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Jules Verne - "In Search of the Castaways"

Robert W. Service - "Rhymes of a Rolling Stone"

Charles Dickens - "The Pickwick Papers"

Baroness Orczy - "El Dorado"

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C >> Captain Marryat >> Project Gutenberg surfs with a modem donated by Supra.




A fortnight more passed away in continual hard work, but the house was
at last finished, and very complete, compared to the one they were
residing in. It was much larger, and divided into three rooms by the
deal planking: the middle room which the door opened into was the
sitting and eating room, with a window behind; the two side rooms were
sleeping-rooms, one for Mrs. Seagrave and the children, and the other
for the male portion of the family.

"See, William," said Ready, when they were alone, "what we have been
able to do by means of those deal planks; why, to have floored this
house, and run up the partitions, would have taken us half a year if we
had had to saw the wood."

"Yes; and what a comfort it is to have so many shelves about. When
shall we shift into this house?"

"The sooner the better. We have plenty of work still to do, but we can
work outside of the stockade."

"And what do you propose to do with the old house?" said William.

"We had better put some of our stores of least value in it for the
present, until we can fit up another storehouse inside the stockade."

"Then we'll put those casks in, for they take up a great deal of room."

"All but that large one, William; we shall want that. I shall fix it up
in a corner."

"What for, Ready?"

"To put water in."

"But we are closer to the spring than we were at the other house."

"I know that; but, perhaps, we may not be able to go out of the
stockade, and then we shall want water."

"I understand, Ready; how thoughtful you are!"

"If at my age I did not think a little, William, it would be very odd.
You don't know how anxious I am to see them all inside of this
defence."

"But why should we not come in, Ready?"

"Why, sir, as there is still plenty of work, I do not like to press the
matter, lest your mamma should be fidgeted, and think there was danger;
but danger there is; I have a kind of forewarning of it. I wish you
would propose that they should come in at once; the standing-bed places
are all ready, except the canvas, and I shall nail on new by to-night."

In consequence of this conversation, William proposed at dinnertime
that the next day they should go into the new house, as it was so much
more handy to work there and live there at the same time. Mr. Seagrave
was of the same opinion, but Mrs. Seagrave thought it better that
everything should be tidy first.

"Why, ma'am," said Ready, "the only way to get things tidy is to go
yourself and make them so. Nothing will ever be in its place unless you
are there to put it in."

"Well, Ready," said Mrs. Seagrave, "since you are against me as well as
all the rest, I give it up. and if you please we will shift over
to-morrow."

"Indeed, ma'am, I think it will be better; this is the last month of
fine weather, and we shall have plenty to do."

"Be it so, Ready; you are the best judge; to-morrow we will take up our
quarters in the stockade."

"Thank God!" muttered Ready very softly.

The next day was fully employed in changing their residence, and
shifting over the bedding and utensils; and that night they slept
within the stockade. Ready had run up a very neat little outhouse of
plank, as a kitchen for Juno, and another week was fully employed as
follows: the stores were divided; those of least consequence, and the
salt provisions, flour, and the garden produce, &c., were put into the
old house; the casks of powder and most of the cartridges were also put
there for security; but a cask of beef, of pork, and flour, all the
iron-work and nails, canvas, &c., were stowed away for the present
under the new house, which had, when built as a storehouse, been raised
four feet from the ground to make a shelter for the stock. This was
very spacious, and, of course, quite dry, and contained all they wished
to put in. Ready also took care, by degrees, to fill the large
water-butt full of water, and had fixed into the bottom a spigot for
drawing the water off.

"Well, Mr. Seagrave," said Ready on the Saturday, "we have done a good
many hard weeks' work lately, but this is the last of them. We are now
comfortably settled in our new house: our stores are all under cover,
and safe from the weather, and so we may now take things a little
easier. William and I must repair the boat, so that we may take a trip
round to examine how the stock and yams get on."

"And the bananas and the guavas," said Tommy.

"Why, we have quite forgotten all about them," observed Mrs. Seagrave.

"Yes, ma am; we have been so busy, that it is no wonder; however, there
may be some left yet, and I will go round as soon as the boat is able
to swim, and bring all I can find."

"We must put our seeds and potatoes in before the rainy season, Ready."

"It will be better, sir, if we can find time, as we shall not have much
more fine weather now; at all events, we can get them in at intervals
when the weather is fine. Now I shall go my rounds for turtle.
Good-night, ma'am, - good-night, sir. Come, William."

