CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
THE SEPARATION.
OUR SECLUSION INVADED--SPRING IN THE TROPICS--THE EXCURSION AND ITSCONSEQUENCES.
"Reviving Nature bounds as from her birth: The sun is in the heavens, and life on earth; Flowers in the valley, splendour in the beam, Health in the breeze, and freshness in the stream."
I resume my narrative, under circumstances widely different from thosein which the preceding chapter was written. The events of the last fewdays have completely changed the aspect of affairs in our little world.The peace, the seclusion, the security, with which in our minds it hadhitherto been invested, exist no longer. Our quiet life, so free fromvicissitudes and alarms, as to seem almost monotonous, has been rudelybroken into, and in a few days we are to take a step which cannot failto be attended with consequences momentous to us, but whether fraughtwith good or evil, it is impossible to foresee. This, however, isanticipating the regular course of events.
It is scarcely credible, how short a time after the cessation of therains, sufficed to remove every trace of their effects. Three or fourdays of sunshine seemed to restore things to nearly the condition, inwhich we found them on first reaching the island.
It is true the vegetation now had a fresher look than before, andslender brooks still murmured through ravines usually dry; the lake,too, formerly so limpid, was somewhat discoloured by the turbid streamsrunning into it from the surrounding heights; but the standing pools ofwater had evaporated, and the ground had, in most places, become oncemore firm and dry.
As soon as the weather was fairly established, we made severalexcursions in various directions, though not to any considerabledistance. On visiting Castle-hill, we found nothing left of our housethere, except the foundation; the entire framework, having been sweptaway by the wind. A large candle-nut tree, just before the door, hadbeen struck by lightning, and the blasted and blackened trunk, sadlymarred the beauty of the spot.
Arthur had selected a favourable location on the margin of the lake nearthe fish-pond, for a taro and patara patch; and we spent several days inransacking the neighbouring woods for roots, with which to stock it.Yams, we had not yet succeeded in finding, though they are indigenous inmost of the Polynesian islands, and we had made diligent search for themin the localities where they are usually found.
One fine morning, soon after the cessation of the rains, Arthur proposedan expedition into the interior, following the course of the streamupward towards its source. In addition to the general object ofexploration, he had in view the discovery of the much-coveted vegetablelast-mentioned, there being one large variety of it, which is foundgrowing wild among the mountains, or upon the sides of the hills of theinterior. All received the suggestion with cordial approval, beingparticularly pleased with the proposed route, along the banks of thebrook. Johnny, exulting in his recovered liberty, after the longimprisonment of the winter, and anticipating all sorts of wonderfuldiscoveries in the vegetable, floral, and ornithological departments, atonce enlisted Eiulo and himself as members of the party of exploration.
As we were about to enter a region, with the resources of which, in theway of provisions, we knew nothing, we considered it a measure of wiseprecaution to fortify ourselves against the fatigues of the journey, bya hearty breakfast of broiled fish and roasted taro. This importantduty having been conscientiously attended to, our remaining preparationsoccupied but little time, and we set out at an early hour.
Johnny, equipped with his longest bow, and an abundant stock of arrows,in readiness for the appearance of anything in the shape of a jackal ora tiger-cat, marched valiantly in advance, while Eiulo, in the capacityof armour-bearer, or trusty esquire, followed, carrying his cutlass.Next, carefully surveying the ground we passed over, came Arthur, with abag upon his arm, and a basket of cocoa-nut leaflets in his hand, readyfor the reception of the yams, when found, and of all sorts of roots,plants, and botanical specimens, that might be discovered in themeantime.
Max was armed to the teeth, as though in preparation for a pitchedbattle. By his side, in a belt of hibiscus bark, was stuck his cutlass:in one hand he carried a "spear," and in the other, one of his "Feejeewar-clubs." Morton and myself were provided with a cutlass apiece; andBrowne, without having encumbered himself even to that extent, strolledleisurely along with his hands in his pockets, whistling "blue-bonnetsover the border."
It was now the spring of the tropical year: the deciduous trees wererenewing their verdure, and were covered with young shoots, and burstingleaf-buds. Even the evergreens--though they change but littlethroughout the year, and the old leaves and the new, the blossoms andthe ripe fruit, may be seen upon the same tree at almost every season,looked brighter and fresher than before the rains. The earth wascarpeted with beautiful grasses, mingled with tufts of moss, and bunchesof fern. Blue and white flowers were scattered about almost asprofusely as the "pinkster blossoms," in April, in the woods at home;and in sheltered places, the modest cape-jasmine was beginning to unfoldits fragrant leaves. A delightful freshness filled the air, and therewas as yet, at this early hour, nothing to remind us that we werebeneath the fervent skies of the burning zone.
