CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
And now, once again, we find ourselves in the palm-grove of RatingaIsland. It is a fine autumn afternoon. The air is still as regardsmotion, but thrilling with the melody of merry human voices as thenatives labour in the fields, and alive with the twittering of birds asthey make love, quarrel, and make it up again in the bushes. Now andthen a hilarious laugh bursts from a group of children, or a hymn risesfrom some grateful heart, for as yet there is no secular music inRatinga!
In the lagoon lies a man-of-war, its sails neatly furled, and its trimrigging, dark hull, and taper spars, perfectly reproduced in the clearwater.
As the sun sank lower towards the west, our friend Ebony might have beenseen slowly climbing the side of one of the neighbouring hills withRichard Rosco, the ex-pirate, on his back.
"Set me down now, my friend," said Rosco, "you are far too good to me;and let me know what it is you have to say to me. You have quite rousedmy curiosity by your nods and mysterious manner. Out with it now,whatever it is."
The negro had placed Rosco in such a position on a ledge of rock that hecould see the lagoon and the ship at anchor.
The ex-pirate had by that time recovered some of his former strength,and, although there rested on his countenance an air of profoundsadness, there mingled with it a hue of returning health, which none whosaw him land had expected to see again. But the care of gentle handsand the power of gladsome emotions had wrought miraculously on the man,body and soul.
"I's heerd massa an' Cappin Fizzroy talkin' about you," said the negro,crossing his arms on his chest and regarding his questioner with asomewhat quizzical expression.
"Ha! I thought so. I am _wanted_, eh?"
"Well, yis, you's wanted, but you's not getted yet--so far as I knows."
"Ah! Ebony," returned Rosco, shaking his head, "I have long expectedit, and now I am prepared to meet my deserved fate like a man--I mayhumbly say, a Christian man, thanks to God the Saviour and Zeppa theinstrument. But, tell me, what did the commander of the man-of-warsay?"
"What did he say? Well, I's tell you. Fust he hoed into massa's housean' shook hands with missis, also wid Missis Waroonga wot happined to bewid her, an' hims so frindly dat he nigh shookt de bonnit off her head.Den dey talk 'bout good many t'ings, an' after a while de cappin turnfull on massa, an say,--
"`I's told Missr Zeppa dat you's got dat willain Rosco de pirit here.'
"Ho! you should hab see poor massa's face how it grow long, I most t'inkit also grow a leetil pale, an' missis she give a squeak what shecouldn't help, an' Betsy she giv' a groan an' jump up, slap on hersbonnit, back to de front, an' begin to clar out, but de cappin jump upan' stop her. `Many apologies,' ses de hipperkrit `for stoppin' a lady,but I don't want any alarm given. You know dat de pirit's life amforfitid to his country, so ob course you'll gib him up.'"
"And what said Zeppa to that?" asked Rosco eagerly.
"I's just a-goin' to tell you, massa. You see I's in de back kishen atde time an' hear ebery word. `Well,' ses massa, awful slow an'unwillin' like, `I cannot deny that Rosco is in the island, but I doassure you, sir, that he is quite unable to do any furder mischief toany one, for--an massa stop all of a suddint.'
"`Well,' ses de cappin, `why you not go on?'
"`Has you a description of him?' he asked.
"`Oh! yes,' ses de cappin, drawin' out a paper an' readin' it. De beryting, as like you it was as two pease, even to de small mole on side obyou's nose, but it say not'ing 'bout you's feet. Clarly he nebber heerdob dat an' massa he notice dat, seems to me, for he ses, `Well, CappinFizzerald, it may be your duty to seize dis pirit and deliber him up tojustice, but it's no duty ob mine to help you.'
"`Oh! as to dat,' ses de cappin, `I'll easily find him widout yourassistance. I have a party of men with me, and no one knows or evensuspects de reason ob my visit. But all of you who now hear me mus'promise not to say a word about this matter till my search is over. Ibelieve you to be an honourable Christian man, Zeppa, who cannot breakhis word; may these ladies be relied on?'