William and Ready succeeded in turning six more turtles to add to their
stock, and having taken a careful survey with the telescope, they came
back, fastened the door of the stockade, and went to bed.



Chapter LX

Another week passed away, during which Ready repaired the boat, and
William and Mr. Seagrave were employed in digging up the garden. It was
also a very busy week at the house, as they had not washed linen for
some time. Mrs. Seagrave and Juno, and even little Caroline were hard
at work, and Tommy was more useful than ever he had been, going for the
water as they required it, and watching little Albert. Indeed, he was
so active, that Mrs. Seagrave praised him before his papa, and Tommy
was quite proud.

On the Monday William and Ready set off in the boat to the little
harbour, and found all the stock doing well. Many of the bananas and
guavas had ripened and withered, but there were enough left to fill the
boat half full.

"We cannot do better than to leave the stock where it is at present,
William; they can run into the cocoa-nut grove for shelter if there is
a storm, and there is feed enough for ten times as many."

"Yes; but will you not dig up a few yams first?"

"I had quite forgotten it, William. I will go for the spade."

Having procured the yams, they set off on their return. Before they
arrived at the bay, the sky clouded over and threatened a storm. It did
not, however, rain till after they had landed, when a small shower
announced the commencement of the rainy season. The fruit was very
welcome to all of them, it was so long since they had tasted any.

The following day was beautifully fine, and everything appeared
refreshed by the rain which had fallen. It was, however, agreed, that
Ready and William should go round the next morning, bring home the
tents, and as many yams as the boat could carry. William and Ready went
out at night as usual, when Ready observed that the wind had chopped
round to the eastward.

"That will be bad for us to-morrow, Ready," replied William. "We may
sail to the harbour, but we shall have to pull back with the loaded
boat."

"I trust it will be no worse than that, at all events," replied Ready;
"but we must now return, and go to bed. I shall be up by daylight, so
you need not wake without you like."

"I can't help waking," replied William, "and I shall, therefore, be up
with you."

"Very well, I am always glad of your company."

The next morning, just before the day dawned, Ready and William
unfastened the door of the stockade, and went down to the beach. The
wind was still to the eastward, and blowing rather fresh, and the sky
was cloudy. As the sun rose, Ready, as usual, had his telescope with
him, and looked through it at the offing to the eastward. As he kept
the spy-glass to his eye for some time without speaking, William said:

"Do you see anything, Ready, that you look so long in that direction?"

"Either my old eyes deceive me, or I fear that I do," replied Ready;
"but a few minutes more will decide."

There was a bank of clouds on the horizon to the eastward, but as soon
as the sun had risen above them, Ready, who had the telescope fixed in
the same direction, said:

"Yes, William, I am right. I thought that those dark patches I saw
there were brown grass sails."

"Sails of what, Ready?" said William, hastily.

"Of the Indian canoes; I knew that they would come. Take the glass and
look yourself; my eye is quite dim from straining it so long."

"Yes, I have them now," replied William, with his eye to the glass. At
last he said:

"Why, there are twenty or thirty of them, Ready, at least."

"And with twenty or thirty men in each too, William."

"What must we do, Ready? How frightened my poor mother will be! I'm
afraid we can do nothing against such a number."

"Yes, William, we can do a great deal, and we must do a great deal.
That there are hundreds of savages there is no doubt; but recollect
that we have a stockade, which they cannot easily climb over, and
plenty of firearms and ammunition, so that we can make a good fight of
it, and perhaps beat them off, for they have nothing but clubs and
spears."

"How fast they come down, Ready; why, they will be here in an hour."

"No, sir, nor in two hours either; those are very large canoes.
However, there is no time to be lost. While I watch them for a few
minutes till I make them more clearly out, do you run up to the house
and beckon your father to come down to me; and then, William, get all
the muskets ready, and bring the casks of powder, and of made-up
cartridges, from the old house into the stockade. Call Juno, and she
will help you. We shall have time enough to do everything. After you
have done that, you had better come down and join us."

In a very few minutes after William ran up to the house, Mr. Seagrave
made his appearance.

"Ready, there is danger, I'm sure; William would not tell me, I
presume, because he was afraid of alarming his mother. What is it?"

"It is, Mr. Seagrave, that the savages are now coming down upon us in
large force; perhaps five or six hundred of them; and that we shall
have to defend ourselves with might and main."

