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diff --git a/21238.txt b/21238.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0204b78 --- /dev/null +++ b/21238.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5693 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Castaways, by Captain Mayne Reid + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Castaways + +Author: Captain Mayne Reid + +Illustrator: Lolbran Pearse + +Release Date: April 27, 2007 [EBook #21238] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CASTAWAYS *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + + +The Castaways + +By Captain Mayne Reid +________________________________________________________________________ +This is certainly not a very long book, being about a half to a third of +most books of this genre. It starts off with a group of people in a +ship's boat, the ship itself having foundered in a typhoon in the +Celebes sea. The ship's captain and his two children, the Irish ship's +carpenter, and the Malay pilot, are all that finally come to shore, +though when the book starts there are a body that has to be thrown +overboard, and a seaman who has gone mad and who throws himself there. + +Thereafter we are introduced to one natural history topic per chapter, +be it a plant, a tree or an animal. There are various perils that have +to be overcome--the upas tree, an ourang-outang, a tree that drops its +fruit like a heavy bomb, a python, and quite a few more. Luckily they +don't meet any unfriendly Dyaks during the journey they undertake to get +from their landing-place to the town of Bruni, many hundreds of miles +away. + +On the whole they are saved by the courage, knowledge and skill of the +co-hero, the Malay pilot, who is one of the best in that region with a +blow-pipe. He makes himself one, and it is just as well he did, as you +will see. + +The book is well-written, and as it will only take you five hours or +less, you could probably find the time to read it. NH +________________________________________________________________________ + +THE CASTAWAYS + +BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +A CASTAWAY CREW. + +A boat upon the open sea--no land in sight! + +It is an open boat, the size and form showing it to be the pinnace of a +merchant-ship. + +It is a tropical sea, with a fiery sun overhead, slowly coursing through +a sky of brilliant azure. + +The boat has neither sail nor mast. There are oars, but no one is using +them. They lie athwart the tholes, their blades dipping in the water, +with no hand upon the grasp. + +And yet the boat is not empty. Seven human forms are seen within it,-- +six of them living, and one dead. + +Of the living, four are full-grown men; three of them white, the fourth +of an umber-brown, or _bistre_ colour. One of the white men is tall, +dark and bearded, with features bespeaking him either a European or an +American, though their somewhat elongated shape and classic regularity +would lead to a belief that he is the latter, and in all probability a +native of New York. And so he is. + +The features of the white man sitting nearest to him are in strange +contrast to his, as is also the colour of his hair and skin. The hair +is of a carroty shade, while his complexion, originally reddish, through +long exposure to a tropical sun exhibits a yellowish, freckled +appearance. The countenance so marked is unmistakably of Milesian type. +So it should be, as its owner is an Irishman. + +The third white man, of thin, lank frame, with face almost beardless, +pale cadaverous cheeks, and eyes sunken in their sockets, and there +rolling wildly, is one of those nondescripts who may be English, Irish, +Scotch, or American. His dress betokens him to be a seaman, a common +sailor. + +He of the brown complexion, with flat spreading nose, high cheek-bones, +oblique eyes, and straight, raven black hair, is evidently a native of +the East, a Malay. + +The two other living figures in the boat are those of a boy and girl. +They are white. They differ but little in size, and but a year or two +in age, the girl being fourteen and the boy about sixteen. There is +also a resemblance in their features. They are brother and sister. + +The fourth white, who lies dead in the bottom of the boat, is also +dressed in seaman's clothes, and has evidently in his lifetime been a +common sailor. + +It is but a short time since the breath departed from his body; and +judging by the appearance of the others, it may not be long before they +will all follow him into another world. How weak and emaciated they +appear, as if in the last stage of starvation! The boy and girl lie +along the stern-sheets, with wasted arms, embracing each other. The +tall man sits on one of the benches, gazing mechanically upon the corpse +at his feet; while the other three also have their eyes upon it, though +with very different expressions. That upon the face of the Irishman is +of sadness, as if for the loss of an old shipmate; the Malay looks on +with the impassive tranquillity peculiar to his race; while in the +sunken orbs of the nondescript can be detected a look that speaks of a +horrible craving--the craving of cannibalism. + +The scene described, and the circumstances which have led to it, call +for explanation. It is easily given. The tall dark-bearded man is +Captain Robert Redwood, the skipper of an American merchant-vessel, for +some time trading among the islands of the Indian Archipelago. The +Irishman is his ship-carpenter, the Malay his pilot, while the others +are two common sailors of his crew. The boy and girl are his children, +who, having no mother or near relatives at home, have been brought along +with him on his trading voyage to the Eastern Isles. The vessel passing +from Manilla, in the Philippines, to the Dutch settlement of Macassar, +in the island of Celebes, has been caught in a _typhoon_ and swamped +near the middle of the Celebes Sea; her crew have escaped in a boat--the +pinnace--but saved from death by drowning only to find, most of them, +the same watery grave after long-procrastinated suffering from thirst, +from hunger, from all the agonies of starvation. + +One after another have they succumbed, and been thrown overboard, until +the survivors are only six in number. And these are but skeletons, each +looking as if another day, or even another hour, might terminate his +wretched existence. + +It may seem strange that the youthful pair in the stern-sheets, still +but tender children, and the girl more especially, should have withstood +the terrible suffering beyond a period possible to many strong men, +tough sailors every one of them. But it is not so strange after all, or +rather after knowing that, in the struggle with starvation, youth always +proves itself superior to age, and tender childhood will live on where +manhood gives way to the weakness of inanition. + +That Captain Redwood is himself one of the strongest of the survivors +may be due partly to the fact of his having a higher organism than that +of his ship-comrades. But, no doubt, he is also sustained by the +presence of the two children, his affection for them and fear for their +fate warding off despair, and so strengthening within him the principle +of vitality. + +If affection has aught to do with preserving life, it is strong enough +in the Irishman to account also for the preservation of his; for +although but the carpenter in Captain Redwood's ship, he regards the +captain with a feeling almost fraternal. He had been one of his oldest +and steadiest hands, and long service has led to a fast friendship +between him and his old skipper. + +On the part of the Irishman, this feeling is extended to the youthful +couple who recline, with clasped hands, along the sternmost seat of the +pinnace. + +As for the Malay, thirst and hunger have also made their marks upon him; +but not as with those of Occidental race. It may be that his bronze +skin does not show so plainly the pallor of suffering; but, at all +events, he still looks lithe and life-like, supple and sinewy, as if he +could yet take a spell at the oar, and keep alive as long as skin and +bone held together. If all are destined to die in that open boat, he +will certainly be the last. He with the hollow eyes looks as if he +would be the first. + +Down upon this wretched group, a picture of misery itself, shines the +hot sun of the tropics; around it, far as eye could reach, extends the +calm sea, glassed, and glancing back his lays, as though they were +reflected from a sheet of liquid fire; beneath them gleams a second +firmament through the pellucid water, a sky peopled with strange forms +that are not birds: more like are they to dragons; for among them can be +seen the horrid form of the devil-fish, and the still more hideous +figure of the hammer-headed shark. And alone is that boat above them, +seemingly suspended in the air, and only separated from these dreadful +monsters by a few feet of clear water, through which they can dart with +the speed of electricity. Alone, with no land in sight, no ship or +sail, no other boat--nothing that can give them a hope. + +All bright above, around, and beneath; but within their hearts only +darkness and the dread of death! + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +THE HAMMER-HEAD. + +For some time the castaways had been seated in moody silence, now and +then glancing at the corpse in the bottom of the boat, some of them no +doubt thinking how long it might be before they themselves would occupy +the same situation. + +But now and then, also, their looks were turned upon one another, not +hopefully, but with a mechanical effort of despair. + +In one of these occasional glances, Captain Redwood noticed the +unnatural glare in the eyes of the surviving sailor, as also did the +Irishman. Simultaneously were both struck with it, and a significant +look was exchanged between them. + +For a period of over twenty hours this man had been behaving oddly; and +they had conceived something more than a suspicion of his insanity. The +death of the sailor lying at the bottom of the boat, now the ninth, had +rendered him for a time more tranquil, and he sat quiet on his seat, +with elbows resting on his knees, his cheeks held between the palms of +his hands. But the wild stare in his eyes seemed to have become only +more intensified as he kept them fixed upon the corpse of his comrade. +It was a look worse than wild; it had in it the expression of _craving_. + +On perceiving it, and after a moment spent in reflection, the captain +made a sign to the ship-carpenter, at the same time saying,-- + +"Murtagh, it's no use our keeping the body any longer in the boat. Let +us give it such burial as the sea vouchsafes to a sailor,--and a true +one he was." + +He spoke these words quietly, and in a low tone, as if not intending +them to be heard by the suspected maniac. + +"A thrue sailor!" rejoined the Irishman. "Truth ye're roight there, +captin. Och, now! to think he's the ninth of them we've throwed +overboard, all the crew of the owld ship, exceptin' our three selves, +widout countin' the Malay an' the childer. If it wasn't that yer +honour's still left, I'd say the best goes first; for the nigger there +looks as if he'd last out the whole lot of--" + +The captain, to whom this imprudent speech was torture, with a gesture +brought it to an abrupt termination. He was in fear of its effect not +on the Malay, but on the insane sailor. The latter, however, showed no +sign of having heard or understood it; and in a whisper Murtagh received +instructions how to act. + +"You lay hold of him by the shoulders," were the words spoken, "while I +take the feet. Let us slip him quietly over without making any stir. +Saloo, remain you where you are; we won't need your help." + +This last speech was addressed to the Malay, and in his own language, +which would not be understood by any other than himself. The reason for +laying the injunction upon him was, that he sat in the boat beyond the +man deemed mad, and his coming across to the others might excite the +latter, and bring about some vaguely dreaded crisis. + +The silent Malay simply nodded an assent, showing no sign that he +comprehended why his assistance was not desired. For all that, he +understood it, he too having observed the mental condition of the +sailor. Rising silently from their seats, and advancing toward the dead +body, the captain and carpenter, as agreed upon, laid hold of and raised +it up in their arms. Even weak as both were, it was not much of a lift +to them. It was not a corpse, only a skeleton, with the skin still +adhering, and drawn tightly over the bones. + +Resting it upon the gunwale of the boat, they made a moment's pause, +their eyes turned heavenward, as if mentally repeating a prayer. + +The Irishman, a devout believer in the efficacy of outward observances, +with one hand detached from the corpse, made the sign of the cross. + +Then was the body again raised between them, held at arm's length +outward, and tenderly lowered down upon the water. + +There was no plunge, only a tiny plashing, as if a chair, or some other +piece of light wood-work, had been dropped gently upon the surface of +the sea. But slight as was the sound, it produced an effect, startling +as instantaneous. The sailor, whose dead comrade was thus being +consigned to the deep, as it were, surreptitiously, all at once sprang +to his feet, sending forth a shriek that rang far over the tranquil +water. With one bound, causing the pinnace to heel fearfully over, he +placed himself by the side over which the corpse had been lowered, and +stood with arms upraised, as if intending to plunge after it. + +The sight underneath should have awed him. The dead body was slowly, +gradually sinking, its garb of dark blue Guernsey shirt becoming lighter +blue as it went deeper down in the cerulean water; while fast advancing +to meet it, as if coming up from the darkest depths of the ocean, was a +creature of monstrous shape, the very type of a monster. It was the +hideous hammer-headed shark, the dreaded _zygaena_ of the Celebes Sea. + +With a pair of enormous eyes glaring sullenly out from two immense +cheek-like protuberances, giving to its head that singular sledge-hammer +appearance whence it has its name, it advanced directly toward the +slow-descending corpse, itself, however, moving so rapidly that the +spectators above had scarce taken in the outlines of its horrid form, +when this was no longer visible. It was hidden in what appeared a +shower of bluish pearls suddenly projected underneath the water, and +enveloping both the dead body of the sailor and the living form of the +shark. Through the dimness could be distinguished gleams of a pale +phosphoric sheen like lightning flashes through a sky cloud; and soon +after froth and bubbles rose effervescing upon the surface of the sea. + +It was a terrible spectacle, though only of an instants duration. When +the subaqueous cloud cleared away, and they again looked with peering +eyes down into the pellucid depths, there was nothing there, neither +dead body of man, nor living form of monster. The _zygaena_ had secured +its prey, and carried the skeleton corpse to some dark cavern of the +deep! [Note 1.] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. The hammer-headed shark, in common language, is rightly +designated one of the most hideous of marine animals. We mean hideous +in outward appearance, for, of course, there is much both wonderful and +beautiful in its internal organisation, and in the exquisite fitness of +its structure for its peculiar part in the economy of nature. In the +general outline of its body, which is something like that of a cylinder, +it resembles the ordinary sharks; and its distinctive feature is its +head, which, on either side, expands like a double-headed hammer. The +eyes are very large, and placed at each extremity. It is found in the +Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Indian Ocean, and is noted for its +fierceness and voracity. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +THE ALBATROSS. + +Captain Redwood and the Irishman were horrified at the sight that had +passed under their eyes. So, too, were the children, who had both +started up from their reclining attitude, and looked over the side of +the boat. Even the impassive Malay, all his life used to stirring +scenes, in which blood was often shed, could not look down into those +depths, disturbed by such a tragical occurrence, without having aroused +within him a sensation of horror. + +All of them recoiled back into the boat, staggering down upon their +seats. One alone remained standing, and with an expression upon his +face as if he was desirous of again beholding the sight. It was not a +look that betrayed pleasure, but one grim and ghastly, yet strong and +steady, as if it penetrated the profoundest depths of the ocean. It was +the look of the insane sailor. + +If his companions had still held any lingering doubts about his +insanity, it was sufficient to dispel them. It was the true stare of +the maniac. + +It was not long continued. Scarce had they resumed their seats when the +man, once more elevating his arms in the air, uttered another startling +shriek, if possible louder and wilder than before. He had stepped upon +one of the boat seats, and stood with body bent, half leaning over the +gunwale, in the attitude of a diver about to make his headlong plunge. + +There could be no mistaking his intention to leap overboard, for his +comrades could see that his muscles were strained to the effort. + +All three--the captain, Murtagh, and the Malay--suddenly rose again, and +leant forward to lay hold on him. They were too late. Before a finger +could touch him he had made the fatal spring; and the next moment he was +beneath the surface of the sea! + +None of them felt strong enough to leap after and try to save him. In +all probability, the effort would have been idle, and worse; for the mad +fancy that seemed urging him to self-destruction might still influence +his mind, and carry another victim into the same vortex with himself. +Restrained by this thought, they stood up in the boat, and watched for +his coming up again. + +He did so at length, but a good distance off. A breeze had been +gradually springing up, and during his dive the pinnace had made some +way, by drifting before it. When his head was again seen above the +curling water, he was nearly a hundred yards to windward of the boat. +He was not so far off as to prevent them from reading the expression +upon his face, now turned toward them. It had become changed, as if by +magic. The wild look of insanity was gone, and in its place was one +almost equally wild, though plainly was it an expression of fear, or +indeed terror. The immersion into the cold, deep sea, had told upon his +fevered brain, producing a quick reaction of reason; and his cries for +help, now in piteous tones sent back to the boat, showed that he +understood the peril in which he had placed himself. + +They were not unheeded. Murtagh and the Malay rushed, or rather +tottered, to the oars; while the captain threw himself into the stern, +and took hold of the tiller-ropes. + +In an instant the pinnace was headed round, and moving through the water +in the direction of the swimmer; who, on his side, swam toward them, +though evidently with feeble stroke. There seemed not much doubt of +their being able to pick him up. The only danger thought of by any of +them was the _zygaena_; but they hoped the shark might be still occupied +with its late prey, and not seeking another victim. There might be +another shark, or many more; but for some time past one only had been +seen in the neighbourhood of the boat; the shark, as they supposed, +which had but recently devoured the dead body of the sailor. Trusting +to this conjecture, they plied the oars with all the little strength +left in their arms. Still, notwithstanding their feeble efforts, and +the impediment of pulling against the wind, they were nearing the +unfortunate man, surely, if slowly. + +They had got over half the distance; less than half a cable's length was +now between the boat and the struggling swimmer. Not a shark was to be +seen on the water, nor beneath it--no fish of any kind--nothing whatever +in the sea. Only, in the sky above, a large bird, whose long +scimitar-shaped wings and grand curving beak told them what it was--an +albatross. It was the great albatross of the Indian seas, with an +extent of wing beyond that of the largest eagle, and almost equalling +the spread of the South American condor. [Note 1.] + +They scarce looked at it, or even glanced above, they were looking below +for the _zygaena_--scanning the surface of the water around them, or +with their eyes keenly bent, endeavouring to penetrate its indigo depths +in search of the monstrous form. + +No shark in sight. All seemed well; and despite the piteous appeals of +the swimmer, now toiling with feebler stroke, and scarce having power to +sustain himself they in the pinnace felt sure of being able to rescue +him. + +Less than a quarter cable's length lay between. The boat, urged on by +the oars, was still lessening the distance. Five minutes more, and they +would be close to their comrade, and lift him over the gunwale. + +Still no _zygaena_ in sight--no shark of any kind. + +"Poor fellow! he seems quite cured; we shall be able to save him." + +It was Captain Redwood who thus spoke. The Irishman was about making a +little hopeful rejoinder, when his speech was cut short by a cry from +Saloo, who had suspended his stroke, as if paralysed by some sudden +despair. + +The Malay, who, as well as Murtagh, had been sitting with his back +toward the swimmer, had slewed himself round with a quick jerk, that +told of some surprise. The movement was caused by a shadow flitting +over the boat; something was passing rapidly through the air above. It +had caught the attention of the others, who, on hearing Saloo's cry, +looked up along with him. + +They saw only the albatross moving athwart the sky, no longer slow +sailing as before, but with the swift-cutting flight of a falcon +pouncing down upon its prey. It seemed descending not in a straight +line, but in an acute parabolic curve, like a thunderbolt or some +aerolite projected toward the surface of the sea. But the bird, with a +whirr like the sound of running spindles, was going in a definite +direction, the point evidently aimed at being the head of the swimmer! + +A strange commingled shout arose over the ocean, in which several voices +bore part. Surprise pealed forth from the lips of those in the boat, +and terror from the throat of the struggling man, while a hoarse croak +from the gullet of the albatross, followed by what appeared a mocking +scream of triumph. Then quick succeeded a crashing sound, as the sharp +heavy beak of the bird broke through the skull of the swimmer, striking +him dead, as if by the shot of a six-pounder, and sending his lifeless +body down toward the bottom of the sea! + +It came not up again--at all events, it was never more seen by his +castaway companions; who, dropping the oars in sorrowful despair, +allowed the boat to drift away from the fatal spot--in whatever +direction the soft-sighing breeze might capriciously carry it. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. The albatross Is the largest of the ocean-birds. Its wings, +when extended, measuring fifteen feet, and its weight sometimes +exceeding twenty to twenty-four pounds. The common albatross is the +_Diomedea exulans_ of naturalists. Its plumage, except a few of the wing +feathers, is white; its long, hard beak, which Is very powerful, is of a +pale yellow colour; and its short, webbed feet are flesh coloured. It +is frequently met with in the Southern Ocean. The species mentioned in +the text is the black-beaked albatross, which frequents the India +waters. The albatross Is a formidable enemy to the sailor, for if one +falls overboard, he will assuredly fall a victim to this powerful bird, +unless rescued immediately by his comrades. Its cry has some +resemblance to that of the pelican; but it will also, when excited, give +rent to a noise not unlike the braying of an ass. The female makes a +rude nest of earth on the sea-shore, and deposits therein her solitary +egg, which is about four inches long, white, and spotted at the larger +end. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +THE CRY OF THE DUGONG. + +Until the day on which the ninth sailor had died of starvation, and the +tenth had been struck dead by the sea-bird, the castaways had taken an +occasional spell at the oars. They now no longer touched, nor thought +of them. Weakness prevented them, as well as despondency. For there +was no object in continuing the toil; no land in sight, and no knowledge +of any being near. Should a ship chance to come their way, they were as +likely to be in her track lying at rest, as if engaged in laboriously +rowing. They permitted the oars, therefore, to remain motionless +between the thole pins, themselves sitting listlessly on the seats, most +of them with their heads bent despairingly downward. The Malay alone +kept his shining black eyes on the alert, as if despair had not yet +prostrated him. + +The long sultry day that saw the last of their two sailor comrades, at +length came to a close, without any change in their melancholy +situation. The fierce hot sun went down into the bosom of the sea, and +was followed by the short tropic twilight. As the shades of night +closed over them, the father, kneeling beside his children, sent up a +prayer to Him who still held their lives in His hand; while Murtagh said +the Amen; and the dark-skinned Malay, who was a Mohammedan, muttered a +similar petition to Allah. It had been their custom every night and +morning, since parting from the foundered ship, and during all their +long-protracted perils in the pinnace. + +Perhaps that evening's vesper was more fervent than those preceding it; +for they felt they could not last much longer, and that all of them were +slowly, surely dying. + +This night, a thing something unusual, the sky became obscured by +clouds. It might be a good omen, or a bad one. If a storm, their frail +boat would run a terrible risk of being swamped; but if rain should +accompany it, there might be a chance of collecting a little water upon +a tarpaulin that lay at the bottom. + +As it turned out, no rain fell, though there arose what might be called +a storm. The breeze, springing up at an early hour of the day, +commenced increasing after sunset. + +It was the first of any consequence they had encountered since taking to +the boat; and it blew right in the direction whither they intended +steering. + +With the freshening of the wind, as it came cool upon his brow, the +castaway captain seemed to become inspired with a slight hope. It was +the same with Murtagh and the Malay. + +"If we only had a sail," muttered the captain, with a sigh. + +"Sail, cappen--lookee talpolin!" said Saloo, speaking in "pigeon +English," and pointing to the tarpaulin in the bottom of the boat. "Why +no him makee sail?" + +"Yis, indade; why not?" questioned the Irishman. + +"Comee, Multa! you help me; we step one oal--it makee mass--we lig him +up little time." + +"All roight, Sloo," responded Murtagh, leaning over and seizing one of +the oars, while the Malay lifted the tarpaulin from where it lay folded +up, and commenced shaking the creases out of it. + +With the dexterity of a practised sailor, Murtagh soon had the oar +upright, and its end "stepped," between two ribs of the boat, and firmly +lashed to one of the strong planks that served as seats. Assisted by +the captain himself, the tarpaulin was bent on, and with a "sheet" +attached to one corner rigged sail-fashion. In an instant it caught the +stiff breeze, and bellied out; when the pinnace feeling the impulse, +began to move rapidly through the water, leaving in her wake a stream of +sparkling phosphorescence that looked like liquid fire. + +They had no compass, and therefore could not tell the exact direction in +which they were being carried. But a yellowish streak on the horizon, +showing where the sun had set, was still lingering when the wind began +to freshen, and as it was one of those steady, regular winds, that +endure for hours without change, they could by this means guess at the +direction--which was toward that part of the horizon where the yellowish +spot had but lately faded out; in short, toward the west. + +Westward from the place where the cyclone had struck the ship, lay the +great island of Borneo. They knew it to be the nearest land, and for +this had they been directing the boat's course ever since their +disaster. The tarpaulin now promised to bring them nearer to it in one +night, than their oars had done with days of hopeless exertion. + +It was a long twelve-hour night; for under the "Line"--and they were +less than three degrees from it--the days and nights are equal. But +throughout all its hours, the wind continued to blow steadily from the +same quarter; and the spread tarpaulin, thick and strong, caught every +puff of it acting admirably. It was, in fact, as much canvas as the +pinnace could well have carried on such a rough sea-breeze, and served +as a storm-try sail to run her before the wind. + +Captain Redwood himself held charge of the tiller; and all were cheered +with the fine speed they were making--their spirits rising in proportion +to the distance passed over. Before daylight came to add to their +cheerfulness, they must have made nearly a hundred miles; but ere the +day broke, a sound fell upon their ears that caused a commotion among +them--to all giving joy. It came swelling over the dark surface of the +deep, louder than the rush of the water or the whistling of the wind. +It resembled a human voice; and although like one speaking in agony, +they heard it with joy. There was hope in the proximity of human +beings, for though these might be in trouble like themselves, they could +not be in so bad a state. They might be in danger from the storm; but +they would be strong and healthy--not thirsting skeletons like the +occupants of the pinnace. + +"What do you think it is, captin?" asked the Irishman. "Moight it be +some ship in disthriss?" + +Before the captain could reply, the sound came a second time over the +waters, with a prolonged wail, like the cry of a suffering sinner on his +death-bed. + +"The _dugong_!" exclaimed Saloo, this time recognising the melancholy +note, so like to the voice of a human being. + +"It is," rejoined Captain Redwood. "It's that, and nothing more." + +He said this in a despairing tone, for the dugong, which is the +_manatee_, or sea-cow of the Eastern seas, could be of no service to +them; on the contrary, its loud wailings spoke of danger--these being +the sure precursors of a storm. [Note 1.] + +To him and Murtagh, the presence of this strange cetaceous animal gave +no relief; and, after hearing its call, they sank back to their seats, +relapsing into the state of half despondency, half hopefulness, from +which it had startled them. + +Not so with Saloo, who better understood its habits. He knew they were +amphibious, and that, where the dugong was found, land could not be a +long way off. He said this, once more arousing his companions by his +words to renewed expectancy. + +The morning soon after broke, and they beheld boldly outlined against +the fast-clearing sky the blue mountains of Borneo. + +"Land!" was the cry that came simultaneously from their lips. + +"Land--thank the Lord!" continued the American skipper, in a tone of +pious gratitude; and as his pinnace, still obedient to the breeze and +spread tarpaulin, forged on toward it, he once more knelt down in the +bottom of the boat, caused his children to do the same, and offered up a +prayer--a fervent thanksgiving to the God alike of land and sea, who was +about to deliver him and his from the "dangers of the deep." + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. We are unwilling to interrupt the course of our narrative by +disquisitions on subjects of natural history, and, therefore, relegate +to a note the following particulars about the dugong. This strange +mammal belongs to a genus of the family _Manatidae_, or Herbivorous +Cetacea. The species of which a member was discovered by our castaways, +is the _Halicore Indicus_, or dugong of the Indian Archipelago; and, as +we have said, is never found very far from land. Its dentition +resembles, in some respects, that of the elephant; and from the +structure of its digestible organs it can eat only vegetable food; that +is, the _algae_, or weeds, growing on submarine rocks in shallow water. +When it comes to the surface to breathe, it utters a peculiar cry, like +the lowing of a cow. Its length, when full-grown, is said to be twenty +feet, but few individuals seem to exceed twelve feet. In its general +appearance it is very much like the _manatee_, or manatus, which haunts +the mouths of the great South American rivers. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +RUNNING THE BREAKERS. + +The Almighty Hand that had thus far helped the castaways on their +course, with a favouring wind bringing them in sight of Borneo's isle, +was not going to crush the sweet hopes thus raised by wrecking their +boat upon its shores. + +And yet for a time it seemed as if this were to be their fate. As they +drew near enough to the land to distinguish its configuration, they saw +a white line like a snow-wreath running between it and them, for miles +to right and left, far as the eye could reach. They knew it to be a +barrier of coral breakers, such as usually encircle the islands of the +Indian seas--strong ramparts raised by tiny insect creatures, to guard +these fair gardens of God against the assaults of an ocean that, +although customarily calm, is at times aroused by the _typhoon_, until +it rages around them with dark scowling waves, like battalions of +demons. + +On drawing near these reefs, Captain Redwood, with the eye of an +experienced seaman, saw that while the wind kept up there was no chance +for the pinnace to pass them; and to run head on to them would be simply +to dash upon destruction. Sail was at once taken in, by letting go the +sheet, and dropping the tarpaulin back into the bottom of the boat. The +oar that had been set up as a mast was left standing, for there were +five others lying idle in the pinnace; and with four of these, Saloo and +Murtagh each taking a pair, the boat was manned, the captain himself +keeping charge of the tiller. His object was not to approach the land, +but to prevent being carried among the breakers, which, surging up +snow-white, presented a perilous barrier to their advance. + +To keep the boat from driving on the dangerous reef, was just as much as +the oarsmen could accomplish. Weakened as they were, by long suffering +and starvation, they had a tough struggle to hold the pinnace as it were +in _statu quo_--all the tougher from the disproportion between such a +heavy craft and the light oar-stroke of which her reduced and exhausted +crew were capable. + +But as if taking pity upon them, and in sympathy with their efforts, the +sun, as he rose above the horizon, seemed to smile upon them and hush +the storm into silence. The wind, that throughout the night had been +whistling in their ears, all at once fell to a calm, as if commanded by +the majestic orb of day; and along with the wind went down the waves, +the latter subsiding more gradually. It was easier now to hold the +pinnace in place, as also to row her in a direction parallel to the line +of the breakers; and, after coasting for about a mile, an opening was at +length observed where the dangerous reef might perhaps be penetrated +with safety. + +Setting the boat's head toward it, the oars were once more worked with +the utmost strength that remained in the arms of the rowers, while her +course was directed with all the skill of which an American skipper is +capable. + +Yet the attempt was one of exceeding peril. Though the wind had +subsided, the swell was tremendous; billow after billow being carried +against the coral reefs with a violence known only to the earthquake and +the angry ocean. Vast volumes of water surged high on either side, +projecting still higher their sparkling shafts of spray, like the +pillars of a waterspout. + +Between them spread a narrow space of calm sea--yet only comparatively +calm, for even there an ordinary boat, well managed, would be in danger +of getting swamped. What then was the chance for a huge pinnace, poorly +manned, and therefore sure of being badly trimmed? It looked as if +after all the advantages that had arisen--that had sprung up as though +providentially in their favour--Captain Redwood and the small surviving +remnant of his crew were to perish among the breakers of Borneo, and be +devoured by the ravenous sharks which amidst the storm-vexed reefs find +their congenial home. + +But it was not so to be. The prayer offered up, as those snow-white but +treacherous perils first hove in sight, had been heard on high; and He +who had guided the castaways to the danger, stayed by their side, and +gave strength to their arms to carry them through it. + +With a skill drawn from the combination of clear intelligence and long +experience, Captain Redwood set the head of his pinnace straight for the +narrow and dangerous passage; and with a strength inspired by the peril, +Murtagh and the Malay pulled upon their oars, each handling his +respective pair as if his life depended on the effort. + +With the united will of oarsmen and steerer the effort was successful; +and ten seconds later the pinnace was safe inside the breakers, moving +along under the impulse of two pairs of oars, that rose and fell as +gently as if they were pulling her over the surface of some placid lake. + +In less than ten minutes her keel touched bottom on the sands of Borneo, +and her crew, staggering ashore, dropped upon their knees, and in words +earnest as those uttered by Columbus at Cat Island, or the Pilgrims on +Plymouth Rock, breathed a devout thanksgiving for their deliverance. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +A GIGANTIC OYSTER. + +"Water! water!" + +The pain of hunger is among the hardest to endure, though there is still +a harder--that of thirst. In the first hours of either, it is doubtful +which of the two kinds of suffering is the more severe; but, prolonged +beyond a certain point, hunger loses its keenness of edge, through the +sheer weakness of the sufferer, while the agony of thirst knows no such +relief. + +Suffering, as our castaways were, from want of food for nearly a week, +their thirst was yet more agonising; and after the thanksgiving prayer +had passed from their lips, their first thought was of water--their cry, +"Water! water!" + +As they arose to their feet they instinctively looked around to see if +any brook or spring were near. + +An ocean was flowing beside them; but this was not the kind of water +wanted. They had already had enough of the briny element, and did not +even turn their eyes upon it. It was landward they looked; scanning the +edge of the forest, that came down within a hundred yards of the shore-- +the strip of sand on which they had beached their boat trending along +between the woods and the tide-water as far as the eye could trace it. +A short distance off, however, a break was discernible in the line of +the sand-strip--which they supposed must be either a little inlet of the +sea itself, or the outflow of a stream. If the latter, then were they +fortunate indeed. + +Saloo, the most active of the party, hastened toward it; the others +following him only with their eyes. + +They watched him with eager gaze, trembling between hope and fear-- +Captain Redwood more apprehensive than the rest. He knew that in this +part of the Bornean coast months often pass without a single shower of +rain; and if no stream or spring should be found they would still be in +danger of perishing by thirst. + +They saw Saloo bend by the edge of the inlet, scoop up some water in his +palms, and apply it to his lips, as if tasting it. Only for an instant, +when back to them came the joyful cry,-- + +"_Ayer! ayer manis! sungi_!" (Water! sweet water! A river!) + +Scarce more pleasantly, that morning at day-break, had fallen on their +ears the cry of "Land!" than now fell the announcement of the Malay +sailor, making known the proximity of water. Captain Redwood, who was +acquainted with the Malay language, translated the welcome words. Sweet +water, Saloo had described it. Emphatically might it be so termed. + +All hastened, or rather rushed, toward the stream, fell prostrate on +their faces by its edge, and drank to a surfeit. It gave them new life; +and, indeed, it had given them their lives already, though they knew it +not. It was the outflow of its current into the ocean that caused the +break in the coral reef through which their boat had been enabled to +pass. Otherwise they might have found no opening, and perished in +attempting to traverse the surging surf. The madrepores will not build +their subaqueous coral walls where rivers run into the ocean; hence the +open spaces here and there happily left, that form deep transverse +channels admitting the largest ships. + +No longer suffering from thirst, its kindred appetite now returned with +undivided agony, and the next thought was for something to eat. + +They again turned their eyes toward the forest, and up the bank of the +stream that came flowing from it. But Saloo had seen something in the +sea, near the spot where the pinnace had been left; and, calling upon +Murtagh to get ready some dry wood and kindle a fire, he ran back toward +the boat. + +Murtagh, the rest accompanying him, walked to the edge of the woods +where the stream issued from the leafy wilderness. + +Just beyond the strip of sand the forest abruptly ended, the trees +standing thick together, and rising like a vast vegetable wall to a +height of over a hundred feet. Only a few straggled beyond this line. +The very first of them, that nearest the sea, was a large elm-like tree, +with tall trunk, and spreading leafy limbs that formed a screen from the +sun, now well up in the sky, and every moment growing more sultry. It +offered a convenient camping-place; and under its cool shadow they could +recline until with restored strength they might either seek or build +themselves a better habitation. + +An ample store of dry faggots was lying near; and Murtagh having +collected them into a pile, took out his flint and steel, and commenced +striking a light. + +Meanwhile their eyes were almost constantly turned toward Saloo, all of +them wondering what had taken him back to the boat. Their wonder was +not diminished when they saw him pass the place where the pinnace had +been pulled up on the sand, and wade straight out into the water--as if +he were going back to the breakers! + +Presently, after he had got about knee-deep, they saw him stoop down, +until his body was nearly buried under the sea, and commence what +appeared to be a struggle with some creature still concealed from their +observation. Nor was their wonder any the less, when at length he rose +erect again, holding in his hands what for all the world looked like a +huge rock, to which a number of small shells and some sea-weed adhered. + +"What does the Malay crather want wid a big stone?" was the +interrogatory of the astonished Irishman. "And, look, captin, it's that +same he's about bringin' us. I thought it moight be some kind of +shill-fish. Hungry as we are, we can't ate stones?" + +"Not so fast, Murtagh," said the captain, who had more carefully +scrutinised the article Saloo had taken up. "It's not a stone, but what +you first supposed it--a shell-fish." + +"That big thing a shill-fish! Arrah now, captin, aren't you jokin'?" + +"No, indeed. What Saloo has got in his arms, if I'm not mistaken, is an +oyster." + +"An oysther? Two fut in length and over one in breadth. Why, it's as +much as the Malay can carry. Don't yez see that he's staggerin' under +it?" + +"Very true; but it's an oyster for all that. I'm now sure of it, as I +can see its shape, and the great ribs running over it. Make haste, and +get your fire kindled; for it's a sort of oyster rather too +strong-flavoured to be eaten raw. Saloo evidently intends it to be +roasted." + +Murtagh did as requested, and by the time the Malay, bearing his heavy +burden, reached the tree, smoke was oozing through a stack of faggots +that were soon after ablaze. + +"Tha, Cappen Ledwad," said the Malay, flinging his load at the captain's +feet. "Tha plenty shell-fiss--makee all we big blakfass. Inside find +good meat. We no need open him. Hot coalee do that." + +They all gathered around the huge shell, surveying it with curiosity, +more especially the young people. + +It was that strange testaceous fish found in the Indian seas, and known +to sailors as the "Singapore oyster"--of which specimens are not rare +measuring a yard in length, and over eighteen inches in breadth at the +widest diameter. + +Their curiosity, however, was soon satisfied; for with stomachs craving +as theirs, they were in no very fit condition for the pursuit of +conchological studies; and Saloo once more lifting the large oyster-- +just as much as he could do--dropped it among the faggots, now fairly +kindled into a fire. + +More were heaped around and over it, until it was buried in the heart of +a huge pile, the sea-weeds that still clung to it crackling, and the +salt water spurting and spitting, as the smoke, mingled with the bright +blaze, ascended toward the overshadowing branches of the tree. + +In due time Saloo, who had cooked Singapore oysters before, pronounced +it sufficiently roasted; when the faggots were kicked aside, and with a +boat-hook, which Murtagh had brought from the pinnace, the oyster [Note +1.] was dragged out of the ashes. + +Almost instantly it fell open, its huge valves displaying in their +concave cups enough "oyster-meat" to have afforded a supper for a party +of fifteen individuals instead of five--that is, fifteen not so famished +as they were. + +With some knives and other utensils, which the Irishman had also brought +away from the boat, they seated themselves around the grand bivalve; nor +did they arise from their seats until the shells were scraped clean, and +hunger, that had so long tortured them, was quite banished from their +thoughts. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. Strictly speaking, the Singapore oyster is a gigantic species +of Clam, (_Tridacna_). + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +A DANGEROUS LOCALITY. + +After their ample meal of oyster "roasted in the shell," which was a +breakfast instead of a supper, they rested for the remainder of the day, +and all through the following night. They required this lengthened +period of repose, not because they stood in need of sleep, but from the +exhaustion of weakness, consequent upon their long spell of hunger and +thirst. + +They slept well, considering that they had no couch, nor any covering, +but the tattered clothes they wore upon their bodies. But they had +become accustomed to this kind of bed; as to one even less comfortable, +and certainly not safer--on the hard planks of the pinnace. Nor did the +cold discomfort them; for although the nights are colder on land than at +sea, and in the tropics sometimes even chilly, that night was warm +throughout; and nothing interfered with their slumbers except some +horrid dreams, the sure sequence of suffering and perils such as they +had been passing through. + +The morning rose bright and beautiful, as nearly all Bornean mornings +do. And the castaways rose from their recumbent position, feeling +wonderfully restored both in strength and spirits. Henry and Helen-- +these were the names of the young people--were even cheerful, inclined +to wander about and wonder at the strange objects around: the beautiful +beach of silvery sand; the deep blue sea; the white breakers beyond, +rising over it like along snow-wreath; the clear fresh-water stream +alongside, in which they could see curious fish disporting themselves; +the grand forest-trees, among them stately palms and tall lance-like +bamboos;--in short, a thousand things that make tropical scenery so +charming. + +Notwithstanding the scenic beauty, there was something needed before it +could be thoroughly enjoyed, and this was breakfast. The contents of +the great oyster had given full satisfaction for the time; but that was +nearly twenty-four hours ago, and the appetites of all were once more +keenly whetted. What was to take the edge off them? This was the +question that occupied their thoughts, and the answer was not so easy. + +Saloo went in search of another Singapore oyster; Murtagh started along +the bank of the stream, in the hope of beguiling some of the red and +gold fish he saw playing "backgammon" in it, as he had seen the trout +and salmon in his native Killarney; while the captain, having procured a +rifle, that had been brought away in the boat, and which he well knew +how to handle, wandered off into the woods. + +Henry and Helen remained under the tree, as their father did not think +there could be any danger in leaving them alone. He was well enough +acquainted with the natural history of Borneo to know that there were +neither lions nor tigers in the island. Had it been on the neighbouring +island of Sumatra, or some desert coast of the mainland--in Malacca, +Cochin-China, or Hindustan--he might have dreaded exposing them to the +attack of tigers. But as there was no danger of encountering these +fierce creatures on the shores of Borneo, he told the children to stay +under the tree until he and the others should return. + +The young people were by this time rather tired of remaining in a +recumbent position. It was that to which they had been too long +constrained while in the boat, and it felt irksome; moreover, the +oyster, wonderfully restoring their strength, had brought back their +wonted juvenile vigour, so that they felt inclined for moving about a +bit. For a time they indulged this inclination by walking to and fro +around the trunk of the tree. + +Soon, however, weariness once more came upon them, and they desired to +have a seat. Squatting upon the ground is an attitude only easy to +savages, and always irksome to those accustomed to habits of civilised +life, and to sitting upon chairs. They looked about for something upon +which they might sit but nothing appeared suitable. There were neither +logs nor large stones; for the beach, as well as the adjacent shore, was +composed of fine drift sand, and no trees seemed to have fallen near the +spot. + +"I have it!" exclaimed Henry, after puzzling his brains a bit, his eye +guiding him to a settlement of the difficulty. "The shells--the big +oyster shells--the very things for us to sit upon, sister Nell." + +As he spoke, he stooped down and commenced turning over one of the +shells of the immense bivalve--both of which had been hitherto lying +with their concave side uppermost. It was nigh as much as the boy, +still weak, could do to roll it over, though Helen, seeing the +difficulty, laid hold with her little hands and assisted him. + +Both the huge "cockles" were speedily capsized; and their convex +surfaces rising nearly a foot above the level of the ground, gave the +young people an excellent opportunity of getting seated. + +Both sat down--each upon a shell--laughing at the odd kind of stools +thus conveniently provided for them. + +They had not been long in their sedentary attitude, when a circumstance +occurred which told them how unsafe a position they had chosen. They +were conversing without fear, when Henry all at once felt something +strike him on the arm, and then, with a loud crash, drop down upon the +shell close under his elbow, chipping a large piece out of it. + +His first impression was that some one had thrown a stone at him. It +had hit him on the arm, just creasing it; but on looking at the place +where he had been hit, he saw that the sleeve of his jacket was split, +or rather torn, from shoulder to elbow, as if a sharp-tooth curry-comb +had been drawn violently along it. He felt pain, moreover, and saw +blood upon his shirt underneath! + +He looked quickly around to ascertain who had thus rudely assailed him-- +anxiously, too, for he was in some dread of seeing a savage spring from +the bushes close by. On turning, he at once beheld the missile that had +rent his jacket-sleeve lying on the sand beside him. It was no stone, +but a round or slightly oval-shaped ball, as big as a ten-pound shot, of +a deep-green colour, and covered all over with spurs like the skin of a +hedgehog! + +He at once saw that it had not been thrown at him by any person; for, +with the sharp, prickly protuberances thickly set all over it, no one +could have laid hand upon it. Clearly it had fallen from the tree +overhead. Helen had perceived this sooner than he; for sitting a little +way off, she had seen the huge ball drop in a perpendicular direction-- +though it had descended with the velocity of lightning. + +Beyond doubt, it was some fruit or nut, from the tree under which they +were seated. From the way in which the jacket-sleeve had suffered, as +well as the skin underneath--to say nothing of the piece chipped out of +the shell--it was evident, that had the ponderous pericarp fallen upon +Henry's skull, it would have crushed it as a bullet would the shell of +an egg. + +Young as the two were, they were not so simple as to stay in that spot +an instant longer. On the tree that could send down such a dangerous +missile there might be many more--equally ready to rain upon them--and +with this apprehension both sprang simultaneously to their feet, and +rushed out into the open ground, not stopping till they believed +themselves quite clear of the overshadowing branches that so ill +protected them. They looked back at the seats they had so abruptly +vacated, and the green globe lying beside them, and then up to the tree; +where they could see other similar large globes, only at such a vast +height looking no bigger than peaches or apricots. + +They did not dare to venture back to their seats, nor, although tempted +by a strong curiosity to examine it, to approach the fallen fruit. In +fact, the arm of Henry was badly lacerated; and his little sister, on +seeing the blood upon his shirt sleeve, uttered an alarm that brought +first Saloo, and then the others, affrighted to the spot. + +"What is it?" were the interrogations of the two white men, as they came +hurrying up, while the impressive Malay put none--at once comprehending +the cause of the alarm. He saw the scratched arm, and the huge green +globe lying upon the ground. + +"_Dulion_!" he said, glancing up to the tree. + +"Durion!" echoed the captain, pronouncing the word properly, as +translated from Saloo's pigeon English. + +"Yes, cappen; foolee me no think of him befole. Belly big danger. It +fallee on skull, skull go clashee clashee." + +This was evident without Saloo's explanation. The lacerated arm and +broken shell were evidences enough of the terrible effects that would +have been produced had the grand pericarp in its downward descent fallen +upon the heads of either of the children, and they all saw what a narrow +escape Henry had of getting his "cocoa-nut" crushed or split open. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +SHOOTING AT FRUIT. + +As soon as the three men had got well up to the ground and ascertained +the cause of Helen's alarm, and the damage done to Henry's jacket and +skin, Murtagh was the first to make a demonstration. He did so by +running in under the tree, and stooping to lay hold of the fruit that +had caused the misfortune. Saloo saw him do this without giving a word +of warning. He was, perhaps, a little piqued that the Irishman should +make himself so conspicuous about things he could not possibly be +supposed to understand, and which to the Malay himself were matters of +an almost special knowledge. There was a twinkle of mischief in his eye +as he contemplated the meddling of Murtagh, and waited for the +_denouement_. + +The latter, rashly grasping the spiny fruit, did not get it six inches +above the ground, before he let go again, as if it had been the hottest +of hot "purtatees." + +"Och, and what have I done now!" he cried, "I'm jagged all over. There +isn't a smooth spot upon it--not so much as a shank to take howlt of!" + +"You takee care, Multa," cautioned Saloo. "You lookee aloff. May be +you get jagee in de skull!" + +Murtagh took the hint, and, giving one glance upward, ran back with a +roar from under the shadow of the tree. + +The Malay, seemingly satisfied with his triumph, now glided underneath +the durion, and keeping his eye turned upward, as if intently watching +something, he struck the fruit with the piece of pointed stick which he +had been using in the search after Singapore oysters, and sent it +spinning out upon the open sand beach. Then following, he took out his +knife, and inserting the blade among its thickly set spines, cleft it +open, displaying the pulp inside. + +There was enough to give each person a taste of this most luscious of +fruits, and make them desirous of more; even had they not been hungry. +But the appetites of all were now keen, and neither the chase nor the +fishery had produced a single thing to satisfy them. All three had +returned empty-handed. There were many more nuts on the durion-tree. +They could see scores of the prickly pericarps hanging overhead, but so +high as to make the obtaining of them apparently impossible. They were +as far away as the grapes from the fox of the fable. + +The stem of the tree rose over seventy feet before throwing out a single +branch. It was smooth, moreover, offering neither knot nor excrescence +for a foothold. For all this Saloo could have climbed it, had he been +in proper strength and condition. But he was not so. He was still weak +from the effects of his suffering at sea. + +Something more must be had to eat--whether game, fish or shell-fish. + +The one great oyster appeared to be a stray. Saloo had begun to despair +of being able to find another. The fruit of the durion proved not only +pleasant eating, but exceedingly nutritious. It would sustain them, +could they only get enough of it. How was this to be obtained? + +For a time they stood considering; when Captain Redwood became impressed +with an original idea. + +In addition to his own rifle, a large ship's musket had been put into +the pinnace. He thought of chain-shot, and its effects; and it occurred +to him that by this means the durions might be brought down from their +lofty elevation. + +No sooner conceived than carried into execution. The musket was loaded +with a brace of balls united by a piece of stout tarred string. A shot +was fired into the tree, aimed at a place where the fruit appeared +thickest. There was havoc made among the adjacent leaves; and five or +six of the great pericarps came crashing to the earth. A repetition of +the firing brought down nearly a dozen, enough to furnish the whole +party with food for at least another twenty-four hours. + +Having collected the fallen pericarps, they carried them to another tree +that stood near, amid whose leafy branches appeared to be no fruits +either so sweet to the lips or dangerous to the skull. + +Thither also they transferred their quarters, along with the +paraphernalia brought up from the boat, intending to make a more +permanent encampment under the newly chosen tree. + +For the time they kindled no fire, as the weather was warm enough, and +the durions did not require cooking; and while making their mid-day meal +of the raw fruit, Saloo interested them by relating some particulars of +the tree from which it had been obtained. + +We shall not follow the Malay's exact words, for, as spoken in "pigeon +English," they would scarce be understood; but shall lay before our +readers some account of this strange and valuable fruit-tree, culled +partly from Saloo's description and partly from other sources. + +The durion is a forest tree of the loftiest order, bearing resemblance +to the elm, only with a smooth bark, which is also scaly. It is found +growing throughout most of the islands of the Indian Archipelago; and, +like the mangosteen, does not thrive well in any other part of the +world. This is perhaps the reason its fruit is so little known +elsewhere, as when ripe it will not bear transportation to a great +distance. The fruit is nearly globe-shaped, though a little oval, and +in size equals the largest cocoa-nut. + +As the reader already knows, it is of a green colour, and covered with +short stout spines, very sharp-pointed, whose bases touch each other, +and are consequently somewhat hexagonal in shape. With this +_chevaux-de-frise_ it is so completely armed, that when the stalk is +broken close off it is impossible to take up the fruit without having +one's fingers badly pricked. The outer rind is so tough and strong, +that no matter from what height the fruit falls it is never crushed or +broken. From the base of the fruit to its apex, five faint lines may be +traced running among the spines. These form the divisions of the +carpels where the fruit can be cut open with a sharp knife, though +requiring a considerable exertion of strength. The five cells found +within are of a silken white colour, each filled with an oval-shaped +mass of cream-coloured pulp containing several seeds of the size of +chestnuts. The pulp forms the edible portion of the fruit, and its +consistence and flavour are both difficult to be described. Mr +Wallace, the celebrated hunter naturalist, thus quaintly describes it:-- + +"A rich, butter-like custard, highly flavoured with almonds, gives the +best general idea of it; but intermingled with it come wafts of flavour +that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, brown-sherry, and other +incongruities. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp, +which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is +neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy; yet one feels the want of none of +these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. It produces no nausea, or +other bad effects; and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined +to stop. In fact, to eat durions is a new sensation, worth a voyage to +the East to experience. When the fruit is ripe it falls of itself; and +the only way to eat durions to perfection is to get them as they fall, +and the smell is then less overpowering. When unripe, it makes a very +good vegetable if cooked, and it is also eaten by the Dyaks raw. In a +good fruit season large quantities are preserved salted, in jars and +bamboos, and kept the year round, when it acquires a most disgusting +odour to Europeans, but the Dyaks appreciate it highly as a relish with +their rice. There are in the forest two varieties of wild durions with +much smaller fruits, one of them orange-coloured inside. It would not +perhaps be correct to say that the durion is the best of all fruits, +because it cannot supply the place of a sub-acid juicy kind; such as the +orange, grape, mango, and mangosteen, whose refreshing and cooling +qualities are so wholesome and grateful; but as producing a food of the +most exquisite flavour, it is unsurpassed. If I had to fix on two only +as representing the perfection of the two classes, I should certainly +choose the durion and the orange as the king and queen of fruits. + +"The durion is however sometimes dangerous. When the fruit begins to +ripen it falls daily and almost hourly, and accidents not unfrequently +happen to persons walking or working under the trees. When the durion +strikes a man in its fall it produces a dreadful wound, the strong +spines tearing open the flesh, whilst the blow itself is very heavy; but +from this very circumstance death rarely ensues, the copious effusion of +blood preventing the inflammation which might otherwise take place. A +Dyak chief informed me that he had been struck by a durion falling on +his head, which he thought would certainly have caused his death, yet he +recovered in a very short time." + +Both the natives of the Malayan Archipelago and strangers residing there +regard the durion as superior to all other kinds of fruit--in short, the +finest in the world. The old traveller, Luischott, writing of it as +early as 1599, says that in flavour it surpasses all other fruits. +While another old traveller, Doctor Paludanus, thus speaks of it: "This +fruit is of a hot and humid nature. To those not used to it, it seems +at first to smell like rotten onions, but immediately they have tasted +it they prefer it to all other food. The natives give it honourable +titles, exalt it, and make verses on it." [Note 1.] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. To these particulars we may add that the durion (_Durio +zibethinus_) belongs to the natural family of _Sterculiaceae_, of the +same sub-order (_Bombaceae_) as the silk-cotton tree. It grows to a +great stature; its leaves are like those of the cherry, and its pale +yellow flowers hang in large bunches. Each tree yields about two +hundred fruit in a year. The fruit contains ten to twelve seeds, as +large as pigeons' eggs, and these, when roasted, are as good as, and +taste very much like, roasted chestnuts. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +GAGGING A GAVIAL. + +After finishing their dinner of durions, the three men again sallied +forth, to see whether something more substantial could be found for a +later repast--either flesh, fowl, or fish. As before, they went in +different directions--Captain Redwood into the forest, Murtagh up the +stream, and Saloo along the sea-beach, where he waded out into the +water, still in the hope of picking up another large oyster. He took +with him a stalk of bamboo, pointed at one end, to be used as a probe in +the soft bottom in case any oysters might be lying _perdu_ beneath the +sand. + +Henry and Helen were again left to themselves, but this time they were +not to remain seated under any tree--at least, not all the time. The +father, before leaving, had enjoined upon both of them to take a bath; +ablution having become very necessary on account of their having been so +long cribbed up in the somewhat dirty pinnace. It would be also of +service in promoting their restoration to health and strength. They +went into the water, not together, but at some distance apart--Henry +choosing to go down to the sea, while Helen entered the stream close by, +as it had clear water with a smooth, sandy bed; besides, she thought it +was safer, being free from surf or currents. + +It was only safer in appearance, as the sequel proved; for the hunters +and fisherman had scarce scattered off out of hearing, when a cry broke +upon the still air of noon that startled the bright-winged birds of the +Bornean forest, and stopped their songs as quickly as would have done a +shot from Captain Redwood's rifle. It was heard by the captain himself, +strolling among the tree trunks, and looking aloft for game; by Murtagh +on the river bank, endeavouring to beguile the sly fish to his baited +hook; by Saloo, wading knee-deep in search of Singapore oysters; and by +Henry swimming about upon the buoyant incoming tide. More distinctly +than all the rest, the little Helen heard it--since it was she who gave +it utterance. + +It was a cry of distress, and brought all the others together, and +running toward the point whence it came. There was no difficulty about +their knowing the direction, for one and all recognised Helen's voice, +and knew where she had been left. + +In less than sixty seconds' time they stood together upon the bank of +the stream, on the same spot from which they had parted; and there +beheld a spectacle that thrilled them with fear, and filled them with +horror. + +The girl, finding it not deep enough by the edge of the stream--at this +point nearly a hundred yards in width--had waded midway across, where it +came quite up to her neck; and there she stood, her head alone showing +above the surface. Beyond her, and coming from the opposite side, +showed another head, so hideous it was no wonder that, on first +perceiving it, she had given way to affright, and voice to her terror. + +It was the head of an enormous reptile, of lizard shape, that had +crawled out from a reedy covert on the opposite side of the river, and +having silently let itself down into the water, was now swimming toward +the terrified bather. There could be no mistaking the monster's intent, +for it was coming straight toward its victim. + +"_A gavial_!" cried Saloo, as his eyes rested on the body of the huge +saurian, full twenty feet in length, with its head over a yard long, and +jaws nearly the same, the upper one surmounted by a long knob-like +protuberance, that distinguishes it from all other reptiles. + +"A gavial!" echoed the others, though not inquiringly; for they knew too +well both the shape and character of the creature that was crossing the +river. + +As all four first reached the bank--arriving nearly at the same instant +of time--there were about twenty yards between the hideous saurian and +her who seemed destined to destruction. On first perceiving her danger, +the girl had made a few plunges to get back to the bank; but, hindered +by the depth to which she had unwarily waded, and overcome by terror, +she had desisted from the attempt; and now stood neck-deep, giving +utterance to cries of despair. + +What was to be done? In less than a minute more the jaws of the saurian +would close upon her crashing her fair, tender form between its teeth as +though she were only some ordinary prey--a fish, or the stem of some +succulent water-plant! + +Her father stood on the bank a very picture of distress. Of what use +the rifle held half-raised in his hands? Its bullet, not bigger than a +pea, would strike upon the skull of such a huge creature harmlessly, as +a drop of hail or rain. Even could he strike it in the eye--surging +through the water as it was, a thing so uncertain--that would not hinder +it from the intent so near to accomplishment. The Irishman, with only +fish-hooks in his hand, felt equally impotent; and what could the boy +Henry do, not only unarmed but undressed--in short, just as he had been +bathing--_in puris naturalibus_! + +All three were willing to rush into the water, and getting between the +reptile and its victim, confront the fierce creature, even to their own +certain sacrifice. + +And this, one, or other, or all of them, would have done, had they not +been prevented by Saloo. With a loud shout the Malay, hitherto +apparently impassive, called upon them to hold back. They obeyed, +seeing that he intended to act, and had already taken his measures for +rescuing the girl. They could not tell what these were, and only +guessed at them by what they saw in his hands. It was nothing that +could be called a weapon--only a piece of bamboo, pointed at one end, +which he had taken from among the embers of last night's fire and +sharpened with his knife, when he went off in search of the Singapore +oysters. It was the same stick he had been using to probe for them +under the sand. On seeing the gavial as it started toward the girl, he +had quickly drawn out his knife, and sharpened the other end of the +stake while coming across the beach. + +With this sorry apology for a weapon, and while they were still +wondering, he dashed into the stream; and almost before any of the +others had recovered from their first surprise, they saw him plunge past +the spot where stood the affrighted girl. In another instant his black +head, with the long dark hair trailing behind it, appeared in close +juxtaposition to the opened jaws of the reptile. Then the head was seen +suddenly to duck beneath the surface, while at the same time a +brown-skinned arm and hand rose above it with a pointed stake in its +grasp--like the emblematic representation seen upon some ancient crest. +Then was seen an adroit turning of the stick, so quick as to be scarce +perceptible--immediately followed by a backward spring upon the part of +the lizard, with a series of writhings and contortions, in which both +its body and tail took part, till the water around it was lashed into +foam. + +In the midst of this commotion, the head of the Malay once more appeared +above the surface, close to that of the girl; who, under the guidance of +her strangely-skilled and truly courageous rescuer, was conducted to the +bank, and delivered safe into her father's arms; stretched open to +embrace her. + +It was some time, however, before the stream recovered its wonted +tranquillity. For nearly half an hour the struggles of the great +saurian continued, its tail lashing the water into foam, as through its +gagged jaws a stream rushed constantly down its throat, causing +suffocation. But, in spite of its amphibious nature, drowning was +inevitable; and soon after became an accomplished fact--the huge +reptilian carcass drifting down stream, towards the all-absorbing ocean, +to become food for sharks, or some other marine monster more hideous and +ravenous than itself. + +If, indeed, a more hideous and ravenous monster is to be found! It is +sometimes called the Gangetic crocodile, but it is even uglier than +either crocodile or alligator, and differs from both in several +important particulars. + +As, for instance, in its mouth--its jaws being curiously straight, long, +and narrow; and in the shape of its head, which has straight +perpendicular sides, and a quadrilateral upper surface. It has double, +or nearly double, the number [Note 1.] of the teeth of the crocodile of +the Nile, though the latter is well enough supplied with these potent +implements of destruction! + +It is an amphibious animal, and fond of the water, in which its webbed +hind feet enable it to move with considerable celerity. + +The huge reptile which threatened Helen's safety was twenty feet in +length, but the gavial sometimes attains the extraordinary dimensions of +eight to nine yards. + +Sincere was the gratitude of Captain Redwood for the address and courage +displayed by the Malay in rescuing his daughter, and his regret was +great that he had no means of rewarding his faithful follower. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. As many as one hundred and twenty. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +BURROWING BIRDS. + +The fruit diet, however delicious, was not strengthening. Saloo said +so, and Murtagh agreed with him. The Irishman declared he would rather +have a meal of plain "purtatees and buttermilk," though a bit of bacon, +or even ship's "junk," would be more desirable. + +All agreed that a morsel of meat--whether salted or fresh--would be +highly beneficial; indeed, almost necessary to the complete restoration +of their strength. + +How was animal food to be procured? The forest, so far as Captain +Redwood had explored it, seemed altogether untenanted by living +creature. He had now been tramping for upwards of an hour among the +trees without seeing either bird or quadruped. And although there were +fish in the stream, and should have been shell-fish along the sea-beach, +neither Murtagh nor Saloo had succeeded in procuring any. A keen +craving for animal food had grown upon them, and they were not without +some regretful thoughts at having permitted the dead gavial to drift out +to sea. Even from the carcass of the saurian they might have obtained +steaks that, if not very dainty or delicate, would at least have been +eatable. + +Discouraged by their want of success, and still feeling feeble, they did +not go out again that day, but remained resting under the tree. + +While they were munching their evening meal--of durions, as the dinner +had been--the Malay commenced discoursing upon eggs, which set them all +thinking about them. If they only had a few, it would be just the very +thing to nourish and give them strength. But where were the eggs to be +obtained? This was the question asked him by the Irishman, who could at +that moment have eaten a dozen, boiled, fried, poached, in omelette, or +even, as he said himself, have "sucked" them. + +"Iggs indade!" he exclaimed, as Saloo made mention of the article; "I'd +loike to see one, an could ate a basketful of them, if they were as big +as swans'. What puts iggs in your head, nigger?" + +"Eggs no long way off," rejoined the Malay. "Plenty egg if we knowee +whale find 'em." + +"How do you know that? Ye're ravin', Saloo." + +"No lavin, Multa. You heal lass night the malee? All night longee he +cly wail." + +"Hear the malee. What's that?" + +"Biggee fowl like tulkey. Saloo heal him. Make moan likee man go die." + +"Och, thair was that, thrue enough. I heerd something scramin' all the +night. I thought it might be a banshee, if thair is that crayther in +this counthry. A bird, you say? What of that? Its squalling won't +give us any iggs, nor lade to its nest nayther." + +"Ness not belly fal way. Malee make ness in sand close to sea-shole. +Mollow mornin' I go lookee, maybe findee." + +All throughout the previous night they had heard a voice resounding +along the shore in loud, plaintive wailings, and Captain Redwood had +remarked its being a strange note to him, never having heard the like +before. He believed the cries to come from some species of sea-fowl +that frequented the coast, but did not think of the probability of their +nests being close at hand. As day broke he had looked out for them in +hopes of getting a shot. Even had they been gulls, he would have been +glad of one or two for breakfast. But there were no birds in sight, not +even gulls. + +Saloo now told them that the screams heard during the night did not come +from sea-fowl, but from birds of a very different kind, that had their +home in the forest, and only came to the sea-coast during their season +of breeding; that their presence was for this purpose, and therefore +denoted the proximity of their nests. + +While they were yet speaking on the subject, their eyes were suddenly +attracted to a number of the very birds about which they were in +converse. There was quite a flock of them--nearly fifty in all. They +were not roosted upon the trees, nor flying through the air, but +stepping along the sandy beach with a sedate yet stately tread, just +like barn-door fowl on their march toward a field of freshly-sown grain, +here and there stooping to pick up some stray seed. They were about the +size of Cochin-Chinas, and from their flecked plumage of glossy black +and rose-tinted white colour, as well as from having a combed or +helmeted head, and carrying their tails upright, they bore a very +striking resemblance to a flock of common hens. + +They, in fact, belonged to an order of birds closely allied to the +gallinaceous tribe, and representing it on the continent of Australia as +also in several of the Austro-Malayan islands, where the true +gallinaceae do not exist. There are several distinct species of them; +some, as the _tallegalla_ or "brush turkey" of Australia, approaching in +form and general appearance to the turkey, while others resemble the +common fowl, and still others might be regarded as a species of +pheasant. They have the singular habit of depositing their eggs in +mounds of rubbish, which they scrape together for this purpose, and then +leave them to what might appear a sort of spontaneous incubation. Hence +they are usually called "mound-builders," though they do not all adhere +to the habit; some of them choosing a very different though somewhat +analogous mode of getting their eggs hatched. Naturalists have given +them the name of _megapoda_, on account of their very large feet, which, +provided with long curved claws, enable them to scratch the ground +deeply and rake together the rubbish into heaps for the safe deposit of +their eggs. + +Sometimes these megapodes, as the Australians call them, for they are as +common in Australia as Borneo, raise heaps of fifteen feet in height, +and not less than sixty feet in circumference at the base. + +They are large and heavy birds, unwieldy in their motions, slow and +lumbering in their flight. Their legs are thick, and their toes are +also thick and long. + +There is some difference between their nest-building ways and those of +the tallegalla; yet, on the whole, the similarity is very striking, as +may be seen from the following account. + +Tracing a circle of considerable radius, says Mr Wood, the birds begin +to travel round it, continually grasping with their large feet the +leaves, and grasses, and dead twigs which are lying about, and flinging +them inwards towards the centre. Each time they finish their rounds +they narrow their circle, so that they soon clear away a large circular +belt, having in its centre a low, irregular heap. By repeating the +operation they decrease the _diameter_ of the mound while increasing its +_height_, until at length a large and rudely conical mound is formed. + +Next they scrape out a cavity of about four feet in the middle of the +heap, and here deposit the eggs, which are afterwards covered up, to be +hatched by the combined effects of fermentation and the sun. But the +bird does not thus escape any of the cares of maternity, for the male +watches the eggs carefully, being endowed with a wonderful instinct +which tells him the temperature suitable for them. Sometimes he covers +them thickly with leaves, and sometimes lays them nearly bare, repeating +these operations frequently in the course of a single day. + +The eggs at last are hatched, but when the young bird escapes from the +shell it does not leave the mound, remaining therein for at least twelve +hours. Even after a stroll in the open air it withdraws to its mound +toward evening, and is covered up, like the egg, only not to so great a +depth. It is a singular fact that in all cases a nearly cylindrical +hole, or shaft, is preserved in the centre of the heap, obviously +intended to admit the cooling air from without, and to allow of the +escape of the gases fermenting within. + +In each nest as much as a bushel of eggs is frequently deposited. As +these are of excellent flavour, they are quite as much esteemed by the +white man as by the aborigine. The tallegalla has a habit of scratching +large holes in the ground while dusting itself, says Mr Wood, after the +manner of gallinaceous birds; and these holes often serve to guide the +egg-hunter towards the nest itself. + +After this digression let us return to the megapodes of Borneo, whose +appearance had strongly excited the curiosity of Captain Redwood and his +party. + +The birds that had now displayed themselves to the eyes of our party of +castaways were of the species known as "maleos," by Saloo called malee. +They had not just then alighted, but came suddenly into view around the +spur of a "dune," or sand-hill, which up to that moment had hindered +them from being observed. + +As the spectators were quietly reclining under the obscure shadow of the +tree, the birds did not notice them, but stalked along the shore about +their own business. + +What this business was soon became apparent; for although one or another +of the birds made occasional stop to pick up some worm, weed, or seed, +it was evident they were not making their evening promenade in search of +food. Now and again one would dart quickly away from the flock, running +with the swiftness of a pheasant, then suddenly stop, survey the ground +in every direction, as if submitting it to examination, and finally, +with a cackling note, summon the others to its side. After this a +general cackle would spring up, as if they were engaged in some +consultation that equally regarded the welfare of all. + +It was noticed that those taking the initiative in these prospecting +rushes and summonings, differed a little from the others. The casque or +bonnet-shaped protuberance at the back of their heads was larger, as +were also the tubercles at their nostrils; the red upon their naked +cheeks was of brighter and deeper hue; while their plumage was gayer and +more glossy, the rufous-white portion of it being of a more pronounced +rose or salmon colour. These were the male birds or "cocks" of the +flock, though the difference between them and the hens was much less +than that between chanticleer and the ladies of his barn-yard harem, and +only noticeable when they drew very near to the spectators. + +They were still two hundred yards from the spot where the latter lay +watching them, and by the direction in which they were going it was not +likely they would come any nearer. Captain Redwood had taken hold of +the musket, intending to load it with some slugs he chanced to have, and +try a long shot into the middle of the flock; but Saloo restrained him +with a word or two spoken in a whisper. They were,-- + +"Don't try shot, cappen. Too long way off. You miss all. Maybe they +go lookee place for billy eggs. Much betta we waitee while." + +Thus cautioned, the captain laid aside the gun, while they all remained +silently watching the maleos, which continued their course, with its +various divergences, still unconscious of being observed. + +When they were nearly in front of the camping-place, at a spot where the +sand lay loose and dry, above the reach of the ordinary tidal influx, +all made a stop at the summons of one who, from the superior style of +his plumage and the greater grandeur of his strut, appeared a very +important individual of the tribe--in all likelihood the "cock of the +walk." + +Here a much longer period was spent in the cackling consultation, which +at length came to an end, not as before in their passing on to another +place, but by the whole flock setting to, and with their great clawed +feet scratching up the sand, which they scattered in clouds and showers +all around them. + +For a time they were scarce visible, the sand dust flying in every +direction, and concealing the greater portion of them beneath its dun +cloud; and this sort of play was continued for nearly half an hour. It +was not intended for play, however, for when it at length came to a +termination the spectators under the tree could perceive that a large +cavity had been hollowed out in the sand, of such extent, as to diameter +and depth, that more than half the flock, when within its circumference, +were invisible from their point of observation. + +From that moment it could be noted that several birds were always down +in the pit thus excavated, some going in, others coming out, as if +taking their turn in the performance of a common duty; and it was +further noticed that the ones so occupied were those of less conspicuous +plumage--in fact the hens; while the cocks strutted around, with their +tails elevated high in the air, and with all the pride and importance +usually assumed by masters of a grand ceremonial. + +For another hour this singular scene was kept up, Saloo hindering his +companions from making any movement to interrupt it, by promising them a +great reward for non-interference. + +The scene at length terminated in another grand scraping match, by which +the sand was flung back into the pit with the accompanying storm of +dust, and then emerging from the cloud there commenced a general +stampede of the megapodes, the birds separating into parties of two and +three, and going in different directions. They rushed away at lightning +speed, some along the smooth sand beach, while others rose right up into +the air, and on loud whirring wings flew off into the forest. + +"Now!" said Saloo, with joy gleaming in his dark, Oriental eyes. "Now +we getee pay for patient waitee--we hab egg--better than dulion--belly +bess solt of egg malee." + +As there was no need for further concealment or caution, all started to +their feet and hastened out to the spot where the departed fowls had +been at work. There was no longer any signs of a hollow, but a level +surface corresponding with that around, and but for the fresh look of +the recently disturbed sand, and the scoring that told of claws having +disturbed it, no one could have thought that a flock of birds resembling +barn-door fowl had just made such a large cavity in the ground, and then +filled it up again. + +Saloo and Murtagh ran down to the pinnace, and each brought back an oar. +With these used as shovels, the loose sand was once more removed, and +nearly three dozen large eggs of a reddish or brick colour were exposed +to view, lying in a sort of irregular stratification. They were of the +usual ovoid form, smaller at one end than the other, though but slightly +elongated. What was most notable was their immense size, considering +the bulk of the birds that voided them; for while the latter were not +larger than common hens, the eggs were as big as those of a goose. The +contents of one which Murtagh, in his careless Hibernian way, +accidentally broke--and which were caught in a tin pannikin that held as +much as a good-sized breakfast cup--filled the pannikin to its brim. + +It was quite a seasonable supply. These fine eggs proved not inferior +to those of the common hen; indeed they were thought superior, and in +flavour more like the eggs of a guinea-fowl or turkey. + +About a dozen of them were cooked for breakfast, and in more ways than +one. Some were boiled, one of the half shells of the same Singapore +oyster serving for a saucepan; while in the other, used as a frying-pan, +an immense omelette was frittered to perfection. It was quite a change +from the fruit diet of the durion, reversing our present as well as the +old Roman fashion of eating, though not contrary to the custom of some +modern nations--the Spaniards, for example. Instead of being _ab ovo ad +malum_, it was _ab malo ad ovum_. [Note 2.] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. The Banshee, or Benshie, sometimes called the Shrieking Woman, +is an imaginary being, supposed by the Irish to predict, by her shrieks +and wails, the death of some member in the family over which she +exercises a kind of supervision. To this fable Moore alludes in one of +his songs-- + + "How oft has the Benshee cried." + +Note 2. The Romans began their noonday meal with eggs, and ended with a +dessert; _ab ovo ad malum_. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +THE LANOONS. + +Certainly the most nutritious of all things eatable or drinkable is the +substance, or fluid, called milk. It becomes blood almost immediately, +and then flesh, or muscle, as was designed by the Creator. Hence it is +the first food given to all animated creatures--not alone to the +_mammalia_, but to the oviparous animals--even to the infantile forms of +the vegetable itself. To the first it is presented in the form of +simple milk, or "lacteal fluid;" to the second in the "white" of the +egg; while the young tree or plant, springing from its embryo, finds it +in the farina, or succulent matter, with which it is surrounded, and in +which it has hitherto lain embedded and apparently lifeless, till the +nursing sun calls it into a growing existence. It is albumen, gluten, +and other substances combined, all existing in the udder, in the +egg-shell, in the seed, root, or fruit; from which springs the progeny, +whether it be man or beast, flying bird or swimming fish, creeping +reptile or fast-rooted forest tree. + +The meal of oyster-meat had restored to healthy action the long-fasting +stomachs of the castaways; the durion fruit, coming like a _dessert_, +had no doubt acted with an exceedingly beneficial effect; but not till +they had partaken of the true "staff of life"--represented in one of its +elementary forms, the egg--did they feel their blood running in its +right channels, alike restoring their vigour and strength. + +Murtagh was one of the first to feel revivified, and declare himself +ready for anything. But they were all much invigorated, and began to +think and talk of plans for the future. The question, of course, was, +how they should quit the shore on which shipwreck, and afterwards a +chance wind, had cast them? So far the coast appeared to be +uninhabited, and although not so very inhospitable, as their experience +had proved, still it would never do for them to remain there. + +The American merchant-skipper had no ambition to match the Scotchman +Selkirk, and make a second Crusoe of himself. Neither would Murtagh or +the Malay have cared to act as his man Friday for any very prolonged +period of hermitage, so long as there was a mode of escaping from it. + +During the remainder of that evening, therefore, they talked of a change +of quarters, and discussed various plans for bringing this about. It +was a question whether they should take to their boat and again put out +to sea, or endeavour, by an overland expedition, to reach some part of +the coast where they might find a European, and therefore a civilised, +settlement. Captain Redwood knew there were more than one of these on +the great island of Borneo. There were the Dutch residencies of Sambas +and Sarabang; the English government depot on the islet of Labuan; and +the strange heterogeneous settlement--half colony, half kingdom--then +acknowledging the authority of the bold British adventurer, Sir James +Brooke, styled "Rajah of Sarawak." If any of these places could be +attained, either coastwise or across country, our castaways might +consider their sufferings at an end; and it was only a question which +would be the easiest to reach, and what the best way of reaching it. + +After due consideration, Labuan was the point decided upon. From that +part of the coast Captain Redwood supposed himself to be, it was by far +the nearest civilised settlement--in fact, the only one that offered a +chance of being reached by travellers circumstanced as they. Of course +they had no intention to start immediately. Their strength was not +sufficiently restored, and they were only discussing the question of a +journey to be undertaken before long, and the probabilities of their +being able to accomplish it. + +Although they were now safe on land, and need no longer dread the +"dangers of the deep," they did not yet believe themselves delivered +from all peril. The part of the coast on which they had landed appeared +uninhabited; but it was not this that made them uneasy. On the +contrary, human beings were the very things they did not desire just +then to see. From the place where his ship had been struck by the +typhoon, and the distance and direction in which they had since drifted, +Captain Redwood conjectured--was indeed almost sure of it--that they +were on some part of the north-eastern coast of Borneo, where it fronts +the Celebes Sea; and he had traded long enough among the islands of the +Malayan Archipelago to know that this was a most dangerous locality, not +from beasts of prey, but fierce, predatory men; from pirates, in short. + +These sea-robbers, issuing from their hiding-places and strongholds +among the lagoons of many of the Malayan islands--more especially +Mindanao--are to be met with all through the Indian Archipelago; but +their most favourite cruising-grounds are in the seas lying around the +Sooloo isles, and stretching between Borneo and New Guinea. + +They are usually known as "Lanoons," from Illanon, the southern +peninsula of Mindanao, their principal place of refuge and residence. +But they have also other haunts and ports where they make rendezvous-- +many on the shores of the Celebes Sea, in the island of Celebes itself, +and also along the eastern and northern coast of Borneo. In this last +they are usually known as "Dyak pirates," a name not very correct; since +most of these freebooters are of pure Malayan race, while the Bornean +Dyaks take but little part in their plundering, and are themselves often +its victims. + +The craft in which they carry on their nefarious calling are large +junk-like vessels termed "praus," with short, stumpy masts and huge +square sails of woven matting stuff. But they place more dependence +upon their broad paddle-bladed oars and skilled oarsmen, each prau +having from thirty to forty rowers, and some very large ones a much +greater number. These, seated in double rows along each side of the +vessel, take no part in the fighting, which is done by the chiefs and +warriors stationed above on a sort of platform or upper deck that +extends nearly the whole length of the prau. The advantage derived from +the oars is, that in the tropical seas very light winds and calms are of +common occurrence, during either of which the prau can easily overtake +an ordinary sailing-ship. And when a brisk wind arises, and it is +desirable to avoid any vessel that may be endeavouring to come up with +them, they can, by means of their strong rowing force, get to windward +of the chasing craft, and so out of harm's way. + +Ships are not always the objects of their piratical cruisings, or they +might at times find it but an unprofitable business. Combined with sea +piracy, they make frequent land expeditions along the coasts of the +different islands, going up the inlets and rivers, and plundering the +towns or other settlements situated on their banks. And their booty +does not always consist of goods, chattels, and money, but of men, +women, and children; for they are men-robbers as well as murderers and +pirates. Their captives are carried off to their places of rendezvous, +and there kept until they can be sold into slavery--a market for this +kind of commodity being easily found in almost every island of the +Malayan Archipelago--whether it be Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, or under +the dominion of its own native rulers, the sultans and rajahs. + +Well aware of all these circumstances, Captain Redwood knew the danger +he and his party would incur should they fall into the hands of the +Lanoons. So long as they were out upon the open sea, and in fear of +perishing by starvation, they had never had a thought about pirates. +Then the sight of a prau--even with the certainty of its being a +piratical craft--would have been welcome; since death by the Malay kris, +or slavery to the most cruel taskmaster, would have been a relief from +the sufferings they were enduring, from hunger as from thirst. Now, +however, that these were things of the past, and they were not only safe +delivered from the perils of the deep, but seemed in no farther danger +of starvation, the pirates had become the subject of their gravest +fears, and their eyes were habitually on the alert--now scanning the +sea-shore on both sides, and now directed toward the forest, whenever +any noise from that quarter occurred to excite suspicion. + +While in this frame of mind, the boat which had brought them safely +ashore caused them a good deal of apprehension. They might themselves +have easily found concealment among the trees that stood thickly on the +land-side; but the large pinnace lying upon the open beach was a +conspicuous object, and could be seen miles off by any one straying +along the shore, or coming abruptly out of the forest. If there were +any pirates' nest near, the boat would surely betray them, and the +question arose as to what should be done with it. + +To have dragged it up the sand, and hidden it among the underwood, is +probably what they would have done had they been possessed of sufficient +strength. But they knew that they were not, and therefore the thing was +not thought of. It was as much as they could yet do to drag their own +bodies about, much less a heavy ship's boat. + +Murtagh suggested breaking it up, and letting the fragments float off +upon the waves. But Captain Redwood did not approve of this mode. The +craft that had so long carried them through an unknown sea, and at +length set them safely ashore, deserved different treatment. Besides, +they might again stand in need of it; for it was not yet certain whether +they were on the coast of the Bornean mainland, or one of the numerous +outlying islets to be found along its eastern side. If an island, the +boat would still be required to carry them across to the main. + +While they were engaged in discussing this subject on the day they had +made discovery of the maleos' eggs, Saloo's sharp eye, wandering about, +caught sight of something that promised a solution of the difficulty. +It was the little stream not far off, or rather, the estuary formed by +its current, which, flowing out through the sands, had cut a channel +deep enough for the keel of a much larger craft than a ship's pinnace. + +"Why we no blingee boat up libba?" he asked. + +"Saloo is right; it may be done," assented the captain. + +"Troth an' that may it. It's clivver of the nigger to be the first of +us to think of that same. Then we'd betther set about it at once-- +hadn't we, captin?" + +"By all means," was the reply; and the three men, rising to their feet, +walked off toward the boat, leaving the young people under the tree. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +KRISSING A CONSTRICTOR. + +It took them nearly an hour to get the pinnace round into the stream, +and opposite the place they had fixed upon for their temporary +encampment. The current acting against their feeble efforts at rowing, +was the cause of delay. They succeeded, however, and the boat was made +safe from being observed by the eye of any one going along the beach. +But, to make it still more secure, they poled it in under the branches +of an over-hanging tree not far off--a large Indian fig, or _banyan_, +whose umbrageous top overshadowed the water nearly half-way across the +stream. + +To one of its numerous root-stems the craft was made fast by means of +the tiller-ropes; and they were stepping out of it to return to their +camping-place, when a shout from Saloo warned them of some danger ahead. + +It was not ahead, but _overhead_; for, as his companions looked up-- +following the example of the Malay--they saw what at first appeared to +be one of the stems of the banyan in motion, as if endowed with life! + +They were soon convinced of their mistake; for instead of the moving +thing being part of the fig-tree, its supple, cylindrical body and +glittering scales showed it to be a serpent. + +It was a python, and one of enormous dimensions, as they could tell by +what they saw of it, knowing that this was only a portion of the whole; +at least ten feet of it were depending from the tree, while, judging by +the taper of its body, and applying the ordinary rule as to serpent +shape, there could not be less than ten or twelve other feet concealed +among the branches above. + +As Saloo first caught sight of it, it was descending from the tree, no +doubt having been disturbed by the noise made in mooring the boat, and +tempted to forsake its perch for some purpose unknown. It was coming +down head foremost--not along any of the stems, but in an open space +between them--its tail coiled round a branch above, affording it a +support for this descent, monkey or 'possum-fashion. + +Its snout had already touched the ground, and perhaps its whole body +would soon have been elongated upon the earth but for the shout of +Saloo. At this it suddenly jerked up its head, but without taking in +any of its coils above; and with jaws agape and tongue protruding, it +commenced oscillating around as if trying its range, and ready to pounce +upon any creature that came within the radius of that wide circle of +which its forked tongue was describing the circumference. + +The warning of the Malay was given soon enough to save Captain Redwood, +but not the ship-carpenter. Murtagh was either too long in hearing, or +too slow in giving heed to it. He was a step or two in advance of the +others, carrying in his arms some implements from the boat. In looking +around and above he saw the snake sweeping about in its grand circular +vibrations, and at the same time perceived that he was within their +range. + +It was but the simple obedience of instinct to leap to one side, which +he did; but as ill luck would have it, hampered by the _impedimenta_ +carried in his arms, he came in violent collision with one of the stems +of the banyan, which not only sent him back with a rebound, but threw +him down upon the earth, flat on his face. He would have done better by +lying still, for in that position the snake could not have coiled around +and constricted him. And the python rarely takes to its teeth till it +has tried its powers of squeezing. + +But the ship-carpenter, ignorant of this herpetological fact, and as an +Irishman not highly gifted either with patience or prudence, after +scrambling a while upon his hands and knees, stood once more upon his +feet. + +He had scarcely got into an erect attitude when his body was embraced by +a series of spiral annulations that extended from head to foot--huge +thick rings, slimy and clammy to the touch, which he knew to be the +foldings of the python. + +Had there been any Lanoons, or Dyak pirates, within a mile's distance, +they might have heard the cry that escaped him. The forest birds heard +it afar off, and ceased their chatterings and warblings, so that there +was no sound for some time save the continuous shrieks and ejaculations +that came from Murtagh's lips. + +Captain Redwood, altogether unarmed, leaped back into the pinnace to +seize the boat-hook, thinking it the best weapon for the occasion. It +might have been of service if obtainable in time. But long before he +could have returned with it the ship-carpenter's ribs would have been +compressed into a mass of broken bones, and the breath crushed out of +his body. + +This would certainly have been the lamentable result but for a weapon +with which a Malay is always armed, carrying it on his body nearer than +his shirt, and almost as near as his skin. It was the _kris_. As a +matter of course, Saloo had one, and luckily for his old shipmate, +"Multa," he knew how to handle it with skill, so that, in driving its +twisted blade through the python's throat, he did not also impale upon +its point the jugular vein of the Irishman. He did the one dexterously +without doing the other, and the consequence was that the huge snake, +suffering keenly from having its throat pierced through, quickly +uncoiled itself from the body of its intended victim, glad to let the +latter escape, and only thinking of getting free itself by scuttling off +into the thickest of the underwood, where it disappeared evidently +writhing in pain. + +Too anxious about the condition of their comrade, neither Captain +Redwood nor Saloo thought of pursuing it, but stooped down over the +released body of the Irishman, who had fallen prostrate to the earth. + +On due examination it proved that there was not much harm done beyond a +terrible fright; and after some congratulations, he was induced to get +once more upon his feet and accompany them to the camp. But for Saloo +and his kris, beyond doubt he would never have returned to it alive. + +For the python in the Old World is quite as formidable as the boa in the +New. Perhaps it is even more to be dreaded; for, notwithstanding its +great length--twenty-five to thirty feet--it is exceedingly nimble and +its muscular strength is immense. There are numerous authentic stories +on record of its having crushed the buffalo and the tiger in its huge +constricting folds. The _python reticulatus_ is probably the largest +species. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +CHICKS QUICK TO TAKE WING. + +Two more days passed without any occurrence of an unusual nature, though +the castaways made several short excursions and explorations into the +forest, and also up and down the shore, keeping, however, close to the +edge of the timber. These ended without any important discovery being +made, but confirmed them in their conjecture that the coast on which +they had been cast was uninhabited, at least for a considerable distance +on each side of the place where they had landed. + +The most disappointing thing about these exploratory trips was their +fruitlessness in obtaining food, the chief object for which they had +been made. Excepting some stray roots and berries of an esculent +nature, they had nothing to eat after the maleos' eggs were consumed; +and these had lasted them only into the second day. It is true the +durion stood near, and its fruit would for a time keep them from +starving. Still it would do little for the restoration of their +strength; and upon such diet it would be a long time before they could +undertake the arduous journey contemplated with any fair prospect of +being able to finish it. No more Singapore oysters could be found, no +fish caught; and such birds and beasts of the forest as Captain Redwood +had accidentally got a glimpse of, had either flown or fled away without +giving him as much as the chance of a snap shot. + +At night they again heard the stridulous clamour of the maleos, and +every morning looked out for them; but these fine fowls did not put in +another appearance, much less deposit three dozen eggs right under their +eyes, and in a convenient spot for being gathered. + +Saloo, however, who knew all about their habits, believed he might yet +find another ovarium; and with this view, on the morning of the third +day, after giving up all further attempts at getting shell-fish, he +started upon a "prospecting" expedition after eggs, the others going +with him. + +Their route led along the shore, and among the dry sand-wreaths, swirled +up near the selvedge of the woods. If another egg depository existed, +it was there it should be found. He told his companions that not only +did 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 at +different times, each time laying their collected eggs in a new and +separate pit. That, moreover, these curious birds, guided by instinct +or cunning, are accustomed to conceal the place of deposit, which might +be easily recognised by their tracks and scratchings. This they do by +scoring the ground in other places, and giving to the surface the same +appearance as it bears over the spot where their eggs have been left to +the hatching of the sun. + +In this searching excursion Saloo had brought with him a boat-hook; and +it was not long before he had an opportunity of proving the truth of his +words. A place where the sand was very much tracked by the huge feet of +the megapodes soon presented itself, exactly resembling the spot where +they had procured the first supply of eggs. But on probing it with the +boat-hook, Saloo at once pronounced it one of the sham nests. + +After all, the creatures did not show too much cunning; for the presence +of this pretended place of deposit told the Malay that a real one would +not 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 a +firm feel and a sharp metallic click, that told him there were eggs +underneath. + +The sand as before, was carefully removed--Murtagh having brought with +him an oar for the purpose--when, for the second time, nearly three +dozen beautiful salmon-coloured eggs were disclosed to their view. + +These were carefully taken up, and carried back to the place of +encampment, where they were left lying upon the ground, the party +resuming their quest, in hope of being able to lay in a larger and more +permanent supply. + +As it chanced, another considerable receptacle was struck, giving back +sweet music to the probing of the boat-hook; and its contents were also +added to the larder. + +As the last lot had been found under sand that appeared but recently +stirred, it followed that they were fresher than those of the second +finding, and therefore was it determined upon that they should be first +eaten. + +The egg-gatherers having been now several hours engaged, and again +become almost as hungry as when first cast upon the shore, once more +kindled a fire, set the huge shells upon it, and using the one as a +boiling-pot, and the other as a frying-pan, prepared themselves a meal +of two courses--_oeuf bouille_ and _omelette_. + +Next day they again went in search of other eggs, intending to lay in a +store 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 to +the conclusion that they had despoiled all the "incubator" beds existing +on that section of the Bornean coast. + +By reason of their rapidly-increasing strength, their appetites were by +this time almost insatiable. They were, therefore, not long in using up +all the "setting" last gathered, and were about to begin upon the other +lot 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 open +surface of the sand, some fifteen or twenty yards beyond the shadow of +the tree. Negligently, and somewhat unwisely, had this been done; for +during the day the hot sun shining down upon them would naturally have a +tendency to spoil and addle them. Still the time had not been very +long; and as no one thought of their being damaged, they were preparing +to turn them into eggs poached, fried, boiled, or otherwise. + +Saloo had rekindled the fire, and got ready his pots and pans; while +Murtagh, who had stepped out to the "larder", was about to take up one +of the eggs, and carry it to the "kitchen." But at that moment a sight +met the eyes of the Irishman, that not only astonished, but caused him +to sing out so excitedly as at once to attract the attention of the +others to the same singular spectacle. + +It was that of an egg rolling, as it were, spontaneously over the +ground? 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 the +movement, some with a gentle, others a more violent motion! Murtagh +sprang back affrighted, and stood with his red hair on end, gazing at +the odd and inexplicable phenomenon. The others were as much puzzled as +he--all except the Malay, who at a glance understood the philosophy of +the movement. + +"Young malee inside," he cried in explanation. "We no eat egg, we get +chickee. Wait little minnit. You him see come out full featha." + +Truly enough the "chicks" did come out, not as down-covered helpless +creatures, but pults in full plumage, as Saloo had predicted: at all +events, full enough to enable them to fly; for as the shells one after +another commenced crackling--burst outward by the young birds' +strength--each showed a perfect fledgling; that, springing forth from +the shivered encasement, like Jack out of his box, at once flapped its +little wings, and essayed short flights over the surface of the sand. + +So much were the spectators taken by surprise, that one and all of the +new-born but completely equipped birds, would have winged their way into +the forest and been lost, had it not been for Saloo, who, accustomed to +such transformations, was in no way discomposed, but preserved his +coolness and equanimity. + +Fortified by these, and armed with the boat-hook, which he had suddenly +seized, he struck down the precocious chicks one after another, and put +an 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. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +A GRAND TREE-CLIMBER. + +The castaways having made a repast on chicks instead of eggs, as they +had been expecting, were for the time satisfied, so far as concerned +their appetites. But aware that these would ere long recommence their +craving, they could not be contented to remain inactive. It would be +necessary to procure some other kind of provisions, and, if possible, a +permanent stock on which they could rely until ready to set out on their +journey, with a surplus to carry them some way along it. + +Although in Borneo there are many kinds of strange birds, and some of +them large ones, they are not to be found everywhere, and when seen, not +so easily caught or shot. There are some large quadrupeds too, as the +Indian rhinoceros, and the Sumatran tapir; and although the flesh of +these great thick-skinned animals is neither tender nor delicate, yet +men who can get no other soon find themselves in a position to relish +it, despite its toughness and its coarse texture. But neither +rhinoceros nor tapir was seen by our castaways; neither seemed to +frequent that part of the coast, as no tracks of them were observed +during their excursions. If they had fallen in with a rhinoceros, they +would have had some difficulty in killing it; seeing that this enormous +brute is as large as a small elephant, its body protected by a thick +hide embossed with hard knob-like protuberances, like those upon +shields, giving to the animal the appearance of being encased in a full +suit of ancient armour. + +The Sumatran tapir, too, is a creature that does not readily succumb to +its assailant, being larger and stronger than its namesake of South +America. + +There are two species of deer known in Borneo; one of them, the "rusa," +a fine large animal. + +Captain Redwood was in hopes he might meet with an individual of either +species; and with this object in view, he continued to make short +excursions into the woods, taking his rifle along with him, occasionally +accompanied by Murtagh, with the ship's musket. + +But they always returned empty-handed, and a good deal down-hearted, +having seen nothing that could be converted into venison. + +Saloo had again tried for eggs and shell-fish, but was unsuccessful in +his search after both; evidently there were no more depositories of +maleos' eggs, nor Singapore oysters, nor, indeed, any kind of +shell-fish, on that part of the shore. They did not again see any of +the mound-making birds--not even those they had despoiled; for it is not +the habit of the megapodes to return to their eggs, but to leave them to +be hatched under the hot sand, and the chicks to scratch their way +upward to the surface, thus taking care of themselves from the very +moment of their birth, and, indeed, we may say, before it, since it can +scarcely be said they are born before breaking through the shell; and +this they have to do for themselves, else they would never see daylight. +Talk of precocious chicks! There are none anywhere to be compared with +the megapodean pullets of the Malayan Archipelago, no birds half so +"early" as they. + +For some days, after eating up the last chicken of the flock, our +castaways could get nothing to live upon but durions; and although these +formed a diet sufficiently agreeable to the palate, they were not very +strengthening. Besides, they were not so easily gathered; the few they +had found on some trees, which Saloo had conveniently climbed, being +quickly exhausted. The large durion-tree under which they had first +encamped was well furnished with fruit. But its tall stem, nearly a +hundred feet, without a branch, and with a bark smooth as that of a +sycamore, looked as if no mortal man could ascend it. Captain Redwood +had fired several rounds of his chain-shot up into it, and brought down +many of the grand spinous pericarps; but this cost an expenditure of +ammunition; and, circumstanced as they were, they saw it would never do +to waste it in such whimsical fashion. Still, for want of food, the +fruit must be obtained some way or other, and the question was how to +"pluck" it. + +In their dilemma the Malay once more came to their aid. Fortunately for +all, Saloo was a native of Sumatra, and had been brought up among its +forests, much resembling those of Borneo. He was skilled in the +wood-craft common to both islands; and, perhaps, of all the crew of the +castaway ship, not one could have survived whose services would have +been of more value to Captain Redwood and his party than those of the +brown-skinned pilot;--especially since it had been their fate to be cast +upon the shores of Borneo. His companions had already experienced the +benefit to be derived from his knowledge of the country's productions, +and were beginning to consult him in almost every difficulty that +occurred. He appeared capable of accomplishing almost anything. + +For all this, they were no little surprised and somewhat incredulous +when he declared his intention of climbing the great durion-tree. +Murtagh was very much inclined to deny that he could do it. + +"The nigger's makin' game of us, captin," he said. "It would be as much +as a squirrel could do to speel up that tall trunk. Why, it's as smooth +as the side of a copper-bottomed ship, an' nothin' to lay howlt on. +He's jokin'." + +"No jokee, Mista Multa. Saloo that tlee climb soon. You help you see." + +"Oh, be aisy now! I'll help you all I can, if that'll do any good. How +do you mane to set about it?" + +To this Saloo made no verbal rejoinder, but laying hold of a small axe, +that had been brought away in the boat, he walked off toward a clump of +bamboos growing near the spot where they had made their camp. + +The first thing he did was to cut down five or six of the largest of +these canes, some of them being several inches in diameter, directing +Murtagh to drag them off, and deposit them close to the durion-tree. + +As soon as he had felled what he deemed a sufficient number, he returned +to the spot where the Irishman had deposited them, and commenced +chopping them into pieces of about eighteen inches in length. In this +the ship-carpenter, by reason of his calling, was able to give him +efficient aid; and the ground was soon strewed with disjointed bamboos. +Each of the pieces was then split into two, and sharply pointed at one +end, so as to resemble a peg designed for being driven into the ground. +But it was not into the ground Saloo intended driving them, as will be +presently seen. + +While Murtagh was engaged in splitting and sharpening the sections of +bamboo, the Malay went off once more into the woods, and soon came back +again, bearing in his arms what looked like a quantity of rough +packing-cord. The freshly-cut ends of it, however, with their greenish +colour and running sap, told it to be some species of creeping-plant-- +one of the parasites, or epiphytes, that abound everywhere in the +forests of Borneo, as in those of all tropical countries, and render the +trade of the ropemaker altogether superfluous. + +Throwing down his bundle of creepers, Saloo now took up one of the +pointed pegs, and, standing by the trunk of the durion, drove it into +the soft sapwood, a little above the height of his own head. The axe, +which was a light one, and had a flat hammer-shaped head, served him for +a mallet. + +As soon as the first peg had been driven to the depth of several inches, +he threw aside the axe, and laid hold of the stake with both hands. +Then drawing his feet from the ground, so that all his weight came upon +the peg, he tried whether it would sustain him without yielding. It +did, and he was satisfied. + +His next movement was another excursion into the forest, where he found +some bamboo stems of a slenderer kind than those already cut, but quite +as tall. Having selected three or four of these, he chopped them down, +and dragged them up to the durion. Then taking one, he set it upright +on its butt-end, parallel to the trunk of the tree, and at such a +distance from it as to strike near the outer extremity of the peg +already driven home, close to the end of which he had already cut a +couple of notches. + +Some of the vegetable twine was next prepared by him, and taking a piece +of the proper length, he made the upright bamboo fast to the horizontal +peg by a knowing knot, such as only a savage or sailor can tie. + +Captain Redwood and his ship-carpenter having now obtained an inkling of +his design, stood by to render every assistance, while the young people +as spectators were very much interested in the proceeding. + +As soon as the upright cane was securely lashed to the cross piece, and +also made safe against shifting by having its lower end "stepped" or +embedded in the ground, Saloo prepared to ascend, taking with him +several of the pegs that had been sharpened. Murtagh "gave him a leg," +and he stood upon the first "round" of the ladder. + +Then reaching up, he drove in a second peg--not quite so far above the +first as this was from the ground. With another piece of creeper he +made it also fast to the perpendicular pole, and the second round was +formed, upon which he had to climb without any helping hand, and with +the agility of an ape. + +A third step was similarly established; then a fourth and fifth, and so +on, till the pegs and cordage carried up with him gave out, when he came +back to the ground to provide himself with a second supply. Obtaining +this, he once more ascended, and continued to carry aloft his singular +"shrouds." + +The next thing to be exhausted was the upright piece, which, being only +about thirty feet in length, and requiring a surplus to be left, of +course came far short of reaching to the lowest limbs of the durion. +Another similar stem of bamboo had to be added on by splicing; but for +this he did not need to descend, as Murtagh, stretching to his arm's +length, handed it up to him, so that he was enabled to lay hold of and +draw it up of himself. + +Giving the two pieces a good length of double for the splice, he bound +them securely together, and then went on with the driving of his pegs, +to complete the remaining rounds of the ladder. + +In a space of time that did not in all exceed twenty minutes, he had got +up to within ten or twelve feet of the lower branches of the durion--to +such a height as caused those looking at him from below to feel giddy as +they gazed. It was, indeed, a strange and somewhat fearful spectacle-- +that slight human form, sixty or seventy feet above their heads, at such +a vast elevation so diminished in size as to appear like a child or a +pigmy, and the more fearful to them who could not convince themselves of +the security of the slender stair upon which he was standing. They were +half expecting that, at any moment, one of the pegs would give way, and +precipitate the poor fellow to the earth, a crushed and shapeless mass! + +It was just as when some courageous workman in a manufacturing town-- +bricklayer or carpenter--ascends to the top of one of its tall factory +chimneys, to repair some damage done by fire-crack or lightning, and the +whole populace of the place rushes out of doors, to look up at the +strange spectacle, and admire the daring individual, while trembling in +fear for his fate. + +So stood the little party under the tall durion-tree, regarding the +ascent of Saloo. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +SOMETHING SHARP. + +The Malay had ascended, as already said, to within ten or twelve feet +from the lower limbs of the tree, and was still engaged driving in his +pegs and binding on the upright bamboo to continue his ascent, when all +at once he was seen to start and abruptly suspend operations. At the +same time an exclamation escaped his lips, in a low tone, but seemingly +in accents of alarm. + +They all looked up apprehensively, and also started away from the tree; +for they expected to see him come tumbling down in their midst. But no; +he was still standing firm upon the last made round of the ladder, and +in an erect attitude, as if he had no fear of falling. With one hand he +held the axe, the other gently grasping the upright bamboo that served +him for a support. Instead of looking down to them, to call out or +claim their assistance, they saw that his eyes were turned upward and +fixed, as if on some object directly over his head. It did not appear +to be among the branches of the durion, but as if in the trunk of the +tree; and in the interval of silence that succeeded his first quick +exclamation, they could hear a hissing sound, such as might proceed from +the throat of a goose when some stranger intrudes upon the domain of the +farmyard. As it was carried down the smooth stem of the durion, which +acted as a conductor, the spectators underneath guessed it was not a +goose, but some creature of a less innocent kind. + +"A snake, be japers!" was the conjecture that dropped from the +ship-carpenter's lips, while the same thought occurred simultaneously to +the others; for they could think of no living thing, other than a +serpent, capable of sending forth such a sibilant sound as that just +heard. + +"What is it, Saloo?" hailed Captain Redwood; "are you in any danger?" + +"No dangee, cappen; only little bit good luck, that all," was the +cheering response that restored their confidence. + +"How good luck?" asked the captain, puzzled to think of what fortune +could have turned up in their favour so high above their heads. + +"You see soon," rejoined the Malay, taking a fresh peg from his girdle, +and once more resuming his task at stair-making. + +While he was engaged in hammering, and between the resounding strokes, +they at the bottom of the tree repeatedly heard the same hissing sound +they had taken for the sibilations of a snake, and which they might +still have believed to be this, but for a hoarse croaking voice, +mingling with the sibilation, which reached their ears at intervals, +evidently proceeding from the same throat. + +Moreover, as they continued to gaze upward, watching Saloo at his work, +they caught sight of something in motion on the trunk, and about a foot +above his face. It was something of a whitish colour and slender shape, +pointed like one of the bamboo pegs he was busily driving at. Now they +saw it, and now they did not see it; for whatever it was, it was sunk +inside the trunk of the durion-tree, alternately protruding and drawing +back. It was also clear to them, that from this sharp-pointed thing, +whether beast, bird, or reptile, came the hissing and hoarse croaking +that puzzled them. + +"What is it?" again asked the captain, now no longer anxious or alarmed, +but only curious to know what the strange creature could be. + +"Buld, cappen--biggee buld." + +"Oh, a bird, that's all; what sort of bird?" + +"Honbill; ole hen hornbill. She on ha ness inside, hatchee egg; she +built up in dat; ole cock he shuttee up with mud." + +"Oh, a hornbill!" said the captain, repeating the name of the bird for +the information of those around him; and now that they more narrowly +scrutinised the spot where the white-pointed beak was still bobbing out +and in, they could perceive that there was a patch or space of irregular +roundish shape, slightly elevated above the bark, having a plastered +appearance, and of the colour of dry mud. They had barely time to make +this last observation, when Saloo, having got another peg planted so as +to enable him to ascend high enough, turned the edge of his axe against +the trunk of the durion, and commenced chipping off the mud, that now +fell in flakes to the bottom of the tree. + +It took him only a very short time to effect a breach into the +barricaded nest--one big enough to admit his hand with the fingers at +fall spread. + +His arm was at once thrust in up to the elbow; and as his digits closed +fearlessly around the throat of the old hen hornbill, she was drawn +forth from her place of imprisonment. + +For a time she was seen in Saloo's hands, convulsively writhing and +flopping her great wings, like a turkey gobbler with his head suddenly +cut off. There was some screaming, hissing, and croaking, but to all +these sounds Saloo quickly put an end, by taking a fresh grasp of the +throat of the great bird, choking the breath out of it until the wings +ceased fluttering; and then he flung its body down at the feet of the +spectators. + +Saloo did not descend immediately, but once more thrust his hand into +the nest, hoping, no doubt, to find an egg or eggs in it. Instead of +these, the contents proved to be a bird--and only one--a chick recently +hatched, about the size of a squab-pigeon, and fat as a fed ortolan. +Unlike the progeny of the megapodes, hatched in the hot sand, the infant +hornbill was without the semblance of a feather upon its skin, which was +all over of a green, yellowish hue. There was not even so much as a +show of down upon it. + +For a moment Saloo held it in his hand, hissing as it was in his own +tiny way. Then chucking it down after its murdered mother, where it +fell not only killed, but "squashed," he prepared to descend in a less +hasty manner. He now saw no particular need for their dining on +durions, at least on that particular day; and therefore discontinued his +task upon the bamboo ladder, which could be completed on the morrow, or +whenever the occasion called for it. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +AN ENEMY IN THE AIR. + +Though the old hen hornbill, after her long and seemingly forced period +of incubation, might not prove such a tender morsel, they were +nevertheless rejoiced at this accession to their now exhausted larder, +and the pilot at once set about plucking her, while Murtagh kindled a +fresh fire. + +While they were thus engaged, Henry, who had greatly admired the +ingenuity displayed by Saloo in the construction of his singular ladder, +bethought him of ascending it. He was led to this exploit partly out of +curiosity to try what such a climb would be like; but more from a desire +to examine the odd nest so discovered--for to him, as to most boys of +his age, a bird's nest was a peculiarly attractive object. He thought +that Saloo had not sufficiently examined the one first plundered, and +that there might be another bird or an egg behind. He was not +naturalist enough to know--what the ex-pilot's old Sumatran experience +had long ago taught him--that the hornbill only lays one egg, and brings +forth but a single chick. Whether or no, he was determined to ascend +and satisfy himself. + +He had no fear of being able to climb the tree-ladder. It did not seem +any more difficult than swarming up the shrouds of a ship, and not half +so hard as going round the main-top without crawling through the +"lubber's hole"--a feat he had often performed on his father's vessel. +Therefore, without asking leave, or saying a word to any one, he laid +hold of the bamboo pegs and started up the tree. + +None of the others had taken any notice of him. Captain Redwood was +engaged in wiping out his gun, with little Helen attending upon him, +while Saloo was playing poulterer, and Murtagh, a little way off in the +woods, gathering faggots for the fire. Henry kept on, hand over hand, +and foot after foot, till he at length stood upon the topmost round of +the unfinished ladder. Being almost as tall as Saloo himself, he easily +got his arm into the cavity that contained the nest, and commenced +groping all over it. He could find no other bird, nor yet an egg. Only +the dried-up ordure of the denizens that had lately occupied the prison +cell, along with some bits of the shell out of which the young hornbill +had been but recently hatched. + +After a moment or two spent in examining the curious cavity, and +reflecting on the odd habit of a bird being thus plastered up and kept +for weeks in close confinement--all, too, done by its own mate, who +surely could not so act from any intention of cruelty--after in vain +puzzling himself as to what could be the object of such a singular +imprisonment, he determined upon returning to the ground, and seeking +the explanation from Saloo. + +He had returned upon the topmost step, and was about letting himself +down to that next below, when not only were his ears assailed by sharp +cries, but he suddenly saw his eyes in danger of being dug out of their +sockets by the sharp beak of a bird, whose huge shadowy wings were +flapping before his face! + +Although somewhat surprised by the onslaught, so sudden and unexpected-- +and at the same time no little alarmed--there was no mystery about the +matter. For he could see at a glance that the bird so assailing him was +a hornbill; and a moment's reflection told him it was the cock. + +Afar off in the forest--no doubt in search of food--catering for his +housekeeper and their new chick, of whose birth he was most probably +aware, he could not have heard her cries of distress; else would he have +rushed to the rescue, and appeared much sooner upon the scene. But at +length he had arrived; and with one glance gathered in the ruin that had +occurred during his absence. There was his carefully plastered wall +pulled down, the interior of his domicile laid open, his darlings gone, +no doubt dragged out, throttled and slaughtered, by the young robber +still standing but a step from the door. + +The enraged parent did not pause to look downward, else he might have +seen a still more heart-rending spectacle at the bottom of the tree. He +did not stay for this; on the instant he went swoop at the head of the +destroyer, with a scream that rang far over the forest, and echoed in a +thousand reverberations through the branches of the trees. + +Fortunately for Henry, he had on his head a thick cloth cap, with its +crown cotton-padded. But for this, which served as a helmet, the beak +of the bird would have been into his skull, for at the first dab it +struck right at his crown. + +At the second onslaught, which followed quick after, Henry, being +warned, was enabled to ward off the blow, parrying with one hand, while +with the other supporting himself on his perch. For all this the danger +was not at an end; as the bird, instead of being scared away, or showing +any signs of an intention to retreat, only seemed to become more +infuriated by the resistance, and continued its swooping and screaming +more vigorously and determinedly than ever. The boy was well aware of +the peril that impended; and so, too, were those below; who, of course, +at the first screech of the hornbill, had looked up and seen what was +passing above them. + +They would have called upon him to come down, and he would have done so +without being summoned, if there had been a chance. But there was none: +for he could not descend a single step without using both hands on the +ladder; and to do this would leave his face and head without protection. +Either left unguarded for a single instant, and the beak of the bird, +playing about like a pickaxe, would be struck into his skull, or buried +deep in the sockets of his eyes. He knew this, and so also they who +looked from below. He could do nothing but keep his place, and continue +to fight off the furious assailant with his free arm--the hand getting +torn at each contact, till the blood could be seen trickling from the +tips of his fingers. + +It is difficult to say how long this curious contest might have +continued, or how it would have terminated, had the combatants been left +to themselves. In all probability it would have ended by the boy's +having his skull cleft open or his eyes torn out; or, growing feeble, he +would have lost his hold upon the ladder and fallen to the foot of the +tree--of itself certain death. + +It in reality looked as if this would be the lamentable result, and very +quickly. Saloo had sprung to the tree, and was already ascending to the +rescue. But for all that he might be too late; or even if successful in +reaching the elevated point where Henry struggled against danger, he +might still be unable to effect his deliverance. The alarmed father +seemed to fear this, as he stood gazing, with agony depicted on his +face--agony at the thought of seeing his dear boy exposed to such a +fearful peril, and feeling himself so helpless to rescue him. + +All at once a thought flashed into his mind, that at least gave him some +relief through the necessity of action. His rifle, which fortunately +after cleaning he had reloaded, stood resting against the trunk of the +tree. He sprang toward and seized hold of it. In another second it was +raised to his shoulder; its muzzle pointed almost vertically upward, and +circling around to get bearing upon the body of the bird. + +It was a dangerous shot to take, like that of Tell with the arrow and +the apple. But it seemed yet more dangerous not to venture it; and with +this reflection passing through his mind he watched the hornbill through +several of its swoopings, and when at length in one of these