"`Dey may,' ses massa, in a voice ob woe dat a'most made me cry. Sow'en I hear dat I tink's to myself, `oh! you British hipperkrit, you'snot so clebber as you t'inks, for Ebony's got to wind'ard ob you,' an'wid dat I slips out ob do back winder an' run to you's cottage, an' askif you'd like to have a ride on my back as usual, an' you say yis, an'--now you's here, an' I dessay de cappin's lookin' for you."
"It is very kind of you, Ebony," said Rosco, with a deep sigh and ashake of the head, "very kind, both of you and Zeppa, but your effortscannot now avail me. Just consider. If the description of me possessedby Captain Fitzgerald is as faithful and minute as you say, the mereabsence of my feet could not deceive him. Besides, when I am found, ifthe commander of the man-of-war asks me my name I will not deny it, Iwill give myself up."
"But if you do dey will hang you!" said Ebony in a somewhat exasperatedtone.
"Even so. It is my fate--and deserved."
"But it would be murder to hang a innercent man what's bin reformed, an'don't mean for to do no more mischief--not on'y so, but _can't_!"
"I fear you won't get the broken law to look at it in that light,Ebony."
"Broken law! what does I care for de broken law? But tell me, massa,hab you make up you's mind to gib youself up?"
"I have," returned Rosco sadly.
"Quite sure an' sartin'?"
"Quite," returned Rosco, with a faint smile at the poor negro'spersistency.
"Well, den, you come an' hab a last ride on my back. Surely you no kinrefuse so small a favour to dis yar black hoss w'ats carried you so ofin, afore you die!"
"Of course not, my poor fellow! but to what purpose--of what use will itbe to delay matters? It will only prolong the captain's searchneedlessly."
"Oh! nebber mind. Der's good lot o' huts in de place to keep dehipperkrit goin'. Plenty ob time for a last leetil ride. Besides, Iwant you to see a place I diskiver not long ago--most koorious place--you nebber see."
"Come along, then," said Rosco, thinking it right to humour one who hadbeen more like a brother than a servant to him during his long illness,"stoop down. Now, then, heave!"
In a twinkling Rosco was on the back of his "black horse," which carriedhim a considerable distance in among the hills.
"Ah! Ebony," said the rider at last, "I feel sure you are deceivingme--that you hope to conceal me here, but it is of no use, I tell you,for I won't remain concealed."
"No, massa, I not deceive you. I bring you here to show you de stronaryplace I hab diskiver, an ax you what you t'ink ob him."
"Well, show it me quickly, and then let us hasten home."
Without replying, the negro clambered up a somewhat steep and ruggedpath which brought them to the base of a low precipice which waspartially fringed with bushes. Pushing one of these aside, he entered asmall cavern not much larger than a sentry-box, which seemed to have nooutlet; but Ebony, placing his right foot on a projection of rock justlarge enough to receive it, raised himself upwards so as to place hisleft foot on another projection, which enabled him to get on whatappeared to be a shelf of rock. Rising up, he entered another cavern.
"A strange place truly, but very dark," said Rosco; "does it extendfar?"
"You'll see, jus' now," muttered the negro, obtaining a light by meansof flint and steel, with which he kindled a torch. "You see I's bin'splorin' here before an' got t'ings ready."
So saying, he carried Rosco through several winding passages until hegained a cavern so large and high, that the torch was unable to revealeither its extent or its roof.
"Wonderful! why did you not tell us of this place before, Ebony?"
"'Cause I on'y just diskiver him, 'bout a week past. I t'ink himsplendid place for hide our wimen an childers in, if we's iver 'tackedby savages. See, I even make some few preparations--got straw in decorner for lie on--soon git meat an' drink if him's required."
