird glare of the lightning flashing through the rain, Mark could not help for the second time that day a strange feeling of dread come upon him with chilling force. Just when the storm was at its worst there was a soft whining sound on his right, and as he sat up and listened in that direction a cold nose touched his hand, and Bruff thrust his head into his master's lap, uttering a low snuffling sound indicative of content. Almost at the same moment, as the thunder paused for a moment, came a whimpering chattering from his left, and a little thin hand caught hold of him. "Why, Jack, old fellow, frightened?" he said, as he passed his arm round the human-looking little animal. "Chick, chack!" cried Jack, and accepting the invitation he huddled up close to Mark's breast, tucking his nose under his arm, and directly after the lad could feel that both the thin little arms were clinging to him tightly. "No wonder I feel a bit afraid," he said to himself, "if they wake up and come to me for protection." And with something of a warm glow at his heart as he felt himself occupying the position of protector, he sat there waiting for the storm to cease, the danger dying out of his mind, his head drooping down upon his chest, and at last Mark and his two strange bed-fellows were fast asleep, with the thunder roaring to them its deep-toned lullaby till it slowly died away. Bruff was the first to wake and begin barking loudly, for Mark to start up in wonder, perfectly ignorant of where he was. It was as dark as ever, but the rain had ceased, the lightning merely flashed now and then, and there was a delicious sensation of cool freshness in the air which came most gratefully to the senses. "Where am I?" thought Mark, "and what does this mean?" for he had been awakened by the dog's barking from one of those heavy dreamless sleeps where the mind refuses to open and take in facts as quickly as do the eyes. The dog barked again more loudly than ever and now rushed from out of the shelving rocks. "Mark, ahoy! Where are you, lad?" "Here, father, here!" he shouted, but still wondering what it meant, till he heard the loud thud of approaching feet coming through the darkness, and once more there was a hail. "Where away, lad?" Mark ought to have answered, "Three points on your port-bow," but he was not well up in nautical terms in this, his first voyage, and so he simply cried out, "Here!" The result was that in a few minutes the captain, Small, and Billy Widgeon came feeling their way into the hollow. "Are you all right, my boy?" "Yes, father." "How dark it is! We were afraid we should miss you. Strike a light, Small, and let's see." The boatswain struck a match, and while the thin splint burned there was time for the position of all to be observed, and Billy Widgeon immediately placed himself alongside of Jack. "We started to come to your help directly the major came into camp," said the captain, "but we were driven to take shelter till the storm was over. I don't believe I was ever in such a downpour before." "How long did you have to wait?" asked Mark, who felt guilty at having been to sleep. "Six hours at least," said the captain. "It must be very nearly morning. How is Jimpny?" "He has been fast asleep all the time." "Well, then, we will not wake him," said the captain. "It is so intensely dark that we shall have difficulty in getting him home, and it can't be very long to-day." It was longer than the captain thought, but he sat chatting about how busy they had been setting up the second hut and improving the first, besides making preparations for their home becoming permanent. "The ship will supply us with endless useful things," he said, "even if much of the cargo is burned. This man has again proved himself a treasure, Mark, for it might have been a long time before we had explored far enough to enable us to find the hull." "When shall you go to see it, father?" asked Mark. "To-day, my boy. We'll get back to camp and have a good breakfast and then start. By the way, the major says you have got some capital birds." "Eight, and they are bigger than fowls. Curious-looking things, with a sort of helmet on their heads." "I think I know them," said the captain, "a sort of brush-turkey, I expect, the maleo birds I think they are called, and they are splendid eating. I don't think we shall starve, my lad." "Day!" said Mark eagerly, pointing to a faint gleam away to his right. "Yes; the first touch of dawn. I think we may prepare to go now. Get together the birds, my lads." Widgeon and Small obeyed, finding them already tied, and slinging them over their shoulders. "Now, Mark, wake up your companion," said the captain. "He ought to be able to walk after eight hours' rest." Jimpny started into wakefulness at a touch, and on being spoken to answered, in a vacant wandering way, something about the fire and wanting his spear; but the day was rapidly coming round, and the faces of those in the shelter of the rocks growing visible. "What's the matter?" said the stowaway suddenly. "Have they got off the bales and boxes.--No, I--I--is that you, Mr Mark?" "Yes, all right, Jimpny. Had a good sleep?" "Yes, I think so. I--I'm not quite awake. Yes, I recollect now." "Can you walk a couple of miles or so, my lad?" said the captain. "Yes, sir; yes, I can walk," said the stowaway; "but there are some birds here. Let me help carry the birds." "No, no; they're all right, my lad," said Small. "You carry yourself. That's enough for you to do. Ready, sir." "Come along, then," said the captain; and he led the way out into the delicious early morning with the light growing rapidly now and showing the trees laden with moisture, whose only effect upon the sand had been to beat it down into a firm path, so that they would have been able to go rapidly had it not been for the weakness of the stowaway. "Better when I've had some breakfast," he said feebly. "Been a bit bad, sir. Soon get well, though, now." He did not look as if he would, but there was plenty of the spirit of determination in him, and he plodded on till they came in sight of the grove where the huts had been set up, and there in the first beams of the morning sun the ladies could be seen anxiously on the look-out for the lost ones, while, to mingle matter-of-fact with sentiment, there, from among the rocks rose up in the glorious morning the thin blue smoke of the so-called kitchen fire, telling of what was to follow after the welcome--to wit, a good breakfast of fruit and freshly-caught fish, with other delicacies, perhaps, by way of a surprise. Safely back, and the night's anxieties soon forgotten in the light of the sun, the storm having made everything seem bright, and by comparison peaceful and calm. "Now, Mark," said the captain after the refreshing sensation consequent upon a good bathe and a hearty meal, "you will be too tired to go in search of the ship to-day." To which Mark gave a most emphatic "No," and declared himself quite ready for the start. _ |
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