"Do you think we have any chance against such a force?"

"Yes, sir, with God's help I have no doubt but that we shall beat them
off; but we must fight hard, and for some days, I fear."

Mr. Seagrave examined the fleet of canoes with the glass. "It is,
indeed, dreadful odds to contend against."

"Yes, sir, but three muskets behind a stockade are almost a match for
all their clubs and spears, provided none of us are wounded."

"Well, Ready, we must put our trust in the Lord, and do our best; I
will second you to the utmost of my power, and William, I'm sure, will
do his duty."

"I think, sir," said Ready, "we had better not wait here any more, as
we have not long to prepare for them. We have only to fix up some of
our strong deal planks on the inside of the stockade for us to stand
upon when we are attacked, that we may see what the enemy is about, and
be able to fire upon them. But first we had better go to the old house,
and take out what provisions and other articles we shall most want, and
roll the casks into the stockade, for to the old house they will go
first, and perhaps destroy everything in it. The casks they certainly
will, for the sake of the iron hoops. An hour's work will do a great
deal. I believe we have everything we want in the stockade; Juno has
her fuel, the large butt of water will last us two or three weeks at
least, and if we have time, we will get the wheels down, and spear a
couple of turtles for fresh provisions."

These observations were made as they walked up to the house. As soon as
they arrived, they found William and Juno had just brought in the
powder and cartridges. Mr. Seagrave went in to break the matter to his
wife.

"I was told that I had to expect this, my dear," replied Mrs. Seagrave,
"so that it has not come upon me altogether unawares, and anything that
a poor weak woman can do, I will."

"I am indeed greatly relieved," said Mr. Seagrave, "by finding you thus
prepared and supported. I shall feel no anxiety - but we have work to
be done."

Mr. and Mrs. Seagrave then joined William, Beady, and Juno, who had
already proceeded to the old house. The children were all still in bed
and asleep, so that there was no occasion for any one to watch them.



Chapter LXI

As they could have a very good view of the canoes from where the old
house stood, Ready examined them with his glass every time that he
returned from rolling up a cask to the stockade. Every one worked hard;
even Mrs. Seagrave did all she could, either assisting in rolling the
casks, or carrying up what she was able to lift. In an hour they had
got into the stockade all that they most cared for, and the canoes were
still about six or seven miles off.

"We have a good hour before they arrive, sir," said Ready, "and even
then the reefs will puzzle them not a little; I doubt if they are
disembarked under two hours. We have plenty of time for all we wish to
do. Juno, go for the wheels, and William, come down with the spear, and
we will have some of the turtle into the stockade. Mr. Seagrave, I do
not require your assistance, so if you will have the kindness to get
out the muskets, and examine the flints, it will be as well."

"Yes; and then you have to load them," replied Mrs. Seagrave. "Juno and
I can do that at all events, ready for you to fire them."

"An excellent idea, madam," replied Ready.

In half an hour six turtles were brought up by Juno and William, and
then Ready followed them into the stockade.

They then rolled the casks, and upheaded them by the sides of the
stockade, and fixed up deal planks to stand upon, just high enough to
enable them to see over the top of the palisades, and to fire at the
enemy. Mrs. Seagrave had been shown how to load a musket, and Juno was
now taught the same.

"Now, sir, we are all prepared," said Ready, "and Madam and Juno can go
and look a little after the children, and get breakfast."

As soon as the children were dressed, Mr. Seagrave called Ready, who
was outside, watching the canoes, and they went to their morning
devotions, and prayed heartily for succour in this time of need. They
then breakfasted in haste; for, as may be supposed, they were almost
too anxious to eat.

"This suspense is worse than all," said Mrs. Seagrave. "I wish now that
they were come."

"Shall I go to Ready and hear his report, my dear? - I will not be away
three minutes."

In a short time Mr. Seagrave returned, saying that the canoes were
close to the beach, that the savages evidently had a knowledge of the
passages through the reefs, as they had steered right in, and had
lowered their sails; that Ready and William were on the look-out, but
concealed behind the cocoa-nut trees.

"I hope they will not stay out too long."

"No fear of that, my dear Selina; but they had better watch their
motions to the last minute."

During this conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Seagrave within the
stockade, William and Ready were watching the motions of the savages, a
large portion of whom had landed out of ten of the canoes, and the
others were following their example as fast as they could, forcing
their way through the reefs. The savages were all painted, with their
war-cloaks and feathers on, and armed with spears and clubs, evidently
having come with no peaceable intentions.