"Very suitable indeed, but if you have bro
ught me here to hide, as Istill suspect, my poor fellow, you have troubled yourself in vain, formy mind is made up."
"Dat's berry sad, massa, berry sad," returned Ebony, with a deep sigh,"but you no object sit on de straw for a bit an' let me rest. Dere now.You's growin' heavier every day, massa. I stick de torch here forlight. Look, here you see I hab a few t'ings. Dis is one bit ob ropewid a loop on him."
"And what may that be for?" asked Rosco, with some curiosity.
"For tie up our enemies when we's catch dem. Dis way, you understan'."
As he spoke, Ebony passed the loop over Rosco's shoulders and drew ittight so as to render his arms powerless, and before the latter realisedwhat he was about his legs were also securely bound.
"Surely you do not mean to keep me here by force!" cried Rosco angrily.
"I's much afraid, massa, dat's zactly what I mean!"
"Come, come, Ebony, you have carried this jest far enough. Unbind me!"
"Berry sorry to disoblige you, massa, but dat's impossible just now."
"I command you, sir, to undo this rope!" cried Rosco fiercely.
"Dere's a good deal ob de ole ring about dat, sar, but you's not a piritcappen now, an' I ain't one ob de pirit crew."
Rosco saw at once the absurdity of giving way to anger, and restrainedhimself.
"But you cannot restrain my voice, Ebony," he continued, "and I promiseyou that I will shout till I am heard."
"Shout away, massa, much as you please. Bu'st you's lungs if you like,for you's in de bow'ls ob de hill here."
Rosco felt that he was in the negro's powers and remained silent.
"I's berry sorry to leave you tied up," said Ebony, rising to quit theplace, "but when men is foolish like leetil boys, dey must be treat desame. De straw will keep you comf'rable. I daren't leave de torch, butI'll soon send you food by a sure messenger, and come back myself soonas iver I can."
"Stay, Ebony, I'm at your mercy, and as no good can come of my remainingbound, I must give in. Will you unbind me if I promise to remainquiet?"
"Wid pleasure," said the negro cheerfully, as his glistening teethshowed themselves. "You promise to wait here till I come for you?"
"I promise."
"An' you promise not to shout?"
"I do."
In a moment the rope was cast off, and Rosco was free. Then Ebony,bidding him keep up his heart, glided out of the cavern and left him inprofound darkness.
Captain Fitzgerald searched the island high and low, far and wide,without success, being guided during the search chiefly by Ebony.
That wily negro, on returning to the village, found that the search hadalready begun. The captain had taken care that no one, save those towhom he had already spoken, should know what or who he was searchingfor, so that the pirate might not be prematurely alarmed. Great,therefore, was his surprise when he was accosted by the negro, and askedin a mysterious manner to step aside with him out of ear-shot of thesailors who assisted him.
"What have you got to say to me, my man?" he asked, when they had gone afew yards into the palm-grove.
"You's lookin' for the pirit!" said Ebony in a hoarse whisper, and witha superhumanly intelligent gaze.
"Why, how came _you_ to know that?" asked the captain, somewhatperplexed and thrown off his guard.
"Ho! ho!" laughed Ebony in a subdued voice, "how I comes to know dat,eh? I come to knows many t'ings by putting dis an' dat togider. You'scappen ob man-ob-war. Well, you no comes here for notting. Well, Roscode pirit, de horroble scoundril, hims lib here. Ob course you come forlook for him. Hofficers ob de Brish navy got notting else to do butkotch an' hang sitch varmints. Eh? I's right?"
"Well, no," returned Captain Fitzgerald, laughing, "not altogether rightas to the duties of officers of the British navy. However, you're rightas to _my_ object, and I see that this pirate is no friend of yours."
"No friend, oh! no--not at all. Him's far more nor dat. I lub him as abrudder," said the negro with intense energy.
Captain Fitzgerald laughed again, for he supposed that the negro spokeironically, and Ebony extended his thick lips from ear to ear because heforesaw and intended that the captain would fall into that mistake.
