The Lonely Island: The Refuge of the Mutineers

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  THE INFLUENCE OF INFANCY, ALSO OF VILLAINY.

  While the dark plots referred to in the last chapter were being hatched,another life was introduced into the little community in the form of athird child to Fletcher Christian,--a little girl. Much though this manloved his two boys, a tenderer, though not, perhaps, a deeper region ofhis heart was touched by his daughter. He at once named her Mary. Whocan tell the multitude of old memories and affections which were revivedby this name? Might it not have been that a mother, a sister, some lostthough not forgotten one, came forcibly to mind, and accounted, in somedegree at least, for the wealth of affection which he lavished on theinfant from the day of her birth? We cannot tell, but certain it isthat there never was a more devoted father than this man, who in Englandhad been branded with all that was ferocious, mean, desperate,--thishardened outlaw, this chief of the mutineers.

  Otaheitan mothers are not particular in the matter of infant costume.Little Mary's dress may be described in one word--nothing. Neither aresuch mothers much troubled with maternal anxieties. Long before aEuropean baby would have been let out of the hands of mother or nurse,even for a moment, little Molly Christian was committed to the care ofher delighted father, who daily bore her off to a favourite resort amongthe cliffs, and there played with her.

  One day, on reaching his place of retirement, he was surprised to find aman in possession before him. Drawing nearer, he observed that the manalso had a baby in his arms.

  "Why, I declare, it's Edward Young!" he exclaimed, on going up.

  "Of course it is," said the midshipman, smiling, as he held his ownlittle daughter Jane aloft. "Do you think you are to have it all toyourself? And do you imagine that yours is the only baby in the worldworth looking at?"

  "You are right, Young," returned Christian, with the nearest approach toa laugh he had made for years. "Come now," he added, sitting down on arock, and placing little Moll tenderly in the hollow of his left arm, soas to make her face his friend, "let's set them up, and compare notes;isn't she a beauty?"

  "No doubt of it whatever; and isn't mine ditto?" asked the midshipman,sitting down, and placing little Poll in a similar position on his rightarm.

  "But, I say, if you and I are to get on amicably, we mustn't praise ourown babies. Let it be an agreement that you praise my Poll, and I'llpraise your Moll. Don't they make lovely _pendants_! Come, let uschange them for a bit."

  Christian agreeing to this, the infants were exchanged, and thereuponthese two fathers lay down on the soft grass, and perpetrated practicaljokes upon, and talked as much ineffable nonsense to, those twowhitey-brown balls, as if they had been splendid specimens of orthodoxpink and white. It was observed, however, by the more sagacious of thewondering gulls that circled round them, that a state of perfectsatisfaction was not attained until the babies were again exchanged, andeach father had become exclusively engrossed with his own particularball.

  "Now, I say, Fletcher," remarked Young, rising, and placing himselfnearer his friend, "it's all very well for you and me to waste our timeand make fools of ourselves here; but I didn't merely come to show offmy Polly. I came to ask what you think of that rumour we heard lastnight, that there has been some sort of plotting going on among theOtaheitan men."

  "I don't think anything of it at all," replied Christian, whosecountenance at once assumed that look of gravity which had becomehabitual to him since the day of the mutiny. "They have had too goodreason to plot, poor fellows, but I have such faith in their nativeamiability of disposition, that I don't believe they will ever think ofanything beyond a brief show of rebellion."

  "I also have had faith in their amiability," rejoined Young; "but someof us, I fear, have tried them too severely. I don't like the looksthey sometimes give us now. We did wrong at the first in treating themas servants."

  "No doubt we did, but it would have been difficult to do otherwise,"said Christian; "they fell so naturally into the position of servants oftheir own accord, regarding us, as they did, as superior beings. Weshould have considered their interests when we divided the land, nodoubt. However, that can't well be remedied now."

  "Perhaps not," remarked Young, in an absent tone. "It would be well,however, to take some precautions."

  "Come, we can discuss this matter as we go home," said Christian,rising. "I have to work in my yam-plot to-day, and must deliver Mollyto her mother."

  They both rose and descended the slope that led to the village, chattingas they went.

  Now, although the native men were of one mind as to the slaying of theEnglishmen, they seemed to have some difference of opinion as to thebest method of putting their bloody design in execution. Menalee,especially, had many objections to make to the various proposals of hiscountrymen. In fact, this wily savage was deceitful. Like Quintal andMcCoy among the whites, he was among the blacks a bad specimen ofhumanity.