William, who had taken the telescope to examine them more minutely,
said to Ready, "What a fierce, cruel set of wretches they appear to be;
if they overpower us they will certainly kill us!"

"Of that there is no doubt, William; but we must fight hard, and not
let them overpower us. Kill us they certainly will, and I am not sure
that they may not eat us afterwards; but that is of little
consequence."

William replied in a determined tone, "I'll fight as long as I have
breath in my body; but, Ready, they are coming up as fast as they can."

"Yes; we must wait no longer. Come, William."

"I thought I saw another vessel under sail, out away by the garden
point, Ready, just as we turned away."

"Very likely, sir, a canoe which has separated from the others during
the night. Come, quick, William, they have begun to yell."

Another half-minute, and they arrived at the door of the stockade; they
entered, shut the door, and then barricaded it with the cocoa-nut poles
which they had fitted to the inner door-posts.



Chapter LXII

The loud yells of the savages struck terror into the heart of Mrs.
Seagrave; it was well that she had not seen their painted bodies and
fierce appearance, or she would have been much more alarmed. Little
Albert and Caroline clung around her neck with terror in their faces;
they did not cry, but looked round and round to see from whence the
horrid noise proceeded, and then clung faster to their mother. Tommy
was very busy, finishing all the breakfast which had been left, for
there was no one to check him as usual; Juno was busy outside, and was
very active and courageous. Mr. Seagrave had been employed making the
holes between the palisades large enough to admit the barrels of the
muskets, so that they could fire at the savages without being exposed;
while William and Ready, with. their muskets loaded, were on the
look-out for their approach.

"They are busy with the old house just now, sir," observed Ready, "but
that won't detain them long."

"Here they come," replied William; "and look, Ready, is not that one of
the women who escaped from us in the canoe, who is walking along with
the first two men? Yes, it is, I am sure."

"You are right, William, it is one of them. Ah! they have stopped; they
did not expect the stockade, that is clear, and it has puzzled them;
see how they are all crowding together and talking; they are holding a
council of war how to proceed; that tall man must be one of their
chiefs. Now, William, although I intend to fight as hard as I can, yet
I always feel a dislike to begin first; I shall therefore show myself
over the palisades, and if they attack me, I shall then fire with a
quiet conscience."

"But take care they don't hit you, Ready."

"No great fear of that, William. Here they come."

Ready now stood upon the plank within, so as to show himself to the
savages, who gave a tremendous yell, and as they advanced a dozen
spears were thrown at him with so true an aim that, had he not
instantly dodged behind the stockade, he must have been killed. Three
or four spears remained quivering in the palisades, just below the top;
the others went over it, and fell down inside of the stockade, at the
further end.

"Now, William, take good aim;" but before William could fire, Mr.
Seagrave, who had agreed to be stationed at the corner so that he might
see if the savages went round to the other side, fired his musket, and
the tall chief fell to the ground.

Ready and William also fired, and two more of the savages were seen to
drop amidst the yells of their companions. Juno handed up the other
muskets which were ready loaded, and took those discharged, and Mrs.
Seagrave, having desired Caroline to take care of her little brother,
and Tommy to be very quiet and good, came out, turned the key of the
door upon them, and hastened to assist Juno in reloading the muskets.

The spears now rushed through the air, and it was well that they could
fire from the stockade without exposing their persons, or they would
have had but little chance. The yells increased, and the savages now
began to attack on every quarter; the most active, who climbed like
cats, actually succeeded in gaining the top of the palisades, but, as
soon as their heads appeared above, they were fired at with so true an
aim that they dropped down dead outside. This combat lasted for more
than an hour, when the savages, having lost a great many men, drew off
from the assault, and the parties within the stockade had time to
breathe.

"They have not gained much in this bout, at all events," said Ready;
"it was well fought on our side, and William, you certainly behaved as
if you had been brought up to it."

"Do you think they will go away now?" said Mrs. Seagrave.

"Oh, no, madam, not yet; they will try us every way before they leave
us. You see these are very brave men, and it is clear that they know
what gunpowder is, or they would have been more astonished."

"I should think so too," replied Mr. Seagrave; "the first time that
savages hear the report of firearms, they are usually thrown into great
consternation."