"Now you lose no time in sarch for him," said Ebony, "an' dis yar niggerwill show you de way."
"Do, my fine fellow, and when we find him, I'll not forget yourservices."
"You's berry good, a'most too good," said Ebony, with an affectionatelook at his new employer.
So, as we have said, the village and island were searched high and lowwithout success. At last, while the searching party was standing,baffled, on the shore farthest from the village, Captain Fitzgeraldstopped abruptly, and looking Zeppa in the face, exclaimed, "Strange, isit not? and the island so small, comparatively."
"Quite unaccountable," answered Zeppa, who, with his son, had at lastjoined in the search out of sheer anxiety as to Rosco's fate.
"Most perplexing!" said Orlando.
"Most amazin'!" murmured Ebony, with a look of disappointment thatbaffles description.
Suddenly the negro pointed to the beach, exclaiming, "Oh! I knows itnow! Look dare. You see two small canoes? Dere wor _tree_ canoes dareyisterday. De t'ird wan am _dare_ now. Look!"
They all looked eagerly at the horizon, where a tiny speck was seen. Itmight have been a gull or an albatross.
"Impossible," said Zeppa. "Where could he hope to escape to in thatdirection--no island within a thousand miles?"
"A desprit man doos anyt'ing, massa."
"Well. I shall soon find out, for the wind blows in that direction,"said the captain, wheeling about and returning to his ship.
Soon the sails were spread, the anchor weighed, the coral reef passed,and the good ship was leaping merrily over the sea in pursuit of thepirate, while Ebony was seated on the straw beside Rosco, expanding hismouth to an extent that it had never reached before, and causing thecavern to ring with uproarious laughter.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
It need scarcely be said that the man-of-war did not overtake thepirate's canoe!
She cruised about for some days in the hope of falling in with it. Thenher course was altered, and she was steered once more for Ratinga. Butthe elements seemed to league with Ebony in this matter, for, ere shesighted the island, there burst upon her one of those tremendoushurricanes with which the southern seas are at times disturbed. Sofierce was the tempest that the good ship was obliged to present herstern to the howling blast, and scud before it under bare poles.
When the wind abated, Captain Fitzgerald found himself so far from thescene of his recent visit, and so pressed for time, as well as with theclaims of other duties--possibly, according to Ebony, the capturing andhanging of other pirates--that he resolved to postpone his visit until amore convenient season. The convenient season never came. CaptainFitzgerald returned home to die, and with him died the memory of Roscothe pirate--at least as far as public interest in his capture andpunishment was concerned--for some of the captain's papers were mislaidand lost and among them the personal description of the pirate, and theaccount of his various misdeeds.
But Rosco himself did not die. He lived to prove the genuine nature ofhis conversion, and to assist Waroonga in his good work. As it is justpossible that some reader may doubt the probability--perhaps even thepossibility--of such a change, we recommend him to meditate on the factthat Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor, became Paul, the loving Apostle ofthe Lord.
One morning, not long after the events just narrated, Zeppa came toRosco's hut with a bundle under his arm. He was followed by Marie,Betsy, Zariffa, and Lippy with her mother. By that time Lippy had beenprovided with a bonnet similar to that of her friend Ziffa, and hermother had been induced to mount a flannel petticoat, which she woretied round her neck or her waist, as her fancy or her forgetfulnessinclined her. The party had accompanied Zeppa to observe the effect ofthis bundle on Rosco.
That worthy was seated on a low couch construct
ed specially for him byEbony. He was busy reading.
"Welcome, friends all," he said, with a look of surprise at thedeputation-like visit.
"We have come to present you with a little gift, Rosco," said Zeppa,unrolling the bundle and holding up to view a couple of curiousmachines.
"Wooden legs!" exclaimed Rosco with something between a gasp and alaugh.
