CHAPTER XXIII
"A SAIL! A SAIL!"
Twice daily on each of the succeeding days Mr. McKay and his companionspaid a hurried visit to the treasure-cave, and at the end of that timethe bulk of the buccaneers' spoil was safely hidden in the spot chosenfor its reception.
Then, with the return of the spring tides, the work of salving the yawlwas resumed.
Slowly, yet without a hitch, the sunken craft was moved towards thecradle which awaited its burden, till the falling off of the tidesfound the yawl within ten yards of low-water mark.
"I have been thinking, pater," observed Andy one day, as they werepreparing to revisit the cave.
"Thinking what, my boy?"
"Why, every journey we make to the cavern we perform practicallyempty-handed. Would it not be well to carry a supply of provisionswith us and store them in the cave? You see, if those savages shouldreturn we might be glad of a retreat."
"Quite true, though I sincerely hope we shall not be put to suchstraits. However, we'll take a few barrels of provisions and somerifles and ammunition as well."
"And water?"
"Ay, but that's the rub. Water is heavy to carry about, and as far asI can see there's no spring or brook within a mile of the entrance tothe cave."
"I wonder if there's water to be found above the cliffs in which liesthe mouth of the tunnel. I noticed several small streams when Iclimbed the mountain, though, of course, I didn't ascend on that side.I think I'll explore that slope as soon as possible."
"Why not to-day? Ellerton and you can do so while we are making ourmidday trip back to the house."
Accordingly, instead of ascending the tunnel with Mr. McKay andTerence, the two chums clambered up the face of the cliff. At the topthey found that the land sloped steeply towards the peak, the groundbeing thickly covered with stunted bushes and occasional clumps ofpalms.
"Look here, Hoppy," remarked Andy, as they sat down to recover theirbreadth after their fatiguing climb. "It's all very well living on anisland when everything goes well, but we can't say that it is now.Perhaps it's a useless fear, but I fear that there's always thepossibility of those savage brutes coming back here in overwhelmingnumbers and wiping us out. That does not tend to make thingscomfortable, although it may tend to liven things up."
"But they had such a terrible smashing last time," replied Ellerton.
"True! But didn't we give them a good licking when they pursued us intheir canoes? That didn't prevent them repeating their unwelcomeattentions."
"I hope you don't mean to show the white feather, Andy?"
"Not I. If there's a dust-up, I'll do my best; but, at the same time,I shan't be sorry to get the yawl repaired and say good-bye to theisland. The treasure can wait till we charter a steamer to fetch it."
"Well, the savages haven't returned, so we can still make the best ofthings," replied Ellerton cheerfully. "But we must be moving or we'llfind no water."
The two lads had not gone fifty yards ere they came across a smallstream. Andy bent down, and raising some of the water in the palm ofhis hand applied it to his lips.
"Fresh as one could wish," he pronounced.
"Good! Now we'll follow its course and see if it approaches the mouthof the cave."
The rivulet, for it was nothing more, wended its way in an almostsemicircular direction, till, at about two hundred yards from where thelads had struck it, it emptied itself into a rift in the rocks, thesplash of its fall echoing dimly from apparently unfathomable depths.
"Look! We are not very far from that part of the cliff that overhangsthe mouth of the cave," exclaimed Ellerton. "What is to prevent usfrom digging a shallow trench and conducting the water right to theentrance to the tunnel?"
"It's fairly hard rock," objected Andy, "It will be no end of a taskcutting a new watercourse."
"Then we can use some of the cast-iron pipes we brought ashore,"continued the young seaman, determined not to be overcome by earlydifficulties. "There are more than enough to cover this distance, andby damming the stream we can----"
"Yes, that's all very well, but if we are compelled to beat a retreatto the cave the savages will find the pipes and so discover ourhiding-place."
"I'm afraid that will make but little difference. The trail from thehouse up the mouth of the tunnel is so well defined that a blind manmight follow it. Why, whatever is the matter with you, Andy? You seemto throw cold water on every suggestion that is made. You are notalways like that. Are you ill?"
"I believe I am," replied Andy. "At least, I do not feel quite up tothe mark."
"Then let's get back," said Ellerton, and assisting his chum over therough ground the pair returned to the mouth of the tunnel just as theothers were emerging.
"Any luck?" asked Mr. McKay cheerfully; then realising that his sonlooked ill, he exclaimed: "What have you been doing, Andy?"
"I don't know, father. I feel absolutely rotten."
They managed to get him back to the house, his teeth chattering withthe cold; but before night he was in a high fever. His fatheradministered liberal doses of quinine, of which there was a plentifulsupply; but, in spite of this remedy, the lad's illness increased, andbefore morning he was in a delirium, raving about the sunken yawl andthe savages. More than once he attempted to leave his bed and seize arifle, and it required the united efforts of Mr. McKay, Ellerton, andTerence to hold him down.
It was an anxious time. Mr. McKay had had experience of this kind ofmalady, and knew that should the patient leave his bed and take cold,he must die.
For forty-eight hours Mr. McKay, the two lads, and Quexo kept ceaselesswatch, the mulatto being particularly attentive in his duties; but atlength the feverish state was succeeded by a profuse sweat, and Mr.McKay knew that for the present the dreaded disaster was averted.
During the lengthy period of convalescence, someone had to be withincall of the patient, but the others resumed their outdoor occupation.