it receded +to some distance from Henry's face, he took quick sight upon it, and +pulled trigger. + +A splendid shot--a broken wing--a huge bird seen fluttering through the +air to the earth--then flopping and screaming over the ground, till its +cries were stilled and its strugglings terminated by a few blows from a +boat-hook held in the hands of the ship-carpenter;--all this was the +spectacle of only a few seconds! + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +SITTING BY THE SPIT. + +Saloo had by this time climbed to the topmost rounds of the ladder; and +was able to assist Henry in descending, which he did without further +difficulty or danger. + +No great harm had happened to him; he had received only a few scratches +and skin-wounds, that would soon yield to careful treatment and the +surgical skill which his father possessed, along with certain herbal +remedies known to Saloo. + +They were soon restored to their former state of equanimity, and thought +nothing more of the little incident that had just flurried them, except +to congratulate themselves on having so unexpectedly added to their +stock of provisions the bodies of two great birds, each of respectable +size; to say nothing of the fat featherless chick, which appeared as if +it would make a very _bonne bouche_ for a gourmand. + +As we have said, Saloo did not think any more of ascending the +durion-tree, nor they of asking him to do so. Its fruits might have +served them for dessert, to come after the game upon which they were now +going to dine. + +But they were not in condition to care for following the usual fashion +of dining, and least of all did they desire a dinner of different +courses, so long as they had one sufficiently substantial to satisfy the +simple demands of hunger. The two hornbills promised, each of them, a +fair _piece-de-resistance_, while the fat pult was plainly a titbit, to +be taken either _hors d'oeuvres_, or as an _entree_. + +They were not slow in deciding what should be done with the stock so +unexpectedly added to their larder. In a trice the cock bird was +despoiled of his plumage; the hen having been well-nigh dismantled of +hers already. The former was trussed and made ready for the spit, the +latter being intended for the pot, on the supposition that boiling might +be better for her toughness. Murtagh had taken to finishing the +plucking of the hen, while Saloo set about divesting the old cock of his +feathers. + +The chick needed no plucking, nor even to be singed. Its skin was as +free of covering as the shell of the egg lately containing it. It was +tender enough to be cooked in any way. It could be boiled over the +embers, and would make a nice meal for the two young people, and +doubtless greatly benefit their strength. + +When the bodies of the old birds were unmasked of their feathery +envelopment, it was seen that they were much smaller than supposed; and, +moreover, that the hen was by many degrees larger in size and fatter +than the cock. It was but natural, and was due to her sex, as well as +to her long confinement in a dark cell of but limited dimensions, where +she had nothing to do but to rest. + +But as the cock bird, after all, was quite as large as a Cochin-China +fowl, and, moreover, in good condition, there would be enough of him to +supply a full repast, without touching either the hen or chick. So it +was determined that both should be reserved till the following morning, +when no doubt all hands would be again hungry enough for the toughest of +fowls. + +This point settled, the old cock was staked upon a bamboo spit, and set +over the fire, where he soon began to sputter, sending out a savoury +odour that was charmingly appetising. + +The hen was at the same time chopped into small pieces, which were +thrown into one of the great shells, along with some seasoning herbs +Saloo had discovered in the neighbouring woods; and as they could now +give the stew plenty of time to simmer, it was expected that before next +day the toughness would be taken out of the meat, and after all it might +prove a palatable dish to people distressed as they had been, and not +caring much for mere dainties. + +As they had nothing else to do but watch the spit, now and then turn it, +and wait till the roast should be done, they fell into conversation, +which naturally turned upon hornbills and their habits, Saloo furnishing +most of the information concerning these curious birds. + +Captain Redwood had not only seen them before, in the course of his +voyages among the Malayan Archipelago, but he had read about their +habits, and knew that they were found in various parts of the African +continent. + +They are there called _Korwe (Tockus erythrorhynchus_), and Dr +Livingstone gives an interesting account of them. + +He says,--"We passed the nest of a korwe, just ready for the female to +enter; the orifice was plastered on both sides, but a space left of a +heart shape, and exactly the size of the bird's body. The hole in the +tree was in every case found to be prolonged some distance above the +opening, and thither the korwe always fled to escape being caught." + +The first time that Dr Livingstone himself saw the bird, it was caught +by a native, who informed him that when the female hornbill enters her +nest, she submits to a positive confinement. The male plasters up the +entrance, leaving only a narrow slit by which to feed his mate, and +which exactly suits the form of his beak. The female makes a nest of +her own feathers, lays her eggs, hatches them, and remains with the +young till they are fully fledged. During all this time, which is +stated to be two or three months, the male continues to feed her and her +young family. + +Strange to say, the prisoner generally becomes fat, and is esteemed a +very dainty morsel by the natives, while the poor slave of a husband +gets so lean that, on the sudden lowering of the temperature, which +sometimes happens after a fall of rain, he is benumbed, falls down, and +dies. + +It is somewhat unusual, as Captain Redwood remarked, for the prisoner to +fatten, while the keeper pines! + +The toucan of South America also forms her nest in the cavity of a tree, +and, like the hornbill, plasters up the aperture with mud. + +The hornbill's beak, added Captain Redwood, is slightly curved, +sharp-pointed, and about two inches long. + +While the body of the rooster was sputtering away in the bright blaze, +Saloo entertained the party by telling them what _he_ knew about the +habits of the hornbills; and this was a good deal, for he had often +caught them in the forests of Sumatra. It may be remarked here, that +many of the natives of the Malayan Archipelago possess a considerable +knowledge of natural history, at least of its practical part. The +reason is, that the Dutch, who own numerous settlements throughout these +islands, have always been great taxidermists and skin-preservers, and to +procure specimens for them and obtain the reward, has naturally +originated a race of collectors among the native people. Saloo himself +had been one of these bird-hunters, in early life, before taking to the +sea, which last, as a general thing, is the favourite element and +profession of a Malay. + +He told them that he knew of two kinds of hornbill in his native island +of Sumatra, but that he had seen the skins of several other species in +the hands of the taxidermists, brought from various islands, as well as +from the mainland of India, Malacca, and Cochin-China. They were all +large birds, though some were smaller than the others; mostly black, +with white markings about the throat and breast. He said that their +nests are always built in the hollow of a tree, in the same way as the +one he had robbed, and the entrance to them invariably plastered up with +mud in a similar fashion, leaving a hole just big enough to allow the +beak of the hen to be passed out, and opened a little for the reception +of the food brought to her by her mate. It is the cock that does the +"bricking up," Saloo said, bringing the "mortar" from the banks of some +neighbouring pool or stream and laying it on with his beak. He begins +the task as soon as the hen takes her seat upon her solitary egg. The +hen is kept in her prison not only during the full period of incubation, +but long after; in fact, until the young chick becomes a full fledgling, +and can fly out of itself. During all this time the imprisoned bird is +entirely dependent on her mate for every morsel of food required, either +by herself or for the sustenance of the nursling, and, of course, has to +trust to his fidelity, in which he never fails. The hornbills, however, +like the eagles, and many other rapacious birds, though not otherwise of +a very amiable disposition, are true to the sacred ties of matrimony. +So said Saloo, though not in this exact phraseology. + +"But what if the ould cock shud get killed?" suggested Murtagh. +"Supposin' any accident was to prevint him from returnin' to the nest? +Wud the hen have to stay there an' starve?" + +Saloo could not answer this question. It was a theory he had never +thought of, or a problem that had not come under his experience. +Possibly it might be so; but it was more likely that her imprisonment +within the tree cave, being an act agreed to on her part, was more +apparent than real, and that she could break through the mud barricade, +and set herself free whenever she had a mind to do so. + +This was the more probable view of the case, and terminated the +discussion on natural history; or rather, it was brought to a close by +their perceiving that the bird upon the bamboo stake was done to a turn, +and they were by this time too hungry to think of anything else than +eating it. + +So off it came from the spit, and at it they went with a will, Saloo +acting as carver, and distributing the roast joints all around, taking +care to give the tenderest bits of breast to the children, and to Helen +the liver wing. + +They were all very cheerful in commencing their supper, but their strain +was changed to sadness even before they had finished it. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +SICK AFTER SUPPER. + +It was near upon sundown when the roast fowl was taken from the spit, +carved, and distributed among them. The fire over which they had cooked +it was close to the trunk of the tree under whose shade they intended to +pass the night. It was not the one they had chosen after being driven +from the durion, but another, with far-spreading branches and green +glossy leaves growing thickly upon them, which promised a better +protection from the dews of the night. They needed this, as they had +not yet thought of erecting any other roof. The only thing in the shape +of shelter they had set up was the tarpaulin, spread awning fashion over +four uprights, which held it at the four corners; but this was barely +sufficient to furnish the two young people with a sleeping-place. + +After removing the roast fowl from the spit, they had not permitted +their fire to die out. On the contrary, Murtagh, in whose charge it +was, threw on some fresh faggots. They intended keeping it up through +the night, not to scare away wild beasts, for, as already said, they had +no fear of these; but because the atmosphere toward midnight usually +became damp and chilly, and they would need the fire to keep them warm. + +It was quite sunset by the time they had finished eating the roast +hornbill, and as there is but little twilight under or near the equator, +the darkness came down almost instantaneously. By the light of the +blazing faggots they picked the bones of the bird, and picked them +clean. But they had scarce dropped the drumsticks and other bones out +of their fingers, when one and all fell violently sick. + +A sensation of vertigo had been growing upon them, which, as soon as the +meal was over, became nausea, and shortly after ended in vomiting. It +was natural they should feel alarmed. Had only one been ill, they might +have ascribed the illness to some other cause; but now, when all five +were affected at the same time, and with symptoms exactly similar, they +could have no other belief than that it was owing to what they had +eaten, and that the flesh of the hornbill had caused their sickness-- +perhaps poisoned them. + +Could this be? Was it possible for the flesh of a bird to be poisonous? +Was that of a hornbill so? These questions were quickly asked of one +another, but more especially addressed to Saloo. The Malay did not +believe it was. He had eaten hornbills before, and more than once; had +seen others eat them; but had never known or heard of the dish being +followed by symptoms similar to those now affecting and afflicting them. + +The bird itself might have eaten something of a poisonous nature, which, +although it had not troubled its own stomach, acted as an emetic upon +theirs. There was some probability in this conjecture; at all events +the sufferers thought so for a time, since there seemed no other way of +accounting for the illness which had so suddenly seized upon them. + +At first they were not so very greatly alarmed, for they could not +realise the idea that they had been absolutely poisoned. A little +suffering and it would be all over, when they would take good care not +to eat roast hornbill again. No, nor even stewed or broiled; so that +now the old hen and her young one were no longer looked upon as so much +provision ahead. Both would be thrown away, to form food for the first +predatory creature that might chance to light upon them. + +As time passed, however, and the sufferers, instead of feeling relieved, +only seemed to be growing worse--the vertigo and nausea continuing, +while the vomiting was renewed in frequent and violent attacks--they at +length became seriously alarmed, believing themselves poisoned to death. + +They knew not what to do. They had no medicine to act as an antidote; +and if they had been in possession of all the drugs in the +pharmacopoeia, they would not have known which to make use of. Had it +been the bite of a venomous snake or other reptile, the Malay, +acquainted with the usual native remedies, might have found some +herbaceous balsam in the forest; though in the darkness there would have +been a difficulty about this, since it was now midnight, and there was +no moon in the sky--no light to look for anything. They could scarcely +see one another, and each knew where his neighbours lay only by hearing +their moans and other exclamations of distress. + +As the hours dragged on wearily, they became still more and more +alarmed. They seriously believed that death was approaching. A +terrible contemplation it was, after all they had passed through; the +perils of shipwreck, famine, thirst; the danger of being drowned; one of +them escaping from a hideous reptile; another from the coils of a +serpent; a third from having his skull cracked in by a fallen fruit, and +afterwards split open by the beak of an angry bird. Now, after all +these hairbreadth perils and escapes, to be poisoned by eating the flesh +of this very bird--to die in such simple and apparently causeless +fashion; though it may seem almost ridiculous, it was to them not a whit +the less appalling. And appalled they were, as time passed, and they +felt themselves growing worse instead of better. They were surely +poisoned--surely going to die. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN. + +AN UNEASY NIGHT. + +Long with the agonising pain--for the sensations they experienced were +exceedingly painful--there was confusion in their thoughts, and +wandering in their speech. The feeling was somewhat to that of +sea-sickness in its worst form; and they felt that reckless indifference +to death so characteristic of the sufferer from this very common, but +not the less painful, complaint. Had the sea, seething and surging +against the beach so near them, broken beyond its boundaries, and swept +over the spot where they lay, not one of them, in all probability, would +have stirred hand or foot to remove themselves out of its reach. +Drowning--death in any form--would at that moment have seemed preferable +to the tortures they were enduring. + +They did not lie still. At times one or another would get up and stray +from under the tree. But the nausea continued, accompanied by the +horrid retching; their heads swam, their steps tottered, and staggering +back, they would fling themselves down despairingly, hoping, almost +praying, for death to put an end to their agonies. It was likely soon +to do so. + +During all, Captain Redwood showed that he was thinking less of himself +than his children. Willingly would he have lain down and died, could +that have secured their surviving him. But it was a fate that +threatened all alike. On this account, he was wishing that either he or +one of his comrades, Murtagh or Saloo, might outlive the young people +long enough to give them the rites of sepulture. He could not bear the +thought that the bodies of his two beautiful children were to be left +above ground, on the desolate shore, their flesh to be torn from them by +the teeth of ravenous beasts or the beaks of predatory birds--their +bones to whiten and moulder under the sun and storms of the tropics. + +Despite the pain he was himself enduring, he secretly communicated his +wishes to Murtagh and the Malay, imploring them to obey what might be +almost deemed a dying request. + +Parting speeches were from time to time exchanged in the muttered tones +of despair. Prayers were said aloud, unitedly, and by all of them +silently in their own hearts. + +After this, Captain Redwood lay resignedly, his children, one on each +side of him, nestling within his arms, their heads pillowed upon his +breast close together. They also held one another by the hand, joined +in affectionate embrace across the breast of their father. Not many +words were spoken between them; only, now and then, some low murmurs, +which betokened the terrible pain they felt, and the fortitude both +showed in enduring it. + +Now and then, too, their father spoke to them. At first he had essayed +to cheer them with words of encouragement; but as time passed, these +seemed to sound hollow in their ears as well as his own, and he changed +them to speeches enjoining resignation, and words that told of the +"Better Land". He reminded them that their mother was there, and they +should all soon join her. They would go to her together; and how happy +this would be after their toils and sufferings; after so many perils and +fatigues, it would be but pleasure to find rest in heaven. + +In this way he tried to win their thoughts from dwelling on the terrors +of death, every moment growing darker and seeming nearer. + +The fire burned down, smouldered, and went out. No one had thought of +replenishing it with fuel. Though there were faggots enough collected +not far off, the toil of bringing them forward seemed too much for their +wasted strength and deadened energies. Fire could be of no service to +them now. It had done them no good while ablaze; and since it had gone +out, they cared not to renew it. If they were to die, their last +moments could scarcely be more bitter in darkness than in light. + +Still Captain Redwood wished for light. He wished for it, so that he +might once more look upon the faces of his two sweet suffering pets, +before the pallor of death should overspread them. He would perhaps +have made an effort to rekindle the fire, or requested one of the others +to do it; but just then, on turning his eyes to the east, he saw a +greyish streak glimmering above the line of the sea-horizon. He knew it +was the herald of coming day; and he knew, moreover, that, in the +latitude they were in, the day itself would not linger long behind. + +"Thank God!" was the exclamation that came from his lips, low muttered, +but in fervent emphasis. "Thank God, I shall see them once more! +Better their lives should not go out in the darkness." + +As he spoke the words, and as if to gratify him, the streak on the +eastern sky seemed rapidly to grow broader and brighter, its colour of +pale grey changing to golden yellow; and soon after, the upper limb of +the glorious tropical sun showed itself over the smooth surface of the +Celebes Sea. + +As his cheering rays touched the trees of the forest, then eyes were +first turned upon one another, and then in different directions. Those +of Captain Redwood rested upon the faces of his children, now truly +overspread with the wan pallor of what seemed to be rapidly approaching +death. + +Murtagh gazed wistfully out upon the ocean, as if wishing himself once +more upon it, and no doubt thinking of that green isle far away beyond +it; while Saloo's glance was turned upward--not toward the heavens, but +as if he was contemplating some object among the leaves of the tree +overhead. + +All at once the expression upon his countenance took a change-- +remarkable as it was sudden. From the look of sullen despair, which but +the moment before might have been seen gleaming out of the sunken orbits +of his eyes, his glance seemed to change to one of joy, almost with the +quickness of the lightning's flash. + +Simultaneous with the change, he sprang up from his reclining position, +uttering as he did so an exclamation in the Malayan tongue, which his +companions guessed to be some formula of address to the Deity, from its +ending with the word "Allah." + +"De gleat God be thank!" he continued, returning to his "pigeon +English," so that the others might understand. "We all be save. Buld +no poison. We no die yet. Come away, cappen," he continued, bending +down, and seizing the children by the hands. Then raising both on their +feet, he quickly added, "Come all away. Unda de tlee death. Out yonda +we findee life. Come away--way." + +Without waiting for the consent either of them or their father, he led-- +indeed, almost dragged--Helen and Henry from under the shadow of the +tree and out toward the open sea-beach. + +Though Captain Redwood did not clearly comprehend the object of Saloo's +sudden action, nor Murtagh comprehend it at all, both rose to their +feet, and followed with tottering steps. + +Not until they had got out upon the open ground, and sat down upon the +sand, with the fresh sea-breeze fanning their fevered brows, did Saloo +give an explanation of his apparently eccentric behaviour. + +He did so by pointing to the tree under which they had passed the night, +and pronouncing only the one word--"Upas." + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY. + +THE DEADLY UPAS. + +"Upas!" + +A word sufficient to explain all that had passed. Both Captain Redwood +and his ship-carpenter understood its signification; for what man is +there who has ever sailed through the islands of the India Archipelago +without having heard of the upas? Indeed, who in any part of the world +has not either heard or read of this poisonous tree, supposed to carry +death to every living thing for a wide distance around it, not even +sparing shrubs or plants--things of its own kind--but inflicting blight +and destruction wherever its envenomed breath may be wafted on the +breeze? + +Captain Redwood was a man of too much intelligence, and too +well-informed, to have belief in this fabulous tale of the olden time. +Still he knew there was enough truth in it to account for all that had +occurred--for the vertigo and vomiting, the horrible nausea and utter +prostration of strength that had come upon them unconsciously. They had +made their camp under one of these baneful trees--the true upas +(_antiaris toxicaria_); they had kindled a fire beneath it, building it +close to the trunk--in fact, against it; the smoke had ascended among +its leaves; the heat had caused a sudden exudation of the sap; and the +envenomed vapour floating about upon the air had freely found its way +both into their mouths and nostrils. For hours had this empoisoned +atmosphere been their only breath, nearly depriving them of that upon +which their lives depended. + +If still suffering severely from the effects of having inhaled the +noxious vapour, they were now no longer wretched. Their spirits were +even restored to a degree of cheerfulness, as is always the case with +those who have just escaped from some calamity or danger. They now knew +that in due time they would recover their health and strength. The +glorious tropical sun that had arisen was shining benignantly in their +faces, and brightening everything around, while the breeze, blowing +fresh upon them from a serene sapphire-coloured sea, cooled their +fevered blood. They felt already reviving. The sensations they +experienced were those of one who, late suffering from sea-sickness, +pent up in the state-room of a storm-tossed ship, with all its vile +odours around him, has been suddenly transferred to _terra firma_, and +laid upon some solid bank, grassy or moss-grown, with tall trees waving +above, and the perfume of flowers floating upon the balmy air. + +For a long while they sat upon the sands in this pleasant dreamy state, +gazing upon the white surf that curled over the coral reefs, gazing upon +the blue water beyond, following the flight of large white-winged birds +that now and then went plunging down into the sea, to rise up with a +fish glistening in their beaks, half unconscious of the scene under +their eyes and the strife continuing before them, but conscious, +contented, and even joyous at knowing they still lived, and that the +time had not yet come for them to die. + +They no longer blamed the hornbill for what had happened. The cause was +in their own carelessness or imprudence; for Captain Redwood knew the +upas-tree, and was well aware of its dangerous properties to those +venturing into too close proximity. He had seen it in other islands; +for it grows not only in Java, with which its name is more familiarly +identified, but in Bali, Celebes, and Borneo. He had seen it elsewhere, +and heard it called by different names, according to the different +localities, as _tayim, hippo, upo, antijar_, and _upas_; all signifying +the same thing--the "tree of poison." + +Had he been more careful about the selection of their camping-place, and +looked upon its smooth reddish or tan-coloured bark and closely-set +leaves of glossy green, he would have recognised and shunned it. He did +not do so; for who at such a time could have been thinking of such a +catastrophe? Under a tree whose shade seemed so inviting, who would +have suspected that danger was lurking, much less that death dwelt among +its leaves and branches? + +The first had actually arisen, and the last had been very near. But it +was now far away, or at least no longer to be dreaded from the poison of +the upas. The sickness caused by it would continue for a while, and it +might be some time before their strength or energies would be fully +restored. But of dying there was no danger, as the poison of the upas +does not kill, when only inhaled as a vapour; unless the inhalation be a +long time continued. Its sap taken internally, by the chewing of its +leaves, bark, or root, is certain death, and speedy death. It is one of +the ingredients used by the Bornean Dyaks for tipping their poisoned +spears, and the arrows of their _sumpitans_ or blow-guns. They use it +in combination with the _bina_, another deadly poison, extracted from +the juice of a parasitical plant found everywhere through the forests of +Borneo. + +It is singular that the upas-tree should belong to the same natural +order, the Artocarpaceae, as the bread-fruit; the tree of death thus +being connected with the tree of life. In some of the Indian islands it +is called _Popon-upas_; in Java it is known as the _Antijar_. + +Its leaves are shaped like spear-heads; the fruit is a kind of drupe, +clothed in fleshy scales. + +The juice, when prepared as a poison, is sometimes mixed with black +pepper, and the juice of galanga-root, and of ginger. It is as thick as +molasses, and will keep for a long time if sheltered from the action of +the air. + +The upas does not grow as a gregarious tree, and is nowhere found in +numbers. Like the precious treasures of nature--gold, diamonds, and +pearls--her poisons, too, happily for man, are sparsely distributed. +Even in the climate and soil congenial to it, the _antiaris toxicaria_ +is rare; but wherever discovered is sure to be frequently visited, if in +a district where there are hunters or warriors wishing to empoison and +make more deadly their shafts. A upas-tree in a well-known +neighbourhood is usually disfigured by seams and scars, where incisions +have been made to extract its envenomed juice. + +That there were no such marks upon the one where they had made their +camp, was evidence that the neighbourhood was uninhabited. So said +Saloo, and the others were but too glad to accept his interpretation of +the sign. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. + +STARTING FOR THE INTERIOR. + +Reclining on the soft silvery sand, inhaling the fresh morning breeze +blowing in from the Celebes Sea, every breath of it seeming to infuse +fresh blood into their veins and renewed vigour into their limbs, the +castaways felt their health and strength fast returning. Saloo's +prognosis was rapidly proving itself correct. He had said they would +soon recover, and they now acknowledged the truth of his prediction. + +Their cheerfulness came back along with their returning strength, and +with this also their appetites. Their dinner-supper of roast hornbill +had done them little good; but although for a time scared by such diet, +and determined to eschew it when better could be had, they were now only +too glad to resort to it, and it was agreed upon that the old hen, +stewed as intended, should supply the material of their breakfast. + +A fresh fire was kindled far away from the dangerous upas; the huge +shell, with its contents, was hastily snatched from the deadly shade, +and, supported by four large pebbles to serve as feet for the queer +stew-pan, it was placed over the burning embers, and soon commenced to +steam and squeak, spreading around an odorous incense, far pleasanter to +the olfactories of the hungry party than either the fresh saline breeze, +or the perfume of tropical flowers now and then wafted to them from the +recesses of the forest. + +While waiting for the flesh of the old hen to get properly and tenderly +stewed, they could not resist the temptation of making an assault upon +the chick; and it, too, was hurriedly rescued from the tainted larder +beneath the upas-tree, spitted upon a bamboo sapling, and broiled like a +squab-pigeon over the incandescent brands. + +It gave them only a small morsel each, serving as a sort of prelude to +the more substantial breakfast soon to follow, and for which they could +now wait with greater composure. + +In due time Saloo, who was wonderfully skilled in the tactics of the +forest _cuisine_, pronounced the stew sufficiently done; when the +stew-pan was lifted from the fire, and set in the soft sand for its +contents to cool. + +Soon gathering around it, each was helped to a share: one to a wing with +liver or gizzard, another to a thigh-joint with a bit of the breast, a +third to the stripped breast-bone, or the back one, with its thin +covering of flesh, a fourth to a variety of stray giblets. + +There was still a savoury sauce remaining in the pan, due to the herb +condiments which Saloo had collected. This was served out in some tin +pannikins, which the castaway crew had found time to fling into the boat +before parting from the sinking ship. It gave them a soup, which, if +they could only have had biscuits or bread with it, would have been +quite as good as coffee for their breakfast. + +As soon as this was eaten, they took steps to change their place of +encampment. Twice unfortunate in the selection of a site, they were now +more particular, and carefully scrutinised the next tree under whose +shadow they intended to take up their abode. A spreading fig not far +off invited them to repose beneath its umbrageous foliage; and removing +their camp paraphernalia from the poison-breathing; upas, they once more +erected the tarpaulin, and recommenced housekeeping under the protecting +shelter of a tree celebrated in the Hindu mythology as the "sacred +banyan." + + "It was a goodly sight to see + That venerable tree + For o'er the lawn, irregularly spread. + Fifty straight columns propt its lofty head; + And many a long depending shoot, + Seeking to strike its root, + Straight like a plummet grew towards the ground. + Some on the lower boughs which crost their way, + Fixing their bearded fibres, round and round, + With many a ring and wild contortion wound; + Some to the passing wind at times, with sway + Of gentle motion swung; + Others of younger growth, unmoved, were hung + Like stone-drops from a cavern's fretted height." + +The banyan often measures thirty feet in girth; the one selected by +Captain Redwood was probably not less than twenty-five feet. Its +peculiarity is that it throws out roots from all its branches, so that +as fast as each branch, in growing downwards, touches the ground, it +takes root, and in due time serves as a substantial prop to the +horizontal bough, which, without some such support, would give way +beneath its own weight. + +They intended it for only a temporary dwelling-place, until their +strength should be sufficiently established to enable them to start on +their contemplated overland journey, with a prospect of being able to +continue it to its end. + +It seemed, at length, as if fortune, hitherto so adverse, had turned a +smiling face toward them; and they were not much longer to be detained +upon that wild and dangerous shore. For the same day on which they +removed from the upas to the fig-tree, the latter furnished them with an +article of food in sufficient quantity to stock their larder for nearly +a week, and of a quality superior in strengthening powers to either +roast or stewed hornbill, and quite equal to the eggs of the +mound-making birds. + +It was not the fruit of the fig that had done this; but an animal they +had discovered crawling along one of its branches. It was a reptile of +that most hideous and horrid shape, the _saurian_; and only the +hungriest man could ever have looked upon, with thoughts of eating it. +But Saloo felt no repugnance of this kind; he knew that the huge lizard +creeping along the limb of the banyan-tree, over five feet long, and +nearly as thick as the body of a man, would afford flesh not only +eatable, but such as would have been craved for by Apicius, had the +Roman epicure ever journeyed through the islands of the Malayan +Archipelago, and found an opportunity of making trial of it. + +What they saw slowly traversing the branch above them was one of those +huge lizards of the genus _Hydrosaurus_, of which there are several +species in Indian climes--like the _iguanas_ of America--harmless +creatures, despite their horrid appearance, and often furnishing to the +hunter or forester a meal of chops and steaks both tender and delicious. + +With this knowledge of what it would afford them, Saloo had no +difficulty in persuading Captain Redwood to send a bullet through the +skull of the _hydrosaurus_, and it soon lay lifeless upon the ground. + +The lizard was nigh six feet from snout to tail; and Saloo, assisted by +Murtagh, soon slipped a piece of his vegetable rope around its jaws, and +slung it up to a horizontal branch for the purpose of skinning it. Thus +suspended, with limbs and arms sticking out, it bore a very disagreeable +resemblance to a human being just hanged. Saloo did not care anything +about this, but at once commenced peeling off its skin; and then he cut +the body into quarters, and subdivided them into "collops," which were +soon sputtering in the blaze of a bright fire. As the Malay had +promised, these proved tender, tasting like young pork steaks, with a +slight flavour of chicken, and just a _soupcon_ of frog. Delicate as +they were, however, after three days' dieting upon them all felt +stronger--almost strong enough, indeed, to commence their grand journey. + +Just then another, and still more strengthening, kind of food was added +to their larder. It was obtained by a mere accident, in the form of a +huge wild boar of the Bornean species, which, scouring the forest in +search of fruits or roots, had strayed close to their camp under the +fig-tree. He came too close for his own safety; a bullet from Captain +Redwood's rifle having put an abrupt stop to his "rootings." + +Butchered in proper scientific fashion, he not only afforded them food +for the time in the shape of pork chops, roast ribs, and the like; but +gave them a couple of hams, which, half-cooked and cured by smoking, +could be carried as a sure supply upon the journey. + +And so provisioned, they at length determined on commencing it, taking +with them such articles of the wreck-salvage as could be conveniently +transferred, and might prove beneficial. Bidding adieu to the pinnace, +the dear old craft which had so safely carried them through the dangers +of the deep, they embarked on a voyage of a very different kind, in the +courses of which they were far less skilled, and of whose tracks and +perils they were even more apprehensive. But they had no other +alternative. To remain on the eastern coast of Borneo would be to stay +there for ever. They could not entertain the slightest hope of any ship +appearing off shore to rescue them. A vessel so showing itself would +be, in all probability, a prau filled with bloodthirsty pirates, who +would either kill or make captives of them, and afterwards sell them +into slavery: and a slavery from which no civilised power could redeem +them, as no civilised man might ever see them in their chains. + +It was from knowing this terrible truth that Captain Redwood had +resolved upon crossing the great island overland at that part where he +supposed it to be narrowest,--the neck lying between its eastern coast +and the old Malayan town of Bruni on the west, adjacent to the islet of +Labuan, where he knew an English settlement was situated. + +In pursuance of this determination, he struck camp, and moved forward +into a forest of unknown paths and mysterious perils. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. + +ACROSS COUNTRY. + +In undertaking the journey across Borneo, Captain Redwood knew there +would be many difficulties to encounter, as well as dangers. There was +first the great distance, which could not be much less than two hundred +and fifty miles, even if they should succeed in making it in a straight +line--as the crow flies. But, no doubt, obstructions would present +themselves along the route to cause many a detour. Still this was an +obstacle which time would overcome. At the rate of ten miles a day, it +would be conquered in a month; and if two months should have to be +spent, it would not be a very formidable hardship, considering that it +was a journey overtaken to carry them through a savage wilderness, and +restore them to civilisation--nay, almost to life. + +That it was to be made on foot did not dismay them, they had quite +recovered from the effects of their sea-suffering, as also from the +poisonous breath of the upas, and felt strong enough to undertake any +great feat of pedestrianism. And, as they were under no limits as to +time, they could adopt such a rate of speed as the nature of the paths +would permit. On this score there was neither apprehension nor +uneasiness; there might have been about provisions, as the cured hams of +the wild boar could not possibly last longer than a week; and what were +they to eat after these were consumed? + +Saloo set their minds at rest on this matter, by telling them that the +interior forests of Borneo--which he did not know--if they at all +resembled those of Sumatra--which he did know--would be found full of +fruit-bearing trees; and, besides, numerous chances would arise for +killing or capturing birds and other small game, even if a deer or a +second wild boar did not present himself. In order to be prepared for +any such that might come in his way, as well as to save their +ammunition, of which they had but a limited supply, Saloo had spent the +last few days of their sojourn upon the coast in the manufacture of a +weapon well suited for such a purpose, even better than musket or rifle. +It was the "Sumpitan," or blow-gun. This the Malay had made, along +with a complete set of "sumpits," or arrows, and a quiver to contain +them. The sumpitan itself--eight feet in length--he fashioned from a +straight sapling of the beautiful _casuarina_ tree, which grows +throughout the islands of the Malayan Archipelago; while the little +arrows, only eight inches long, he obtained from the medium of the +leaflets of the _nibong_ palms, many of which were found near the spot +where they had encamped. The pith of the same palm served him for the +swell of the arrow, which, being compressible like cork, fills up the +tube of the sumpitan, and renders the shaft subject to propulsion from +the quick puff of breath which the blow-gun marksman, from long +practice, knows how to give it. + +Saloo had been one of the best sumpitan shooters in all Sumatra, and +could send an arrow with true aim a distance of a hundred and fifty +yards. But to make its effect deadly at this distance, something more +than the mere pricking of the tiny "sumpit" was needed. This something +was a strong vegetable poison which he also knew how to prepare; and the +upas-tree, that had so nearly proved fatal to all of them, was now +called into requisition to effect a friendly service. Drawing upon its +sap, and mixing it with that of another poisonous plant--the _bina_-- +Saloo gave the points of his sumpits a coating of the combined juices, +so that they would carry death into the veins of any animal having the +ill-fortune to be pierced by them. + +Thus armed and equipped, he had little fear on the score of a scarcity +of provisions during the journey. On the contrary, he declared himself +confident of being able to keep the commissariat up to a point of supply +sufficient for the whole party. + +It may be thought strange that they did not speculate on the chances of +arriving at some town or settlement of the natives. Indeed they did so, +but only with the thought of avoiding them; for the minds of all--the +Malay not excepted--were filled with apprehensions respecting the Dyak +and other savage tribes, which report places in the interior of Borneo, +and to whom long accredited, though perhaps only imaginative, stories +have given a character alike terrible and mysterious. They could think +of them only as savages--wild men of the woods--some of them covered +with hair, and whose chief delight and glory are the cutting off men's +heads, and not unfrequently feasting on men's flesh! No wonder that, +with these facts, or fancies, acting upon their imagination, our +travellers set forth upon their journey determined to give a wide berth +to everything that bore the shape of a human being. It was a strange +commentary on man's superiority to the lower animals, and not very +creditable to the former, that he himself was the thing they most feared +to meet with in the wooded wilderness. And yet, humiliating as the +reflection may appear, it depressed the minds of the castaways, as, +looking their last upon the bright blue sea, they turned their faces +toward the interior of the forest-covered land of Borneo. + +For the first day they pursued a course leading along the bank of the +stream at whose mouth they had been sojourning ever since their arrival +on the island. They had more than one reason for keeping to the stream. +It seemed to flow in a due easterly direction, and therefore to ascend +it would lead them due west--the way they wanted to go. Besides, there +was a path along its banks, not made by man, but evidently by large +animals; whose tracks, seen here and there in soft places, showed them +to be tapirs, wild-boars, and the larger but more rare rhinoceros. + +They saw none of these animals during their day's journey, though many +of the traces were fresh. Generally nocturnal in their habits, the huge +pachydermatous creatures that had made them were, during daylight, +probably lying asleep in their lairs, amid the thick underwood of the +adjacent jungles. + +The travellers might have brought the pinnace up the river--so far it +was deep enough to be navigated by a row-boat; and they had at first +thought of doing so. But for several reasons they had changed their +minds, and abandoned their boat. It was too heavy to be easily +propelled by oars, especially against the current of a stream which in +many places was very rapid. Besides, if there should be a settlement of +savages on the bank, to approach in a boat would just be the way to +expose themselves to being seen, without first seeing. + +But to Captain Redwood the chief objection was, that a mountain-range +rose only a short distance off, and the stream appeared to issue from +its steep sloping side; in which case it would soon assume the character +of a headlong torrent utterly unfit for navigation. Even had water +travel been easier, it could not have been long continued--perhaps not +beyond a single day; and it was not deemed worth while to bring the +pinnace with them. So thought the captain, and the others agreeing, the +boat was left where they had long since concealed her--under the +banyan-tree. + +The captain's conjectures proved correct. The evening of the first +day's march brought them to the base of the mountain-ridge, down whose +rocky flank the stream poured with the strength and velocity of a +torrent. No boat could have further ascended it. + +As the path leading along its edge, and hitherto comparatively level and +smooth, now changed to a difficult ascent up a rough rock-strewn ravine, +they encamped at the mountain-foot for the first night of their journey. + +Next day was spent in ascending the mountain; following the ravine up to +its head, where were found the sources of the stream. Staying only for +a short noon-tide rest, they kept upward, and reached the highest point +of the ridge just as the sun was again sinking into the depths of the +forest before them. + +At their camping-place on the second night no water was near; and they +might have suffered from the want of it, had they not taken the +precaution to provide against such a deficiency. Their experience as +castaways, especially the memory of their sufferings from thirst, had +rendered them wary of being again subjected to so terrible a torture. +Each of the three men carried a "canteen" strung to his waist--the joint +of a large bamboo that held at least half a gallon; while the boy and +girl also had their cane canteens, proportioned to their size and +strength. All had been filled with cool clear water before leaving the +last source of the stream, a supply sufficient to serve during their +transit of the dry mountain-ridge. + +The remainder of that night was spent upon its summit; but as this +proved of considerable breadth, and was covered with a thick growth of +jungle-trees, it was near sunset the next day before they arrived at the +edge of its eastern declivity, and obtained a view of the country +beyond. + +The sun was descending behind the crest of another mountain-ridge, +apparently parallel with that upon which they were, and not less than +twenty miles distant from it. Between the two extended a valley, or +rather a level plain, thickly covered with forest, except where a sheet +of water gleamed in the setting sun like a disc of liquid gold. + +Nor was the plain all level. Here and there, above the wooded surface, +rose isolated hills, of rounded mound-like shape, also clothed with +timber, but with trees whose foliage, of lighter sheen, showed them to +be of species different from those on the plain below. + +Through a break among the branches of those now shadowing them on the +mountain brow, the travellers for some time contemplated the country +before them, and across which, upon the morrow, they would have to make +their way. + +At this moment Saloo muttered some words, which, coupled with the +expression upon his countenance as he gave utterance to them, alarmed +his companions. The words were,-- + +"It lookee like countly of _mias lombi_. Cappen Ledwad, if dat wild +debbel lib in dem wood below, bettel we go all lound. We tly closs it, +may be we get eat up. Singapo tiga not so dang'lous as _mias_--he not +common kind, but gleat _mias lombi_--what Poltugee people callee `_led +golilla_.'" + +"The _red gorilla_!" ejaculated Captain Redwood. "Is it the +_ourang-outang_ you mean?" + +"Same ting, Sahib cappen. Some call him _oolang-ootang_, some say _led +golilla_. One kind belly big--belly bad--he call _mias lombi_. He +cally away women, childen; take 'em up into top ob de highest tallee +tlee. Nobody know what he do then. Eat 'em up may be. What fol else +he want 'em? Ah! Cappen Ledwad, we dlead de oolang-Dyak. He no half +dang'lous like oolang-ootang led golilla." + +Notwithstanding the _patois_ of his speech, what Saloo said was well +enough understood by his companions, for in the _led golilla_ or +_oolang-ootang_ of his peculiar pronunciation, they recognised the long +known and world-renowned ape of Borneo, which, although safe enough when +seen inside the cage of the showman, is a creature to be dreaded--at +least the species spoken of--when encountered in its native haunts, the +forests of Sumatra and Borneo. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. + +TOUGH TRAVELLING. + +Next morning they did not start so early, because the great plain before +them was shrouded under a fog, and they waited for it to pass off. + +It was not dispelled until the sun had risen in the heavens behind them, +for their backs were still to the east, their route lying due westward. + +During the night, and again in the morning, they had discussed the +question of striking straight across the plain, or making a circuitous +march around it. When the fog at length lifted, this point was +definitely settled by what they saw before and on each side of them, +that the great valley plain extended both to right and left beyond the +limits of their vision. To go round it might add scores of miles and +many days to their journey. They could not think of taking such a +circuitous route, even with the fear of the wild men before them; a +danger Captain Redwood believed to be greatly exaggerated by the Malay, +who in such matters was of a somewhat imaginative turn. Throwing aside +all thought of such an encounter, they struck down the mountain slope, +determined on crossing the plain. + +It was sunset when they arrived at the mountain-foot, and another night +was passed there. + +On the following morning they commenced the passage of the plain; which +introduced them to a very different and much more difficult kind of +travelling than any they had experienced since leaving the sea-coast. +Some parts of their journey, both in the ascent and descent, had been +toilsome enough; but the slopes, as well as the summits, were +comparatively clear of underwood. On the low level it was quite another +affair. The huge forest-trees were loaded with parasitical creepers, +which, stretching from trunk to trunk in all directions, formed here and +there an impenetrable net or trellis-work. In such places the kris of +Saloo, and the ship's axe carried by Murtagh, were called into +requisition, and much time was expended in cutting a way through the +tangled growth. + +Another kind of obstacle was also occasionally met with, in the brakes +of bamboo, where these gigantic canes, four or five inches in diameter, +and rising to a height of over fifty feet, grew so close together that +even a snake would have found difficulty in working its way through +them. Fortunately, their stems being hollow, they are easily brought +down, and a single stroke from the axe, or even Saloo's sharp kris, +given slantingly, would send one of them crashing over, its leafy top +bearing along with it the long ribbon-like leaves of many others. + +One of these cane brakes proved to be upwards of a mile in width, and +its passage delayed them at least three hours. They might have +attempted to get round it, but they did not know how far it extended. +Possibly ten or twenty miles--for the bamboo thickets often run in +belts, their growth being due to the presence of some narrow water +track, or the course of a stream. In the Indian Archipelago are several +species of these tall canes, usually known by the general name of +_bamboo_, though differing from each other in size and other respects. +They furnish to the inhabitants of these islands the material for almost +every article required for their domestic economy--as the various +species of palms do to the natives of South America--more especially the +denizens of the great Amazon valley. Not only are their houses +constructed of bamboo, but the greater portion of their praus; while +utensils of many kinds, cups, bottles, and water-casks of the best make, +are obtained from its huge joints, cheaply and conveniently. A bare +catalogue of bamboo tools and utensils would certainly occupy several +pages. + +Notwithstanding its valuable properties, our travellers hated the sight +of it; and more than once the Irishman, as he placed his axe upon the +silicious culms, was heard to speak disrespectfully about it, "weeshin' +that there wasn't a stalk of the cane in all Burnayo." + +But another kind of obstruction vexed Murtagh even more than the brakes +of bamboo. This was the webs of huge spiders--ugly tarantula-looking +animals--whose nets in places, extending from tree to tree, traversed +the forest in every direction, resembling the seines of a +fishing-village hung out to dry, or miles of musquito-curtain depending +from the horizontal branches. Through this strange festoonery they had +to make their way, often for hundreds of yards; the soft silky substance +clutching disagreeably around their throats and clinging to their +clothes till each looked as though clad in an integument of ragged +cotton, or the long loose wool of a merino sheep yet unwoven into cloth. +And as they forced their way through it--at times requiring strength to +extricate them from its tough retentive hold--they could see the hideous +forms of the huge spiders who had spun and woven these strangely +patterned webs scuttling off, and from their dark retreats in the +crevices of the trees looking defiant and angry at the intruders upon +their domain--perhaps never before trodden by man. + +Yet another kind of obstruction our travellers had to encounter on their +way across the great plain. There were tracts of moist ground, +sometimes covered with tall forest-trees, at others opening out into a +sedgy morass, with perhaps a small lake or water-patch in the centre. +The first required them to make way through mud, or thick stagnant water +covered with scum, often reaching above their knees. These places were +especially disagreeable to cross; for under the gloomy shadow of the +trees they would now and then catch a glimpse of huge newt-like lizards +of the genus _hydrosaurus_--almost as large as crocodiles--slowly +floundering out of the way, as if reluctant to leave, and +half-determined to dispute the passage. + +Moreover, while thus occupied, they lived in the obscurity of an eternal +twilight, and could travel only by guess-work. They had no guide save +the sun, which in these shadows is never visible. Through the thick +foliage overhead its disc could not be seen; nor aught that would enable +them to determine its position in the sky, and along with it their +direction upon the earth. It was, therefore, not only a relief to their +feelings, but a positive necessity for their continuance in the right +direction, that now and then a stretch of open swamp obstructed their +track. True, it caused them to make a detour, and so wasted their time; +but then it afforded them a glimpse of the sun's orb, and enabled them +to pursue their journey in the right course. + +During the mid-day hours they were deprived of even this guidance: for +the meridian sun gives no clue to the points of the compass. They did +not much feel the disadvantage; as at noon-tide the hot tropical +atmosphere had become almost insupportable, and the heat, added to their +fatigue from incessant toiling through thicket and swamp, made it +necessary for them to take several hours of rest. + +They resumed their journey in the evening, as the sun, declining toward +the western horizon, pointed out to them the way they were to go. They +aimed to reach the sheet of water seen by them from the brow of the +mountain. They wished to strike it at its southern end, as this was +right in the direction westward. It appeared to lie about midway +between the two mountain-ranges; and, in such a case, would be a proper +halting-place on their journey across the plain. On starting from the +higher ground, they expected to reach it in a few hours, or at the +latest by sunset of that same day. But it was twilight of the third +day, when, with exhausted strength and wearied limbs, their clothing +torn and mud-stained, they stood upon its nearest shore! They did not +stand there long, but dropping down upon the earth, forgetful of +everything--even the necessity of keeping watch--they surrendered +themselves over to sleep. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. + +A RED SATYR. + +They slept until a late hour of the morning; when, rousing themselves +with difficulty, they kindled a fire and cooked a breakfast of the +boar's ham cured by them before leaving the coast. It was the second, +and of course the last, already becoming rapidly reduced to a "knuckle;" +for their journey was now entering upon the second week. + +They bethought them of making a halt on the bank of the lake; partly to +recruit their strength after the long-continued fatigue, and partly, if +possible, to replenish their larder. + +Saloo got ready his blow-gun and poisoned arrows; Captain Redwood looked +to his rifle; while the ship-carpenter, whose speciality was fishing, +and who for this purpose had brought his hooks and lines along with him, +determined on trying what species of the finny tribe frequented the +inland lake, in hopes they might prove less shy at biting than their +brethren of the sea-coast stream. + +Again the three men started off, Murtagh traversing in solitude the edge +of the lake, while Captain Redwood, with his rifle--accompanied by +Saloo, carrying his sumpitan and quiver of poisoned arrows--struck +direct into the woods. + +Henry and Helen remained where they had passed the night, under the +shadow of a spreading tree; which, although of a species unknown to the +travellers, had been cautiously scrutinised by them, and seemed to be +neither a durion nor a upas. They were cautioned not to stir a step +from the spot till the others should return. + +Though in other respects a good, obedient boy, Henry Redwood was not +abundantly gifted with prudence. He was a native-born New Yorker, and +as such, of course, precocious, courageous, daring, even to a fault--in +short, having the heart of a man beating within the breast of a boy. So +inspired, when a huge bird, standing even taller than himself on its +great stilt-like legs--it was the adjutant stork of India (_ciconia +argalia_)--dropped down upon the point of a little peninsula which +projected into the lake, he could not resist the temptation of getting a +shot at it. + +Grasping the great ship's musket--part of the paraphernalia they had +brought along with them, and which was almost as much as he could +stagger under--he started to stalk the great crane, leaving little Helen +under the tree. + +Some reeds growing along the edge of the lake offered a chance by which +the game might be approached, and under cover of them he had crept +almost within shot of it, when a cry fell upon his ear, thrilling him +with a sudden dread. + +It was the voice of his sister Helen, uttered in tones of alarm? + +Turning suddenly, he wondered not that her cries were continued in the +wildest terror, mingled with convulsive ejaculations. A man had drawn +near her, and oh! such a man! Never in all his experience, nor in his +darkest and most distorted dreams, had he seen, or dreamt of, a human +being so hideous, as that he now saw, half-standing, half-crouching, +only a short distance from his sister's resting-place. + +It was a man who, if he had only been in an erect attitude, would have +stood at least eight feet in height, and this would have been in an +under-proportion to the size of his head, the massive breadth of his +body across the breast and shoulders, and the length of his arms. But +it was not his gigantic size which made him so terrible, or which +electrified the heart of the boy, at a safe distance, as it had done +that of the girl, nearer and in more danger. It was the _tout ensemble_ +of this strange creature in human shape--a man apparently covered all +over with red hair, thick and shaggy, as upon the skin of a wolf or +bear; bright red over the body and limbs, and blacker upon the face, +where it was thinnest--a creature, in short, such as neither boy nor +girl had ever before seen, and such as was long believed to exist only +in the imagination of the ancients, under the appellation of "satyr." + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. + +SILENCE RESTORED. + +At first sight of the brute, notwithstanding its strangely monstrous +appearance, Henry had really mistaken it for a man; but a moment's +reflection convinced him that he was looking upon an ape instead of a +man, and one of such gigantic size as to make him certain it must be the +animal spoken of by Saloo under the various appellations of _mias +rombi_, _ourang-outang_, and _red gorilla_. Saloo's remarks concerning +this ape, and his emphatic warnings, were not at all pleasant to be now +recalled. Though brave as a young lion, he looked upon the shaggy +monster with fear and trembling. Far less for himself than for his +sister; who, being nearer to it, was, of course, in greater peril of an +attack. This, indeed, seemed imminent, and his first thought was to +rush to the spot and discharge his musket into the monster's face. He +was restrained only by seeing that Helen, moved by an instinct of +self-preservation, had made an effort to save herself by gliding round +the trunk of the tree, and seeking concealment on its opposite side. At +the same time she had prudently ceased her cries; and as the animal did +not show any intention of following her, but rather seemed inclined to +keep toward the edge of the lake, the boy bethought him that his best +course would be not to discharge his musket until the ape should make +some hostile demonstration. + +Saloo had told them that the brute is not always disposed to commence +the attack upon man. If left alone, it will go its own way, except +during certain seasons, when the females are fearful for their young +offspring. Then they will assail every intruder that comes near, +whether man or animal. But when wounded or enraged they will not only +act on the defensive, but attack their enemies in the most spiteful and +implacable manner. + +Remembering these things, and hoping the huge creature might take a +peaceful departure from the place, Henry, who had already held his +musket at the level, lowered its muzzle, at the same time dropping upon +his knees among some tall grass, which, in this attitude, tolerably well +concealed him. + +He soon saw that he had acted wisely. The hairy monster seemed +altogether to ignore the presence of his sister and himself; and as if +neither were within a thousand miles of the spot, kept on its course +toward the margin of the water. Fortunately for Henry, it went quite +another way, which, widening diagonally, did not bring the creature at +all near him. It was evidently directing its course toward some +liliaceous plants with large succulent stems, which formed a patch or +bed, standing in the water, but close to the brink of the lake. + +In all probability there was not enough fruit in the neighbourhood to +satisfy the hirsute gentleman now passing before their eyes; or else he +had a fancy to vary his diet by making a meal upon simple vegetables. +He soon reached the patch of tall water-plants; waded in nearly +knee-deep; and then with arms, each of which had the sweep of a mower's +scythe, drew in their heads toward him, and with a mouth wide as that of +a hippopotamus, cropped off the succulent shoots and flower-stems, and +munched them like an ox in the act of chewing its cud. + +Seeing the huge hairy creature thus peaceably disposed, and hoping it +would for some time continue in this harmless disposition, Henry rose +from his kneeling attitude, and glided silently, but swiftly, toward the +tree. Joining his sister Helen, he flung his arms around her as he rose +erect, and kissed her to chase away the effects of the terrible fright +she had sustained. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. + +IN FEAR AND TREMBLING. + +The kiss which Henry gave his little sister was not one of +congratulation. He was not yet sure of her safety, or of his own. The +hairy monster was still in sight--not more than a hundred yards off--and +though apparently busy with his banquet on the tender shoots of the +water-plants, might at any moment discontinue it, and spring upon them. + +What was the best thing to be done in order to escape him? Run off into +the forest, and try to find their father and Saloo? They might go the +wrong way, and by so doing make things worse. The great ape itself +would soon be returning among the trees, and might meet them in the +teeth; there would then be no chance of avoiding an encounter. + +To go after Murtagh would be an equally doubtful proceeding; they were +ignorant of the direction the ship-carpenter had taken. + +Young as they were, a moment's reflection admonished them not to stir +from the spot. + +But what, then? Cry out, so that the absent ones might hear them? No; +for this might also attract the attention of the ourang-outang, and +bring it upon them. Besides, Helen had shrieked loudly on the first +alarm. If any of the hunters had been within hearing, they would have +needed no further signal to tell them that some danger threatened her. +If not within hearing, it would be worse than idle for either of them to +cry out again. They determined, therefore, to remain silent, and keep +to their position, in the hope that either their father, the Malay, or +Murtagh, might come to their speedy relief. + +But they were prudent enough not to expose themselves to any wandering +glance of the red gorilla's. The moment Henry had joined his sister he +had hurried her behind the trunk of the tree, and they were now on the +side facing toward the forest. There, by looking through the leaves of +some orchideous creepers that wreathed the great stem, they could see +the dreaded creature without being seen by it. Hand in hand, still +trembling, they stood silently and cautiously regarding the gorilla and +its movements. + +Under other and safer circumstances it would have been a curious and +interesting spectacle: this gigantic, human-like ape, stretching forth +its hairy arms, each full four feet in length--gathering in the heads of +the tall water-plants, and munching them in great mouthfuls, then +letting the stalks go and sweeping round to collect a fresh sheaf, at +intervals wading a pace or two to reach some that were more tempting to +its taste. For several minutes they remained looking at this rare +sight, which would have absorbed the attention of the spectators could +it have been witnessed in a menagerie. + +But they regarded it with fear and awe. Their eyes and ears were at the +same time more occupied in looking and listening for some sign that +might veil them of the return of their protectors. + +Time passed; none was seen, none heard. + +A long time passed, and no sound from the forest; no murmur of men's +voices, or cry of scared bird, to proclaim that any one was approaching +the spot. + +The brute was still browsing, but with less apparent voracity. He drew +the shoots toward him with a gentler sweep of his arms, selecting only +the most succulent. His appetite was on the wane; it was evident he +would soon leave off eating and return to his roosting or resting-place. +In the forest, of course, though they knew not where. It might be on +the tree over their heads, or on one close at hand; or it might be afar +off. In any case, they felt that a crisis was approaching. + +Both trembled, as they thought how soon they might be face to face with +the hideous creature--confronting it, or perhaps enfolded in its long +hairy arms. And in such an embrace, how would it fare with them? What +chance of escape from it? None! They would be crushed, helpless as +flies in the grasp of a gigantic spider. If the creature should come +that way, and resolve upon assailing them, one or other, or both of +them, would surely be destroyed. + +If only one, Henry had fully made up his mind who it should be. The +brave boy had determined to sacrifice his own life, if need be, to save +his sister. Firmly grasping the great musket, he said:-- + +"Sister Nell, if it come this way and offer to attack us, you keep out +of the scrape. Leave everything to me. Go a good way off when you see +me preparing to fire. I shan't draw trigger till it is close up to the +muzzle of the gun. Then there'll be no fear of missing it. To miss +would only make it all the madder. Saloo said so. If the shot +shouldn't kill it right off, don't mind me. The report may be heard, +and bring father or some of the others to our assistance. Dear sis, no +matter what happens, keep out of the way, and wait till they come up. +Promise me you will do so!" + +"Henry! I will not leave you. Dear, dear brother, if you should be +killed I would not care to live longer. Henry! I will die with you!" + +"Don't talk that way, sis. I'm not going to be killed; for I fancy that +we can run faster than it can. It don't appear to make much speed--at +least along the ground; and I think we might both escape it if we only +knew which way it was going to take. At any rate, you do as I say, and +leave the rest to me." + +While they were thus discussing the course to be pursued--Henry urging +his sister to retreat in the event of his being attacked, and Helen +tearfully protesting against leaving him--a movement on the part of the +mias claimed all their attention. It was not a movement indicating any +design to leave the spot where it had been browsing; but rather a start, +as if something caused it a surprise. The start was quickly followed by +a gesture, not of alarm, but one that plainly betokened anger. Indeed, +it spoke audibly of this, being accompanied by a fierce growl, and +succeeded by a series of hoarse barkings, just like those of a bull-dog +or angry mastiff, whose mouth, confined in a muzzle, hinders him from +giving full vent to his anger. At the same time, instead of rising +erect, as a human being under similar circumstances would have done, the +frightful ape, that had been already in the most upright position +possible to it, dropped down upon all fours, which still, however, from +the great length of its arms, enabled it to preserve a semi-erect +attitude. + +With its huge cheek callosities puffed out beyond their natural +dimensions--(they far exceed a foot in breadth)--its crested hair thrown +forward in a stiff coronal ruff; underneath a pair of eyes, gleaming +like two coals of fire, and, further down, its mouth wide agape, +displaying two rows of great glistening teeth, it stood--or rather +crouched--as if awaiting for the onset of some well-known enemy; a +dangerous enemy, but yet not so dangerous that it need be avoided. On +the contrary, the attitude now assumed by the red gorilla, as also its +voice and gestures, told them that it was affected by no fear, but +breathed only fury and defiance. + +Why should it fear? Was there any living thing in the forests of +Borneo--biped, quadruped, or reptile possessed of sufficient powers to +cope with the hairy colossus now before their eyes, which seemed to +partake of the characters of all three, and twice the strength of any of +them individually? Saloo had said there was none. + +But it was not from the forests of Borneo its enemy was to come. Out of +its waters was approaching the antagonist that had caused it to assume +its attitude of angry defiance; and the spectators now saw this +antagonist in the shape of an enormous lizard--a crocodile larger than +they had ever seen before. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. + +A SPECTACLE RARELY SEEN. + +When the huge reptile first unfolded itself to their view, it was +already close to the spot where the ourang-outang, knee-deep in the +water, stood awaiting it. They naturally expected to see the land +animal effect a retreat from an antagonist even more formidable-looking +than itself. + +And in reality it did give ground at first; but only for a few long +scrambling strides, made as much on its arms as legs--just far enough to +place itself high and dry upon the bank. There it came to a stop, and +stood firmly facing the foe. + +They now perceived the truth of what Saloo had been telling them: that +there is no animal in all Borneo, either in its forests or its rivers, +of which the mias feels fear. Certainly there is none more to be +dreaded than the gavial crocodile; yet the great ape, judging by its +present attitude, was in no sense afraid of it. Had it been so, it +would have retreated into the woods, where, by climbing a tree, it might +easily have shunned the encounter. Even if it had retired a little upon +_terra firma_, the amphibious animal would not have thought of following +it, and it could at once have avoided the conflict, if desirous of doing +so. On the contrary, it seemed rather to court it; for not only did it +take a firm stand on the approach of the saurian, but continued to emit +its hoarse cough and bark, which, as we have said before, closely +resembled the growlings of an angry mastiff with his jaws held half-shut +by the straps of a muzzle. At the same time it struck the ground +repeatedly with its fore-paws, tearing up grass and weeds, and flinging +them spitefully toward the crocodile, and into its very teeth, as if +provoking the latter to the attack. + +Undismayed, the scaly reptile continued to advance. Neither the strange +noises nor the violent gesticulations of its four-handed enemy seemed to +have any effect upon it. To all appearance, nothing could terrify the +gigantic saurian. Confident in its great size and strength--above all, +in the thick impenetrable skin that covered its body like a coat of +shale armour--conscious of being so defended, the crocodile also +believed that there was no living thing in all the land of Borneo, or in +its waters either, that could withstand its terrible onslaught. It +therefore advanced to the attack with no idea of danger to itself, but +only the thought of seizing upon the half-crouching, half-upright form +that had intruded upon its domain, and which possibly appeared to it +only a weak human being--a poor Dyak, like some of its former victims. + +In this respect it was woefully deceiving itself; and the slight retreat +made by the mias toward the dry land no doubt further misled its +assailant. The reptile paused for a moment, lest the retreat should be +continued, at the same time sinking its body beneath the water as low as +the depth would allow. + +Remaining motionless for a few seconds, and seeing that its victim was +not only not going any further, but maintained its defiant attitude, the +gavial crawled silently and cautiously on till the reeds no longer +concealed it. Then suddenly rising on its strong fore-arms, it bounded +forward--aiding the movement by a stroke of its immense tail--and +launched the whole length of its body on the bank, its huge jaws flying +agape as they came in contact with the shaggy skin of its intended prey. +For an instant of time its snout was actually buried in the long red +hair of the gorilla, and the spectators expected to see the latter +grasped between its jaws and dragged into the lake. + +They were even congratulating themselves on the chance of thus getting +rid of it, when a movement on the part of the mias warned them they were +not to be so conveniently disembarrassed of its dangerous proximity. +That movement was a leap partly to one side, and partly upward into the +air. It sprang so high as completely to clear the head of its +assailant, and so far horizontally, that when it came to the ground +again, it was along the extended body of the crocodile, midway between +its head and its tail. Before the unwieldy reptile could turn to +confront it, the ape made a second spring, this time alighting upon the +gavial's back, just behind his shoulders. There straddling, and taking +a firm hold with its thick short legs, it threw its long arms forward +over the crocodile's shoulder-blades, as with the intent to throttle it. +And now commenced a struggle between the two monstrous creatures--a +conflict strange and terrible--such as could only be seen in the depths +of a Bornean or Sumatran forest, in the midst of those wild solitudes +where man rarely makes his way. And even in such scenes but rarely +witnessed; and only by the lone Dyak hunter straying along the banks of +some solitary stream, or threading the mazes of the jungle-grown swamp +or lagoon. + +On the part of the crocodile the strife consisted simply in a series of +endeavours to dismount the hairy rider who clung like a saddle to its +back. To effect this purpose, it made every effort in its power; +turning about upon its belly as upon a pivot; snapping its jaws till +they cracked like pistol shots; lashing the ground with its long +vertebrated tail, till the grass and weeds were swept off as if cut with +the blade of a scythe; twisting and wriggling in every possible +direction. + +All to no purpose. The ape held on as firmly as a Mexican to a restive +mule, one of its fore-arms clutching the shoulder-blade of the reptile, +while the other was constantly oscillating in the air, as if searching +for something to seize upon. + +For what purpose it did this, the spectators could not at first tell, it +was not long, however, before they discovered its intention. All at +once the disengaged arm made a long clutch forward and grasped the upper +jaw of the gavial. During the struggle this had been frequently wide +agape, almost pointing vertically upward, as is customary with reptiles +of the lizard kind, the singular conformation of the cervical vertebrae +enabling them to open their jaws thus widely. One might have supposed +that, in thus taking hold, the gorilla had got its hand into a terrible +trap, and that in another instant its fingers would be caught between +the quickly-closing teeth of the saurian, and snapped off like +pipe-stems, or the tender shoots of a head of celery. The inexperienced +and youthful spectators expected some such result; but not so the +cunning old man-monkey, who knew what he was about; for, once he had +gained a good hold upon the upper jaw, at its narrowest part, near the +snout, he made up his mind that those bony counterparts, now asunder, +should never come together again. To make quite sure of this, he bent +himself to the last supreme effort. Supporting his knees firmly against +the shoulders of the saurian, and bending his thick muscular arms to the +extent of their great strength, he was seen to give one grand wrench. +There was a crashing sound, as of a tree torn from its roots, followed +by a spasmodic struggle; then the hideous reptile lay extended along the +earth, still writhing its body and flirting its tail. + +The red gorilla saw that it had accomplished its task; victory was +achieved, the danger over, and the hated enemy lay helpless, almost +nerveless, in its hairy embrace. + +At length, detaching itself from the scaly creature, whose struggles +each moment grew feebler and feebler, it sprang to one side, squatted +itself on its haunches, and with a hoarse laughter, that resembled the +horrid yell of a maniac, triumphantly contemplated the ruin of its +prostrate foe! + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. + +STILL TRUSTING IN GOD. + +The reader may suppose the strange conflict we have described to be a +thing of the author's imagination. Some will, no doubt, pronounce it a +story of the sensational and fabulous kind--in short, a "sailor's yarn." +So may it seem to those who give but little attention to the study of +nature. To the naturalist, however, this chapter of animal life and +habits will cause no astonishment; for he will know it to be a true one; +and that the spectacle described, although perhaps not one coming every +day under the eye of man, and especially civilised man, has nevertheless +been witnessed by the inhabitants of the recesses of the Bornean forest. + +Ask any old Bornean bee-hunter, and he will tell you just such a tale as +the above; adding that the ourang-outang, or red gorilla, which he calls +_mias_, is a match, and more than a match, for any animal it may +encounter in forest or jungle; and that the only two creatures which +dare attack it are the crocodile and the great _ular_ or _python_, the +latter a serpent of the boa-constructor kind, with one of which our +castaways had already formed acquaintance. But the Bornean bee-hunter, +usually a Dyak, will also tell you that in these conflicts the red +gorilla is the victor, though each of the two great reptile antagonists +that attack it is often thirty feet in length, with a girth almost +equalling its own. Only fancy a snake ten yards long, and a lizard the +same; either of which would reach from end to end of the largest room in +which you may be seated, or across the street in which you may be +walking! You will seldom find such specimens in our museums; for they +are not often encountered by our naturalists or secured by our +travellers. But take my word for it, there are such serpents and such +lizards in existence, ay, and much larger ones. They may be found not +only in the tropical isles of the Orient, but in the Western world, in +the lagoons and forests of Equatorial America. Many of the "sailors' +yarns" of past times, which we have been accustomed so flippantly to +discredit, on account of their appearing rather tough, have under the +light of recent scientific exploration been proved true. + +And although some of them may seem to be incorporated in this narrative, +under the guise of mere romance, the reader need not on this account +think himself misled, or treat them with sublime contempt. If it should +ever be his fate or fortune to make a tour through the East Indian +Archipelago, he will cease to be incredulous. + +Henry Redwood and his sister Helen had no such tranquil reflections, as +they stood under the shadow of the great tree, concealing themselves +behind its trunk, and watching the terrible conflict between the two +huge creatures, both in their eyes equally hideous. + +Giving way to an instinct of justice, they would have taken sides with +the party assailed and against the assailant. But, under the +circumstances, their leanings were the very reverse; for in the +triumphant conqueror they saw a continuance of their own danger; +whereas, had the amphibious animal been victorious, this would have been +at an end. The strife now terminated, they stood trembling and +uncertain as ever. + +The crocodile, although crushed, and no longer dangerous for any +offensive manoeuvre, was not killed. Its body still writhed and +wriggled upon the ground; though its movements were but the agonised +efforts of mortal pain, excited convulsively and each moment becoming +feebler. + +And the red gorilla stood near, squatted on its haunches; at intervals +tossing its long hairy arms around its head, and giving utterance to +that strange coughing laughter, as if it would never leave off exulting +over the victory it had achieved. How long was this spectacle to last? +It was sufficiently horrid for the spectators to desire its speedy +termination. + +And yet they did not; they were in hopes it might continue till a voice +coming from the forest, or the tread of a foot, would tell them that +help was near. + +Tremblingly but attentively they listened. They heard neither one nor +the other--neither voice nor footstep. Now and then came the note of a +bird or the cry of some four-footed creature prowling through the +glades; but not uttered in accents of alarm. The hunters must have +wandered far in their search for game. They might not return in time. + +Again Henry bethought him of firing the musket to give them a signal. +But even if heard, it might not have this effect. They knew that he was +able to hold and handle the great gun, and might think some bird or +animal had come near and tempted him to take a shot at it. + +On the other hand, the report would strike upon the ears of the mias, +might distract it from the triumph in which it was indulging, and bring +it to the spot where they were standing. Then, with an empty gun in his +hand, what defence could the youth make, either for himself or for his +sister? + +To fire the gun would never do. Better leave the trigger unpulled, and +trust to Providence for protection. + +And then, as the brave boy reflected on the many dangers through which +they had passed, and how they had always been delivered by some +fortunate interposition, he knew it must be the hand of Providence, and +was content to rely upon it again. + +He said so to his little sister, whispering consolation, as with one +hand he drew her close to him, the other resting upon the musket. And +Helen whispered back a pious response, as she nestled upon the breast of +her brother. + +A moment more, and the faith of both was submitted to a severe trial. + +The red gorilla, after gloating for a long time over the agonised +contortions of its disabled enemy, seemed at length satisfied that it +was disabled to death, and facing toward the forest, showed signs of an +intention to take its departure from the spot. + +Now came the crisis for Henry and Helen. Which way would the animal +take? + +They had not time to exchange question and answer--scarce time even to +shape them in their thoughts--when they saw the red satyr turn to the +tree behind which they were standing, and come directly toward them. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. + +A CAPTIVE CARRIED ALOFT. + +"We are lost!" were the words that rushed from Henry Redwood's lips. +They came involuntarily; for, as soon as said, he regretted them, seeing +how much they added to the alarm of his sister. It was a crisis in +which she needed rather to be inspired to confidence by words of +encouragement. + +They were said, however, and he could not recall them. He had no time +to speak of anything, or to think of what course they should now pursue. +Coming straight toward the tree with an awkward, shambling, but speedy +gait withal, the monster would soon reach the spot where they stood. +Its movements showed it to be in a state of excitement--the natural +consequence of its late conflict with the crocodile. If seen, they +would come in for a share of its anger, already roused. + +If seen! They were almost sure of being seen. They were endeavouring +to avoid it by keeping on the other side of the tree, and screening +themselves among the parasitical plants. But the concealment was +slight, and would not avail them if the animal should pass the trunk and +look around after passing. And now it was making straight for the tree, +apparently with the design of ascending it. + +At this crisis Henry once more bethought him of running away and taking +Helen with him. He now regretted not having done so sooner. Even to be +lost in the forest would have been a less danger than that which now +threatened them. + +A glance told him it would be too late. There was an open space beyond +and all around the trunk behind which they had taken shelter. Should +they attempt to escape, the ape would be certain of seeing them before +they could get under cover of the woods, and, as they supposed, might +easily overtake them in their flight. + +Another tree was near, connecting that under which they stood with the +adjoining forest. But it was in a side direction, and they would be +seen before reaching it. There was no alternative but to risk a chase, +or stay where they were, and take the chances of not being seen by the +horrid creature that was approaching. They chose the latter. + +Silently they stood, hands clasped and close to the stem of the tree, on +the side opposite to that on which the gorilla was advancing. They no +longer saw it; for now they dared not look around the trunk, or even +peep through the leaves of the orchids, lest their faces might betray +them. + +After all, the ape might pass into the forest without observing them. +If it did, the danger would be at an end; if not, the brave boy had +summoned up all his energies to meet and grapple with it. He held the +loaded musket in his hand, ready at a moment's notice to raise it to the +level and fire into the face of the red-haired satyr. + +They waited in breathless silence, though each could hear the beating of +the other's heart. + +It was torture to stand thus uncertain; and, as if to continue it, the +animal was a long time in getting to the tree. Had it stopped, or +turned off some other way? + +Henry was tempted to peep round the trunk and satisfy himself. He was +about to do this, when a scratching on the other side fell upon their +ears. It was the claws of the mias rasping against the bark. The next +moment the sound seemed higher up, and they were made aware that the +creature was ascending the tree. + +Henry was already congratulating himself on this event. The ape might +go up without seeing them; and as the tree was a very tall one, with a +thick head of foliage and matted creepers, once among these, it might no +longer think of looking down. Then they could steal away unobserved, +and, keeping at a safe distance, await the return of the hunters. + +At this moment, however, an incident arose that interfered with this +desirable programme, in an instant changing the position of everything +that promised so well into a sad and terrible catastrophe. + +It was Murtagh who caused, though innocently, the lamentable diversion. + +The ship-carpenter, returning from his excursion, had just stumbled upon +the crocodile where it lay upon the shore of the lake, which, though +helpless to return to its proper element, was not yet dead. With jaw +torn and dislocated, it was still twisting its body about in the last +throes of the death-struggle. + +Not able to account for the spectacle of ruin thus presented, it caused +the Irishman much surprise, not unmingled with alarm--the latter +increasing as he looked towards the tree where Henry and Helen had been +left, and saw they were no longer there. + +Had he prudently held his peace, perhaps all might have been well; but, +catching sight of the huge hairy monster ascending the trunk, the +thought flashed across his mind that the young people had been already +destroyed, perhaps devoured, by it; and, giving way to this terrible +fancy, he uttered a dread cry of despair. + +It was the worst thing he could have done; for, despite the discouraging +tone of his voice, it seemed joyful to those crouching in concealment; +and, yielding to an instinct that they were now saved by the presence of +a stanch protector, they rushed from their ambuscade, and in so doing +discovered themselves to the ourang-outang. + +Its eyes were upon them--dark, demon-like orbs, that seemed to +scintillate sparks of fire. The gorilla had only gone up the trunk to a +height of about twenty feet, when the cry of the alarmed ship-carpenter +brought its ascent to a sudden stop; then, bringing its body half round, +and looking below, it saw the children. + +As if connecting them with the enemy it had just conquered, its angry +passions seemed to rekindle; and once more giving utterance to that +strange barking cough, it glided down the tree, and made direct for the +one who was nearest. + +As ill luck would have it, this chanced to be the little Helen, +altogether defenceless and unarmed. Murtagh, still shouting, rushed to +the rescue; while Henry, with his musket raised to his shoulder, +endeavoured to get between the ape and its intended victim, so that he +could fire right into the face of the assailant, without endangering the +life of his sister. + +He would have been in time had the gun proved true, which it did not. +It was an old flint musket, and the priming had got damp during their +journey through the moist tropical forest. As he pulled trigger, there +was not even a flash in the pan; and although he instinctively grasped +the gun by its barrel, and, using it as a club, commenced belabouring +the hairy giant over the head, his blows were of no more avail than if +directed against the trunk of the tree itself. + +Once, twice, three times the butt of the gun descended upon the skull of +the satyr, protected by its thick shock of coarse red hair; but before a +fourth blow could be given, the ape threw out one of its immense arms, +and carrying it round in a rapid sweep, caught the form of the girl in +its embrace, and then, close hugging her against its hairy breast, +commenced reascending the tree. + +Shouts and shrieks were of no avail to detain the horrid abductor. Nor +yet the boy's strength, exerted to its utmost. His strength alone; for +Murtagh was not yet up. Henry seized the gorilla's leg, and clung to it +as long as ever he could. He was dragged several feet up the trunk; but +a kick from the gorilla shook him off, and he fell, stunned and almost +senseless, to the earth. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY. + +WHAT WILL BECOME OF HER? + +It would be impossible to paint the despair that wrung her brother's +heart, as he stood with upturned face and eyes bent upon a scene in +which he had no longer the power to take part. + +Not much less intense was the agonised emotion of Murtagh; for little +Helen was almost as dear to the Irishman as if she had been his own +daughter. + +Neither could have any other thought than that the child was lost beyond +hope of recovery. She would either be torn to pieces by the claws of +the monster, or by its great yellow teeth, already displayed to their +view, and flung in mangled fragments to the ground. They actually stood +for some time in expectation of seeing this sad catastrophe; and it +would be vain to attempt any description of their emotions. + +It was no relief when the two hunters came up, as they did at that +instant, on their return from the chase. Their approach for the last +two or three hundred yards had been hastened into a run by the shrieks +of Helen and the shouts of Henry and Murtagh. Their arrival only added +two new figures to the tableau of distress, and two voices to its +expression. + +The ape could still be seen through the foliage ascending to the top of +the tree; but Captain Redwood felt that the rifle he held in his hands, +though sure of aim and fatal in effect, was of no more use than if it +had been a piece of wood. + +Saloo had the same feeling in regard to his blow-gun. The rifle might +send a deadly bullet through the skull of the gorilla, and the latter +pierce its body with an arrow that would carry a quick-spreading poison +through its veins. + +But to what purpose, even though they could be certain of killing it? +Its death would be also the death of the child. She was still living, +and apparently unhurt; for they could see her moving, and hear her +voice, as she was carried onward and upward in that horrible embrace. + +Captain Redwood dared not send a bullet nor Saloo an arrow. Slight as +the chances were of saving the girl, either would have made them +slighter. A successful shot of the rifle or puff of the blow-gun would +be as fatal to the abducted as the abductor; and the former, with or +without the latter, would be certain to fall to the foot of the tree. +It was a hundred feet sheer from the point which the ape had attained to +the ground. The child would not only be killed, but crushed to a +shapeless mass. + +Ah me! what a terrible scene for her father! What a spectacle for him +to contemplate! + +And as he stood in unutterable agony, his companions gathered around, +all helpless and irresolute as to how they should act, they saw the ape +suddenly change his direction, and move outward from the trunk of the +tree along one of its largest limbs. This trended off in a nearly +horizontal direction, at its end interlocking with a limb of the +neighbouring tree, which stretched out as if to shake hands with it. + +A distance of more than fifty feet lay between the two trunks, but their +branches met in close embrace. + +The purpose of the ape was apparent. It designed passing from one to +the other, and thence into the depths of the forest. + +The design was quickly followed by its execution. As the spectators +rushed to the side by which the gorilla was retreating, they saw it lay +hold of the interlocking twigs, draw the branch nearer, bridge the space +between with its long straggling arm, and then bound from one to the +other with the agility of a squirrel. + +And this with the use of only one arm, for by the other the child was +still carried in the same close hug. Its legs acted as arms, and for +travelling through the tree-tops three were sufficient. + +On into the heart of the deep foliage of the second tree, and without a +pause on into the next; along another pair of counterpart limbs, which, +intertwining their leafy sprays and boughs, still further into the +forest, all the time bearing its precious burden along with it. + +The agonised father ran below, rifle in hand. He might as well have +been without one, for all the use he dared to make of it. + +And Henry, too, followed with the ship's musket. True, it had missed +fire, and the damp priming was still in the pan. Damp or dry, it now +mattered not. Saloo's sumpitan was an equally ineffective weapon. +Murtagh with his fishing-hooks might as well have thought of capturing +the monster with a bait. + +On it scrambled from tree to tree, and on ran the pursuers underneath, +yet with no thought of being able to stay its course. They were carried +forward by the mere mechanical instinct to keep it in sight, with +perhaps some slight hope that in the end something might occur--some +interruption might arise by which they would be enabled to effect a +rescue of the child from its horrible captor. + +It was at best but a faint consolation. Nor would they have cherished +it, but for their trust in a higher power than their own. Of themselves +they knew they could not let or hinder the abductor in its flight. + +All felt their own helplessness. But it is just in that supreme moment, +when man feels his utter weakness, that his vague trust in a superior +Being becomes a devout and perfect faith. + +Captain Redwood was not what is usually called a religious man, meaning +thereby a strict adherent to the Church, and a regular observer of its +ordinances. For all this he was a firm believer in the existence of a +providential and protecting power. + +His exclamations were many, and not very coherent; but their burden was +ever a prayer to God for the preservation of his daughter. + +"Helen, my child! Helen! What will become of her? O Father! O God, +protect her!" + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. + +THE PURSUIT ARRESTED. + +From branch to branch, and tree to tree, the red gorilla continued its +swift advance; still bearing with it the little Helen. + +From trunk to trunk, the pursuers crawled through the underwood beneath, +feeling as helpless as ever. + +What was to be the end of this strangely singular pursuit they could not +tell, for they had never before--and perhaps no man at any time had-- +taken part in such a chase, or even heard of one so terrible. + +They could offer no conjecture as to what might be its termination; but +moved forward mechanically, keeping the gorilla in sight. + +Was Helen yet living, or was she dead? No cry came from her lips, no +word, no sound! Had the life been crushed out of her body by the +pressure of that strong muscular arm, twined round her like the limb of +an oak? Or was the silence due to temporary loss of feeling? + +She might well have swooned away in such a situation; and her father, +struggling with faint hopes, would have been glad to think this was +indeed the case. + +No signs could be gained from what they heard, and none from what they +saw. They were now passing through the very depth of the forest--a +tropical forest, with the trees meeting overhead, and not a speck of sky +visible through the interwoven branches, loaded with their thick +festoons of leaves and lianas. + +They were gliding through dense arcades, lit up with just sufficient +sunshine to wear the sombre shadows of a dusky twilight. There were +even places where the retreating form of the ape could not have been +distinguishable in the obscurity, but for the white drapery of the +child's dress, now torn into shreds, and flaunting like streamers behind +it. These luckily served as a beacon to guide them on through the +gloom. + +Now and then the chase led them into less shady depths, where the +sunlight fell more freely through the leafy screen above. At such +points they could obtain a better view, both of the red abductor and its +captive. + +But even then only a glimpse--the speed at which the gorilla was going, +as well as the foliage that intervened, preventing any lengthened +observation. + +Nor were the pursuers at any time able to get sight of the child's face. +It appeared to be turned toward the animal's breast, her head buried in +its coarse shaggy hair, with which her own tresses were mingled in +strange contrast. + +Even her form could not be clearly distinguished. As far as they could +decide by their occasional glimpses, they thought she was still alive. +The brute did not seem to treat her with any malevolent violence. Only +in a rude uncouth way; which, however, might suffice to cause the death +of one so young and frail. + +To depict the feelings of her father, under such circumstances, would be +a task the most eloquent pen could not successfully attempt. Agony like +his can never be described. Language possesses not the power. There +are thoughts which lie too deep for words; passions whose expression +defies the genius of the artist or the poet. + +Perhaps he was hindered from realising the full measure of his +bereavement during the first moments of the pursuit. The excitement of +the chase, and the incidents attending it--the hope still remaining that +some chance would arise in their favour--the certainty, soon +ascertained, that they could keep up with the ape, which, despite its +agility in the trees, cannot outstrip a man pursuing it along the +ground,--all these circumstances had hitherto withheld him from giving +way to utter despair. + +But the time had come when even these slight supports were to fail. + +It was when they arrived upon the brink of a lagoon, and a water-surface +gleamed before their eyes; reflected by a daylight that struggled dimly +down through the tops of the tall trees. + +The trees rose out of the water, their trunks wide apart, but their +branches intermingling. + +The path of our pursuers was interrupted--they saw it at once--but that +of the pursued seemed continuous as before. + +They were arrested suddenly on the brink of the lagoon, apparently with +no chance of proceeding farther. They saw the red gorilla still +climbing among the trees, with the white drapery streaming behind it. + +Soon they saw it not--only heard the crackle of twigs, and the swishing +recoil of the branches, as its huge body swung from tree to tree. + +The monster was now out of sight, along with its victim--a victim, in +very truth, whether living or dead! + +But for the support of Murtagh and Saloo, Captain Redwood would have +fallen to the earth. In their arms he sobbed and gasped,-- + +"Helen! my child, Helen! What will become of her? O Father! O God, +protect her!" + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. + +LISTENING IN DESPAIR. + +For some seconds Captain Redwood was powerless in a frenzy of despair. +Henry was equally overcome by grief truly agonising. It was to both +father and son a moment of the most unutterable anguish. + +Helen, the dear daughter and sister, carried out of their sight, +apparently beyond reach of pursuit. And in the arms of a hideous +creature which was neither wholly man nor wholly beast, but combined the +worst attributes of each. + +Perhaps she was already