"That's what they are, Rosco. We have been grieved to see you creepingabout in such a helpless fashion, and dependent on Ebony, or some otherstrong-backed fellow, when you wanted to go any distance, so Orlando andI have put our heads together, and produced a pair of legs."
While he was speaking the on-lookers gazed in open-eyed-and-mouthedexpectancy, for they did not feel quite sure how their footless friendwould receive the gift.
"It is kind, _very_ kind of you," he said, on recovering from hissurprise; "but how am I to fix them on? there's no hole to shove theends of my poor legs into."
"Oh! you don't shove your legs into them at all," said Zeppa; "you'veonly got to go on your knees into them--see, this part will fit yourknees pretty well--then you strap them on, make them fast, and away yougo. Let's try them."
To the delight of the women and children, Rosco was quite as eager totry on the legs as they were to see him do it. The bare idea of beingonce more able to walk quite excited the poor man, and his handstrembled as he tried to assist his friend in fixing them.
"Keep your hands away altogether," said Zeppa; "you only delay me.There now, they're as tight as two masts. Hold on to me while I raiseyou up."
At that moment Tomeo, Buttchee, Ebony, Ongoloo, Wapoota, and Orlandocame upon the scene.
"What a shame, father," cried the latter, "to begin without letting usknow!"
"Ah! Orley, I'm sorry you have found us at it. Marie and I had plannedgiving you a surprise by making Rosco walk up to you."
"Never mind," cried Rosco impatiently; "just set me on my pins, and I'llsoon walk into him. Now then, hoist away!"
Orley and his father each seized an arm, and next moment Rosco stood up.
"Now den, don' hurry him--hurrah!" cried Ebony, giving a cheer ofencouragement.
"Have a care, friends; don't let me go," said Rosco anxiously, clutchinghis supporters' necks with a convulsive grasp. "I'll never do it,Zeppa. I feel that if you quit me for an instant, I shall go down likea shot."
"No fear. Here, cut him a staff, Ebony," said Zeppa; "that'll be equalto three legs, you know, and even a stool can stand alone with threelegs."
The staff was cut and handed to the learner, who, planting it firmly onthe ground before him, leaned on it, and exclaimed, "Let go!" in toneswhich instantly suggested "the anchor" to his friends.
The order was obeyed, and the ex-pirate stood swaying to and fro, andsmiling with almost childlike delight. Presently he became solemn,lifted one leg, and set it down again with marvellous rapidity. Then helifted the other leg with the same result. Then he lifted the staff,but had to replace it smartly to prevent falling forward.
"I fear I can only do duty as a motionless tripod," he said ratheranxiously.
"Nebber fear, massa--oh! Look out!"
The latter exclamation was caused by Rosco falling backwards; to preventwhich catastrophe he made a wild flourish with his arms, and a sweepwith his staff, which just grazed the negro's cheek. Zeppa, however,caught him in his arms, and set him up again.
"Now then, try once more," he said encouragingly.
Rosco tried, and in the course of half-an-hour managed, with many astagger and upheaval of the arms and staff to advance about eight or tenyards. At this point, however, he chanced to place the end of the rightleg on a soft spot of ground. Down it went instantly to the knee, andover went the learner on his side, snapping the leg short off in thefall!
It would be difficult to paint the general disappointment at this suddencollapse of the experiment. A united groan burst from the party,including the patient, for it at once became apparent that a man with awooden leg--to say nothing of two--could only walk on a hard beatenpath, and as there were few such in the island, Rosco's chance of a longramble seemed to vanish. But Zeppa and his son were not men to beeasily beaten. They set to work to construct feet for the legs, whichshould be broad enough to support their friend on softish ground, andthese were so arranged with a sort of ball-and-socket joint, that thefeet could be moved up and down. In theory this worked admirably; inpractice it failed, for after a staggering step or two, the toes havingbeen once raised refused to go down, and thus was produced the curiouseffect of a man stumping about on his heels! To overcome thisdifficulty the heels of the feet were made to project almost as muchbehind as the toes did in front somewhat after the pattern of Ebony'spedal arrangements, as Rosco remarked when they were being fitted on foranother trial. At last, by dint of perseverance, the wooden legs wereperfected, and Rosco re-acquired the art of walking to such perfection,that he was to be seen, almost at all times and in all weathers,stumping about the village, his chief difficulty being that when hechanced to fall, which he often did, he was obliged either to get someone to help him up, or to crawl home; for, being unable to get his kneesto the ground when the legs were on, he was obliged to unstrap them ifno one was within hail.