Rejoicing and exhilarated at finding himself in the woods once more,Johnny ran furiously hither and thither, closely attended by Eiulo,gathering wild-flowers, ferns and mosses; chasing bugs, beetles, andbutterflies; and letting fly his arrows at every unfortunate member ofthe feathered community that came within the range of his archery. Inevery thicket and almost at every step, he came upon something to callforth the most boisterous exclamations of surprise or delight. He wasmanifestly in the state of mind declared by the poet to be so eminentlyhappy and desirable--
"To all exhilarating influences, Of earth and heaven alive!"
Scarcely a moment passed, that he did not come running all aglow and outof breath to Arthur, with eager questions about something or other whichhe had just seen, and then dash off again into the forest withoutwaiting for a reply, where fresh explosions of admiration or wonder,would soon announce new, and if possible, still more astoundingdiscoveries.
The shores of the stream were picturesque and varied. For the firsthalf-mile from our starting-point, it wound between smooth grassy banks,adorned with scattered clumps of trees. It then entered a dense wood,where its channel was a rugged ravine, inclosed between steep rocks ofblack basalt. Here, the scraggy, ill-conditioned trees were crowdedtogether, and overgrown with gigantic creepers. The branches, reachingacross from the opposite shores, were interlaced and matted into thickmasses, almost excluding the light of day. Max here displayed hisagility, by laying hold of a long bough which extended from bank tobank, and walking "hand over hand" across the stream that flowed darklyand sluggishly some twelve or fifteen feet below.
We were an hour at the least, in toiling through this tangled wood,though it did not extend more than half a mile. After leaving it behindus, frequent rapids showed that we were steadily ascending as weproceeded. Birds, such as we had not before seen on the island, andwhich reminded me of some of my old acquaintances of the New Englandwoods, perched upon the trees, or flew familiarly around us. One ortwo, of the woodpecker tribe, looked wonderfully natural and home-like,as they sat industriously drumming upon hollow logs. Another, a small,brown bird, with modest plumage, surprised and delighted me, by a clear,full whistle, that sounded not unlike that of our own robin redbreast.We also saw numbers of a species of pigeon with black bills,slate-coloured bodies, and a ruff of white feathers about the neck. Oneof these Johnny brought down with his bow, besides wounding veryseriously, (as he alleged), a considerable number of others. Thewoodpeckers and whistlers enjoyed a temporary immunity from hisformidable shafts, reluctantly granted them at my intercession in theirbehalf, on the score of old associations.
About an hour before noon we reached a spot where the stream was dividedby a rocky islet, around which it spread out like a small lake. Agrove, of a very peculiar appearance, and seeming to consist of a singletree
, sheltered and overspread the entire spot.
Here we concluded to halt, beginning by this time to feel quite tired,and inclined to rest. The water was shallow at this point, and Maxwading over to the little island, presently called upon us to follow himif we wished to behold "a veritable banyan tree." Whether a banyan ornot, (Arthur pronounced it to be a species of barren fig), it wascertainly a wonderful specimen of vegetation. The main trunk, springingup in the centre of the islet, was nearly three feet in diameter. Atthe height of some fifteen feet from the ground, large branches extendedhorizontally in every direction. From these branches, at regularintervals, pendulous, vine-like shoots sprouted and grew downwards untilthey reached the ground, where they took root, and gradually increasingin size formed new trunks or pillars, to support a further extension ofthe branches. This process of growth had gone on until the tree hadoverrun the entire island, resembling a flat roof of green branches,resting upon rows of columns. Some of the perpendicular shoots had notyet reached the ground, others had just taken root, and were slender andflexible, while many of the older ones rivalled the parent stem in size,and could not easily be distinguished from it.
While we rested here, a pair of the little brown songsters alightedamong the branches of the "banyan," and entertained us with a vocalperformance, in which they took up the strain alternately, responding toeach other, and occasionally uniting in a chorus.
Max now declared himself savagely hungry, and commenced exploring theneighbourhood in search of something eatable. But no fruit-bearingtrees were to be found, and he returned from his foraging expeditionprotesting that the country was a perfect desert, and declaring that hefor one would not proceed a step farther until he took up the line ofmarch for home. We were all of the opinion that we had done enough forone day, and it was agreed that, after resting ourselves a short time,we should commence our return.
