Yr Ynys Unyg Part 20

But we understood their manuvres very well, and were quite prepared.

We had long ceased to need the Cartref Pellenig entrance, letting everything down by the aperture above, where the rock and brushwood would tell no tales of our footsteps. We had made some more places of observation, and we went to rest that night feeling prepared for everything. It happened as we expected. The whole island seemed alive with pirates as the sun arose. We had taken care to leave their works of destruction as much like what they had left them as possible. They spent a whole week in diligently searching the island, yet were no restraint upon us whatever. We had our shower baths, and even our exercise up and down the rope ladders, peeping out upon them from the top, for we had smoothed the sides of the cliff so well, there was not a place for a cat to get up, and besides it seeming only to be bare rock and brushwood, they thought they saw all over it without deeming that anything could be hidden down in it.

We got rather rash, they got very vexed, we were delighted, they were disappointed. At last at the end of ten days, they began to unload the vessel. Now! thought we, "what is going to happen, surely they are not going to stay here." Our ill-timed hilarity received a sudden check, for our fears were confirmed, they unloaded the vessel completely, and after ballasting her with sand and s.h.i.+ngle, they set sail, and departed. But alas! for us they left ten of their people behind them, who commenced to our horror and disgust building a house very near Cartref Pellenig, but so placed that they could look down the cliffs and over the sea. By this arrangement we had certainly one-half of the island entirely to ourselves, and as they were extremely busy, evidently trying to get their house completed ere the second rains came on, and as what time they had to spare they spent entirely in carousing and sleeping, we ran little danger of being discovered, though out for hours together. One precaution we took which was always to have a watcher on their movements, and never to leave the cavern, without settling where we were to be found in case of warning. Also they seemed quite to have made up their own minds that they were the sole inhabitants of the island.

Little dreaming what a home she gave in her friendly bosom to the weak and helpless, and how many eyes watched their every movement.

We gathered the fruits of roots, enjoyed the turtle, collected eggs, and accustomed our hens to lay in the cavern, giving them a remote egress, through which nothing but fowls could get. We were not therefore in danger of starving, supposing they did take up their abode on the island with us. So we sat down on the carpet of contentment.

During the ensuing wet weather we saw nothing of our visitors, and we beguiled the time with writing stories and romances, and reciting them in the evening while we knitted, spun, and weaved. Part of the girls'

lessons consisted in learning French Plays by heart, and Schillie and I as spectators saw more than poor Madame, who innocently left them to select their own lessons. Sometimes they would repeat the same lessons three days running, making grimaces at us to say nothing. Sometimes Gatty managed so to arrange it, that, during four or five long pages of dialogue, all she had to say was, "_Et Tartuffe_" "_Le Pauvre-homme_"

two or three times, and then she received the good jeton necessary for such a long lesson.

_Schillie._--"You will be hanged some day, Miss Gatty, if you go on in this deceptious manner."

_Gatty._--"Oh, Sib likes the fun, and Serena is so fond of languages, she does not care how much she says, provided it is not in her mother tongue, and I love them both so much, I always like to oblige them."

_Schillie._--"I dare say you do, you young sinner. Now see if I don't expose you to Madame, and then in addition to the crime of stealing, you will have fibbing added."

_Gatty._--"I am quite ready to go and restore the kettle and other things, if you like it, little Mother. Perhaps you would not mind coming with me to do this act of justice."

_Schillie._--"Mention such a thing again, and see how I will punch you, Miss, just as if I would walk one yard nearer those wretches, than the horrid narrow limits of this island oblige me. No, if they were dying by inches for want of their kettle I would not stir one step to give it them."

_Serena._--"How severe you are upon them, little Mother, I hate the sight of them, but I don't think I could see them starve."

_Sybil._--"Indeed I should not care what became of them, or what fate happened to them so that they were all dead."

_Gatty._--"There, Madame, there, hear what your pattern of gentleness and goodness says. Don't talk to me any more about being more like a boy than a girl. Here Syb declares she would like to see the pirates roasted alive."

_Sybil._--"Now, Gatty, how can you?"

_Gatty._--"You said you did not care what became of them; perhaps flayed alive will suit you better."

_Sybil._--"Horrid girl, how you make me shudder."

_Madame._--"I feel perfectly correct in saying, Gertrude, that you are merely giving voice to your own ideas, and not to my gentle Sybil's."

_Sybil._--"Then, dear Madame, I must undeceive you, for, when I look at Serena, I don't think I should care whether they were roasted or not."

_Madame._--"My child, my dear child, since when have you adopted these notions, so foreign to your mild nature?"

_Sybil._--"I don't know, indeed, Madame; but I am ready to fire off a gun if it is necessary to drive them away."

_Madame._--"You see, Madam, what an effect it has had upon our household already, the visit of these pirates."

_Mother._--"Then, Madame, we must hope no worse effects will ensue. At present I admire Sybil's spirit and energy, and think she wanted but that to make her almost what you think her, perfection."

_Gatty._--"I don't like the change at all. Nothing I can do to her now frightens her. I found the most frightful old bloated toad yesterday, and put it on her fat white arm, saying 'there's a pirate for you, Syb,'

and, would you believe it, she neither shrieked or screamed, but said quite savagely, 'I only wish it was, and that I could make away with him as quickly as I could this poor toad.' It is quite provoking, all my fun is gone."

_Oscar._--"Perhaps, aunt Sib, you won't mind learning to fire a gun now."

_Sybil._--"Not at all, dear boy, but (adding quickly) you know we must not shoot at present for fear of discovering ourselves."