Now, during all this time, Betsy Waroonga remained quite inconsolableabout her husband.
"But my dear, you know he is quite safe," her friend Marie Zeppa wouldsay to her, "for he is doing the Master's work among Christian men."
"I knows that," Betsy would reply, "an' I'm comforted a leetle when Ithink so; but what for not Zeppa git a canoe ready an' take me to him?A missionary not worth nothing without hees wife."
Marie sympathised heartily with this sentiment, but pointed out that itwas too long and dangerous a voyage to be undertaken in a canoe, andthat it was probable the mission ship would revisit Ratinga ere long, inwhich case the voyage could be undertaken in comfort and safety.
But Betsy did not believe in the danger of a canoe voyage, nor in thespeedy arrival of the mission ship. In fact she believed in nothing atthat time, save in her own grief and the hardness of her case. Sheshook her head, and the effect on the coal-scuttle, which had now becomequite palsied with age and hard service, was something amazing, insomuchthat Marie's sympathy merged irresistibly into mirth.
The good woman's want of faith, however, received a rebuke not manyweeks later.
She was hastening, one afternoon, to an outlying field to gathervegetables in company with Zariffa, who had by that time grown into agoodly-sized girl.
The pace induced silence, also considerable agitation in both bonnets.When they had cleared the village, and reached Rosco's hut near theentrance to the palm-grove, they went up to the open door and looked in,but no one was there.
"He's hoed out to walk," observed Zariffa with a light laugh; "awfulfond o' walkin' since he got the 'ooden legs!"
"What was you want with him?" asked Betsy, as they resumed their walk.
"Want to ask 'bout the Bibil lesson for to-morrow. Some things me nocan understan', an' Rosco great at the Bibil now."
"Yes," murmured Betsy with a nod, "there's many things in the Bibil noteasy to understand. Takes a deal o' study, Ziffa, to make him out.Your father always say that. But Rosco's fuss-rate at 'splainin' of'em. Fuss-rate--so your father say. Him was born for a mis'nary."
At that moment a cry was heard in the distance. They had been ascendinga winding path leading to the field to which they were bound.
"Sounds like man in distress," said Betsy, breaking into a run with thateager alacrity which usually characterises the sympathetic.
Zariffa replied not, but followed her mother. The cry was repeated, andat once recognised as being uttered by the man who was "born for amis'nary," but had mistaken his profession when he became a pirate!When they reached the spot whence it had apparently issued, themis'nary, or ex-pirate, was nowhere to be seen.
"Hooroo! whar' is you?" shouted Betsy, looking round.
"Here!" cried a half-smothered voice from somewhere in the earth.
"Oh! look!" exclaimed Zariffa in a sort of squeal as she ran towards aspot where two strange plants seemed to have sprung up.
"Rosco's legs!" said Betsy, aghast.
And she was right. The venturesome man had, with his accustomedhardihood, attempted that day to scale the mountain side, and had falleninto a hole by the side of the track, from which he could by no meansextricate himself, because of its being a tightish fit, his head beingdown and his legs were in the air.
"Oh, Betsy, pull me out lass! I'm half-choked already," gasped theunfortunate man.
But Betsy could not move him, much less pull him out, although heartilyassisted by her daughter.