"Yes, sir; but such has not been the case with these people, and
therefore I reckon it is not the first time that they have fought with
Europeans."

"Are they all gone, Ready?" said William, who had come down from the
plank to his mother.

"No; I see them between the trees now; they are sitting round in a
circle, and, I suppose, making speeches."

"Well, I'm very thirsty, at all events," said William; "Juno, bring me
a little water."

Juno went to the water-tub to comply with William's request, and in a
few moments afterwards came back in great consternation.

"Oh, Massa! oh, Missy! no water; water all gone!"

"Water all gone!" cried Ready and all of them in a breath.

"Yes; not one little drop in the cask."

"I filled it up to the top!" exclaimed Ready very gravely; "the tub did
not leak, that I am sure of; how can this have happened?"

"Missy, I tink I know now," said Juno; "you remember you send Massa
Tommy, the two or three days we wash, to fetch water from the well in
little bucket. You know how soon be come back, and how you say what
good boy he was, and how you tell Massa Seagrave when he come to
dinner. Now, Missy, I quite certain Massa Tommy no take trouble go to
well, but fetch water from tub all the while, and so he empty it."

"I'm afraid you're right, Juno," replied Mrs. Seagrave. "What shall we
do?"

"I go speak Massa Tommy," said Juno, running to the house.

"This is a very awkward thing, Mr. Seagrave," observed Ready gravely.

Mr. Seagrave shook his head.

The fact was, that they all perceived the danger of their position: if
the savages did not leave the island, they would perish of thirst or
have to surrender; and in the latter case, all their lives would most
certainly be sacrificed.

Juno now returned: her suspicions were but too true. Tommy, pleased
with the praise of being so quick in bringing the water, had taken out
the spigot of the cask, and drawn it all off.

"Well," observed Mr. Seagrave, "it is the will of Heaven that all our
careful arrangements and preparations against this attack should be
defeated by the idleness of a child, and we must submit."

"Very true, sir," replied Ready; "all our hopes now are that the
savages may be tired out, and leave the island."

"If I had but a little for the children, I should not care," observed
Mrs. Seagrave; "but to see those poor things suffer - is there not a
drop left, Juno, anywhere?"

Juno shook her head.

Mrs. Seagrave said she would go and examine, and went away into the
house accompanied by Juno.

"This is a very bad business, Ready," observed Mr. Seagrave. "What
would we give for a shower of rain now, that we might catch the falling
drops!"

"There are no signs of it, sir," replied Ready; "we must, however, put
our confidence in One who will not forsake us."

"I wish the savages would come on again," observed William; "for the
sooner they come, the sooner the affair will be decided."

"I doubt if they will to-day; at night-time I think it very probable.
We must make preparations for it."

"Why, what can we do, Ready?"

"In the first place, sir, by nailing planks from cocoa-nut tree to
cocoa-nut tree above the present stockade, we may make a great portion
of it much higher, and more difficult to climb over. Some of them were
nearly in, this time. If we do that, we shall not have so large a space
to watch over and defend; and then we must contrive to have a large
fire ready for lighting, that we may not have to fight altogether in
the dark. It will give them some advantage in looking through the
palisades, and seeing where we are, but they cannot well drive their
spears through, so it is no great matter. We must make the fire in the
centre of the stockade, and have plenty of tar in it, to make it burn
bright, and we must not, of course, light it until after we are
attacked. We shall then see where they are trying for an entrance, and
where to aim with our muskets."

"The idea is very good, Ready," said Mr. Seagrave; "if it had not been
for this unfortunate want of water, I really should be sanguine of
beating them off."

"We may suffer very much, Mr. Seagrave, I have no doubt; but who knows
what the morrow may bring forth?"

"True, Ready. Do you see the savages now?"

"No, sir; they have left the spot where they were in consultation. I
suppose they are busy with their wounded and their dead."

As Ready had supposed, no further attack was made by the savages on
that day, and he, William, and Mr. Seagrave, were very busy making
their arrangements; they nailed the planks on the trunks of the trees
above the stockade, so as to make three sides of the stockade at least
five feet higher, and almost impossible to climb up; and they prepared
a large fire in a tar-barrel full of cocoa-nut leaves mixed with wood
and tar, so as to burn fiercely. Dinner or supper they had none, for
there was nothing but salt pork and beef and live turtle, and, by
Ready's advice, they did not eat, as it would only increase their
desire to drink.

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