The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

  THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBES.

  And so that awful night wore on, one story bringing forth another, andthe spinning of one yarn being followed by the spinning of one perhapslonger.

  It was anything to relieve the terrible tedium and beguile theirthoughts from the peril in which they were placed. The lapse of timewas discussed, and the possibility of the slackening of the furious flowof the falling river so that a boat might come down in search of theunfortunates, but to a man all came to the conclusion that nothing couldbe expected until daylight, and that they must bear their fate as bestthey might.

  The most cheerful thing that fell to their lot during the weary hourswas the announcement made from time to time by Joe Cross, that the waterwas sinking a little lower and a little lower, so that he had room tohope that after a while he too would be able to, as he put it, driphimself dry.

  But the monotony was terrible, and the morning seemed as if it wouldnever come. For it was far different from being in the temperate regionof the world, where in the summer months the darkness was slow to comeand was succeeded by a very early dawn. There in that tropical southernland they were where the twenty-four-hours day was pretty equallydivided into light and darkness, with scarcely any twilight to softendown the division.

  But still as everything comes to those who wait, so it was there, andJoe Cross announced at last that he was sitting quite clear of thewater, and therefore, as he judged it, they had not very much longer towait before it would be day.

  But he was wrong. What seemed to be an interminable time elapsed beforethe watchers could see for certain that a faint light seemed to bepiercing the dense grey mist that covered the river. But this did atlast become a certainty.

  Before long, on one side, grey and grim-looking beneath a heavy mist,the great river could be seen gliding steadily along, while away totheir right rose the primeval forest, rising as it were out of a sea ofshadow.

  The change came quickly then through a rapid twilight to the bright raysof the sunshine, which seemed to attack the river mist, piercing itthrough and through, routing it, and sending it in clouds rolling alongthe stream, while, now glistening and muddy, the banks showed out beyondthe trees amidst which the huge monarch in which they had taken refugestood towering almost alone.

  "Why, we must have come inshore for some distance last night," criedRodd, in wonder.

  "Ay, my lad. Banks flooded. High tide perhaps," said Joe bluffly."Well, the sooner we gets down into this mud and stretches our legs thebetter; and if they don't come down in the boats, how we are going toget back is more than I know."

  "Look! Look yonder!" cried Rodd, as, sweeping the park-like stretcharound him, he suddenly caught sight of an object that filled his breastwith joy.

  "Three cheers, my lads," shouted Joe, waving his hand, "and--Oh, holdhard! Avast there! Gig's safe to have a hole through her bottom."

  For there, about a hundred yards away, between the trees, lay somethinggleaming amongst the mud.

  He could only see a portion, but that was enough, and one by one, stiffand cold, the unfortunate party lowered themselves down from theirperches to drop into a thin surface of soft mud, the swift rush of thetide preventing it from accumulating to any depth.

  Their fortune was better than they anticipated, for on reaching theboat's side it was to find that, though bottom upward, she had escapedany serious injury, the yielding boughs into which she had been swepthaving checked the force of the concussion and left her to glide fromtangle of boughs to tangle, until she had been wedged into a huge forkand had from there slowly settled down.

  But there was neither oar nor boat-hook, and the line fastened to herforemost thwart had been snapped in two.

  "All her tackle gone," said Joe grimly. "Well, we must try and find andhack off some big bamboo canes with our jack-knives, and then try if wecan't punt her up against the tide, which ought to be pretty slack bynow--that is, if they don't come to find us."

  "But look here, Joe," cried Rodd, as he stood shading his eyes from thehorizontal sunbeams; "there's the river, and the mist's rolling alongwith the tide. Here, I'm puzzled. Which way did we come?"

  "Why, that's plain enough, Mr Rodd, sir. Down with the stream yonway."

  "But that must be down-stream."

  "Nay, not it, my lad. The river winds, and so did my head. Here, I'mall of a maze still. No, I aren't. Here, I'm blest! Why, you areright, sir. That is up-stream, and--Hooray, my lads! One pole will do,to steer. We are going to be carried back again, for the tide's turnedand running up steady."