"Run, Ziffa, run an' fetch men!"
Ziffa ran like a hunted deer, so anxious was she for the deliverance ofher Bible instructor. On turning sharp round a bend in the track, sheplunged into the bosom of Ebony.
"Ho! hi! busted I am; why, what's de matter, Ziffa? you travel like acannon-ball!"
As he spoke, Zeppa and his son, who had been walking behind Ebony, cameup. The panting child only replied, "Rosco--queek!" and ran before themto the fatal spot. Need we say that in a few moments the "bornmis'nary" was drawn like a cork out of a bottle, and set down right endup? Then they carried him to a clear space, whence the sea was visible,condoling with him as they went; but here all thought of the accidentand of everything else was banished, for the moment by the sight of aship on the horizon!
It turned out to be the mission-vessel with supplies, and with a youngnative missionary, or Bible-reader; and thus, in a few days, not onlyBetsy Waroonga, but Ongoloo and Wapoota, with Lippy and her mother andOrlando, were enabled to return to Sugar-loaf Island.
The joy of the Sugarlovians at the return of their chiefs and friends isnot to be described, for, despite the assurances of Waroonga, they hadbegun to grow uneasy. Neither is it possible to describe the conditionof the coal-scuttle bonnet after it had been crushed in the recklessembrace of Betsy's spouse, nor the delight of the uncles, aunts,brothers, cousins, nieces, and nephews of Lippy, when they got her safeback again, though awfully disguised by the miniature coal-scuttle andflaming petticoat.
By that time the Mountain-men and the Raturans had rubbed noses,intermingled, intermarried, broken bows and spears, buried thewar-hatchet and otherwise made up their minds, like sane creatures, todwell in peace; for savages come to this condition sometimes--civilisednations never do! Great, therefore, was their satisfaction when theirmourning, at the prospect of losing Waroonga, was turned into joy by thedecision of the young native teacher, who volunteered to take his placeand remain with them as their permanent instructor in the way ofRighteousness.
A dance was proposed by some of the chiefs as an appropriate way ofexpressing their joy and getting rid of superfluous energy; but as theironly dance was a war-dance, it was thought better to celebrate theoccasion by a grand feast which, being preceded by games--wrestling,jumping, and running, etcetera--served the purpose equally well--if notbetter.
Thus was an island won from heathenism in those far off southern seas!
And now, what shall we say in conclusion? Time and space would fail us,were we to continue the history of Ratinga island down to the presenttime. We can only add that Waroonga and Betsy returned home, that astalwart son of Tomeo went in after years, to Sugar-loaf Island, andcarried off Lippy as his bride, along with her mother; that a handsomeson of Ongoloo took revenge by carrying Zariffa away from Ratinga,without her mother; that regular and frequent intercourse was set upbetween the two islands by means of a little schooner; that Ebony stuckto his master and mistress through thick and thin to a good old age;that Orlando went to England, studied medicine, and returned again toRatinga with a fair daughter of that favoured land; that Wapoota'smorals improved by degrees; that Buttchee became more reconciled toEuropean dress as he grew older; and that the inhabitants of the twoislands generally became wiser and happier--though of course notperfect--through the benign influence of that Gospel which teaches manto do to others as he would have others do to him.
Time, as usual, continued to work his marvellous changes as the yearsflew by, but of all the transformations he wrought none was so strikingas that produced in two men of Ratinga, who daily sat down, side byside, in front of their cottage by the sea, to watch a host of childrenof all ages, sizes, and complexions, which gambolled merrily on thesands. These men were old and somewhat feeble, with hair like thedriven snow, but their gentle expressions and ready smiles told ofeternal youth within. As the one sat with his colossal frame stillerect though spare, talking softly to his comrade, and the other satslightly bent, with eyes gazing sometimes at the children, and sometimesat his wooden toes, how difficult how almost impossible, to believethat, in former days, the one had been the madman, and the other thepirate!
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