Bevis Part 60

Mark slipped off, but managed so that his chest was still on the plank.

In that position he worked himself round and got astride the other way.

"Done very well," said Bevis; "ever so much better than I did. Here."

Mark slung his bundle, and they paddled back to the shallow water, Bevis towing his soaked dress. They stood up in the shallow and rested a few minutes, and Bevis fastened his bundle to his plank just in front of where he sat.

"Come on." Off he went again, following the other channel this time.

It wound round a bank grown with sedges, and then led straight into a broader and open channel, the same they had come down in the boat. They recognised it directly, and paddled faster.

"Hark! there's Pan," said Mark.

As they came near the island, Pan either scented them or heard a splas.h.i.+ng, for he set up his bark again. He had choked himself silent before.

"Pan! Pan!" shouted Bevis, whistling.

Yow--wow--wow!

"Hurrah!"

"Hurrah!"

They ran up on the sh.o.r.e of New Formosa, and began to dance and caper, kicking up their heels.

Yow-wow--wow-wow!

"Pan! I'm coming," said Bevis, and began to run, but stopped suddenly.

Thistles in the gra.s.s and trailing briars stayed him. He put on his wet boots, and then picking his way round, reached the hut. He let Pan loose. The spaniel crouched at his feet and whimpered, and followed him, crawling on the ground. Bevis patted him, but he could not leap up as usual, the desertion had quite broken his spirit for the time. Bevis went into the hut, and just as he was, with nothing on but his boots, took his journal and wrote down "Wednesday."

"There," said he to Mark, who had now come, more slowly, for he carried the two bundles, "there, I've put down the day, else we shall lose our reckoning, don't you see."

They were soon dressed. Bevis put on the change he had provided in the store-room, and spread his wet clothes out to dry in the sun. Pan crept from one to the other; he could not get enough patting, he wanted to be continually spoken to and stroked. He would not go a yard from them.

"What's the time?" said Bevis, "my watch has stopped." The water had stopped it.

"Five minutes to twelve," said Mark. "You must write down, 'We landed on the island at noon.'"

"So I will to-night. My watch won't go; the water is in it."

"Lucky mine did not got wet too."

"Hang yours up in the hut, else perhaps it will get stopped somehow, then we shan't know the time."

Mark hung his watch up in the hut, and caught sight of the wooden bottle.

"The first thing people do is to refresh themselves," he said. "Let's have a gla.s.s of ale: splendid thing when you're s.h.i.+pwrecked--"

"A libation to the G.o.ds," said Bevis. "That's the thing; you pour it out on the ground because you've escaped."

"O!" said Mark, opening the bottle. "Now just look! And I filled it to the brim so that I could hardly get the cork in."

"John," said Bevis.

"The rascal."

"s.h.i.+ps' provisions are always scamped," said Bevis; "somebody steals half, and puts in rotten biscuits. It's quite proper. Why, there's a quart gone."

John Young, carrying the heavy bottle, could not resist just taking out the cork to see how full it was. And his mouth was very large.

"Here's a mug," said Mark, who had turned over a heap of things and found a tin cup. They each had a cupful.

"Matchlock," said Bevis.

"Matchlock," said Mark. For while they drank both had had their eyes on their gun-barrel.

"Pliers," said Bevis, taking it up. "Here's the wire; I want the pliers."

It was not so easy to find the pliers under such a heap of things.

"Store-room's in a muddle," said Mark.

"Put it right," said the captain.

"I've got it."

Bevis put the barrel in the stock, and began twisting the copper wire round to fasten it on. Mark searched for the powder-horn and shot-bag.

Three strands were twisted neatly and firmly round the barrel and stock--one near the breech, one half-way up, the third near the muzzle.

It was then secure.

"It looks like a real gun now," said Mark.

"Put your finger on the touch-hole," said Bevis. Mark did so, while he blew through the barrel.

"I can feel the air," said Mark; "the barrel is clear. Shall I measure the powder?"

"Yes."

Bevis shut the pan, Mark poured out the charge from the horn and inserted a wad of paper, which Bevis rammed home with the bra.s.s ramrod.

Bow-wow--bow-yow!

Up jumped Pan, leaped on them, tore round the hut, stood at the doorway and barked, ran a little way out, and came back again to the door, where, with his head over his shoulder, as if beckoning to them to follow, he barked his loudest.

"It's the gun," said Mark. Pan forgot his trouble at the sound of the ramrod.

Next the shot was put in, and then the priming at the pan. A piece of match or cord prepared to burn slowly, about a foot and a half long, was wound round the handle of the stock, and the end brought forward through the spiral of the hammer. Mark struck a match and lit it.

"What shall we shoot at?" said Bevis, as they went out at the door. Pan rushed before and disappeared in the bramble bushes, startling a pair of turtle-doves from a hawthorn.