  A very little search resulted in their coming upon a bed of canes, outof which four were cut and trimmed, supplying them with good stout polestwelve or fourteen feet long, and laying these along the thwarts themen, glad now of the exercise to drive out the chill, insisted upon Roddgetting into the boat while they waded through the mud by her side, halflifting, half thrusting, and succeeded at last in getting her to where asloping portion of the bank ran down to the river.

  "Now all together, my lads," cried Joe. "Keep step, and hold her wellin hand, for she'll soon begin to slide; and as soon as she reaches thewater, jump in. Make ready. I'll give the word."

  "Stop!" shouted Rodd. "What about the crocodiles?"

  "Oh, murder!" cried Joe. "I forgot all about them. Well, never mind.This aren't no time to be nice. It's got to be done, so here goes."

  Rodd seized one of the poles, and going right to the bows knelt down inthe bottom, and holding the pole lance fashion, prepared to try and useit.

  "That won't be no good, my lad," cried Joe. "Now, my lads--one, two,three! Off she goes!"

  They ran the gig quickly down the muddy slope, and as they touched thewater and the foremost part began to float they took another step ortwo, gave her a final thrust, and sprang in, just as Rodd realised thetruth of the sailor's words, for as they glided out with tremendousforce, before they were a dozen yards from the water's edge the gig'sstem collided just behind two muddy-looking prominences that appearedabove the surface of the water, and as the shock sent the boy backwardsover the next thwart the boat, which was bounding up and down with theresult of the men springing in, received another shock from somethingdark which rose out of the water, and then they glided on past atremendous ebullition and were carried onward by the rising tide.

  "Here, let me come, Mr Rodd," cried Joe Cross, as he scrambled forward."Here, catch hold, sir, and help me drag my jersey over my head. Thebrute's stove us in, and if I don't look sharp--Pull, sir, pull--rightover my head! That's got it," he cried, and he set to work thrustingthe woollen knitted shirt bit by bit along between the edges of two ofthe planks, through which the water was rapidly gurgling in. "There,"he said; "that'll keep some on it out; but don't all on you standlooking at me as if I was playing a conjuring trick. Get a couple ofthose poles over the sides. Nay, nay, it's no use to try to punt.Dessay the water's fathoms deep. Just keep her head straight, and letthe tide carry us on. Look out, my lads! There's another of them upyonder. See, Mr Rodd, sir--them two nubbles? Them's his eyes. Hejust keeps his beautiful muddy carcase all hid under water and squintsalong the top with them pretty peepers of hisn to look out for hisbreakfast. Keep back, sir; I believe he's coming on at us, big as theboat is. Oh, this is a pretty place, upon my word! He means me,because he can see my white skin."

  Instead of answering, Rodd picked up the bamboo pole, which had beenjerked from his hands when they encountered the other reptile.

  Three of the men followed his example of holding them ready to strike atwhat they could see of the crocodile, and as they were carried closer bythe tide and Rodd could just make out below the muddy surface that thewater was being stirred by the undulation of the tail of the monster,which was apparently fourteen or fifteen feet long, three poles weresharply thrust together, two of them coming in contact with thecreature's head just behind its eyes.

  The blows were heavy, having behind them the weight and
impetus of theloaded boat, and once more there was a tremendous swirl in the water, asthe crocodile raised its head right out, turned completely over,displaying its pallid buff under portion, and then curved itself over,and in the act of diving down threw up its tail and struck the surfaceof the water with a blow that deluged the occupants of the cutter withspray.

  "Well," cried Joe, as the boat glided on, "I don't know what you chapsthink of it, but I am getting warm again, and I call this 'ere sport.But I say, Mr Rodd, I am beginning to wish you was aboard the _Maid ofSalcombe_, and you'd took me with you."

  "Same 'ere, sir," cried the men, in chorus.

  "See any more, Mr Rodd?"

  "No, not yet, Joe."

  "Well, there's no hurry, sir. Let's get our breath. But do you callthis 'ere fishing or shooting?"

  "There's another," cried Rodd excitedly; "but it's going the other way."

  "Got to know perhaps, sir, how we upset t'other. But we can spare him,for I'll be bound to say there's plenty more of them. Now I wonder whatthey are all for--pretty creatures!"