dead within the loathsome embrace--her tender +body soon to be torn to pieces, or tossed from the top of some tall +tree; to be crushed and mangled on the earth, or thrown with a plunge +into the cold dark waters of that dismal lagoon, never more to be seen +or heard of. + +These were horrid thoughts and hideous images which rushed rapidly +through their minds as they stood in the sombre shadow, picturing to +themselves her too probable fate. It was no longer a question about her +life. + +They knew, or believed, her to be dead. They only thought of what was +to become of her body; what chance there might be of recovering and +giving it the sacred rights of sepulture. Even this slight consolation +occupied the mind of the distracted father. + +The Malay, well acquainted with the habits of the great man-ape, could +give no answer. He only knew that the child's body would not be eaten +up by it; since the red gorilla is never known to feed upon flesh--fruit +and vegetables being its only diet. + +The whole thing was perplexing him, as an occurrence altogether unusual. +He had known of people being killed and torn to pieces by the animal in +its anger; but never of one being carried up into the trees. + +Usually these animals will not volunteer an attack upon man, and are +only violent when assailed. Then, indeed, are they terrible in their +strength as in their ferocity. + +The one now encountered must have been infuriated by its fight with the +crocodile; and coming straight from the encounter, had in some way +connected the children with its conquered enemy. Murtagh's shout might +have freshly incensed it; or, what to Saloo seemed more probable than +all, the seizure of the child might be a wild freak suddenly striking +the brain of the enraged satyr. + +He had heard of such eccentricities on the part of the ourang-outang, +and there is a belief among the Dyak hunters that the mias sometimes +goes _mad_, just as men do. + +This reasoning did not take place on the edge of the lagoon, nor any +discussion of such questions. They were thoughts that had been +expressed during the pursuit, at no time hurried. The captain and his +companions had easily kept pace with the pursued, while passing through +the dry forest; and time enough was allowed them to think and talk of +many things. + +Now that they could no longer follow, scarce a word was exchanged +between them. Their emotions were too sad for utterance, otherwise than +by exclamations which spoke only of despair. + +It was well they were silent, for it gave Saloo the opportunity of +listening. Ever since the ape had passed from their sight, his ear had +been keenly anxious to catch every sound, as he still entertained a hope +of being able to trace its passage through the trees. + +Thoroughly conversant with the animal's habits, he knew that it must +have an abiding-place--a nest. This might be near at hand. The +proximity of the lagoon almost convinced him that it was so. + +The mias makes a temporary roost for his repose anywhere it may be +wandering--constructing it in a few moments, by breaking off the +branches and laying them crosswise on a forked limb; but Saloo was aware +that, for its permanent residence, it builds a much more elaborate nest, +and this, too, always over water or marshy ground, where its human enemy +cannot conveniently follow it. + +Moreover, it chooses for the site of its dwelling a low tree or bush +with umbrageous boughs, and never retires among the taller trees of the +forest. + +This it does to avoid exposure to the chill winds, and the inconvenience +of being shaken to and fro during storms or typhoons. + +With all this knowledge in his memory, the Malay had conceived a hope +that the monster's nest might not be far off, and they would still be +able to follow and find it--not to rescue the living child, but recover +her dead body. + +Keenly and attentively he listened to every sound that came back through +the water-forest--cautioning the others to be silent. A caution scarce +needed, for they too stood listening, still as death, with hushed +voices, and hearts only heard in their dull sad beatings. + +But for a short time were they thus occupied; altogether not more than +five minutes. They still detected the crackling of branches which +indicated the passage of the ape through the tree-tops. + +All at once these sounds suddenly ceased, or rather were they drowned +out by sounds louder and of a very different intonation. It was a +chorus of cries, in which barking, grunting, growling, coughing, +cachinnation and the squalling of children seemed all to have a share. +There were evidently more than one individual contributing to this +strange _fracas_ of the forest; and the noises continued to come +apparently from the same place. + +"Allah be thank!" exclaimed Saloo, in a subdued tone. "He home at lass. +Him family makee welcome. Maybe chile be live yet. Maybe mias no +killee after all. Trust we in Allah, what you Inglees people callee +God. Who know he yet help us!" + +These last words came like a renewal of life to the despairing father. +He started on hearing them; fresh hope had sprung up in his breast, at +the thought that his beloved child might yet be alive, and that a chance +of rescuing her might still be possible. + +"In thy mercy, O God, grant it may be so!" were the words that fell from +his lips: Murtagh, with equal fervour, saying "Amen!" + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. + +STRIKING OUT. + +Inspired to renewed energy, Captain Redwood rushed to the edge of the +lagoon, with the view of ascertaining its depth, and seeing whether it +might possibly be waded. + +He soon discovered that it could not. In less than ten paces from the +edge he was up to the arm-pits, and from thence it seemed to deepen +still more abruptly. Another step forward, and the water rose over his +shoulders, the bottom still sloping downwards. The lagoon was evidently +impassable. + +He drew back despairingly, though not to return to the shore. He stood +facing the centre of the lagoon, whence still came the strange noises: +though scarce so loud or varied as before, they did not appear to be any +more distant. Whatever creatures were making them, it was evident they +were stationary, either in the trees or upon the ground. They did not +sound as if they came from on high; but this might be a deception, +caused by the influence of the water. One of the voices bore a singular +resemblance to that of a child. It could not be Helen's; it more +resembled the squalling of an infant. Saloo knew what it was. In the +plaintive tones he recognised the scream of a young ourang-outang. + +It was a proof his conjecture was true, and that the mias had reached +its home. + +All the more anxious was Captain Redwood to reach the spot whence the +sounds proceeded. Something like a presentiment had entered his mind +that there was still a hope, and that his child lived and might be +rescued. + +Even if torn, injured, disfigured for life, she might survive. Any sort +of life, so long as she could be recovered; and if she could not be +restored, at least she might breathe her last breath in his arms. Even +that would be easier to bear than the thought that she had gone to rest +in the grasp of the hirsute gorilla, with its hideous offspring grinning +and gibbering around her. + +The lagoon could not be waded on foot; but a good swimmer might cross +it. The captain was an experienced and accomplished swimmer. The +voices came from no great distance--certainly not above half a mile. On +one occasion he had accomplished a league in a rough sea! There could +be no difficulty in doing as much on the smooth, tranquil water of that +tree-shaded lake. + +He had opened his arms and prepared to strike out, when a thought stayed +him. Saloo, who had waded to his side, also arrested him by laying a +hand on his shoulder. + +"You try swimmee, cappen, no good without weapon; we both go togedder-- +muss take gun, sumpitan, kliss, else no chance killee mias." + +It was the thought that had occurred to Captain Redwood himself. + +"Yes, you are right, Saloo. I must take my rifle, but how am I to keep +it dry?--there's not time to make a raft." + +"No raff need, cappen; givee me you gun--Saloo swim single-hand well as +two; he cally the gun." + +Captain Redwood knew it to be true that Saloo, as he said, could swim +with one hand as well as he himself with both. + +He was a Malay, to whom swimming in the water is almost as natural as +walking upon the land. His old pilot could scarcely have been drowned +if he had been flung into the sea twenty miles from shore. + +He at once yielded to Saloo's counsel; and both hastily returned to the +edge of the lagoon to make preparations. + +These did not occupy long. The captain threw off some of his clothes, +stowed his powder-flask and some bullets in the crown of his hat, which +he fastened firmly on his head. He retained a knife--intended in case +of necessity--to be carried between his teeth, giving his gun to Saloo. + +The Malay, having less undressing to do, had already completed the +arrangements. On the top of his turban, safely secured by a knotting of +his long black hair, he had fastened his bamboo quiver of poisoned +arrows; while his kris--with which a Malay under no circumstances thinks +of parting--lay along his thigh, kept in position by the waist-strap +used in suspending his _sarong_. With his sumpitan and the captain's +gun in his left hand, he was ready to take to the water. Not another +moment was lost; the voices of the ourangs seemed to be calling them; +and plunging through the shallow, they were soon out in deep water, and +striking steadily but rapidly, silently but surely, towards the centre +of the lagoon. + +Henry and Murtagh remained on the shore looking after them. The +ship-carpenter was but an indifferent swimmer, and the youth was not +strong enough to have swam half a mile. It was doubtful if either could +have reached the spot where the apes seemed to have made their +rendezvous. And if so, they would have been too exhausted to have +rendered any service in case of a sudden conflict. + +The brave Irishman, devoted to his old skipper, and Henry, anxious to +share his father's fate, would have made the attempt; but Captain +Redwood restrained them, directing both to await his return. + +They stood close to the water's edge, following the swimmers with their +eyes, and with prayers for their success, scarcely uttered in words, but +fervently felt; Murtagh, according to the custom of his country and +creed, sealing the petition by making the sign of the cross. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. + +SWIMMING IN SHADOW. + +Silently and swiftly the two swimmers continued their course through the +shadowy aisles of the forest. Twilight, almost darkness, was above and +around them; for the trees meeting overhead caused an obscurity sombre +as night itself. No ray of sunlight ever danced upon the surface of +that dismal lagoon. + +They would have lost their way, had not the noises guided them. Should +these be discontinued, their exertions might be all in vain. + +They thought of this as they proceeded, and reflected also on the course +to be adopted when they reached the rendezvous of the gorillas. +Supposing there could be no footing found, how were they to use either +gun or sumpitan? + +The question passed between them in a whisper as they swam side by side. +Neither knew how to answer it. + +Saloo only expressed a hope that they might get upon the limb of a tree +near enough to send a bullet or arrow into the body of the mias, and +terminate his career. + +There seemed no other chance, and they swam on, keeping it before their +minds. + +About the direction, they had no difficulty whatever. Although the +surface of the water was of inky blackness, from the shadowing trees +above, and the huge trunks standing out of it now and then forced them +into an occasional deviation, they advanced without any great +difficulty. + +They swam around the tree trunks, and, guided by the voices of the +gorillas, easily regained their course. The noises were no longer sharp +screams or hoarse coughs, but a kind of jabbering jargon, as if the apes +were engaged in a family confabulation. + +The swimmers at length arrived so near, that they no longer felt any +fear about finding the way to the place where the reunion of the +_quadrumana_ was being held; and which could not be more than a hundred +yards distant. + +Silently gliding through the water, the eyes of both peered intently +forward, in an endeavour to pierce the obscurity, and, if possible, +discover some low limb of a tree, or projecting buttress, on which they +might find a foothold. They had good hope of success, for they had seen +many such since starting from the shore. Had rest been necessary, they +might have obtained it more than once by grasping a branch above, or +clinging to one of the great trunks, whose gnarled and knotted sides +would have afforded sufficient support. + +But they were both strong swimmers, and needed no rest. There was none +for the bereaved father--could be none--till he should reach the +termination of their strange enterprise, and know what was to be its +result. + +As they swam onward, now proceeding with increased caution, their eyes +scanning the dark surface before them, both all of a sudden and +simultaneously came to a stop. It was just as if something underneath +the water had laid hold of them by the legs, checking them at the same +instant of time. + +And something _had_ impeded their farther progress, but not from behind. +In front was the obstruction, which proved to be a bank of earth, that, +though under the water, rose within a few inches of its surface. The +breast of each swimmer had struck against it, the shock raising them +into a half-erect attitude, from which they had no need to return to the +horizontal. On the contrary, they now rose upon their feet, which they +felt to be resting on a firm hard bottom. + +Standing in pleased surprise, they could better survey the prospect +before them; and after a minute spent in gazing through the gloom, they +saw that dry land was close to the spot where they had been so abruptly +arrested. + +It appeared only a low-lying islet, scarce rising above the level of the +lagoon, and of limited extent--only a few rods in superficial area. It +was thickly covered with trees; but, unlike those standing in the water, +which were tall and with single stems, those upon the islet were +supported by many trunks, proclaiming them to be some species of the +Indian fig or _banyan_. + +One near the centre, from its greater width and more numerous supporting +pillars, seemed the patriarch of the tribe; and to this their eyes were +especially directed. For out of its leafy shadows came the strange +sounds which had hitherto guided them. + +Among its branches, without any doubt, the red gorilla had his home; and +there he would be found in the bosom of his family. + +Grasping his gun, and whispering to Saloo to follow him, Captain Redwood +started towards the tree so clearly indicated as the goal of their +expedition. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. + +THE FAMILY AT HOME. + +Soon after the intended assailants stood among the rooted branches of +the banyan. The gloom underneath its umbrageous branches was deepened +by what appeared to be an immense scaffolding constructed near the top +of the tree, and extending far out along the horizontal limbs. + +Saloo at once recognised the permanent nest or roosting-place of a _mias +rombi_--such as he had often seen in the forests of Sumatra, where the +same, or a closely allied species, has its home. + +The tree was not a tall one, but low and widespreading; while the broad +platform-like nest, formed by interwoven branches, upon which lay a +thick layer of grass and leaves, was not more than twenty feet above the +surface of the earth. + +The obscurity which prevailed around favoured their stealthy approach; +and like a pair of spectres gliding through the upright pillars, Captain +Redwood and his old pilot at length found a position favourable for a +survey of the platform erected by the gorilla. + +The father's heart was filled with strange indescribable emotions, as +with eye keenly bent he stood upon a projecting branch, that brought his +head on a level with this curious structure. + +There he saw a scene which stirred his soul to its deepest depths. + +His daughter, appearing snow-white amid the gloom, was lying upon the +scaffold, her golden hair dishevelled, her dress torn into ribbons-- +portions of it detached and scattered about. + +To all appearance she was dead; for, scanning her with the earnest +anxious glance of a keen solicitude, he could not detect any movement +either in body or limbs; and it was too dark for him to tell whether her +eyes were open or closed. + +But he had now very little hope. He was indeed too certain they were +closed in the sleep of death. + +Around her were assembled three human-like forms, monstrous withal, and +all alike covered with a coating of red hair, thick, long, and shaggy. +They were of different sizes, and in the largest one he recognised the +abductor of his child. + +The second in size, whose form proclaimed it to be a female, was +evidently the wife of the huge man-ape; while the little creature, about +eighteen inches in height--though a perfect miniature likeness of its +parents--was the infant whose squalling had contributed more than +anything else to guide them through the shades of the lagoon. + +The old male, perhaps suffering fatigue from its fight with the +crocodile, as well as from the chase he had sustained, crouched upon the +scaffold, seemingly asleep. + +The other two were still in motion, the mother at intervals seizing her +hairy offspring, and grotesquely caressing it; then letting it go free +to dance fantastically around the recumbent form of the unconscious +captive child. This it did, amusing itself by now and then tearing off +a strip of the girl's dress, either with its claws or teeth. + +It was a spectacle wild, weird, altogether indescribable; and by Captain +Redwood not to be looked upon a moment longer than was necessary to +embrace its details. + +Having satisfied himself, he raised his rifle to fire upon the family +party, intending first to aim at the father, whose death he most +desired, and who living would no doubt prove by far the most dangerous +antagonist. + +In another instant his bullet would have sped towards the breast of the +sleeping giant, but for Saloo, who, grasping his arm, restrained him. + +"Tay, cappen," said the Malay in a whisper; "leave me kill em. Sumpit +bettel dun bullet. De gun makee noise--wake old mias up, an' maybe no +killee em. De upas poison bettel. It go silent--quick. See how Saloo +slay dem all tlee!" + +There was something in Saloo's suggestions which caused Captain Redwood +to ground his rifle and reflect. His reflections quickly ended in his +giving place to his old pilot, and leaving the latter to work out the +problem in his own way. + +Stepping up to the branch assigned to him, which commanded a view of the +spectacle so torturing to his master, the Malay took a brief glance at +the scene--only a very brief one. It enabled him to select the first +victim for his envenomed shaft, the same which Captain Redwood had +destined to receive the leaden missile from his gun. + +Bringing to his mouth the sumpitan, in whose tube he had already placed +one of his poisoned arrows, and compressing the trumpet-shaped +embouchure against his lips, he gave a puff that sent the shaft on its +deadly way with such velocity, that even in clear daylight its exit +could only have been detected like a spark from a flint. + +In the obscurity that shrouded the gorilla's roost, nothing at all was +seen, and nothing heard; for the sumpit is as silent on its message as +the wing of an owl when beating through the twilight. + +True, there was something heard, though it was not the sound of the +arrow. + +Only a growl from the great red gorilla, that had felt something sting +him, and on feeling it threw up his paw to scratch the place, no doubt +fancying it to be but the bite of a mosquito or hornet. The piece of +stick broken off by his fingers may have seemed to him rather strange, +but not enough so to arouse him from his dreamy indifference. + +Not even when another and another sting of the same unusual kind caused +him to renew his scratching--for by this time he was beginning to +succumb to the narcotic influence that would soon induce the sleep of +death. + +It did thus end: for after a time, and almost without a struggle, the +red-haired monster lay stretched upon the platform which had long been +his resting-place, his huge limbs supple and tremulous with the last +throes of life. + +And beside him, in the same condition, was soon after seen his wife, +who, of weaker conformation, had more quickly yielded to the soporific +effect of the upas poison, from which, when it has once pervaded the +blood, there is no chance of recovery. + +Saloo did not deem the infant mias worthy a single arrow, and after its +parents had been disposed of, he sprang upon the scaffold, followed by +Captain Redwood, who, the moment after, was kneeling by his child, and +with ear closely pressed to her bosom, listened to learn if her heart +was still beating. + +_It was_! + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. + +AN IMPROVISED PALANQUIN. + +"She lives! thank God, she lives!" + +These were the words that fell upon the ears of Henry and Murtagh, when +Saloo, swimming back to the shore, related to them what had transpired. +And more too. She had recovered from her swoon, a long-protracted +syncope, which had fortunately kept her in a state of unconsciousness +almost from the moment of her capture to that of her rescue. + +With the exception of some scratches upon her delicate skin, and a +slight pain caused by the compression to which she had been subjected in +that hideous hug, no harm had befallen her--at least no injury that +promised to be of a permanent nature. + +Such was the report and prognosis of Saloo, who had swam back to the +shore to procure the ship-carpenter's axe, and his aid in the +construction of a raft. + +This was to carry Helen from the islet--from a spot which had so nearly +proved fatal to her. + +A bamboo grove grew close at hand, and with Saloo's knowledge and the +ship-carpenter's skill, a large life-preserver was soon set afloat on +the water of the lagoon. It was at once paddled to the islet, and +shortly after came back again bearing with it a precious freight--a +beautiful young girl rescued by an affectionate father, and restored to +an equally affectionate brother. + +Long before the raft had grounded against the shore, Henry, plunging +into the shallow water, had gone to meet it, and mounting upon the +buoyant bamboos, had flung his arms around the form of his little +sister. + +How tender that embrace, how fond and affectionate, how different from +the harsh hostile hug of the monster, whose long hairy arms had late so +cruelly encircled her delicate form! + +As the child was still weak--her strength prostrated more by her first +alarm when seized, than by aught that had happened afterwards--Captain +Redwood would have deemed it prudent to make some stay upon the shore of +the lagoon. + +But the place seemed so dismal, while the air was evidently damp and +unhealthy, to say naught of the unpleasant thoughts the scene suggested, +he felt desirous to escape from it as soon as possible. + +In this matter the Malay again came to his assistance, by saying they +could soon provide a litter on which the child might be transported with +as much ease to herself as if she were travelling in the softest +sedan-chair that ever carried noble lady of Java or Japan. + +"Construct it then," was the reply of Captain Redwood, who was +altogether occupied in caressing his restored child. + +Saloo needed no further directions: he only requested the assistance of +Murtagh, along with what remained to him of his tools; and these being +as freely as joyfully furnished, a score of fresh bamboos soon lay +prostrate on the ground, out of which the palanquin was to be built up. + +Lopped into proper lengths, and pruned of their great leaf-blades, they +were soon welded into the shape of a stretcher, with a pair of long +handles projecting from each end. + +The palanquin was not yet complete, and by rights should have had a roof +over it to shelter its occupant from rain or sun; but as there was no +appearance of rain, and certainly no danger of being scorched by the sun +in a forest where its glowing orb was never seen nor its rays permitted +to penetrate, a roof was not thought necessary, and Saloo's task was +simplified by leaving it a mere stretcher. + +He took pains, however, that it should be both soft and elastic. The +latter quality he obtained by a careful choice of the bamboos that were +to serve as shafts; the former requisite he secured by thickly bedding +it with the lopped-off leaves, and adding an upper stratum of cotton, +obtained from a species of bombyx growing close at hand, and soft as the +down of the eider-duck. + +Reclining upon this easy couch, borne upon its long shafts of elastic +bamboo, Saloo at one end and Murtagh at the other, Helen was transported +like a queen through the forest she had lately traversed as a captive in +a manner so strange and perilous. + +Before the sun had set, they once more looked upon its cheering light, +its last declining rays falling upon her pale face as she was set down +upon the shore of the lake, beside that same tree from which she had +taken her involuntary departure. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. + +THE JOURNEY CONTINUED. + +The captain's daughter, with the natural vigour of youth, soon recovered +from the slight injuries she had sustained in her singular journey +through the maze of boughs. The previous perils of shipwreck, and the +various hairbreadth escapes through which she had more recently passed, +made her last danger all the lighter to bear; for by these her child's +spirit had become steeled to endurance, and her courage was equal to +that of a full-grown woman. Otherwise the fearful situation in which +she had been placed, if leaving life, might have deprived her of reason. + +As it happened, no serious misfortune had befallen, and with Helen's +strength and spirits both fully restored, her companions were able on +the third day to resume their overland journey. + +And, still more, they started with a fresh supply of provisions--enough +to last them for many long days. Captain Redwood and Saloo in their +hunting excursion had been very successful. The captain had not been +called upon to fire a single shot from his rifle, so that his slender +store of ammunition was still good for future eventualities. Saloo's +silent sumpits had done all the work of the chase, which resulted in the +death of a deer, another wild pig, and several large birds, suitable for +the pot or spit. The hunters had been returning from their last +expedition heavily loaded with game, when the cries of Helen, Henry, and +Murtagh, had caused them to drop their booty and hasten to the rescue. + +Now that all was over, and they were once more reminded of it, Saloo and +Murtagh went in search of the abandoned game, soon found it, gathered it +again, and transported it to their camping-place by the side of the +lake. + +Here, during the time they stayed to await the recovery of Helen's +health, the pork and venison were cut up and cured in such a manner as +to ensure its keeping for a long time--long enough indeed to suffice +them throughout the whole duration of their contemplated journey; that +is, should no unexpected obstacle arise to obstruct or detain them. + +The fowls that had fallen to Saloo's arrows were sufficient to serve +them for a few days, and with the fine supply of lard obtained from the +carcass of the pig, they could be cooked in the most sumptuous manner. + +In the best of spirits they again set forth; and it seemed now as if +fate had at last grown weary of torturing them, and daily, almost +hourly, involving one or other of them in danger of death. + +From the edge of the lake, where their journey had been so strangely +interrupted, they found an easy path across the remaining portion of the +great plain. + +Several times they came upon the traces of red gorillas, and once they +caught sight of a member of the horrid tribe speeding along the branches +above their heads. + +But they were not so much afraid of them after all; for Saloo admitted +that he did not deem the _mias pappan_ so dangerous; and he had +ascertained that it was this species of ourang-outang they had +encountered. + +He confessed himself puzzled at the behaviour of the one that had caused +them so much fear and trouble. It was another species, the _mias +rombi_, of which he stood in dread; and he could only account for the +_mias pappan_ having acted as it had done, by supposing the animal to +have taken some eccentric notion into its head--perhaps caused, as we +have already hinted, by its conflict with the crocodile. + +Dangerous these gigantic _quadrumana_ are, nevertheless;--their +superhuman strength enabling them to make terrible havoc wherever and +whenever their fury becomes aroused. But without provocation this +rarely occurs, and a man or woman who passes by them without making a +noise, is not likely to be molested. + +Besides the large species, to which belonged the ape that had attacked +them, the travellers saw another kind while passing across the plain. +This was the _mias kassio_, much smaller in size, and more gentle in its +nature. + +But they saw nothing of those, tallest of all, and the most dreaded by +Saloo--the _mias rombis_--although the old bee-hunter still maintained +his belief that they exist in the forests of Borneo as well as in the +wilds of Sumatra. + +The plain over which they were making their way, here and there +intersected with lagoons and tracts of tree-covered swamp, was the very +locality in which these great apes delight to dwell; their habit being +to make their huge platforms, or sleeping-places, upon bushes that grow +out of boggy marsh or water--thus rendering them difficult of access to +man, the only enemy they have need to dread. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT. + +THE FRIENDLY FLAG. + +The travellers had taken their departure from the lake-shore at an early +hour of the morning; and before sunset they had traversed the remaining +portion of the plain, and ascended a considerable distance up the +sloping side of the mountains beyond. + +Another day's journey, during which they accomplished a very long and +tiresome march, brought them to the summit of the ridge, the great +dividing chain which strikes longitudinally across the whole island of +Borneo, so far as the geographers yet know it. + +They could see far to the northward, dimly outlined against the sky, the +immense mountain of Kini-Balu--which rises to a height of nearly 12,000 +feet; but they derived their principal gratification from the fact that, +in the country stretching westward, appeared nothing likely to prevent +them from reaching the destined goal of their journey, the old Malay +capital town of Bruni--or rather the isle of Labuan, which lies along +the coast a little to the north of it, where Captain Redwood knew that a +flag floated, which, if not that of his own country, would be equally as +certain to give him protection. + +From the position of Kini-Balu, whose square summit they could +distinguish from all others, he could see the point to steer for as +well, or even better, than if he had brought his ship's compass with +him, and they would no longer be travelling in any uncertainty as to +their course. From where they were it could be distinguished to a +pointy without any variation; and after a good night's rest upon the +mountain-ridge, they commenced descending its western slope. + +For a time they lost sight of the sun's orb, that, rising behind their +backs, was hidden by the mountain mass, and casting a purple shadow over +the forest-clad country before them. Soon, however, the bright orb, +soaring into the sky, sent its beams before them, and they continued +their journey under the cheering light. + +Had it not been for fear of their fellow-beings, they would have +advanced on without much further apprehension; for one and all were now +rejoicing in a plentitude of restored health, and their spirits were +consequently fresh and cheerful. + +But they still had some dread of danger from man--from those terrible +enemies, the Dyaks, of whom Bornean travellers have told such ghastly +tales. + +It seemed, however, as if our adventurers were not destined to discover +whether these tales were true or false, or in any way to realise them. +The evil star that had hung over their heads while on the eastern side +of the island, must have stayed there; and now on the west nothing of +ill appeared likely to befall them. + +For all this they did not trust to destiny, but took every precaution to +shun an encounter with the savages, travelling only at such times as +they were certain the "coast was clear;" and lying in concealment +whenever they saw a sign of danger. Saloo, who could glide through the +trees with the stealth and silence of a snake, always led the advance; +and thus they progressed from hill to hill, and across the intervening +valleys, still taking care that their faces should be turned westward. + +At length, after many days of this cautious progress, they ascended a +steep ridge, which, rising directly across their route, made it +necessary for them to climb it. + +It caused them several hours of toil; but they were well rewarded for +the effort. On reaching its summit, and casting their glances beyond, +they saw below, and at a little to the left, the strange old +wooden-walled town of Bruni; while to the right, across a narrow arm of +the sea, lay the island of Labuan, and on its conspicuous buildings +waved the glorious old banner of Britannia. + +Captain Redwood hailed it with almost as much joy as if it had been the +flag of his native land. + +He was not then in the mood to dwell on any distinction between them; +but, flinging himself on his knees, with Henry on one side, and Helen +upon the other--Murtagh and the Malay a few paces in the rear--he +offered up a prayer of devout and earnest gratitude for their great +deliverance to Him who is ever powerful to save, their Father and their +God. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Castaways, by Captain Mayne Reid + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CASTAWAYS *** + +***** This file should be named 21238.txt or 21238.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/2/3/21238/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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