  The consequence was that Timoa and Nehow, being resolved to submit nolonger to the harsh treatment they had hitherto received, ran away fromtheir persecutors, and took refuge in the bush.

  To those who have travelled much about this world, it may sound absurdto talk of hiding away in an island of such small size; but it must beborne in mind that the miniature valleys and hills of the interior were,in many places, very rugged and densely clothed with jungle, so that itwas, in reality, about as difficult to catch an agile native among themas to catch a rabbit in a whin-field.

  Moreover, the two desperate men carried off two muskets and ammunition,so that it was certain to be a work of danger to attempt theirrecapture. In these circumstances, Christian and Young thought it bestto leave them alone for a time.

  "You may be sure," said the former, as they joined their comrades, "thatthey'll soon tire of rambling, especially when their ammunition isspent."

  Quintal, who stood with all the other men by the forge watching JohnWilliams as he wrought at a piece of red-hot iron, and overheard theremark, did not, he said, feel so sure of that. Them niggers was fondo' their liberty, and it was his opinion they should get up a grandhunt, and shoot 'em down off-hand. There would be no peace till thatwas done.

  "There would be no peace even after that was done," said Isaac Martin,with a leer, "unless we shot you along wi' them."

  "It's impossible either to shoot or drown Matt Quintal, for he's born tobe hanged," said McCoy, sucking viciously at his cocoa-nut-loaded pipe,which did not seem to draw well.

  "That's true," cried Mills, with a laugh, in which all the party exceptChristian joined more or less sarcastically according to humour.

  "Oh, mother," exclaimed Otaheitan Sally, going into her hut on tiptoe afew minutes later, with her great eyes dilated in horror, "the whitemens is talkin' of shootin' Timoa and Nehow!"

  "Never mind, dear," replied her mother in her own language, "it's onlytalk. They'll never do such a thing. I'm sure Mr Young did not agreeto help in such a deed, did he?"

  "O no, mother," answered Sally, with tremendous emphasis; "he said itwould be very _very_, wicked to do such tings."

  "So it would, dear. No fear. It's only talk."

  Satisfied with this assurance, Sally went off with a cleared visage tosuperintend some operation in connection with her ever-increasinginfantry charge, probably to pay some special attention to her favouriteCharlie, or to chaff "that booby" Thursday October, though, to saytruth, Thursday was no booby, but a smart intelligent fellow.

  The very next day after that, Timoa and Nehow came down to Edward Youngas he was at work alone in his yam-field. This field was at aconsiderable distance from the settlement, high up on the mountain-side.The two men had left their weapons behind them.

  "We's comed for give you a helpin' hand, Missr Yong, if you no lay handson us," said Nehow.

  "I have no wish to lay hands on you," replied Young; "besides, I have noright to do so. You know I never regarded you as slaves, nor did Iapprove of your bad treatment. But let me advise you to rejoin uspeaceably, and I pr
omise to do what I can to make things go easier."

  "Nebber!" exclaimed Nehow, fiercely.

  "Well, it will be the worse for yourselves in the long-run," said Young,"for Quintal and McCoy will be sure to go after you at last and shootyou."

  The two men looked at each other when he said that, and smiledintelligently.

  "However, if you choose to help me now," continued Young, "I'll beobliged to you, and will pay you for what you do."

  The men set to work with a will, for they were fond of the kindlymidshipman; but they kept a bright look-out all the time, lest any ofthe other Englishmen should come up and find them there.

  For two or three evenings in succession Timoa and Nehow came to Young'sfield and acted in this way. Young made no secret of the fact, andQuintal, on hearing of it, at once suggested that he and McCoy should goup and lie in ambush for them.

  "If you do," said Young, with indignation, "I'll shoot you both. Idon't jest. You may depend on it, if I find either of you fellowsskulking near my field when these men are at work there, your liveswon't be worth a sixpence."

  At this Quintal and McCoy both laughed, and said they were jesting.Nevertheless, while walking home together after that conversation, theyplanned the carrying out of their murderous intention.

  Thus, with plot and counterplot, did the mutineers and Otaheitans rendertheir lives wretched. What with the bitter enmity existing between thewhites and blacks, and the mutual jealousies among themselves, bothparties were kept in a state of perpetual anxiety, and the beautifulisle, which was fitted by its Maker to become a paradise, was turnedinto a place of torment.

  Sometimes the other native men, Tetaheite and Menalee, joined Nehow andTimoa in working in Young's garden, and afterwards went with them intothe bush, where they planned the attack which was afterwards made.

  At last the lowering cloud was fully charged, and the thunderbolt fell.