  "What they are for, Joe?" cried Rodd, without taking his eyes from thesurface of the muddy stream which was carrying them onward.

  "Yes, sir; I don't see as they are much good. I say, there's anotherone! No, he's ducked his head down. Ah, he's coming up again. Lookout, my lads!" cried the man. "I wish there was another pole. There'snothing left for me but my knife, and they are as hard as shoehorns, Iknow. I don't want to break my whittle against his skin. No, he'sgoing to let us go by. Ah! Look out!"

  For as they drew nearer the sun flashed off the reptile's muddy skin,and they could see it glide round rapidly and strike two tremendousblows on the surface with its serrated tail--blows that had beenprobably directed at the boat, but which fell short, while in its blindstupidity it kept on thrashing the water several times after the vesselhad passed.

  "Ahoy! Ahoy!" came from somewhere, seeming to echo from the trees thatcovered the bank.

  "Ahoy! Ahoy!" shouted Joe Cross back. "Why, that means help, sir. Thebrig must be lying there, just round that bend beyond the trees."

  "Oh no," cried Rodd excitedly. "We must have gone down miles with thetide."

  "Ahoy! Ahoy!" came again. "Boat ahoy!" from somewhere out of sight;and glancing back Rodd made out that they were passing along what seemedto be a rapid bend.

  "Ahoy!" was shouted back, and then all at once, to the astonishment ofthe sufferers, a couple of boats came into sight from right astern,their occupants sending the spray flying as they bent to their oars andseemed to be racing to overtake the gig.

  For the moment the boats, quite a quarter of a mile behind, took up alltheir attention, and Rodd stood up in the bows waving his hand wildly.

  "There's Uncle Paul, and the skipper, in one!" he cried.

  "Ay, ay, my lad; that's our old man," shouted Joe.

  "And there's the Count, and eight men rowing hard, in the other, but--but--oh, I say, Morny isn't there!"

  "Oh, he's being skipper and taking care of the brig, sir," cried Joesharply, as he noted the boy's disappointed tone of voice.

  "No, he isn't," shouted Rodd, signalling with his pole, as he saw one ofthe rowers rise up in the brig's boat and begin waving an oar; "he'spulling with the men!" And his voice sounded hoarse and choking, while,realising this fact, the boy coughed loudly and forcibly, as if to clearhis throat.

  "Here, you've ketched a cold, Mr Rodd, sir," cried Joe. "But nevermind them behind in the boats. They'll ketch us up soon. There'sanother of them beauties coming at us. The beggars do seem hungry thismorning. We hardly seed any of them when we were coming up yesterday.Why, of course, this is their breakfast-time, and the sight of us hasmade them peckish. Now then, all together, lads! Let him have it."

  Four poles were thrust together, with somewhat similar effects to thoseon the last occasion, for the onset of the great reptile was diverted,the boat's head turned aside, and the blows aimed at them by thecreature's tail fell short, though to the men's dismay their efforts haddriven them towards another of the monsters, which was gliding towardsthem from their left.

  But here again they successfully turned the creature aside, and Roddexclaimed--

  "Suppose we missed!"

  "Oh, the beggars are too big to miss, sir," cried Briggs. "But supposewe did; what then, sir?"

  "I don't know," cried Rodd excitedly. "What do you say, Joe?"

  "I don't know, sir. I never learned crocodile at school, though therewas one in my spelling-book, and I 'member I couldn't understand why afour-legged chap like him, as lived in the water, should make a nest andlay eggs like a bird. Here, Harry, let me handle that pole for a fewminutes. I should like to have a turn. Thank you, lad," he continued."Yes, they're rum beasts, Mr Rodd, sir, and I dare say they are veryslippery; but I don't suppose I shall miss the next one--Ah! Wouldyer!" he shouted as one of the reptiles rose suddenly, open-mouthed,close to the boat's head.

  As the man spoke he made a heavy thrust with his pole, his companionshaving no time to take aim, and the next moment the hideous jaws snappedto, there was a fresh swirl, the bamboo pole was jerked out of Joe'shand, and he would have overbalanced himself and gone overboard had notthose nearest to him seized him and snatched him back.