Most of the traces of the last visit of the savages had been removed;the cliff-path leading up from the shore had been fortified by theerection of a loop-holed palisade, so as to command the approach byrifle-fire; while the remainder of the treasure had been brought fromthe cave to the house, and the former was well provisioned in case ofemergency.
Ellerton also found time to carry out his project of conducting freshwater into the cave. By the aid of Terence and Quexo he contrived tolay a line of pipes from the stream down the slope to the edge of thecliff overhanging the entrance, whence a tiny cascade fell over therocks within a few feet of the tunnel.
Later on, at Mr. McKay's suggestion, the line of iron pipes wascontinued down the face of the cliff, though concealed by the bushes,and carried a few yards into the tunnel. For most of that distance thepipes were covered by the thick dust, till sufficiently far from theentrance to enable the occupants to defend the end of the aqueduct ifnecessary.
The water, on escaping, ran down the incline, till absorbed by thepumice dust, although by degrees it cut for itself a channel close tothe sides of the tunnel. Thus a plentiful supply of the preciousliquid was assured, and at the same time no inconvenience was caused bythe waste turning the floor of the passage into a swamp.
The rainy season was shortly due, and unable, on account of Andy'sweakness, to complete the salvage of the yawl, since every availablehand was necessary, the wrecked boat was again rafted farther out intothe lagoon and allowed to sink to the bottom, so as to lie in safetyduring the on-shore gales.
One morning Ellerton set out as usual to attend to the sheep, whichwere in a thriving state, having so increased in numbers that newpasture grounds had to be provided for them.
It was then blowing strongly from the north-east and almost dead onshore. Happening to glance seaward, he was surprised to see a topsailschooner, under close-reefed canvas, running past the island.
For a moment or so he remained gazing with astonishment at the unwontedsight: then, recovering himself, he ran as hard as he coul
d to thehouse.
"A sail! A sail!" he exclaimed breathlessly.
"A SAIL! A SAIL!" HE EXCLAIMED BREATHLESSLY]
Everyone, including Andy, ran out of the house, and, as Ellerton hadannounced, there was the schooner now abreast of the entrance of thelagoon, but still keeping on her course to the south-west.
"Bring out the signal-book and the flags," ordered Mr. McKay. "Andyou, Quexo, make a fire."
Ellerton soon returned with the bunting, and the Union Jack was hoistedto the masthead. The mulatto procured some dry wood from the store,and set it in a blaze. When well alight, he piled a quantity of dampleaves upon the fire, causing a thick smoke.
Unfortunately the strong wind prevented the vapour from rising, thesmoke drifting over the ground in thick, suffocating columns, but tothe castaways' great joy the vessel hoisted her ensign. It was theFrench tricolour.
"Hurrah!" shouted Mr. McKay. "Now lads, hand me N and C."
The next instant the N and C flags, signifying in the Internationalcode, "_Want assistance_" were fluttering from the mast.
Through the telescope the inhabitants of McKay's Island could see theoilskin-clad figure of the French skipper, his neatly-trimmed moustacheand imperial as correct as if he were on the boulevards of Paris,rushing hither and thither, and giving his orders with much waving ofhis arms. Then, as a string of flags ran up to her main truck, theschooner was hove-to.
"_D.C.--Are coming to your assistance_," read Mr. McKay, referring tohis signal-book. "By Jove! that won't do, the boat will be swamped,"for already some of the crew were manning the falls.
"Sharp there," he continued, "'_E.Y.--Do not attempt to land in yourboat_.' That will stop them; but there's no denying that they areplucky fellows."
In obedience to the signal, the crew of the French schooner gave uptheir attempt, and a lengthy interchange of signals was kept up, theFrenchman promising to report the presence of the castaways at thefirst port she touched; then, with a farewell dip of her ensign, sheflung about, and half an hour later she was lost in the haze.
"That's a load off our minds," remarked Mr. McKay. "We can reasonablyexpect help in a month at the very outside."
"Unless she is blown out of her course, for a gale is freshening,"replied Ellerton.
"Nevertheless, the chances are greatly in our favour, though at thesame time we must not cease our efforts to work out our salvation.This gale will doubtless mark the end of the rainy season, so we canhope to renew our efforts to salve the yawl within the next few days."
But, contrary to Mr. McKay's expectations, the weather continued badfor nearly a month and, although a sharp look-out was kept by day andthe searchlights flashed nightly, no vessel appeared in sight.Alternate hopes and fears did not tend to improve the spirits of thecastaways, and ere the fine weather set in their condition wasbordering on acute depression, in spite of their individual efforts tothe contrary.
At length, after a long spell of rainy weather, the sun burst forth inall its splendour, the wind went away, and the island appeared under atotally different aspect from that which it had shown during the lastsix months. With the return of the dry season, the spirits of thecastaways likewise rose, and energetically they resumed their outdoorlabours.
The submerged yawl was, so far as they could see, little the worse forits prolonged rest on the bed of the lagoon, and by dint of hard andpainstaking work she was moved nearer to the shore than she had beensince the disastrous day when she had been scuttled by the natives.
"It will be new moon to-morrow at about ten o'clock," announced Mr.McKay. "Consequently there will be a fairly high tide at noon, so wecan reasonably hope for sufficient water to float the yawl to thecradle. Everything is ready, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir," replied Ellerton. "I finished rigging the tackle thismorning, and the cradle is properly ballasted."
"Good! Then we'll make the attempt to-morrow."