_Felix._--"Oh, she's a coward yet, she most certainly is."

_Lilly._--"She was no coward when she went to the s.h.i.+p that dark night, boy" (indignantly).

_Zoe._--"I am sure she is as brave as any of us when occasion requires"

(more indignantly).

_Winny._--"Yes, indeed, all her stories are full of brave people, and they are such pretty stories."

_Schillie._--"Well, children, don't let us have any more of this mawkish dispute. Aunt Sib is agreed to be nearly perfection by you all, and when I see her looking steadily at a spider without a wink I'll think her so too. It is lucky she has turned out so brave, as we may want her services, and I trust you will all follow her worthy example. I intend organizing an army, and making myself field-marshal thereof; and if you make good soldiers, and obey the word of command, I'll tell you the story of the little jack-daws."

The house the men built, which we called Pirate Hall, was magnificent compared to our poor dear Cartref Pellenig, and was made with such rapidity, speed, and neatness, our clerk of the works fell into fits of envy and jealousy. We had visited it very often without being discovered; but the children, from sheer mischief, used to carry off things of all kinds back to our cavern, and we were unable to prevent them, as they almost considered it an act of duty to do so. I would not let them go; besides, we might have been discovered, as, through the loss of different things in such a strange manner, they must suspect some other people were on the island. Schillie, Madame, and I had many private conversations regarding these pirates and their settling on the island; for we were not so hopeful as to think if they settled here permanently we could always escape notice. Some inadvertence on our part, some chance on theirs, an earthquake, any of these things might discover us.

Schillie imagined, from the peculiar way in which Pirate Hall was built, they meant to use it as a storehouse, and that probably the vessel would return, take off the ten men, now our neighbours, and only visit the island when they had to store away their ill-gotten gains, or from bad weather. I agreed with her, and further added, that probably the old house had been built for the same purpose, but that their rendezvous had been disturbed by the extraordinary snake which had been so nearly fatal to us. Now that it was dead they were again making use of the island, and we must be prepared for this and any other disagreeable occurrence that their proximity to us would cause.

Madame hoped that if they really took permanent possession of the island, we might in some manner contrive to quit it, either through their s.h.i.+ps and boats, or from my brother's s.h.i.+p, which we knew had been stationed on the South American Coast, for the purpose of exterminating the pirates, and discovering their hordes. And if he ever pursued one, in endeavouring to reach this island, he might be led on after them, and so discover us.

I doubted their permitting so safe and convenient a spot being discovered. However time would show, and without any event occurring, that could be interesting to others than ourselves, time brought the pirate's vessel back again. Henceforward its visits were at all times and all hours, never staying above a day when it did come, then all hands worked hard to unload and refit again. Sometimes everybody went in it. Sometimes two or three remained behind. And it was on one of these occasions we had a most dreadful fright. Hearing a noise amongst the brushwood at the top of the cavern, we found out in a minute, one or all of the pirates were up there. Almost before the thought rushed through us, there was a crash, a whizzing through the air, and the large heavy body of one of the men fell into the midst of us, and lay there a shapeless b.l.o.o.d.y ma.s.s. Voices were immediately heard, calling to the man, and cautioning each other to beware. We heard the axe cutting away the brushwood, which fell in the cavern amongst us, and fancied faces were peeping down upon us, to see what had occurred to their companion.

We stood and sat motionless. They called to him, and speculated on his fate, and wondered that they heard nothing from him. What should we do, if they discovered our ladders. It seemed however that they were too much alarmed at the unknown fate of their companion, to hazard their lives in search of him, but left the place, saying something about ropes and a further search.

And now what were we do? Here we were with the great body of a pirate in the midst of us, who, though dead, inspired us with almost as much horror and terror, as if alive. What could we do with the crushed and horrid remains. This seemed to oppress us the most, and in thinking who was to touch and move it, we lost sight of the danger we incurred from the other pirates coming back to look for the body.

_Mother._--"Well! Schillie, what must we do?"

_Schillie._--"I shall not touch the beast!"

_Madame._--"The sight is frightful, I really must retire."

The three girls hung aloof, the little ones had hidden themselves out of sight. Though I said nothing, I looked at Hargrave and Jenny.

_Hargrave_ (very mysteriously).--"I ha.s.sure you, Ma'am, I am not haccustomed, that is, Ma'am, it is no business of mine. I ham not in the 'abits of touching corpses and hexcuse me, Ma'am, this is so very--oh dear me whathever 'as come hover me. I shall faint, I know."

_Jenny_ (very pale and _resolute_).--"I think, Ma'am, if I rolled it up in a sheet, we might drag it between us to some distant cavern, and bury it in the sand."

_Oscar._--"No, Jenny, we must cut him in pieces, and carry him out bit by bit into the sea."

_Felix._--"Yes, here is his own saw, that I took away the last time we were at his house. He is only a pirate, Jenny, and quite dead; so, saw away!"

_Jenny._--"Oh, Master Felix, I did not think you had the heart to be so cruel."

_Oscar._--"Cruel! don't be absurd, Jenny. You don't care a bit for cutting off the heads of the chickens so why should you mind cutting up this great brute."

_Jenny._--"Oh! Sir, you really must excuse me, I cannot do it, even to please you."

Our dilemma was really growing most painful. "Can one bury him here, as he is, without touching him?" said I. "Oh no, Mother," said Oscar. "We could never endure the place knowing this body was buried in it.

Besides, see where he has fallen just where we dine. At all events, if you will none of you touch him, and he must be buried here, let us seek another cavern to live in, one nearer the waterfall."