  "Well, now," he cried, "just look at that!" For about half of thebamboo remained visible and went sailing up the stream.

  Just then there was the sharp report of a gun from behind, followed byanother, while before there was time for re-loading there was the loud_crack, crack_ of a double fowling-piece.

  "Hurrah! That's uncle!" cried Rodd. "They are firing at thecrocodiles, and it will be with bullets."

  "And sarve them jolly well right, Mr Rodd, say I," cried Joe, "for Icall it taking a mean advantage of a man to sneak off like that with hispole. Why, look at him, sir. He's having a regular lark with it--picking his teeth, or something. Look how he's waggling the top of itabout. What do you say to try and steer after him and get it back?"

  "Ugh! No!" cried Rodd. "It would be madness."

  "Well, not quite so bad as that, sir. Say about half-cracked; andthat's about what I'm beginning to think. I say, they are getting allthe fun behind there."

  "Look out; here comes another!" cried Rodd, for there was a pair of eyesin front gliding rapidly towards them just above the water, butapparently not satisfied with the appearance of the boat, or perhapsless ravenous, the two prominences softly disappeared before they wereclose up, and Joe Cross, evidently divining what might happen, suddenlycaught Rodd round the waist and forced him down into the bottom of theboat.

  "Look out, my lads!" he yelled.

  As he spoke the hinder part of the boat began slowly to rise, showingthat they were gliding right over a reptile's back. Then it was turnedto starboard, the water coming almost to the edge; but as it glided onit began to sink to the level again, just as it received a heavy shockfrom below and was driven forward with a jerk just far enough to escapea blow from a serrated tail which rose astern and showered the waterover them in so much blinding spray.

  "Here, ahoy there!" shouted Joe. "Look alive, and bring up them guns!There's more sport up here than we want. I wouldn't care, Mr Rodd, ifwe had got our oars and my boat-hook. Nay, I don't know, though. It'sjust as well I haven't, for I should be getting it stuck perhaps, andnever see that no more."

  A few minutes after, while the firing was kept up from astern, the twoboats came up on either side, and amidst the heartiest ofcongratulations Rodd cried--

  "Ah, uncle, you have overtaken us at last! I am glad you have come!"

  "Overtaken you, my boy! Why, we have been miles down the river towardsthe mouth. We started as soon as the tide was slack enough for us toleave the vessels. We must have passed you in the fog, and we werebeginning to despair. But we came upon one of the sailors' caps hangingin a bough, when, thinking that perhaps we had gone too far, and CaptainChubb feeling sure that you had run ashore somewhere in the darkness,perh
aps been carried right into the flooded forest, we came back and--"

  He ceased speaking, took a quick aim over the side of the boat, anddischarged the contents of his double gun into the head of a reptilewhich rose three or four yards away.

  "The brutes!" he went on. "But there don't appear to be so many here.We seem to have been coming through quite a shoal."

  "There's plenty of them," growled the skipper, "but three boats togetherscares them a bit. Here, my lads, lay hold of this line and make fast,and we will give you a tow back to the schooner. We shan't be longgetting up to it with this tide. Why, hallo here! Not content withlosing the oars and boat-hook, you've been and got the gig stove in!And the grapnel gone too! Here, you Joe Cross, what's the meaning ofall this?"

  "I'll tell you about that, captain, by and by," said Rodd quickly."What's that? You want to come aboard, Morny? No, you had better not.It's all muddy, and we shall have to begin baling. Pitch us in a coupleof tins."

  "I'll bring them," cried the young Frenchman, rising in the boat.--"Yes,my father, I wish to go. Hook on, and let me get aboard," he continuedto the French coxswain.

  Half-an-hour later, with the men taking it in turns to bale, and withthe crocodiles seeming to have become more scarce, they ran up alongsideof the two anchored vessels, cheering and being cheered from the momentthey came into sight.

  "Now, my lads," cried the doctor, "every one of you take what I'll mixup for you directly, and have a good bathe and rub down. I am not goingto have you all down with fever if I can stave it off."