The Castaways

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  CHICKS QUICK TO TAKE WING.

  Two more days passed without any occurrence of an unusual nature, thoughthe castaways made several short excursions and explorations into theforest, and also up and down the shore, keeping, however, close to theedge of the timber. These ended without any important discovery beingmade, but confirmed them in their conjecture that the coast on whichthey had been cast was uninhabited, at least for a considerable distanceon each side of the place where they had landed.

  The most disappointing thing about these exploratory trips was theirfruitlessness in obtaining food, the chief object for which they hadbeen made. Excepting some stray roots and berries of an esculentnature, they had nothing to eat after the maleos' eggs were consumed;and these had lasted them only into the second day. It is true thedurion stood near, and its fruit would for a time keep them fromstarving. Still it would do little for the restoration of theirstrength; and upon such diet it would be a long time before they couldundertake the arduous journey contemplated with any fair prospect ofbeing able to finish it. No more Singapore oysters could be found, nofish caught; and such birds and beasts of the forest as Captain Redwoodhad accidentally got a glimpse of, had either flown or fled away withoutgiving him as much as the chance of a snap shot.

  At night they again heard the stridulous clamour of the maleos, andevery morning looked out for them; but these fine fowls did not put inanother appearance, much less deposit three dozen eggs right under theireyes, and in a convenient spot for being gathered.

  Saloo, however, who knew all about their habits, believed he might yetfind another ovarium; and with this view, on the morning of the thirdday, after giving up all further attempts at getting shell-fish, hestarted upon a "prospecting" expedition after eggs, the others goingwith him.

  Their route led along the shore, and among the dry sand-wreaths, swirledup near the selvedge of the woods. If another egg depository existed,it was there it should be found. He told his companions that not onlydid different gangs of the maleos bury their eggs in different places,but the same tribe or flock had the habit of returning to the beach atdifferent times, each time laying their collected eggs in a new andseparate pit. That, moreover, these curious birds, guided by instinctor cunning, are accustomed to conceal the place of deposit, which mightbe easily recognised by their tracks and scratchings. This they do byscoring the ground in other places, and giving to the surface the sameappearance as it bears over the spot where their eggs have been left tothe hatching of the sun.

  In this searching excursion Saloo had brought with him a boat-hook; andit was not long before he had an opportunity of proving the truth of hiswords. A place where the sand was very much tracked by the huge feet ofthe megapodes soon presented itself, exactly resembling the spot wherethey had procured the first supply of eggs. But on probing it with theboat-hook, Saloo at once pronounced it one of the sham nests.

  After all, the creatures did not show too much cunning; for the presenceof this pretended place of deposit told the Malay that a real one wouldnot be far off; and, sure enough, another was soon after discovered,which, on being sounded by the iron point of the boat-hook, gave back afirm feel and a sharp metallic click, that told him there were eggsunderneath.

  The sand as before, was carefully removed--Murtagh having brought withhim an oar for the purpose--when, for the second time, nearly threedozen beautiful salmon-coloured eggs were disclosed to their view.

  These were carefully taken up, and carried back to the place ofencampment, where they were left lying upon the ground, the partyresuming their quest, in hope of being able to lay in a larger and morepermanent supply.

  As it chanced, another considerable receptacle was struck, giving backsweet music to the probing of the boat-hook; and its contents were alsoadded to the larder.

  As the last lot had been found under sand that appeared but recentlystirred, it followed that they were fresher than those of the secondfinding, and therefore was it determined upon that they should be firsteaten.

  The egg-gatherers having been now several hours engaged, and againbecome almost as hungry as when first cast upon the shore, once morekindled a fire, set the huge shells upon it, and using the one as aboiling-pot, and the other as a frying-pan, prepared themselves a mealof two courses--_oeuf bouille_ and _omelette_.

  Next day they again went in search of other eggs, intending to lay in astore against the eventuality of any possible period of famine.

  But although they discovered several scratched places, and carefully"sounded" them, no more maleos' eggs could be found; and they came tothe conclusion that they had despoiled all the "incubator" beds existingon that section of the Bornean coast.

  By reason of their rapidly-increasing strength, their appetites were bythis time almost insatiable. They were, therefore, not long in using upall the "setting" last gathered, and were about to begin upon the otherlot that did not seem so "newly laid." These had been kept separate,and permitted to lie where they had first placed them--out on the opensurface of the sand, some fifteen or twenty yards beyond the shadow ofthe tree. Negligently, and somewhat unwisely, had this been done; forduring the day the hot sun shining down upon them would naturally have atendency to spoil and addle them. Still the time had not been verylong; and as no one thought of their being damaged, they were preparingto turn them into eggs poached, fried, boiled, or otherwise.

  Saloo had rekindled the fire, and got ready his pots and pans; whileMurtagh, who had stepped out to the "larder", was about to take up oneof the eggs, and carry it to the "kitchen." But at that moment a sightmet the eyes of the Irishman, that not only astonished, but caused himto sing out so excitedly as at once to attract the attention of theothers to the same singular spectacle.

  It was that of an egg rolling, as it were, spontaneously over theground? And not only one egg; for, as they continued to gaze a while,the whole lot, as if taking their cue from it, commenced imitating themovement, some with a gentle, others a more violent motion! Murtaghsprang back affrighted, and stood with his red hair on end, gazing atthe odd and inexplicable phenomenon. The others were as much puzzled ashe--all except the Malay, who at a glance understood the philosophy ofthe movement.

  "Young malee inside," he cried in explanation. "We no eat egg, we getchickee. Wait little minnit. You him see come out full featha."

  Truly enough the "chicks" did come out, not as down-covered helplesscreatures, but pults in full plumage, as Saloo had predicted: at allevents, full enough to enable them to fly; for as the shells one afteranother commenced crackling--burst outward by the young birds'strength--each showed a perfect fledgling; that, springing forth fromthe shivered encasement, like Jack out of his box, at once flapped itslittle wings, and essayed short flights over the surface of the sand.

  So much were the spectators taken by surprise, that one and all of thenew-born but completely equipped birds, would have winged their way intothe forest and been lost, had it not been for Saloo, who, accustomed tosuch transformations, was in no way discomposed, but preserved hiscoolness and equanimity.

  Fortified by these, and armed with the boat-hook, which he had suddenlyseized, he struck down the precocious chicks one after another, and putan end to their aspiring flights by laying them lifeless upon the sand.

  In the end it was neither eggs nor omelettes, but tender, delicate"squabs" the castaways had for their prandial repast.