CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A CIRCUMNAVIGATION.
But no canoes were in sight, for Sir John cried directly--
"Come, I thought you had had long enough for one day. Up with you, weare anxious to be off. Captain Bradleigh says we're wasting steam."
"Beg pardon, coals," said the captain, smiling; and giving his orders,the cutter was hoisted up, the screw began to revolve slowly, and withan easy motion the yacht glided on past the opening in the reef, andthen to follow the course taken by the boats.
Two men were placed forward with leads to keep on sounding, but in ashort time it was found that the deep water could easily be traced byits darker colour, and the mate ascended to the foremast-head to con theship, the navigation proving in such perfectly smooth water free fromall danger, so that a fair rate of speed was kept up.
The trip was glorious, and as the various points and indentations notedon the previous day were passed, they seemed to display fresh beauties,and Jack, full of animation, kept on calling his father's or thedoctor's attention to the manifold points of interest.
"Oh!" he cried at last, "if people only knew what they would see if theytravelled they would never care to stay at home."
"Yes," said Sir John dryly, "if they only knew."
They reached the beautiful glen at last, where the two springs--hot andcold--sent their waters into the shadowed pool, Jack being now forwardwith Edward, who, as an excuse for being well to the front in anythingfresh which might arise, made a point of keeping close behind his youngmaster with the glass, which he handed to him from time to time.
Now it was to sweep the sea beyond the glittering, misty edge of thereef, where a rainbow showed brilliantly from time to time; now to lookup through a deep gash at the summit of the great volcano, which curvedupward till its crater was lost in a cloud of vapour. Every now andthen too a flock of birds had to be watched in some huge tree a littleway back from the sands.
And still the yacht glided on in perfect safety hour after hour, withthe reef nearer or more distant, but always affording an ample space ofdeep pellucid water full of the wonders of the tropics, and calling fora brief inspection.
"Here, look, sir," cried Ned suddenly, as they were passing a lovelypark-like stretch which ran high up amongst the dense forest growth."Catch hold, sir. It's just your focus."
"Pigs," said Jack contemptuously, "half-a-dozen."
"I never saw pigs like them, sir. Why, hark at 'em. They're barking."
"Well, pigs make a short, sharp, barking noise sometimes," said thedoctor, whose attention had been taken by the man's words. "No, they'renot pigs, Jack," he said, as he brought his glass to bear well upon thelittle cluster of animals running here and there among the trees, andending by darting down upon the sands to stare at the yacht. "Dogs, byall that's wonderful. Here, Meadows, Bradleigh, what do you make ofthese?"
"Mongrel wild dogs," said the captain, after a glance; "descendants ofsome that have been left by a passing ship."
"Why, we may find cows, sheep, and goats yet," said the doctor.
"Very likely goats," replied the captain, "but I doubt whether we shallfind the others."
Every mile they passed spread fresh beauties before them, the ruggednature of the mountain scenery precluding all sameness; and early in theafternoon, when, by the captain's calculation, they had arrived nearlyat the opposite point to where they had lain at anchor, Jack had come tothe conclusion that they need go no farther on their voyage, for theyhad hit upon the loveliest place in the world, where they ought to stayfor good.
He said something of the kind to Sir John.
"And what about studies, books, and the realities of civilised life?"said his father.
"I feel now as if I don't care for them a bit," replied the laddreamily. "I should like to stop here and do nothing."
"Do you mean that?"
"Well, not exactly nothing," replied the lad, "for I should want toshoot and fish and collect all the birds, insects, flowers, and shells."
"In other words, lead a very active life, my boy. But you would wearyof it in time and want a change. Better do as we are doing now, visitan island like this and return home."
"Yes, that is perhaps the best, father; and of course there are thetroubles here--the dangerous reptiles and poisonous insects."
"And the blacks," said the doctor, who had been leaning over the railwith his glass to his eyes, but had heard every word.
"Yes," said Jack with a shudder, "there are the blacks."
"I should like to know whether they are cannibals," continued thedoctor. "The worst of it is, if we killed one we should be no wiser.You see, you couldn't tell whether he was carnivorous or herbivorous byhis teeth.--Well, captain, no signs of any inhabitants."
"Not a bit; and we're quite half-way round. No signs either of anotheropening in the reef. Fine island to annex, Sir John. It's a regularfortification, a natural stronghold with an impregnable wall round it,and a full mile-wide moat inside. A fort at the point commanding theentrance would be sufficient."
"But we do not want it," said Sir John.
"No, sir, it's on the road to nowhere."
The captain went aloft, glass in hand, to have a good look ahead, anddescended pretty well convinced that there would be nothing to hindertheir progress round the island, the water of the lagoon being verycalm, and deeper than on the other side of the island.
The gentlemen lunched and the men dined, and the afternoon was spent ingazing at the wonders of sea and shore. Shoals of silvery and goldenfish, startled by the vessel, leaped out of the water and darted in alldirections; a shark showed its back fin now and then, and twice overdroves of pigs started up out of the hot sand to make for cover. Butstill there was no sign of inhabitant or opening in the reef, whilescores of tempting places were passed, all inviting to a naturalist, andabove all to Jack; vistas among the trees took his attention, andvalleys rising upward toward the higher parts of the mountain.
Upon one of these occasions, when he was sitting back in a deck-chair,sweeping the side of the mountain with his glass, the doctor came upbehind him.
"Looking at the mountain?" he said.
"Yes; couldn't we get up there?"
"I vote we try," said the doctor. "Will you come?"
"Yes," cried Jack eagerly; "but we couldn't land and start now."
"Hardly," said the doctor, laughing. "We should have to start atdaybreak."
"What, to get up a little way like that?"
"Yes, to get up that little way," said the doctor, with a queer twinkleof the eye. "Well, we don't seem to see anything likely to hinder ourlanding to-morrow and having a good time at collecting. We must soonget round to our starting-place. Let's ask the captain how far we havecome."
"Roughly speaking, nearly fifty knots," said the captain. "It's gettingwell on toward six bells now, and we've been coming at a fair speed, andare going a bit faster. I want to reach the anchorage before dark."
At one time this seemed to be doubtful, but just as the captainannounced his intention of dropping anchor for the night, Mr Bartletthailed him from above.
"I can just see the opening in the reef over that low strip of sand."
"How far off?"
"About a mile," was the reply; and the speed being increased, theypicked up the buoy they had left in the morning just as it was beginningto grow dark, having completely circumnavigated the island.
"I say, Mr Bartlett," cried Jack suddenly, as the mate approached him,and he pointed toward the shore. "Wasn't it just there that we killedthe sharks?"
"Yes; just there. Can you see any back fins?"
"No; but where's the wrecked canoe?"
The mate clapped his glass to his eye, and swept the shore for someminutes.
"Could it have been carried out to sea?" said Jack excitedly.
"No; hardly possible."
"Then has it sunk?"
"No; it could not sink."
"Then what does it mean?
We left it there."
"It means that the blacks have been and fetched it while we were away,"said the mate, drawing a deep breath. "Just as Captain Bradleighprophesied."
"What's that?" said the captain sharply.
"I don't think there is any question about it. She might have drifted alittle way, but that is doubtful, for one end was well aground. We musthave had visitors while we were away. I thought they would not give upthat canoe without a struggle."
"Yes," said the captain, "they must have been. That canoe was toovaluable to be lost. I said so."
"Then they may come again at any moment?" said Sir John.
"Yes, sir," replied the captain; "and they must find us well prepared."
"Mr Jack, sir," whispered Ned at the first chance, "we're going to havesome fighting after all."