Meantime, Arthur caught sight of some trees upon a ridge of land a shortdistance further up the stream, whose foliage resembled, as he thought,that of the "auti," or cloth plant. Saying that he would return in afew moments, he walked along the west bank of the brook in the directionof the ridge, followed by Johnny and Eiulo, who seemed as animated andunwearied as ever. Presently they turned a bend in the stream, and welost sight of them. For lack of more interesting occupation, I began tocount the stems of the grove-tree. There were seventeen, of large size,and a great number of smaller ones. Max discovered a deep pool at thelower end of the islet, in which were a number of fish, marked likeyellow perch: and as he had a fishing-line of Eiulo's manufacture, inhis pocket he amused himself by angling, using wood-beetles for bait.Morton and Browne hunted up four flat stones, and commenced pitchingquoits.
After half an hour passed in these various ways, we began to wonder atArthur's long delay, and to grow impatient for his return. I hadcounted every stem of the banyan-fig, great and small. Max had becomequite disgusted with angling for fish, which were too wary, or toowell-fed, to favour him with even a nibble. Browne, after being beatenfor five successive games, had very naturally lost his interest in thesport, and tossed his quoits into the brook.
Another half-hour passed, and still the absentees failed to make theirappearance. Max now professed to be suffering from the pangs of hunger,and longed for the sight even of the much-abused cocoa-nut tree. Atlast our patience being utterly exhausted, we resolved to go in searchof Arthur and his suite, whose protracted absence greatly surprised us.
On reaching the point, or bend, behind which they had disappeared, wehallooed loudly, but there was no answer. As we proceeded, the groundbecame very rough and broken, and the bed of the brook was full of looserocks. A little further on, the noise of a waterfall was heard, andafter one or two more turns, we reached a spot where the stream leapeddown a precipice some twenty feet. Our further progress in thedirection we were pursuing was barred by a wall of rock; an active andfearless climber might, it is true, have scaled it by the aid of thestunted shrubs and jutting crags upon its face, but we knew that Arthuraccompanied by Eiulo and Johnny, could not have passed on by any suchroute.
Proceeding to the left, along the foot of the precipice, and pausing atshort intervals to repeat our halloos, we at last reached a wide fissurein the rock, by scrambling through which we gained the higher level.This was in all probability a part of the ridge which Arthur had seenfrom the islet. We now returned along the brow of the precipice untilwe came to the waterfall, where we shouted again, but still withoutgetting any answer. To push the search further in this direction seemeduseless, for it was morally certain that Arthur would not have continuedbeyond this point up the stream; the understanding with which he hadleft us, forbade any such supposition.
We began now to feel alarmed, and to fear that some accident hadbefallen them, though of what nature we were at a loss to conjecture.Morton suggested the possibility that they had taken the opposite bankof the brook, and that while we were looking for them, they might havereturned to the islet. This seemed not improbable, and striving hard toconvince ourselves that it must be so, we regained the lower level bythe same pass through which we had ascended, and hastened along the baseof the height, and down the shore of the stream till we reached theislet again. But our companions were not there. Still, they might havereturned during our absence, and supposing that we had started homeward,proceeded after us. We were greatly perplexed what course to pursue.If we delayed our return much longer, we should not be able to reach thecabin before night set in: the wilderness around seemed to containnothing that could serve as food, and we should have to fast as long aswe remained in it. Then, too, our waiting longer could be of no benefitto the others, even if they had not yet returned to the islet. Uponfinding us gone, they would know at once that we had set out for home,and there was no possibility of their mistaking their way thither.
We concluded, accordingly, to return without further delay. Browne cuta stout stick, and planted it in the sand at the margin of the brook,arranging a number of large pebbles at its foot, in the form of a hand,with the index finger pointing homeward. We then set out at a briskpace, with some hope, but little actual expectation, of overtaking ourcompanions on the war.
We soon reached the thick wood with its matted undergrowth, and the oldand knotted vines twining like enormous reptiles around the trunks ofthe trees; and so slow was our progress through it, that, when weemerged into the open country, it was nearly sunset. The remainingdistance was more rapidly accomplished. As we drew nigh to the cabin, Ibegan to look anxiously for the appearance of the missing ones. Eachmoment I expected to see Johnny rushing towards us with a laughing boastof having "beaten us home." But no one came forth to meet us, and Ithought that the valley had never before looked so lonely.
It was not, however, entirely deserted. The parrot was perched insolitary state upon the eaves of the cabin, and as we opened the gate,he flapped his wings, and croaked forth in dismal tones a sentence whichJohnny, little dreaming of its present application, had been at muchpains to teach him:--"Poor Paul's lonesome!" he cried, "they're allgone--all gone!"
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